Comparing between Islam Religion and Liberalism - Essay Example

Comparing between Islam Religion and Liberalism Comparing between Islam Religion and Liberalism Introduction Islam and Liberalism religion have distinct characteristics with divergent philosophical considerations. Islam can be considered as a universal religion that is missionary in nature. Liberalism preaches a God that is both immanent and transcendental, although disagreements within the religion abound (Schmidt & Promey, 2012). Background on Islam Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion guided by the Qur’an. The Qur’an is considered to be the verbatim word of God (Allah) and the original and final revelation of God. Muslims suppose that God is one and incomparable, and the sole reason for the existence of humankind is to love and serve God. The principal beliefs of Muslims fall into six chief categories (primarily referred to as “articles of faith”), namely: faith in unity of God, angles, afterlife, prophets, destiny/divine decree, and books of revelation (Ridgeon, 2003). The religious concepts and practices of Islam encompass five pillars of Islam, which are considered mandatory for all believers as the core concepts and obligatory acts of worship. The five basic acts in Islam touch on virtually every aspect of life and society and encompass aspects such as creed, daily prayers, almsgiving, fasting at the time of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a person’s lifetime. Muslims advocate Sharia law, which is an Islamic law shaped by traditional Islamic scholarship. According to Islam, Sharia law is an expression of the divine will and comprises of a system of duties endowed upon all Muslims by virtue of their religious belief (Hashemi, 2009). Background on Liberalism Liberal religion represents a religious tradition that accommodates the theological diversity of a congregation instead of a single creed, authority or writing. Liberal religion draws resources from a diverse range of traditions, which makes it impossible to delineate the religion as either Christian, Jewish, or any certain religious faith. Liberal theology covers diverse philosophically and biblically inspired religious movement, which developed as a consequence of the enlightenment (Ridgeon, 2003). Liberalism is a method of biblical hermeneutics representing an undogmatic means of understanding God via the application of scripture. Liberals hold that human beings are not necessarily altruistic, although they are capable of reasonable decision making. Liberalism advocate for a free and responsible pursuit of truth and meaning, freedom of conscience, and application of the democratic process within the society. According to Liberalism, the ultimate objective of the world community should be peace, liberty and justice for all persons. Liberalism details such principles as all relationships between persons should be grounded in mutual free consent, rather than coercion (Schmidt & Promey, 2012). In addition, the religion makes it a moral obligation for all persons to establish a just and loving society where individuals can enjoy the abundance of the universe. Equality and freedom are expressed as crucial human properties that propel human beings to live a virtuous life. Comparisons between Islam and Liberalism Liberal religious intentionally do not have an official creed or dogma, owing to their closely held principle of freedom of thought. Instead, Liberal religious typically agree on shared principles and purposes as suggested by the Unitarian Universalist Association. Islam, on the other hand, is dogmatic. The Shahadah (creed) is one of the core pillars of Islam. The Shahadah is the principal creed of Islam that must be recited under oath. The creed represents the foundation for other beliefs and practices abound in Islam. Muslims have an obligation to repeat the creed in prayer, while non-Muslims aspiring to become Muslims must enumerate the creed. Unitarian Universalists, which is a creedless religion, advocate for spiritual growth and development. The religion borrows its teachings and practices across a broad range of sources. The sources encompass experiences affirmed in cultures, words and deeds of prophetic men and women, wisdom from the world’s religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, Humanist teachings, and spiritual teachings flowing from earth-centered traditions. Islam, on the other hand, is definite on its guiding philosophy and concepts. Unlike Islam, liberal Christianity does not possess a unified set of propositional beliefs. This flows from the notion liberal and willingness to interpret scripture devoid of any envisioned notion of inerrancy of scripture or accuracy of church dogma. Islam is an absolutist, monotheistic religion (Haidar, 2OO8). Liberalism avoids claims relating to comprehensive truths about which disagreements are rife. The arguments centering on arguments such as basic political rights are grounded in philosophical grounds rather than religious grounds. In contrary, all aspects of a Muslim’s life, whether political or moral, are based on the Islam religion. Liberals embrace pluralism, although they do not deny that certain values such as religious values embody universal significance and application. The bedrock of the liberal project is legitimacy whereby principles and institutions represent non coercive public reasons that all people can share. To be a liberal is being open minded, free from the shackles of dogmatism and authority. Islam, on the other hand, detests pluralism and associated philosophies and concepts (Haidar, 2OO8). According to Islam, legitimacy flows from Allah alone. The Qur’an expressly outlines punishments for five crimes, namely: pre-marital sex, murder, or tattooing, policies such as Riba, food and drinks such as pork and alcohol consumption, theft, highway robbery, and false accusation, which are termed as Haraam (or sinful). These are acts displeases or angers Allah (God) and are forbidden in religious texts resulting to sin when a Muslim commits it. Liberalism, on the other hand, promotes tolerance, especially tolerance of dissent, besides manifesting humanistic optimism. Liberals are free to indulge in anything provided it satisfies rationality and is legitimacy. According to liberalism, sin or evil represents imperfection, ignorance, immaturity, and maladjustment, but not necessarily an elemental flaw in the universe. The shortcomings of the inner nature can be overcome through persuasion and education, as well as salvation for their removal. Islam, on the other hand, advocate that acts of Haraam severely compromises ones chances of afterlife. Conclusion Just like Muslims, Liberals hold that every person is called to be charitable and in the intrinsic goodness of humankind. Religious liberals are connected via generosity and openness to the core aspect of life. Liberals pursue a just society in which cooperation is an esteemed attribute and where people follow universal rules of justice. In principle, all persons should be treated fairly except in instances in which unequal treatment would result into a general advantage. References Haidar, H. (2008). Liberalism and Islam: Practical reconciliation between the liberal state and Shiite Muslims. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hashemi, N. (2009). Islam, secularism, and liberal democracy: toward a democratic theory for Muslim Countries. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Ridgeon, L. (2003). Major world Religions. New York, NY: Routledge. Schmidt, L. & Promey, S. (2012). American religions: Liberalism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Read More