Core of Islamic Beliefs and Practices - Book Report/Review Example

Islam Introduction Islam, one of the world’s most dominant religions, has become one of the most controversial as well. However, amidst all the challenges it faces today, it remains steadfast and intact in its fundamental beliefs and practices and remains unfettered by everything new and foreign that comes with modernity and change in general. In fact, with almost two billion Muslims around the world today, it continues to be one of the fastest growing religions of our time (Miller 4). Perhaps, a closer look at it would explain some of its mystique and timeless charm. Core of Islamic Beliefs and Practices The word Islam alone can be translated in many word variations, such as peace, acceptance, and surrender or submission of self to only one God, Allah. Islam is perhaps one of the few monotheistic religions in the world, and the most stringent as well. Islam is practiced in accordance with its five pillars—testimony of faith, ritual prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and the pilgrimage to Mecca—that hold Muslim societies together as one community (What Everyone Needs 17). These pillars play very significant roles in almost every aspect of everyday Muslim life (What Everyone Needs 11). But more than anything else, monotheism is Islam’s most cardinal rule, and this is supposed to be demonstrated in the day to day life of every Muslim by following the Qur’an. The latter is said to contain the literal, exact words of Allah—with translations being regard only as commentaries of the book, especially considering the limitations in language and accuracy (Islam: The Straight Path 6; What Everyone Needs 4; Peters 9; Teece 12). In other words, being a Muslim does not only mean an avowal of faith. Moreover, such affirmation is coupled with action and practice—faith and good works. Obedience is every Muslim’s duty to Allah. A sixth pillar, jihad, is added by Sunni Muslims to the initial five. The so-called jihad, meaning “the struggle,” is actually understood by Muslim scholars in two senses (Firestone 17). First, it can refer to a greater jihad that is geared toward the perfection of the self on the spiritual aspect. Second, it can also refer to a lesser jihad, which pertains to warfare. It is toward these ends that one exerts all efforts and ability to protect the Muslim faith from its enemies. Needless to say, this additional pillar can be a very dangerous precept to preach as it can be easily misconstrued to mean a rise of arms against an enemy, the most convenient for some to achieve, not to mention that it can also further one’s selfish interests. On the state level, however, although jihad is considered as the only permissible form of warfare, Muslim authorities today emphasize that it must only be used defensively and only for the purpose of making other people conform to judicial Islamic norms and standards. What is most striking about the Muslim faith is its ability to achieve a balance between a life of worship and prayer and, at the same time, a life that is lived to its fullest. Nature and Involvement of Deities At the heart of Islam’s beliefs and practices are monotheism—the belief in one god, Allah—and the life and ministry of its prophet Mohammad through whom they believe the word of Allah was spoken. Islam follows strict monotheism. It considers as idolatry any form of prayers addressed to saints or prophets. It is worth noting that Muslims do not consider Muhammad as the founder and creator of their religion. Rather, they see him as responsible for the restoration of the original monotheistic faith, the same faith that originated in Adam and was handed down to Abraham and Moses. Muhammad to them is the ultimate prophet, the closest person to perfection among all the prophets, including Jesus. Thus, Muslims consider Muhammad as someone who should be emulated in their lives. Nature and Condition of Humanity Islam believes that man is not subservient to his instincts, unlike all other living organisms. Because of intellect, man is able to make a choice of the right course of action over the dictates of their humanity. Only the human being can make a distinction between what is good or evil—a being with free will. It is, however, the world that leads man to his destination—that which is preordained by God, the originator of all things. As a member of the Muslim community, any member is free to do whatever with his income. The only qualifications are that such expense should be within the restrictions set by law and in obedience to the teachings of God. Another unique concept about Islam is its belief in predestination. Divine preordainment explains that God has foreknowledge about and controls everything that happens to us (Momem 177). This is because everything that happens has to have God’s approval. However, this belief is balanced by man’s possession of free will, or the ability to decide what is right and what is not. This likewise stresses man’s ability to be accountable for what good or bad he does with his life or to other people. Islam of today faces the question of whether it can deal with the changes of the times. Laws and beliefs often change with the times, and sometimes, they need to be reassessed as to their relevance to the present way of life. Could the women of Muslim societies today allow themselves to live like the veiled women of the past? Indeed, could an ancient dogma or belief survive the challenges of modern times and still fit in the daily life of man? Note that the fundamental basis of the continuity of every religion is its ability to satisfy the needs of human life. No religion could exist if its faithful do not feel bound by its precepts. The After-life Another article of faith in Islam includes the belief in the Day of Judgment or the Day of Resurrection, otherwise called as predestination, divine decree, or divine justice. This day is said to be known to God alone. Thus, the Qur’an makes an enumeration of the sins that would lead man to hell. Corresponding to this is the belief in paradise, a place where bliss and joy abound. Similar to Christianity, belief in the after-life also exists in Islam. It refers to the soul’s continued existence and transformation after death. It is believed that prior to the Day of Judgment, all souls await in their graves for the resurrection. The eternal destination of every soul lies on the balance of good and bad deeds. However, exceptions to this are soldiers who die in war for the defense of God’s cause—because they go straight to heaven—and those who are Islam’s enemies, for they go straight to hell. Impact of Local Culture on the Practice of Islam in Australia Islam is Australia’s fourth largest religion. What makes it unique from most predominantly Muslim countries is its ethnic and racial diversity. Perhaps, this could be explained by Australia’s long history with Islam even prior to the coming of Western colonization, which