Islam
Islam is the worlds’ second largest practiced religion in the world. Islam has spread through Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and various parts of Europe, and North and South America. This religion first came around in the 7th century A.D by the Prophet Muhammad. Islam means both “peace” and “surrender.” The surrender means to the will of Allah (their supreme God) and the peace that occurs because of that surrender. Islam has two major sects, the Shiites, and the Sunnites. The holy book of the Muslims is the Qur’an; the Qur’an is the word of God that was revealed to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel and was recorded by the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an holds all the teachings and faith and is the foundation for all of Islam. The Qur’an itself is of religious piety and is held in the highest esteem by all Muslims. Muslims emulate the actions of the Prophet Muhammad and do as they think he would have done. Allah is everything for the practice of Islam; he is the supreme reality. By surrendering to Allah you will find world salvation and peace. The Sharia is the divine law in Islam; it provides guidance for Muslims by dividing all acts into five categories: obligatory, recommended, reprehensible, forbidden, and neutral/permitted. The basic duties of Muslims that were in the Qur’an and the Prophet helped guide them were: praying five times a day; fasting during the month of Ramadan between dawn and dusk; the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once; and a religious tax for the poor and the works of piety. Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam that can be achieved by following the path of the Sufi.
Islam is not the same as it once was in the time that it first came around. It has been corrupted by European rule and Western civilization. When the Muslims were able to break free of this rule it achieved political independence. They sought to “purify” their religion in order to keep up with the times. This modernized the religion making it less pure than it once was. Its reform was influenced by the modern world and the traditions of the West. “Modern” Islam, as it is called, is eager to defend itself against the West and its criticism, when in fact they shouldn’t have to. Islam is a religion of peace and it should be studied as such as it was when it first came around.
Islam was also used as a political movement especially in Africa and the western Asian countries. They used their religion as a way for the people to vote for them or for the people to just claim the power because it is what Allah wants. Al-Qaida and all other extremist parts of Islam, as there are in every religion, have used their religion in a way that is abusing to the religion and the people all for a political statement and to rule over other people. As well as ruling they are also using it as a a tool to get Jerusalem as thier holy ground. The Muslims of Palestine are in clashes most of the year with the Jews of Israel fighting over who owns Jerusalem and they are both saying that it was the birth place of their religion when it should just be deemed a Holy sight that no one should own.
Islam is not the same as it once was in the time that it first came around. It has been corrupted by European rule and Western civilization. When the Muslims were able to break free of this rule it achieved political independence. They sought to “purify” their religion in order to keep up with the times. This modernized the religion making it less pure than it once was. Its reform was influenced by the modern world and the traditions of the West. “Modern” Islam, as it is called, is eager to defend itself against the West and its criticism, when in fact they shouldn’t have to. Islam is a religion of peace and it should be studied as such as it was when it first came around.
Islam was also used as a political movement especially in Africa and the western Asian countries. They used their religion as a way for the people to vote for them or for the people to just claim the power because it is what Allah wants. Al-Qaida and all other extremist parts of Islam, as there are in every religion, have used their religion in a way that is abusing to the religion and the people all for a political statement and to rule over other people. As well as ruling they are also using it as a a tool to get Jerusalem as thier holy ground. The Muslims of Palestine are in clashes most of the year with the Jews of Israel fighting over who owns Jerusalem and they are both saying that it was the birth place of their religion when it should just be deemed a Holy sight that no one should own.