Islam Guide - Essay Example

Living Religions by Mary Pat Fisher has been widely acknowledged as one of the essential readings on world religions and their history, including the traditional faiths, aboriginal religions, and new religious movements. In this celebrated work, Mary Fisher focuses on providing a systematic explanation of the history of different religious traditions. The author deals with the historical development and teachings of each religion in order to establish how different religious traditions of the world have evolved into contemporary beliefs and practices. One of the fundamental discussions in the work is centered on Islam, a leading religion of the contemporary world, and the author offers a convincing illustration of the historical development and major teachings of the religion. A review of the five pillars of the religion suggests that belief and witness, i.e. the Shahada, daily prayers (five times a day), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) are basic to the Islamic religion. Significantly, the author commences the chapter on Islam with a detailed description of the life and works of the Prophet Muhammad, according to which the Prophet Muhammad always denied having any superhuman powers. As the Qur’an describes him, the Prophet Muhammad was a human like anyone else, and he was just a servant of the God to whom revelation has come. Significantly, the Prophet Muhammad made only a single claim about his miracles: that he had received the Qur’anic revelations in an extraordinarily eloquent and pure Arabic. “Nevertheless, all who saw the Prophet remarked on his touching physical beauty, his nobility of character, the fragrance of his presence, his humility, and his kindness. In his devotion to God, he quietly endured poverty so extreme that he tied a stone over his stomach to suppress the pangs of hunger.”  (Fisher, 337) Therefore, Living Religions by Mary Pat Fisher provides a compelling study resource on the historical development and major teachings of the Islamic religion and the readers are able to recognize how this religion has evolved into contemporary beliefs and practices.

It is pertinent to realize that the opening section of the chapter on Islam in Living Religions by Mary Fisher deals with the history concerning the Prophet Muhammad followed by the teaching story of the humility of the Prophet. In the teaching story, the readers are provided with a convincing illustration of how the humility of the Prophet was a model to his followers. In the next section, “The Qur’an”, the author maintains that it is the revelations that the Prophet received, rather than the Prophet himself, which is at the heart of Islam, and the Qur’an outlines the messages he received over a period of twenty-three years. “At first they were striking affirmations of the unity of God and the woe of those who did not heed God’s message. Later messages also addressed the organizational needs and social lives of the Muslim community… Recitation of the Qur’an is thought to have a healing, soothing effect, but can also bring protection, guidance, and knowledge...” (Fisher, 338) Thus, the author offers a forceful and comprehensive illustration of the history of the religion based on its teachings and principles as given in the Qur’an.

In the next section of the chapter, Mary Fisher deals exclusively with the central teachings of Islam and she covers all the major aspects of the Islamic principles. Thus, the author talks about ‘the oneness’ of God and humanity, prophethood and the compass of Islam, the human relationship to the divine, the unseen life, and the last judgment. According to the author, there is a great similarity between the essence of God and human nature, and they are united to each other. Mary Fisher also establishes that prophethood is the essential characteristic of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad is the unquestionable leader of the religion. In this section of the chapter, the author makes a reflective analysis of the human relationship with the divine in order to bring out the concept of ‘oneness’ of God and humanity. The author also makes an investigation of the unseen life in the religion and the Last Judgment as taught by this religious tradition.

Apart from these central teachings of Islam, Mary Fisher dedicates the next two sections to a profound analysis of the Sunni-Shi’ite split and Sufism. A detailed analysis of the Sunnis and Shi’ites is central to the understanding of the contemporary teachings and practices within this religion. Also, the section on Sufism also brings out some of the pertinent elements of current Islamic thought. In the next section of the chapter, “The Five Pillars and Jihad”, the author reviews the five pillars of the religion such as belief and witness, i.e. the Shahada, daily prayers (five times a day), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). These basic concepts of Islam lead to the analysis of the much-debated topic of Jihad. In the next sections of the work, the author deals with topics such as the spread of Islam, including Islamic culture and Eastward expansion, the relationships with the West, especially the United States, Muslim resurgence, return to Shari’ah, outreach and education, and Islam in politics. In conclusion, the celebrated work Living Religions by Mary Fisher is an essential resource for an understanding of the historical development and teachings of Islam, along with the evolution of its contemporary beliefs and practices.