Spread Of Islam Research Paper

ISLAM: From Muhammad to Today

Religion is a major part of human characteristic. Religion shapes a person’s beliefs, values, and morals. These are the very fibers of what makes up how a person interacts in different situations throughout their life. This is not to say that a person that is religious is good and one that is not religious is bad, but many people’s lives are shaped by their religious beliefs. There are not only many religions, but also a great deal of variations to each religion. Islam is second largest religion, with over one and a half billion followers. That is a tremendous amount of the world’s population. With that many people believing the teachings of this particular religion it is impossible to overlook the importance,

Islam is monotheistic, meaning it is of the belief that there is only one god. Allah is god according to Islam. Allah spoke to many people, whom are known as prophets. Muhammad is the most sacred prophet to Islamic people. He believed that Judaism and Christianity originated with the right ideals, but both became distorted over time. Muhammad sought to spread the true word of Allah. His word shapes how people should live their lives. It provides guidance on how to do so, and has instructions including the five pillars of Islam. They are creed, praying daily, giving to others, fasting during Ramadan, and last but not least a journey to mecca at least once in a lifetime. Also parts of the teachings of Allah are the Islamic laws. These laws layout the morals, values, and way to live one’s life in the right way. People that follow Islam, like any other religion are greatly influenced, and shaped by its teachings. Because of this it has great impact on the decisions people make, therefore it has had a remarkable impact on world

Islam shuns those who are greedy. It is not acceptable to grow a surplus of wealth, or food, or any necessity. These things are to be shared, and the poor should not suffer according to Islam. The welfare system is born from Islamic belief. Muhammad made it clear that society must help take care of itself, which means if some people have more than enough of something and others are suffering from deprivation of it, it must be shared. Because of this trade was not taxed, but wealth was taxed under Muhammad. Furthermore the money taken in taxes was not saved so the state could create a surplus of wealth, but was used to help society, and given to the poor. Capitalism goes against Islamic teachings, as the goal is to prosper and grow individually. Not to be cliché, but this results in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Economic impact is a major factor of Islam shaping world history, and this impact is felt today. A large portion of the Islamic population lives in the Middle East, which is a part of the world that America is at war with. Two root causes of the fighting are due to the United States attempting to spread democracy and capitalism to the Middle East. Capitalisms principals clash with Islamic principals and so it is easy to easy how a conflict has