Islam Over Time: The Spread Of Islam
Islam Over Time
Islam, at the time of its origin, was the fastest and largest growing religion, unparalleled by the other religions present. The Muslim religion began in Arabia following the spiritual revelations of Muhammad, who believed himself to be the last prophet of Allah (God). Islam became a defining factor of the Arab empire’s culture and the faith spread just as far and even farther than the empire itself. Seeing as the Islamic religion has lasted up to modern times, it is no surprise that, since it began, changes have occurred or that some things, inevitably, have stayed the same. The changes in Islam include those in the belief of spiritual equality and general unity between those included in the umma, whereas one of the most prominent …show more content…
continuities in the faith would be the presence and strict obedience of the Five Pillars of Islam.
One of the aspects of the Islam religion that first made it so appealing to the “undesirables” of the present culture was the spiritual equality available to those belonging to the umma (Islamic community).
A passage of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, states, “Those who surrender themselves to Allah and accept the true faith; who are devout, sincere, patient, humble, charitable, and chaste; who fast and are ever mindful of Allah- on these, both men and women, Allah will bestow forgiveness and rich reward.” Another says that, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white-except by piety and good action.” The holy book encourages the umma to, “Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.” For an individual, especially a woman, living in a culture where men are in every way superior to women, a brand-new religion with beliefs that emphasize spiritual and social equality would seem quintessential! A woman unable to participate in social or religious activities would convert immediately to Islam, where she could be equal with all of her peers and cultivate a real, personal relationship with her God without the interference of a husband or father. This was the reality of early Islam; however, on grounds where territory expands and population skyrockets, inequality breeds and grows. The important doctrinal ideals of equality took a drastically new turn as the Arab empire (which held the majority of Muslim believers) grew in population and modernity. Accompanied by the expansion of the Arab Empire also came the restriction of freedoms previously bestowed upon women. Ladies were now prompted to start wearing veils to shield their faces. Wealthier women were encouraged to live in secluded areas of their home so they would abide concealed from others.
Another example of the appearance of inequality in Islamic culture can be found in the switched sides from the original belief of sanctity of female life to the belief that honor could be achieved in the termination of wayward female lives. In the beginnings of the Islamic religion, the Quran said that female infanticide (a common operation in many cultures) was banned for Muslims. This meant that murdering female babies to decrease female and increase male population was illegal for the umma; but a fairly short time later, a regular practice in the Muslim culture was to spare a family’s honor by killing a woman in their clan who had committed a misdeed, such as adultery. Neither of these new common practices had any root or connection to original doctrine, and represented a drastic change in the behavior of Islamic followers. The change from equality to restriction that followed the expansion of the Arab empire is comparable to the introduction of gender inequality following the extension of populations brought on by the Agricultural Revolution in the First Civilizations. Prior to the Ag Revolution, men and women alike had jobs to do in order to keep order in their village. Once the practice of agriculture became common and jobs required more work power, men took hold of jobs that used to include everyone, and therefore, they began to be seen as providers who were superior to their female counterparts. Along with a general belief of spiritual equality among the Islamic community in early Islam, there was also an original belief of unity among the Muslims. The Quran refers to the followers of Islam as a community (umma) and as a “brotherhood.” At first, it was so. In the era of Muhammad’s reign over politics and religion, the Islamic community was a unified one; but following the death of Muhammad was the death of the unified umma that he had cherished and upheld. The large division that arose so long ago among the Islamic community has lasted into the contemporary age. It arose when two opposite ideas surfaced over who would succeed Muhammad in ruling over the Muslim community and the Islamic faith. Those who were/are called “Sunni Muslims” believed that a caliph (ruler) should be elected by the umma whereas the Shia Muslims believed that only direct relatives of Muhammad himself should be the ones to rule over Islam. This caused a major break in the unity of the Muslim people. There also arose a division among the Arabs and their appointed ruling family, the Umayyads. Some Arabs commented that the rulers transformed servants of Allah into slaves, the property of God into an object to be played with by the rich, and God’s religion into a breeding ground for extortion. Shia Muslims thought the Umayyads to be unauthorized tycoons who were not fit to rule the society of Islam. This severance between leader and subordinates resulted in the dethroning of the Umayyads.
