The True Face of Islam - Essay Example

? The True Face of Islam The True Face of Islam Introduction Being one of the most influential monotheistic religions nowadays,along with Christianity and Judaism, Islam has originated in the Abrahamic spiritual tradition (Peters, 2004). As Peters (2004) points out, according to the Qur’an, both Abraham and his first-born, Ishmael, are charged with building the Kaaba in the very heart of Mecca – identified by Mohammed and his ancestors as the ‘House of God’ (pp. 8-9) – “And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, (saying), “Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying there for worship and those who bow and prostrate in prayer” (The Qur’an 2:125). Thus, although there is no sign at all that Mohammed and his followers were blood descendants of Abraham, Islam is clearly associated with the biblical times, characters and traditions; even if the Bible has not had that profound effect on Islam as upon Christianity (Peters, 2004). Having developed from events that took place some 1400 years ago in the Arabian Peninsula, Islam is currently a world faith with over one billion followers worldwide (Gordon, 2003). On the other hand, although the Islamic religious doctrine, practices, and institutions have been the subject of numerous, if not countless, writings and discussions (Gordon, 2003), Islam remains the most misinterpreted, hence misunderstood religion, especially in the light of recent events such as the 9/11 attacks and the consequent ‘war on terror’. Therefore, this paper attempts to get an insight into the Islamic religion, highlighting some of the most contentious points of the doctrine. Historical Background In order to understand the essence of Islam as fully as possible, one would need to take into consideration first and foremost its historical context in which this religious cult has originated and matured; by the way, this is equally valid as far as any other religious tradition is concerned. Mohammed was born in Mecca about 570 AD, in the Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe which possessed a distinguished status in the town (Schimmel, 1992, p. 11). By that time, the wealth and ancient glory of the Arabian Peninsula, most notably the powerful trading kingdom of Saba (“The Kingdoms of Ancient South Arabia,” n.d.), was already too far gone (Schimmel, 1992). The religious life of the Arab tribes, particularly in Central Arabia, was still dominated by a rather primitive religion, whose rituals were performed in numerous tribal sanctuaries, including the shrine in Kaaba which appeared the center of the pagan cult; additionally, there were certain Jewish and Christian influences (Schimmel, 1992, p. 7). Arabia was situated in the sphere of influence of its trade partners by then – Persia and Constantinople (Schimmel, 1992). There were also a number of Jewish settlements not far from Medina, and even – according to some authors – the kings of Saba had reportedly converted to Judaism; the latter inter alia indicates a quest of a higher faith (Schimmel, 1992). Somewhere in his forties, Mohammed was overcome by visions and voices, realizing that he was entrusted with a divine mandate – to proclaim, like some Hebrew prophets of earlier times, most notably Amos, the forthcoming Day of Judgment when the human beings will face the one omnipotent God, their Lord, to answer for their actions (Schimmel, 1992, p. 12). The obvious parallel between Mohammed – the last prophet – and the first Hebrew prophet of judgment, Amos, is not only in theological terms, but also in terms of historical necessity. Thus, having seen the decline in Arabia’s power and wealth, likely brought about by the Arab tribes’ disunity and internal feuds, Mohammed found the ultimate means of unification – the belief in one omnipotent God – and saw himself at first as a God’s messenger to the Arabs, a prophet being sent to warn them (Schimmel, 1992, p. 15); later on, however, he put his visions into practice, embarking on a decisive move towards uniting the Arabs. This crucial moment is considered the date of Mohammed’s emigration, or ‘hijra’, to Medina in June 622 AD, and the subsequent – eight years after the migration – conquest of Mecca (Schimmel, 1992, p. 16). Theology of Islam “He is God, who is one, God the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent” (The Qur’an 112:1-4). This Sura, as acknowledgement of God’s unity, is considered the heart of Islam, while the word ‘Islam’ per se denotes the complete surrender to God’s will (Schimmel, 1992, p. 14). Hence, the ultimate duty of human beings has been understood as to surrender to the omnipotent, Merciful and Compassionate God, and those who recognize and fulfill this duty should live according to the revealed law, being well aware that God is present in every place and time, and there are no really profane aspects in their lives (Schimmel, 