muslim religion

Muslim religion
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Religion is one of the most diverse topics in the society today and no one is normally right or wrong whenever it comes to religion issues. The Muslim religion is a religion that began in Arabia and it is believed to have been revealed to humanity by Prophet Muhammad. A Muslim is a person who has submitted to God’s will or is a follower of the religion. The religion has spread rapidly in the world throughout the centuries and it is now one of the largest religions in the world. Muslims have only one book that they cherish and also follow all the teachings from the book known as Quran. The religion has many beliefs such polygamy; they believe that a man should have a maximum of four wives. The belief also has a condition that the man has to have the means to treat all of his wives fairly.
They also believe in Jihad which is literally means struggle the Muslim religion uses different efforts to describe the Jihad. The struggles are; building a good Muslim society, the holy war, that is the struggle to fight for the religion even if it by force. The last struggle is the internal effort of the believer to live out the faith of the Muslim as better as possible. The reason for Jihad is that it is for self-defense, to strengthen the religion, punish an enemy who has gone against their oath, to correct the wrong doings and to protect the freedom of Muslims. It also assists the Muslims to protect themselves against oppression like; overthrowing a rule that is tyrannical. The Jihad also has many rules before it happens and even after it happens. The basic article of faith belief in the Muslim religion is six (Rippin, 2005)
The belief in Allah as their one and true God, angles, holy books, prophets like, Ibrahim and Muhammad, Day of Judgment and predestition. The Day of Judgment is the day when the life of everyone will be analyzed so as to decide whether they will go to hell or heaven. Muslims belief that Jesus is a prophet and not the son of God, they also believed on hijab which literally means partition. They believe that hijab is a form of modesty especially in terms of behavior and dressing code for both male and female. Muslim women are supposed to wear hijab in front of men who can potentially marry them. In wearing hijab both women and men are to cover everything apart from their face and hands. Sharia is a law that governs all the aspects of Muslims lives; the law comes from different sources including the Quran. Sharia is something that nature’s humanity among the Muslims. Sharia is used to set out the rule of conduct for both male and female (Rippin, 2005). The religion also has certain practices such as the five pillars of Islam which is the most important practice. The five pillars represent the five obligations that each Muslim has to follow in order to live a life that is responsible and good according to the religion. The five pillars are Salat, Shahabad, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. Muslims also practice Ramadan that is the nine month of the Muslim calendar, when the fast when it is daylight. During this month the Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed, the opening of heavens gates and the closing of the gates of hell since the devil is chained up in hell. The Muslims also have different rites and rituals such as; birth rites and weddings. The birth ritual includes prayer when a baby is born and also circumcision when it comes to the male child. The weddings of Muslim vary depending on the culture of the involved community (Dennett, 2007).
The Muslim religion they have very special places such as Mecca which is a very sacred place that is normally referred to as the holy ground. Median is the second holiest sites for the Muslims and it is referred to as the city of prophets. The Muslims usually worship in a building known as a mosque, in a mosque the worshipers are supposed to remove their shoes before they enter the building. They are also supposed to have their ritual washing that is always carried out before prayers. The mosque also has very many rules as the women are not allowed to sit together with men during prays. It is a sign of modesty and also prevention from distraction and they belief that it is more useful for a woman to pray at home than in the mosque. The mosque is also design in a particular way and also the paintings are specified. The Muslim religion has different sub divisions such as; Sufism and Sunni and Shi’a. The Muslim religion has certain ethical stance, like they do not allow abortion until certain circumstances. The other ethical stance is on capital punishment, war, contraception, animals and stem of cell research (Dennett, 2007)
The Muslim religion has some contrast and comparison with catholic religion that are very significant in the society today. Catholic is the oldest and the largest religion in the world. Both religions are monotheistic because they believe in one God. Both religions believe that God is the creator of the universe and he is forgiving and loving. God also has made covenant with both religions and also has a special relationship with everyone. The difference when it comes in the issue of God is that Catholics believe in the holy trinity that is the three people in one divine form. On the other hand Muslims believe that God is only a single person and that the holy trinity involves three Gods. As much as Catholics believe that Jesus is the son of God Muslims know that Jesus is a prophet like any other prophet. Both religions believe that God sent prophets on earth to purse their missions such as Abraham and Noah. They both believe that Satan is an evil person and that people should not follow him. They both also believe in Judgment Day and that an Anti-Christ will appear on the face of earth before judgment day. They both also know that there is life after death and one may go to heaven or hell depending on the judgment. They both believe that Mary was a virgin and therefore Jesus was born in a miraculous way ( Baker, 2004). Muslims believe that prophets were just human beings and not divine therefore they should not be worshiped directly or indirectly. The Muslims also believe that angles are servants of God and were created like any human being therefore they do not have any divine power. In the catholic religion lying about anything is a sin but in Islamic it is right to lie to a non-Muslim person as long as it will trick them to become one. In Catholic religion God commands them to love their enemies while in Muslim religion Allah commands them to hate and kill their enemies. In the catholic religion everyone is welcomed to the church to praise and worship God together. Whereas in the Muslim religion only men and boys are allowed to go to the mosque and worship, when they go to the mosque they are normally separated from the men are they are advised to pray at home ( Baker, 2004) .
In the Catholic religion politics are totally separated from religion but in the Islamic religion politics and religion are one and if a country is not ruled by a Muslim they will fight for it. In Muslims salvation is earned through keeping the commandments and morality but catholic salvation is earned through grace and faith. Muslims normally pray five times in a day after the ritual washing while Catholics pray when needed. Muslims have no hierarchy in faith but Catholics have a faith hierarchy. In catholic God has given human beings the right to choose between what is right and what is wrong but Muslims are supposed to follow each and every rules and regulations in their religion. Muslims believe in polygamy while Catholics believe in one wife one husband (Baker, 2004). Religion is an approach that is organized to the spirituality of human beings that comprises of a set of beliefs and practices. Religion is also the backbone of each and every society in the world and as much Muslim and catholic religions have similarities and differences both religions play a role that is integral in the society today. Muslim religion means total submission to God’s will at any particular time and moment. The Muslim religion has their specific beliefs, practices, holy places and rituals. The two religions have the highest number of worshipers and followers throughout the world. Both religions have different beliefs, practices and culture but that the most important uniqueness for both religions. One thing about religion is that no one knows what is right and wrong because it is about what people believe in. Islamic is a religion that follows all the commandments that Allah gave them. Both religions believe in the existence of one God and that the most important thing. Both religions believe on the judgment day and one may go to hell or heaven depending on the Judgment Day. Catholic religion is based to faith and grace while Muslim religion is based on obedience of the commandments. Muslims do not believe in the holy trinity while Catholics believe that God is a three person who are made one through Devin nature. Muslims also believe that both prophets and angles are human beings created by God and therefore they should not be worshiped whether directly or indirectly. As much as both religions have had critics on every side they have stood firm to stick to what they believe and all their practices. Religion is something that should be respected by everyone and people should not judge people according to their religious backgrounds. Therefore religion should be upheld in any community around the world because it is a form of identification.

Bibliography
Baker, D. W. (2004). Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment. Europe: Kregel Academic.
Dennett, D. C. (2007). Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. London : Penguin Adult.
Rippin, A. (2005). Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. New York: Psychology Press.

Bibliography: Baker, D. W. (2004). Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment. Europe: Kregel Academic. Dennett, D. C. (2007). Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. London : Penguin Adult. Rippin, A. (2005). Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. New York: Psychology Press.