Though many things changed in response to growth and time of the Islamic faith, one aspect of the religion that stayed the same was the doctrinal standard of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muhammad first introduced the Five Pillars right at the start of Islam. The first of the Five Pillars is hahadah (the recitation of the proclamation of faith). A Muslim believer must claim faithfully that there is no other god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Another Pillar is salat, which is daily participation in the five ritual prayers. The prayers are at dawn, before sunrise; noon, after the sun reaches its peak; afternoon; evening, right after sunset; and at night, in between the sun’s set and midnight. Zakat is another Pillar of the Islamic faith. Zakat is paying a religious tax as a form of giving to the poor. Another mandatory aspect of the profession of Islamic faith is known as sawm, which is simply the word used to describe the observation of the holy month of Ramadan. One of the better known Pillars of Islam is the hajj. At least once in their lifetime, a follower of Islam must make pilgrimage journey to the holy city of Mecca. Among the umma, Mecca is the location where the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven, though the tradition of the pilgrimage really started back in the age of Abraham. In order to be a “real” Muslim, an individual must make it a priority to complete each of the Five Pillars of Islam because Muhammad (believed to be a prophet of God himself) commanded so in response to the prompting of Allah. One might think that a tradition such as this would surely die off with time, but the contrary is true. Muslims today continue to observe the Five Pillars of Islam in order to classify as a bona fide Muslim believer. Many Just like many of the great institutions of the past, the formation of Islam started out as a perfect religion for its time. Even so, though some traditions continued, Islam did eventually change some of its practices and beliefs in order to fit the needs and whims of a larger population and a modernized culture. The alterations that Islam has seen since its modest beginnings include changes in the ideals of spiritual equality and overall unity between the people included in the umma. One of the most prominent continuities in the Islamic culture would be the uncompromising observance of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Islam, at the time of its origin, was the fastest and largest growing religion, unparalleled by the other religions present. The Muslim religion began in Arabia following the spiritual revelations of Muhammad, who believed himself to be the last prophet of Allah (God). Islam became a defining factor of the Arab empire’s culture and the faith spread just as far and even farther than the empire itself. Seeing as the Islamic religion has lasted up to modern times, it is no surprise that, since it began, changes have occurred or that some things, inevitably, have stayed the same. The changes in Islam include those in the belief of spiritual equality and general unity between those included in the umma, whereas one of the most prominent …show more content…
continuities in the faith would be the presence and strict obedience of the Five Pillars of Islam.
One of the aspects of the Islam religion that first made it so appealing to the “undesirables” of the present culture was the spiritual equality available to those belonging to the umma (Islamic community).
A passage of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, states, “Those who surrender themselves to Allah and accept the true faith; who are devout, sincere, patient, humble, charitable, and chaste; who fast and are ever mindful of Allah- on these, both men and women, Allah will bestow forgiveness and rich reward.” Another says that, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white-except by piety and good action.” The holy book encourages the umma to, “Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.” For an individual, especially a woman, living in a culture where men are in every way superior to women, a brand-new religion with beliefs that emphasize spiritual and social equality would seem quintessential! A woman unable to participate in social or religious activities would convert immediately to Islam, where she could be equal with all of her peers and cultivate a real, personal relationship with her God without the interference of a husband or father. This was the reality of early Islam; however, on grounds where territory expands and population skyrockets, inequality breeds and grows. The important doctrinal ideals of equality took a drastically new turn as the Arab empire (which held the majority of Muslim believers) grew in population and modernity. Accompanied by the expansion of the Arab Empire also came the restriction of freedoms previously bestowed upon women. Ladies were now prompted to start wearing veils to shield their faces. Wealthier women were encouraged to live in secluded areas of their home so they would abide concealed from others.