1992, pp. 14-15). The Qur’an, as the sacred book of Islam in which nothing, but God’s own word is to be found, commands side by side the fulfillment of cultic duties and practices of mercy and justice; thus, ‘salat’, the ritual prayer is more often than not combined with the alms tax, ‘zakat’ (Schimmel, 1992, p. 15; Peters, 2004, p. 4). Thus, the pillars of Islam, besides the profession of faith, are the ritual prayer, the alms tax, the pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during Ramadan; while the so called ‘Jihad’ – striving, exertion – had never been made one of them (Schimmel, 1992, p. 35). There is a number of differences between Islam on the one hand and Judaism and Christianity on the other hand, though they seemingly emanated from one and the same source. Perhaps one of the most important is that, for the pious believer, the Qur’an is not the word of a prophet or other man inspired by God, but the “unadulterated word of God”, whereas the Bible is considered “a composite and varied blend of religious myth, historical narrative, legal enactments, prophetic admonitions, cautionary tales, and poetry compose over a long period” (Schimmel, 1992, p. 29; Peters, 2004, p. 4). Additionally, as Peters (2004) points out, the Qur’an is absolutely contemporary to the time of its revelation, namely twenty-two years in the lifetime of Mohammed (p. 4). The Qur’an itself is explicit about the issue of its authorship , “And it was not possible for this Qur'an to be produced by other than Allah, but it is a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of the former Scripture, about which there is no doubt, from the Lord of the worlds” (The Qur’an 10:37). Thus, being inimitable and of superhuman beauty and power, the Qur’an not only contains solutions for all problems that arise in the world, but also divine mysteries encoded in the sequence of its verses and the arrangements of its letters (Schimmel, 1992, p. 30). This intrinsic inimitability, however, not only makes all translations of Qur’an problematic (Peters, 2004), but also lies behind the bulk of common misconceptions and misunderstandings related to Islam. On the one hand, as Schimmel (1992) points out, since the Qur’an is the “Divine Word par excellence”, there is no need to be translated; moreover, it is generally considered inconceivable by the pious Muslims. On the other hand, a translation generally connotes an explanation of the book’s meaning, as Schimmel (1992) writes, “one interpretation among others” (p. 29). Since the Qur’an has been translated more than once – including into English, for the needs of the non-Arab speaking Muslims in Europe and the US – each interpretation inevitably carries the real probability of misinterpretation, and even misuse. A Case of Mistaken Identity One of the most common misunderstandings of Islam is related to Sura 2, Al-Baqarah – the Cow – namely verse (‘ayat’ – sign, or miracle) 191, “And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing” (The Qur’an 2:191). In the light of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the wave of fundamentalism that convulses the Muslim world nowadays, this verse unfortunately serves a very useful purpose as a powerful argument in both Islamic and anti-Islamic fundamentalists’ casuistry. Quite intentionally, verse 190, which sets the context for the ‘contentious’ 191, is usually omitted from the argumentation of both sides. Thus, the complete picture – “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers” (The Qur’an 2:190-191) – is largely distorted, apart from the fact that, as mentioned above, the time of the Qur’an revelation coincided with the struggle for the unification of the Arab tribes; hence, thess verses are rather logical in the context of that struggle in particular. Conclusion No one of the major religious cults per se could be blamed for openly or covertly inciting hatred and violence nowadays, nor should religious arguments be used for substantiating violent actions. Thus, the use of the Islamic religious doctrine to excuse and exonerate crimes against humanity is just as wrong and outrageous as the demise of a religion due to misinterpretations and fabricated arguments seemingly derived from its sacred scriptures. Unfortunately, rather the opposite is a fact. References Gordon, M. S. (2003). The rise of Islam. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.bg/books?id=KiawUHevW24C&printsec=frontcover&hl=bg&source=gbs_book_similarbooks#v=onepage&q&f=false Peters, F. E. (2004). The children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Print. Schimmel, A. (1992). Islam: An introduction. New York: The State University of New York. Print. The Kingdoms of Ancient South Arabia (n.d.). The British Museum. Retrieved from http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/middle_east/ancient_south_arabia/the_kingdoms_of_ancient_south.aspx Read More