Religious Pluralism and Islam

The Shahadah, or testimony, is the first of the five pillars of Islam. In order to officially convert to Islam, it is required to recite the Shahadah three times, “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This has been a practice within the Islamic faith for hundreds of years. Yet, even within the Islamic faith there are differing versions. Those who practice Shia Islam add, “and Ali is the friend of God” to the end of the Shahadah. This, among many other practices, is an example of the religious plurality that exists within the Islamic world. The Islamic world is home to a large and diversified religious community that, on the surface, seems homogenous in its religious practices. But many religious schools of jurisprudence, schools of theology, and other religious movements exist under the umbrella of Islam, these schools bring religious diversity to Islam that seek to meet the diverse needs and wants of the religious marketplace of the Islamic world. Though the United States is often used as the example to describe religious pluralism, there are many instances in the Islamic world that can even rival the plurality of the American religious market. The Muslim Brotherhood is a prime example of an Islamic organization that has become deeply entrenched in society. Through the extensive use of social services and extreme religious power, the Muslim Brotherhood has been able to enjoy a large membership base, devoted to their cause, and dedicated to its principles. Every year, many Muslims will embrace Sufi Islamic practices into their lives. The Islamic world is not an exception to the religious economies model and is, in fact, a very religiously diverse region of the world.

The religious economies model argues...

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...e pluralistic market needed to establish and maintain a high percentage of religious participation within a population. The Muslim Brotherhood provides many social welfare services and benefits that has permeated throughout the Islamic world. This has led to many embracing the religious extremism and social programs of the Brotherhood, despite increased violence from the state against the Brotherhood’s leadership and organizations. Sufism, also, portrayed a much more diverse interpretation of Sunni Islamic practices and has proven to be an example of conversion that follows closely along the lines of religious familiarity. Even when comparing the Islamic world to the United States, it was clear that diversity in the religious marketplace exists and that social movements and religious schools of thought create a supply and demand environment to win over constituents.