Shura is an Arabic word for consultation and it is this that forms part of the four cardinal principles (human dignity justice and equality) in the Islamic organisation of social policys and politics. It was a method that the pre Islamic tribes of the Middle East would use to make major affecting decisions. The term Shura is mentioned several times in the holy Quran and is also used as a name in parliaments of Muslim majority countries. “Consultation applies to the choice of the head of state as well as to all the decisions executed by the state." (Waines, 2009)
Muslims believe that all decisions should be made by and for society by the Shura of the local surrounding community. Traditionally Islam requires submission to the ruler no matter how that ruler is chosen, as long as that ruler rules according to Islamic or Sharia law. Shura is also mentioned in the holy Quran. (Incidentally the 42nd sura of the holy Quran is known as the Shura sura.) “and those who answer the call of their lord and establish prayer and whose affair being a matter of counsel among themselves and who spend of that wherewith we have provided them :”( Q. 42:38) The 159th verse of the 3rd sura gives instruction to the profit Mohamed (pbuh) to consult with followers of Islam when dealing with difficult situations or problems.
There were many debates, disagreements and problems over and involving Shura and they began with who should succeed after the prophets Mohamed (pbuh) death in 632 CE. The situation began with a fraught meeting at Saqifah and as a result Abu Bakr was selected to succeed the prophet as leader of the Muslim world. But this selection threw up problems simply because the consultation meeting did not include some of the prophet’s companions ...
... middle of paper ...
... God But God. The origins, Evolution, and future of Islam. In R. Aslan, No God But God. The origins, Evolution, and future of Islam. (pp. 115-120). London: Arrow Books.
Azzam, A. a.-R. The Eternal Message of Muhammad . In A. a.-R. Azzam, The Eternal Message of Muhammad . Cambridge: Islamic texts Society.
Campo, J. E. (2009). Encyclopedia of Religion. In J. E. Campo, Encyclopedia of Religion (pp. 48-49, 623-627). New York: Checkmark Books.
Hourani, A. (2005). History of the Arab Peoples. In A. Hourani, History of the Arab Peoples. London: Faberb and Faber Limited.
Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, t. b. (1979). Shi'ite Islam. In t. b. Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, Shi'ite Islam. New York: State University of New York Press.
Waines, D. (2009). An Introduction to Islam. In D. Waines, An Introduction to Islam (p. 244). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Fakhry, M. 1997. Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introdu ction. Oxford: One World Publications.
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
Ayoob, M. (2007) The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
Oxtopy, W., & Segal, A. (2007). A concise introduction to world religions. (1st ed., p. 258). New York: Oxford University press.
Smart, Ninian, and Richard D. Hecht. "Scripture and Tradition in Islam- The Qur'an and Hadith," Sacred texts of the world: A Universal Anthology, ed.. Crossroads Publishing, 1982. 130-32,135-41,144-46,150-53,158-59,162-64. Print.
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy gives us insight to the philosophical views of a certain sect of Islam, and how it influenced it 's followers to view the world around them. Although it is helpful, this is written from a very biased position and it cannot be said that the views of the author are the views of Muslim culture as a whole. There is a constant attack on another religious group throughout the article that helps us to understand what this specific sect deems right and wrong through comparison of the groups.
Robinson, B.A. (2002, October 14). Islam: Is it a religion of violence or of peace.
At the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam. Throughout the course of this essay, I will compare the many facets that show the alikeness between these two growing religions.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
Kenneth Jost. 2005. “Understanding Islam.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.