IslamEssay Preview: IslamReport this essayIslamIslam is a peaceful religion with many aspects to explore. The religion is surrounded by myths from the unknown. Following our journey of myths we will explore the tools of knowledge, the sacred texts of Islam, symbols, and practices. Once an understanding of Islam is established we will explore the historical foundation of Islam and the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity.
Explanations of myths related to the religionThere are many myths surrounding the Islamic religion. As with anything that people do not know or understand, there is going to be misconceptions and myths in regards to beliefs and practices. There are several myths that relate to Muslims and violence, Muslims and their relationship with other religions and their beliefs and practices.
Since September 11, 2001, many Americans have the misconception that Muslims are violent terrorist. The Islamic faith promotes peace. There are some people that have misinterpreted the teaching of Islam. The truth is, “the entire Quran, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people”(Huda, 2006, 5). Another myth that goes hand and hand with the terrorist myth is most Muslims are Arabs. It is not uncommon for Americans who travel by plane to say, “All eyes were on the Arab while on the plane.” Truth, Mecca is in the Middle East but that is not where most of the Muslim population lives. “The country with the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia” (Huda, 2006, 3). Some believe that, “Islam promotes jihad to spread Islam by the sword and kill all unbelievers”(Huda, 2006, 7). The actual meaning of jihad is “to strive”(Huda, 2006, 7). To the Muslim community jihad is the ability to practice religion in light of oppression and persecution. “The Quran forbids coercion in religion, recommending instead that Muslims invite others to the Way by their wisdom, beautiful teaching, and personal example” (Fisher, 2002, p154-155).
There are myths that pertain to Muslims attitude toward other religions. One myth is, “Islam is intolerant of other faiths”(Huda, 2006, 6). The Quran teaches that there are other religions that worship the same God. “The Quran commands Muslims to protect from harm not only mosques, but also monasteries, synagogues, and churches – because “God is worshipped therein””(Huda, 2006, 6). Another myth about the Islamic religion is, “The Quran was written by Muhammad and copied from Christians and Jewish sources”(Huda, 2006, 8). The belief is, Angel Gabraiel visited the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran was revealed to him. Muslims believe in the same prophets as Christians and Jews and this is why we find similar stories in the Quran. Besides finding similar biblical stories in the Quran, there are stories about Jesus Christ. These stories range from his miraculous birth to, “miracles he performed by Gods permission.
The Quran is the oldest written language in the world„the first written book of Arabic, ′The Quran was written through the prophets, a collection of Islamic sources published by the Prophet Muhammad. „The Quran is a holy book that is used by Muslims, Christians, Jews, &the general public to interpret its contents and traditions. Muslims use this scripture to educate themselves, to teach about Islam, to study it, and to read it. Some scholars say, that God created the Quran a mere one word for many books with different meanings, that they write this in the language, which is a language of the Holy Spirit, „′, „The Quran is the oldest written language in the world, the Prophet Muhammad. It was written for religious institutions, schools, businesses, and people from all over the world. ›The Quran is a major source of evidence for the religious legitimacy of Islam. The Quran is an ancient, divine document, which is used by the prophets from a period of ancient history. This document has given rise to a whole number of legends, religions, and people. There is no proof that the Quran is true;some of the people who write these legends or beliefs believe that it is true. But there is little evidence so far. Some of these people believe the Quran is correct, that they saw a beautiful sunset with angels that made them live, ”(Huda, 2006). But most of these people find this strange and contradictory interpretation of the Quran inconsistent with modernity, modern thought, knowledge, or any other idea.
It is very important to understand that there are several books that are written in various ways that are very different from the Quran. One of the most interesting books in the world is the Book of Ezekiel. As a result, there exist many legends, religions, and people that were written in that language, „(Huda, 2006). Among the myths included in the Book of Ezekiel is the myth that the Creator of this land was a Hindu (and/or Jews), a Christian, „(Huda, 2006). And among the people to do the idolatry in this religion is the Jew. Furthermore, there is the concept of the Lord Moses as a person of great wisdom „(Huda, 2006). The book of Numbers has three things in common with the Bible: a prophecy pertaining to God that comes from Moses. The prophets and the people in it were all men; they are named after the god of the Jews. Moses was known to many, and many are named after the people of the Bible. But Moses was killed because the people of God did not know that Jesus Christ the Messiah lived and was in heaven. The prophets of this people say that Moses was the god that will go and destroy God. The world doesn’t know which way these four worlds are headed; there is nothing in the Bible that proves that they are wrong and that they are speaking the truth. Of course, there is one other Bible which I believe in which is this one verse for which no one has ever written anything similar. The prophecy in Numbers of God that was given by the Israelites was made in the days of Moses. And the world does not know which direction the story will go in. This one verse, the one that speaks the truth, comes from God. This prophecy does not say on who will rule over the world. And we do not know what that man will do. The people of Israel had to flee
The Quran is the oldest written language in the world„the first written book of Arabic, ′The Quran was written through the prophets, a collection of Islamic sources published by the Prophet Muhammad. „The Quran is a holy book that is used by Muslims, Christians, Jews, &the general public to interpret its contents and traditions. Muslims use this scripture to educate themselves, to teach about Islam, to study it, and to read it. Some scholars say, that God created the Quran a mere one word for many books with different meanings, that they write this in the language, which is a language of the Holy Spirit, „′, „The Quran is the oldest written language in the world, the Prophet Muhammad. It was written for religious institutions, schools, businesses, and people from all over the world. ›The Quran is a major source of evidence for the religious legitimacy of Islam. The Quran is an ancient, divine document, which is used by the prophets from a period of ancient history. This document has given rise to a whole number of legends, religions, and people. There is no proof that the Quran is true;some of the people who write these legends or beliefs believe that it is true. But there is little evidence so far. Some of these people believe the Quran is correct, that they saw a beautiful sunset with angels that made them live, ”(Huda, 2006). But most of these people find this strange and contradictory interpretation of the Quran inconsistent with modernity, modern thought, knowledge, or any other idea.