Another example of the appearance of inequality in Islamic culture can be found in the switched sides from the original belief of sanctity of female life to the belief that honor could be achieved in the termination of wayward female lives. In the beginnings of the Islamic religion, the Quran said that female infanticide (a common operation in many cultures) was banned for Muslims. This meant that murdering female babies to decrease female and increase male population was illegal for the umma; but a fairly short time later, a regular practice in the Muslim culture was to spare a family’s honor by killing a woman in their clan who had committed a misdeed, such as adultery. Neither of these new common practices had any root or connection to original doctrine, and represented a drastic change in the behavior of Islamic followers. The change from equality to restriction that followed the expansion of the Arab empire is comparable to the introduction of gender inequality following the extension of populations brought on by the Agricultural Revolution in the First Civilizations. Prior to the Ag Revolution, men and women alike had jobs to do in order to keep order in their village. Once the practice of agriculture became common and jobs required more work power, men took hold of jobs that used to include everyone, and therefore, they began to be seen as providers who were superior to their female counterparts. Along with a general belief of spiritual equality among the Islamic community in early Islam, there was also an original belief of unity among the Muslims. The Quran refers to the followers of Islam as a community (umma) and as a “brotherhood.” At first, it was so. In the era of Muhammad’s reign over politics and religion, the Islamic community was a unified one; but following the death of Muhammad was the death of the unified umma that he had cherished and upheld. The large division that arose so long ago among the Islamic community has lasted into the contemporary age. It arose when two opposite ideas surfaced over who would succeed Muhammad in ruling over the Muslim community and the Islamic faith. Those who were/are called “Sunni Muslims” believed that a caliph (ruler) should be elected by the umma whereas the Shia Muslims believed that only direct relatives of Muhammad himself should be the ones to rule over Islam. This caused a major break in the unity of the Muslim people. There also arose a division among the Arabs and their appointed ruling family, the Umayyads. Some Arabs commented that the rulers transformed servants of Allah into slaves, the property of God into an object to be played with by the rich, and God’s religion into a breeding ground for extortion. Shia Muslims thought the Umayyads to be unauthorized tycoons who were not fit to rule the society of Islam. This severance between leader and subordinates resulted in the dethroning of the Umayyads.
Though many things changed in response to growth and time of the Islamic faith, one aspect of the religion that stayed the same was the doctrinal standard of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muhammad first introduced the Five Pillars right at the start of Islam. The first of the Five Pillars is hahadah (the recitation of the proclamation of faith). A Muslim believer must claim faithfully that there is no other god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Another Pillar is salat, which is daily participation in the five ritual prayers. The prayers are at dawn, before sunrise; noon, after the sun reaches its peak; afternoon; evening, right after sunset; and at night, in between the sun’s set and midnight. Zakat is another Pillar of the Islamic faith. Zakat is paying a religious tax as a form of giving to the poor. Another mandatory aspect of the profession of Islamic faith is known as sawm, which is simply the word used to describe the observation of the holy month of Ramadan. One of the better known Pillars of Islam is the hajj. At least once in their lifetime, a follower of Islam must make pilgrimage journey to the holy city of Mecca. Among the umma, Mecca is the location where the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven, though the tradition of the pilgrimage really started back in the age of Abraham. In order to be a “real” Muslim, an individual must make it a priority to complete each of the Five Pillars of Islam because Muhammad (believed to be a prophet of God himself) commanded so in response to the prompting of Allah. One might think that a tradition such as this would surely die off with time, but the contrary is true. Muslims today continue to observe the Five Pillars of Islam in order to classify as a bona fide Muslim believer. Many Just like many of the great institutions of the past, the formation of Islam started out as a perfect religion for its time. Even so, though some traditions continued, Islam did eventually change some of its practices and beliefs in order to fit the needs and whims of a larger population and a modernized culture. The alterations that Islam has seen since its modest beginnings include changes in the ideals of spiritual equality and overall unity between the people included in the umma. One of the most prominent continuities in the Islamic culture would be the uncompromising observance of the Five Pillars of Islam.