A Look At Islam: SOCS 350 Cultural Diversity In Professions

Course Project – A Look at Islam SOCS 350 Cultural Diversity In Professions

A Look at Islam

Introduction To those outside of the Islamic faith many facts of Islam are a mystery. Within the last decade the religion of Islam has received bad publicity due to the actions of terrorists and Muslim extremists groups. Their actions have created a popular belief that Islam is a cult and Muslim people are hate filled militants that are mainly from one region. The history and practice of Islam is based from a set of beliefs that focus on good will and peace and belief in one God. Muslims all around the world follow these original beliefs however variations in Islam practice and beliefs can also be found depending on region. Islam,
Judaism and Christianity are considered Abrahamic faiths. Collectively they have similarities that are as numerous as their differences.
History
The religion of Islam was founded during the 7th century in the Middle East. It is based off of the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. Before Muhammad was a prophet, he was a boy from Mecca whose parents had died so his grandfather therefore raised him. After the death of his grandfather he was taken in by his uncle and worked as a shepherd and camel trader. Muhammad was a spiritual man and kept from idol worship. This was not typical for people of that time in Mecca. People from all over Arabia would go to the Kaaba, which was a house of worship for many idols.
Muhammad would not participate and only worshiped one God, the God of Abraham. Muhammad would retreat to caves in the mountains near Mecca. For an entire month he would stay there and pray and meditate for answers to the meaning and purpose of his life. After the fifth year of this annual retreat the angel of Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and named him a messenger of God (O’Conner, 2009). Muhammad was commissioned to inform the public of One God and to be rid of other idols. Muhammad began his mission and called the religion Islam that means “submission to
God”. The Qur’an, also written Quran or Koran, is the written revelations that were given to the prophet Muhammad over a course of 23 years. These written teachings are believed to be the direct words of God introduced to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. They are also believed to be unaltered and remained non-tampered with by man (O’Conner, 2009). It is the sacred book that all Muslims recite and go to for spiritual guidance. Qur’an is the Arabic word that means “that which is recited”. Islam is structured on five beliefs. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a monotheistic faith, which means that there is a belief in only one God, Allah. Allah is the Arabic word for God. Muslims believe that Allah is the “only creator, sustainer and restorer of the world” (Ali & Gallegos, 2011). The remainder four beliefs of Islam are belief in angels, belief in Allah’s messengers such as the prophet Muhammad, belief in the Qur’an, and belief in the day of resurrection also known as judgment day. There is also belief in an afterlife. Muslims also follow five practices that are known as the five pillars.
They are profession of faith, which is known as Shahadah, which every Muslim must accept that there is no other to believe in but Allah and that Muhammad was his messenger. The next is the practice of praying five times a day. This is called Salah or Salat. During Salah Muslims position their bodies by kneeling close to the ground and bowing while reciting specific prayers. The third practice is the act of giving to charity. This is called Zakah or Zakat. Muslims give 2.5% of their annual savings to the poor. The fourth practice is fasting known as Sawm. During the month of Ramadan, the 9th month of the Muslim lunar calendar, Muslims fast and keep from sexual activity from sunrise to sunset. This is done to serve as a spiritual cleansing and show of control over worldly habits. The final practice is Hajj. Hajj is the requirement that every Muslim make a religious journey to Mecca. This is done as a show of unity among all Muslims
worldwide. There are two groups of Muslims. They are Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. This division occurred as a result of the debate of authority after the death of the prophet Muhammad. The Sunni make up the larger group of Muslims estimating 1.2 Billion compared to the Shi’a 200 million (Ali & Gallegos, 2011). Both groups follow the pillars and belief in one God. The differences in the groups are slight and mainly political. The Sunni believe that after the death of Muhammad no successor was appointed. The Shi’a Muslims believe that Muhammad appointed his cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib as his successor. The majority of Shi’a Muslims are found in middle-eastern countries such as Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon. The majority of Sunni Muslims are found in all Muslim countries.
Islam In Different Countries Islam is the largest found religion in Asia. Although it originated in Arabic region the largest concentration of Muslims are found in the south East Asian country of Indonesia. Approximately 87% of Indonesia’s population is Muslim. Sunni Muslims make up the dominant group of Muslims found there (Ali & Gallegos, 2011). Currently the practice of Islam in South East Asia is more liberal than that seen in the Middle East. In Indonesia there are many variations to Islam. These variations in practice are designed by culture and traditions of the people. This allows for the people to conduct a very democratic fashion of practicing Islam. From the prospective of traditional Muslims these variations of practice are an impure interpretation of Islam. Traditional Muslims believe that the only the laws of Allah and not that of the people should form the practice of Islam. Because of this South East Asian countries such as Indonesia have become target for terrorist activity conducted by Muslim extremists who follow traditional Law. In Great Britain a recognizable number of Muslims to begin settling into the country was first seen in the mid 19th Century. These Muslims were mainly from British territories such as British India, Somaliland, Malaya and Yemen. The population of Muslims in the United Kingdom (UK) continues to grow annually. Muslims in the UK make up 1.2 million of the population. Additionally, they are a young population with 60% being under the age of 30 and are often part of the lower socio-economic group in the UK (Heft, 2006). British Muslims are unique and ethically diverse. They range in ethnic backgrounds from South Asia to Africa. Currently the Muslim population consists of groups from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and East African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Like South East Asian