The Importance of Sufism - Essay Example

? Islam Islam Explain the Importance of Sufism. Why is Mysticism Attractive? Islam consists of many branches which include Sufism. In broader terms, Sufism denotes spiritual evaluation where a person has to consider purification of the heart. As such, all the people in the religion have to clean their hearts of any impurity and filth that jeopardizes their way of life (Kheirabadi, 2009). As such, people that have purified hearts will have spiritual progress, which gives them an advantage of coming close to Allah. Similarly, Sufism involves all practices that ensure a person has deeper knowledge of their God, who is Allah (BBC, 2011). This includes worshipping and seeing Him, which is the ultimate goal in Islam. This will guarantee all the Allah worshipers a heavenly life with utter obedience of spiritual purification. On the other hand, mysticism is attractive in that it modifies a person’s inner life. A person’s inner life is modified in that the person gains the truth of experience. This is in line with a person’s quest for identification, communion and awareness. As such, a person will maintain high levels of truthfulness, divinity and have a strong spiritual life. This draws a person closer to unity with reality, making a person lead a better life in connection with communication and expressions. 2. Explain in Detail the Five Pillars of Islam Muslims have various practices that should be observed. Of all these, the five pillars are considered the most vital. These are the critical obligations that should be observed by any Muslim in leading a responsible life. They include Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj (Gulevich, 2005). To begin with, Shahadah is reciting the Muslim’s faith. Shahadah states that there is no other God but Allah, with His messenger being Mohammad. Reciting this faith has several meanings. First, it is an open declaration that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is His prophet. Secondly, a Muslim openly accepts this statement as it is recited loudly and in sincerity. Thirdly, it means that a Muslim will extend commitment to Islam in their entire lifetime. The second pillar of Islam is Salat. These are Muslim prayers which are obligatory to an individual and should be performed five times in a single day. They are performed before the sun rises, midday, in the afternoon, shortly before the sun sets and the last prayer is performed before midnight (BBC, 2011). These prayers have various advantages; first, they set the pace of the day. Secondly, they show unity in the Muslim culture, and lastly, they unite the body, mind and soul. The third pillar of Islam is Zakat. This is a compulsory practice where an individual Muslim gives part of their wealth to other people in form of charity. It states that each Muslim should take 2.5% of their wealth and give it to the poor. This is a sign of obedience, discipline and honesty. Similarly, it is an expression that one is not in love for money, greedy or loving oneself. The forth pillar of Islam is Sawm. This is the occasional fasting in Islam, which is done on the ninth month in the calendar of Islam. All Muslims take a total of 29 or 30 days and stop participating in some activities (BBC, 2011). As such, Muslims are not supposed to eat, drink, smoke or participate in any sexual activity during the day. This shows that Muslims are obedient, self disciplined, appreciate God’s gift and are gaining spiritual strength. Similarly, they consider it a time for generosity, giving thanks to their holy book and fellowshipping with other Muslims to show unity. The last pillar of Islam is Hajj, where Muslims from different parts of the world gather in Mecca to praise Allah. All the Muslims at the event stand in front of Kaaba and praise Allah together (BBC, 2011). This shows Islamic unity and equality, with the promise of brotherhood and sisterhood. According to Islam, if one is not able to make it every year, they have to ensure they at least attend this practice once in their lifetime. 3. Contrast between Contemporary Sunni and Shiite Muslims There are two main subgroups in the Islam religion. However, Sunni and Shia Muslims share the fundamental beliefs in Islam, which include the articles of faith. Therefore, they have unity in their spirit as they worship the same God, Allah (Mattson, 2008). Apparently, Sunni and Shia Muslims have political differences. These political differences have created a drift between the two groups over the years expanding the gap between the two. The problem emerged after the death of Prophet Muhammad and the preferred prophet to take over. In this matter, Sunni Muslims followed the Muslim tradition and elected one of Prophet Muhammad’s friend and advisor to take over. However, Shia Muslims were not in unison with this decision (BBC, 2011). They had a point stating that the leader to take over should be in the family line with the prophet. As such, they preferred the prophet’s cousin or son-in-law. As such, Shia Muslims have not recognized the leadership of elected leaders. Though they differed in this decision, Muslims have unity in worship and do not consider the differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims as religious. 4. What is the Difference between the Quran and the Hadith? What is the Contention about Hadith? Though both Quran and Hadith have Allah’s word, there are some instances that bring out the difference. A unifying factor is that both were revelations from the prophet to Muslims. To begin with, the Quran is a collection of Allah’s message to Islam. However, Muslims state that Hadith is a message to Muslim that is relayed through the prophet (BBC, 2011). Secondly, the Quran consists of prayers which can be recited by Muslims. However, there is a difference in the Hadith where no prayers are recited. Thirdly, it is considered that the Quran was relayed via an angel, while the Hadith would have been inspired in other ways, which include dreams. Lastly, Muslims believe that the words of the Quran are miraculous, while this is not the case in Hadith. 5. Pick One Ritual Listed under "Practices" in the Website. Describe it and Explain Why it is Important. A prayer according to the Muslim culture is a combination of various activities. These activities are used to make the prayer stronger and give it essence. Prayer in the Muslim religion includes physical actions, sayings which are verbal and an inner feeling which is the heart. As such, a Muslim prays with an inner feeling which guides his spirituality. When praying, Muslims are required to maintain their calm, show respect and be humble before God (BBC, 2011). While praying, Muslims have to recite parts of the Quran, sayings in the holy book of Islam and sayings that are meant to glorify their God. This also gives praying people an opportunity to thank God and ask Him for blessings. References BBC. (2011). Religions: Islam. London: BBC. Gulevich, T. (2005). Understanding Islam and Muslim traditions: An introduction to the religious practices, celebrations, festivals, observances, beliefs, folklore, customs, and calendar system of the world's Muslim communities, including an overview of Islamic history and geography. Michigan: Omnigraphics. Kheirabadi, M. (2009). Islam. London, UK: Infobase Publishing. Mattson, I. (2008). The story of the Qur’an: Its history and place in Muslim life. Dundee, MI: Blackwell Pub. Read More