Review of Literature - Term Paper Example

In chapter 1 of the book Global Islamic Politics, Husain discusses the connection between past and present revivalist movements. He asserts that Islam can be used as a tool for political changes. Like Nasr, he argues that Islam is too nuanced to be generalized as secular or extremist. Instead, its various concepts, such as jihad and taqlid or adherence to legal rulings, have been used and interpreted by diverse Islamic movements. The Quran is subject to diverse interpretations, because personal beliefs color the many ambiguous concepts and statements in it.

It supplements the political dimension of Islam and can fit nicely into Islam: Religion, History and Civilization by Nasr. Love and friendship are integral concepts to Islam and can be used to promote interfaith interactions and religious tolerance. In a speech to the pope called “We and You-Let Us Meet in God’s Love,” Nasr asserts that Christianity and Islam share similar fundamental beliefs in one God and in teaching the importance of faith in daily living. He understands that there are also core differences in Islamic and Christian beliefs and practices, but he stresses that these differences are not enough to justify centuries of conflict and opposition.

He calls for peace between these religions and their followers, as they both pursue a life dedicated to God. He believes that it is possible for Christians and Muslims to be friends, since they are both advocates of love and peace: “We submit to Him, and ask for His help and affirmation in carrying out this momentous task of meeting with you in friendship and peace under the banner of that Common Word that unites us” (Nasr 4). This article reinforces the article by Chittick on love and friendship.

Islam is not a religion of violence, but a religion of love and peace. Chittick argues that love and friendship cannot be separated in Islamic spirituality, because in Persian and Arabic languages alone, saying “I love you” relates to having a friend in that person that one loves: “…to say “I love you” in Persian you say dustat daram, literally, “I have you as a friend” (1). He says that people should understand that the true aim of their love is God, and so they have to act in the kind of love that is characterized by “God’s beautiful character traits” (Chittick 16).

God sends prophets, who teaches people how to love: “Only when they learn to love by following the prophetic example can they truly love God, and as a function of love for God, love their neighbors as well” (Chittick 18). This article is comparable to the speech of Nasr, because it signifies that love and friendship can also exist among different religions. Love should be the center of interfaith dialogues and instead of spreading hate and aggression, all religious and non-religious people should promote love and friendship that are based on the core of the human spirit, as Chittick contends.

Muslims are widely distributed across the world, and so they cannot be treated as a very small minority. According to the Pew Research Center: “A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion” (1). The main point of this article is that Islam is a potent force to