also utilized intermarriages to facilitate assimilation of the religion into the local culture. In fact, Islam in Australia is older than Christianity or any other foreign religions. Today, there is an increasing conversion rate among people from tribal religions (“Islam in Indigenous Australia: Historic Relic”). Local Australian culture seems to embrace a more modern Muslim society where respect for women is not limited to those wearing veils. Islam in Australia presents a Muslim society that is more open to change and reforms. The sensitive and controversial issue on women’s rights in Islam is breaking ground in Australia more than in any other Muslim countries around the globe. The perceived gender equality is slowly taking its place in the backseat of Australia’s Muslim society (“Heed the PM’s Call for Women’s Rights”; “Muslim Australians”). Similarity and Divergence between Islam and Christianity One of the most significant distinctions between Islam and Christianity is the belief on the consequences of original sin. While both believe that Adam and Eve sinned, they differ in that while Christianity teaches that it has corrupted mankind, Islam does not believe in original sin. For Islam, Adam and Eve repented and were forgiven by God. Thus, mankind did not inherit such a liability handed down to us by our forefathers. God’s forgiveness has created for us a clean bill to start with. Thus, we all benefited from God’s salvation of the world. While Islam and Christianity recognize Jesus, they differ greatly in their beliefs. The infallibility of Jesus and his birth through the Virgin Mary are both shared by these two religions. While they both believe Jesus performed some miracles and eventually ascended into heaven, Muslims merely regard Jesus as a prophet and not as the son of God. In contrast to Christianity’s belief that the prophets are both human and divine, the Muslims do not believe that prophets are both—human and divine. Rather, prophets are human beings whom God has chosen to be the bearer of his divine revelation. Islam believes that these prophets are mere messengers of God, and Muhammad is the last and final prophet. Thus, Muslims reject the Christian concept of the Trinity, equating it to polytheism. To them, Jesus was just one of the prophets chosen to deliver God’s message to mankind. The concept of angels is also another point wherein Islam and Christianity seem to meet and diverge. Islam is in agreement with Christianity that angels are God’s messengers. However, Islam seems to disagree on the belief that angels have free will. To the Muslims, angels worship God in absolute obedience (Islam: The Straight Path 12; What Everyone Needs 4; Peters 9). This somewhat refutes the story about the banishment of Lucifer from heaven. According to Christianity, Lucifer had free will, and he used it to disobey God. It might therefore be implied from this that to the Muslims, no angel could possibly disobey God because their absolute obedience toward Him would be inconsistent with any story about a disobedient angel like Lucifer. When it comes to its relationship with the state, Islam does not make a distinction between church matters and state matters, unlike in most Christian countries where the separation of the church and state is a basic tenet found in most constitutions. This is because the ways of Islam is involved in every aspect of society, whether public or private affairs. In fact, often, Sharia courts are bypassed and things are settled in accordance with a grievance tribunal (Lapidus 502; Lewis 100). Among all world religions, Islam also stands out in its strict adherence to Islamic diet, etiquette, and personal hygiene and cleanliness. From circumcision and burial rituals, to prohibited and allowable foods, Islamic practices are followed with strict adherence by its believers (Curtis 164; The Oxford Dictionary 93). Also, what is a very prominent difference between Islam and Christianity is their divergent beliefs when it comes to marriage. While Christianity believes in monogamy, Islam believes that a man could have as many as four wives as long as he could equally and sufficiently provide for all four of them. In addition, whereas Christianity believes that whatever God has put together, no man shall put asunder; Islam allows divorce on valid grounds. Conclusion As previously stated, Islam today faces many challenges. It is often accused of being close to and intolerant of criticisms. With the surge of more clamor for change, particularly for women empowerment in Muslim countries, Islam is somehow finding it hard to give justification for its actions. For example, the manner in which it mistreats its women (of course, this is according to Western standards), not to mention the hostile environment it ignores that makes it difficult for women to reconcile tradition, modernity, and modesty, offers very little to alleviate the plight of women in these Muslim countries. On the other hand, there is also a growing concern for the teachings of Islamic fundamentalists—particularly on terrorism—and its antisemeticism views, which concerns often fall on deaf ears. Considering all these challenges, we have yet to see whether Islam would remain behind the shroud of its faith or face its detractors with a more reconciling and tolerant attitude toward plurality and change. Works Cited Books and Journals Curtis, Patricia A. (2005). A Guide to Food Laws and Regulations. Blackwell Publishing Professional. Esposito, John (1998). Islam: The Straight Path (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. Esposito, John (2002b). What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. Oxford University Press. Esposito, John (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. Esposito, John (2004). Islam: The Straight Path (3rd Rev Upd ed.). Oxford University Press. Firestone, Reuven (1999). Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam. Oxford University Press. Lapidus, Ira (2002). A History of Islamic Societies (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Lewis, Bernard (2003). What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East (Reprint ed.). Harper Perennial. Miller, Tracy, ed. (2009) (PDF), Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population, Pew Research Center Momen, Moojan (1987). An Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi`ism. Yale University Press. Peters, F. E. (2003). Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians. Princeton University Press. Teece, Geoff (2003). Religion in Focus: Islam. Franklin Watts Ltd. Electronic Sources Albrechtsen, Janet. “Heed the PM’s Call for Women’s Rights.” The Australian: The Heart of the Nation. 6 September 2006. Web. 26 October 2009. Phillips, Janet. “Muslim Australians.” Parliamentary Library. E-Brief: Online. 6 March 2007 Web. 26 November, 2008. Kumar, Amitava and Michael Ryan. “Islam in Indigenous Australia: Historic Relic.” Politics and Culture. Read More