Description of My Faith - Essay Example

Religion and Theology 5th May, of My Faith This paper describes the main tenets of my faith. The paper describes my faith through answering the following questions, what do you believe and why? Why is what you believe important? Has the learning about different faith traditions influenced, challenged, enriched or changed what you believe? As a Muslim, I believe in Allah, the one God, the creator of the universe and humankind. I believe that Allah is merciful and compassionate. I also believe that Allah is eternal and sovereign. My beliefs in Allah are based on what Allah himself revealed to his servant Mohammad. I believe that Prophet Mohammad was a true messenger of Allah; I believe that prophet Mohammad was the final and the last prophet of Allah. The main reason why I believe that Prophet Mohammad was the final prophet of Allah was because Allah revealed to Mohammad the truth about himself; Mohammad was the messenger of Allah. I also believe in Quran as the holy book of Allah; I believe that Quran contains the messages of Allah as revealed to Allah’s prophet, Mohammad; I believe that Allah revealed his eternal message to Mohammad in its definitive form. The main reason why I believe that Quran contains the messages of Allah is because Allah himself gave the Quran to his prophet Mohammad. Besides Mohammad, I also believe in other prophets of Allah. As the Quran says, God sends his messengers in every human age to reveal to his people his will for them, “To all peoples and in all ages, God sent prophets or messengers to proclaim the Oneness of God and to warn humanity of the future judgment (Quran 10:47; 16:36)”. For that reason, I believe in Allah’s prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, Elijah, Isaac, Joseph, Aaron, Solomon, Ezra, and Isa. I, however, believe that Mohammad was the greatest and the last prophet o Allah. I also do believe in angels messengers of Allah. I believe that Allah sends angels to his people on earth to reveal to them the messages of Allah. For example, Allah sent angel Gabriel, several times, to Prophet Mohammad to reveal to him the messages of Allah. I also believe that angels act as intermediaries and that they ask Allah to forgive the offences of his people (Quran 40:7). Also, I believe that when human beings die, their soul are received by angels who have kept a record of their actions, and the angels will witness for or against them on the day of judgement as the Quran notes (Quran 21: 203, 13: 24). My beliefs in angels are based on what is written in the Quran about angels. I also believe in life after death, and I believe that those who have lived according to the teachings of Allah will spend eternity with Allah, while those who have lived sinful lives will go to hell. I also believe in the last day of judgement. I believe that Allah will judge his people according to their deeds on the day of judgement. I believe that, on the Day of Judgment, the graves of the dead people will open and the dead people will resurrect, and judgment will be pronounced on each individual according to their deeds. Above all, I believe in the five pillars of Islam. The following is a brief description of the five pillars of Islam that I believe in. The first pillar of Islam that I believe in is Shahada, the proclamation of Islam faith that states that, there is no God except Allah, and Prophet Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. For that reason, therefore, I believe that Allah is the only true and sovereign God, and that Allah alone is worthy of worship. I also believe that it was through Prophet Mohammad that Allah conveyed his last messages to his people. The second pillar of Islam is Salat (Prayer). I believe that five ritual prayers must be performed every day as the Quran demands. The five daily prayers that I believe in are Fajr,Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. I believe that the five daily prayers are quite important for my faith in Islam. Besides the five daily prayers, I believe in Friday as the public day of worship for the Muslims. The third pillar of Islam that I believe in is Saum or fasting. I strongly believe in Ramadan as the holy month of fasting for all the Muslims. I believe that Saum is a form of worship because through fasting, one denies himself/herself of their needs so as to sincerely seek Allah and to help those in need. For that reason, therefore, I believe that every faithful Muslim should faithfully observe the month of Ramadan. The fourth pillar of Islam faith that I believe in is Zakat (Alms-giving or Charity). I believe that Zakat helps both the poor people who are given the alms, and it also benefits the one who gives the alm because it moves to giver of the alm towards more holiness and submission to Allah. For that reason, I believe that Zakat is a form of worship. The fifth pillar of Islam that I believe in is Haji (Pilgrimage). I believe that all Muslims who are able should make pilgrimage to Mecca. I believe that Haji is a form of worship because Allah requires the Muslims to do it. For that reason, therefore, I believe that all Muslims should make pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime. The reading about other faith traditions has influenced and enriched what I believe in. The following are the two main ways through which reading about other faith traditions has influenced and enriched what I believe in. Firstly, through reading about other faith traditions, I have realized that many world faith traditions are based in a belief in one omnipotent, merciful, and benevolent God whom they give different names. For instance, the Jews call their God YWH, while the Christians refer to their God as simply God. Through this knowledge, I have realized that, although many religions differ in their teachings and in their understanding of God, many world religions, however, believe in one God who is the creator of the universe and the creator of humankind. Through this knowledge, my faith in Allah has been strengthened because I have realized that even other faith traditions believe in the God that I believe in. Secondly, through the study of other faith traditions, I have learnt that the people of other faith traditions have strong reasons to believe in what they believe in; I have learnt that the people of other religions are able to give reasons for their faith. For this reason, therefore, through the study of the faith traditions of other religions, I have learnt to respect the people of other religions, although I do not agree with their faith teachings. This in effect has challenged me to view the people of other religions as my brothers and sisters, although we share different religious beliefs. Read More