countries, Muslims in the UK follow the same core beliefs however they interpret Islam law through the influence of the various cultures of its members. The major controversy that Muslims in the UK face is not old law versus new but discrimination from non-Muslims. Although the struggle against discrimination for Muslims has been a long time issue there has been an increase in discriminatory actions since the terrorists attacks of 9/11. Despite the fact that these attacks took place on United States soil the effects were felt by Muslims in the UK. British Muslims have experienced violent assaults and acts of subtle discrimination. As a young population, British Muslims strive to assimilate to the environment and culture of the majority around them through arts, fashion, sports, and politics (Heft, 2006). British Muslims continue to fight for religious equality to practice their religion with accommodation by the British community. The amount of Mosques found in the UK is smaller than that of Muslim countries as well as the United States (US). In the United States the Muslim population is a small minority making up approximately 1% of the population. American Muslims are made up of mostly first generation immigrants that migrated from various countries with the majority of Arabic descent. The next largest immigrant group of American Muslims is from South Asia and Northern Africa. American Muslims are also racially diverse. The majority of foreign-born American Muslims are either white or Asian. However, the majority of native-born Muslims in the US are black (Heft, 2006). Islamic religious affiliation is based off of the member’s ethnicity. American Muslims of foreign descent mostly identify as either Sunni or Shi’a. Native born American Muslims identify as either Sunni, just Muslim, or Nation of Islam. Unlike the UK, most Muslims in the US are of middle class or higher socio-economic status. From generation to generation the religious practices of Islam are maintained in the Muslim community. In comparison the UK there are a larger number of mosques found in the United States. Slaves were the original group of Muslims to arrive to the US. Islam practice was done away with by slave owners. The reintroduction of Islamic faith in the African American community developed in a unique fashion with more focus on the empowerment of the black race. Sine the formation of the Nation of Islam (NOI) the main beliefs have been focused on separation of race, which is unorthodox to the original laws of Islam. The NOI past and most influential leaders include the prophet Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Initially Malcolm X followed the teachings of the NOI however after his pilgrimage to Mecca and experiencing racial unity amongst Muslims abroad with discontent from Elijah Muhammad, he returned the the US with a different perspective, broke away from the NOI and followed the traditional Sunni orthodox teachings of Islam. After the death of Elijah Muhammad, his son succeeded him and changed the teachings of the NOI to follow more traditional Sunni Islamic law.
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity Although these three groups often seem at odds with each other due to differences there are more similarities to be found. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are called Abrahamic religions due to the common recognition of Abraham as by all three religions (Peters, 2004). Amongst the three Abrahamic faiths the largest is Christianity. Christian members total approximately 2 Billion worldwide followed by Islam, which has approximately 1.2 Billion. Judaism, which is the oldest religion of the three, is also the smallest in number with members totaling numbers in the millions. All three faiths are considered monotheistic, which means believing in one God. Moreover they all follow sacred written texts. Islam has the Quran, Judaism has the Tanakh, and Christianity has the Bible. Fundamentally Islam, Judaism and Christianity have some recognizable differences. The holy day of worship for the Jewish faith is Saturday while Muslims worship on Friday and Christians worship on Sunday. Additionally their views on Jesus are also very different. Jews reject Jesus and believe that he was a false leader. Muslims believe that Jesus was a true messenger of God whose message has become contaminated by man. Christians view Jesus as the Son of God incarnate sent to save the world. Although all three faiths acknowledge themselves as Abrahamic their perspectives of each other vary. Muslims perceive Christians and Jews as people of the book but have misinformed beliefs and partial truths. Jews perceive Christians and Muslims as an expansion of Judaism but with untrue interpretations of law. Christians view Islam as a false religion and Judaism as a true religion with partial teachings and truths. Socially, there are many differences that can be found amongst these three faiths. For example the role of women can vary greatly from one religion to the next. Depending on the region of practice all three faiths can limit the roles of women with the most severe found in Islamic faith. In Judaism and Islam women are expected to follow the laws of their faith just as much as men but are not allowed to be leaders. This is a role that is upheld by men. Although it is commonly found in Christian faith for men to be the majority of leaders, Christianity is more allowing of women leaders. In current times you can find women serving as ministers and pastors and although still controversial even catholic priests. Christianity still is the leader in liberal allowances for women as they do not require that majority of a women’s body is covered and kept from public view. Essentially all three faiths are deep rooted in community. All three rely on congregational support and gathering to persevere.
Conclusion
Islam is currently one of the most misunderstood faiths in existence whose core belief and message of love and peace is overshadowed by the negative image that is often perceived by non-Muslims. Much like Judaism and Christianity its common ground is rooted in monotheistic beliefs and living a life in accordance to written divine law. Although Islam and its members all around the world are ever changing and shaped by its member’s cultural surroundings, its core and founding principles and practices remain intact.

References
Ali,M.M., & Gallegos, C. (2011). The religion of Islam: a comprehensive discussion of the sources, principles, and practices of Islam. Dublin, OH: Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam.
Heft, J. (2006). Passing the faith: transforming traditions for the next generation of Jews, Christians and Muslims. New York: Fordham University Press.
O’conner, F. (2009). History of Islam. New York: Rosen Publishing Group.

Peters, F.E. (2004). The children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.