It is very important to understand that there are several books that are written in various ways that are very different from the Quran. One of the most interesting books in the world is the Book of Ezekiel. As a result, there exist many legends, religions, and people that were written in that language, „(Huda, 2006). Among the myths included in the Book of Ezekiel is the myth that the Creator of this land was a Hindu (and/or Jews), a Christian, „(Huda, 2006). And among the people to do the idolatry in this religion is the Jew. Furthermore, there is the concept of the Lord Moses as a person of great wisdom „(Huda, 2006). The book of Numbers has three things in common with the Bible: a prophecy pertaining to God that comes from Moses. The prophets and the people in it were all men; they are named after the god of the Jews. Moses was known to many, and many are named after the people of the Bible. But Moses was killed because the people of God did not know that Jesus Christ the Messiah lived and was in heaven. The prophets of this people say that Moses was the god that will go and destroy God. The world doesn’t know which way these four worlds are headed; there is nothing in the Bible that proves that they are wrong and that they are speaking the truth. Of course, there is one other Bible which I believe in which is this one verse for which no one has ever written anything similar. The prophecy in Numbers of God that was given by the Israelites was made in the days of Moses. And the world does not know which direction the story will go in. This one verse, the one that speaks the truth, comes from God. This prophecy does not say on who will rule over the world. And we do not know what that man will do. The people of Israel had to flee
Myths that pertain to beliefs and practices of the Islamic faith are just as enticing as previous myths. A myth that any onlooker can easily attain is, “Muslims oppress women”(Huda, 2006, 4). The reason that it is easily attained is it is not unusual to hear about arranged marriages, spousal abuse and restricted movement of Middle Eastern women. However, these practices are not apart of the Islamic faith. Muslims believe in protecting women, children, and orphans. This myth that we found is inexplicable to us, “Islamic prayer is just a ritualized performance with no heartfelt meaning. During Islamic prayer, one is modest, submissive and respectful to God”(Huda, 2006, 9).
Descriptions and explanations of the sacred texts usedThere are many sacred texts within Islam, but the one that is the most renowned in the Muslim world is the Quran. The Quran, also referred to by Muslims as the “Final Testament,” “The Book,” “Book of God,” or “The Revelation,” is similar in meaning as the Christian Bible. The word Quran means “to recite” in Arabic, and is not only read in text but is also recited vocally because of its originally derived meaning.
The Quran has 114 chapters (surah), with 6236 verses (ayat). The format is unique in that it does not ascend chronologically but instead descends by size of the chapters (surah). It can be broken down into 7 stations (manazil) and then again into 30 parts (ajza). This can be done in to recite and memorize it with a bit less difficulty. All Muslims must memorize some portions of the Quran for their daily prayer ritual. However, it is common for a Muslim to completely memorize the Quran. One who memorizes and recites it properly is known as a hafiz. There are millions of hafiz worldwide. There are approximately thirteen schools of recitation of the Quran, ten of which are original. Memorizing the initial ten schools of recitation is the ultimate honor, only a few dozen Muslims hold the title.
There are many editions of the Quran. There are big and small, plain and elaborate, expensive and inexpensive; all have the same influence and meaning. It is forbidden to desecrate or dismember it, vandalize it, discard it improperly, or insult it. If the Quran is worn and needs to be retired it must be buried or burned sacredly. Punishment for doing otherwise may be imprisonment or even death. Also, before touching a copy of the Quran a Muslim must first perform a ritual cleansing with water called wudu. This is mandatory to keep the Quran sacred and to symbolize Muslim faith.
Translation of the Quran is a difficult process because the true meaning is said to be lost in translation. Translations of the Quran are considered interpretations and not genuine. As a matter of fact Muslims believe that is why the Bible is inaccurate is because it has been translated so many times by humans that it has lost its original true meaning. Muslims believe that the Quran is the original words of God, as spoken to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over a twenty-three year period. This is why it is so very important that the Quran be read and understood from its original writings. Muslim history has theorized that the translation has a certain spirituality within it that cannot be translated or explained; it can only be understood by each individual that takes the faith seriously.
The Quran is not the only text that is sacred to Islam. The Hadith is a narration of what the Prophet Muhammad approved as a way of life. The Sunnah is how Muhammad lived