Islam vs. Christianity and Judaism - Literature review Example

Islam Religion Introduction The controversial religion of Islam is articulated by the word of God also known as the Qur’an and by the Sunnah teachings as stipulated by Allison (1995). Robert defines Muslim as the title given to a believer of Islam. The religion has brought about various controversies and sensitive issues that have been observed all over the world in terms of its beliefs, values, and goals. In terms of beliefs, controversies arise when countries believe differently about the origin and settlements of the Islam, for example, a developed country like United States of America believes that most Muslims reside in the Middle East part of the world while in reality most of them are found in Indonesia where they practice many different cultures that define them. According to Boehme (2010), the Islam followers believe in worshipping their God and that is how they define their purpose of existence. Most of them keenly observe the teachings of the Koran and believe that Islam is the complete version of a kind of faith that was demonstrated long time ago by great prophets such as Moses and Abraham. The Muslims consider their God as one and he is incomparable to anything or anyone. In this paper, I will discuss about the beliefs of Islam religion and offer clarity on how it is practiced together with its teachings. I will also discuss how the Islam religion differs or compares to other religions such as Christianity and Judaism. The teachings and beliefs of Islam are practiced in different countries and interpreted in different ways; these countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China and many other Asian countries. In this paper, I will give a detailed research on the cultural practices in these specific countries. Furthermore, I will discuss how the natives of these countries understand the Islam culture and the impact Judaism and Christianity has on the interactions they are involved in. Understanding Islam An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim as discussed above. The Muslims have a heart of voluntarily submitting themselves fully to their God whom they call Allah. They demonstrate this full submission to Allah by committing themselves to deep worshipping of God and constantly following and obeying his commands (Boehme, 2010). They are strict in the Qur’an teachings that help them avoid polytheism and reject what does not please Allah. Apart from affirmation of faith and total dedication to Allah through worship, the Islam religion is also described as an action of returning to God by various scholars. Their act of worship is referred to as `ibâdah, which is represented by faith and excellence also called imam and ihsan respectively. As stipulated by Mabry (1998), they only believe in one God (Allah in Arabic), who is described in their holy book, the Qur’an, as “the only one God; God, the eternal, Absolute; and there is no one like unto him.” This is found in chapter 112 of the Qur’an. This monotheism is referred to as tawhid and according to the Muslims; it is their most fundamental concept. The Muslims view God as very mighty and they believe he is the creator of everything in the universe. They believe that their communication with God does not need any intermediaries as they view him as a personal and responsive God who listens to their prayers and answers them. The Muslims firmly believe in the angels and prophets of Allah. Their belief in angels is one of the most fundamental issues to their faith. Malak, which is the name given to the angels by Muslims, means messenger (Hasan, 2010). The Qur’an describes angels as creatures that do not possess free will and who display their total commitment to worshipping God in full obedience. The “messengers” are imagined to have a pair of wings, perhaps four pairs, and their main responsibility is to intercede on man’s behalf and receive souls once a person dies. Prophets (nabi) are also fundamental to the faith of Muslims. They are described by the Qur’an, as messengers chosen by Allah to convey God’s message to the people and bring Gods will to the peoples of the nations. According to the Islamic theology, the prophets or Gods messengers are humans who are responsible for preaching and advising the Muslims on how to fully submit themselves to God, they are not considered divine. The only prophet who was considered divine was Muhammad, who was considered as the seal of prophets sent by God to pass forward the divine message to the universe. His mission was to finalize or sum up the word of God. As noted by Miller, Vandome and McBrewster (2010), Muhammad was a trader at first who later became a religious, political and military leader who eventually sealed the series of prophets or messengers of God. Islam vs. Christianity and Judaism The customs of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, compare in different ways. These monotheistic faiths have various similarities and differences. The table below compares the three religions under different concepts. Topic Christianity Islam Judaism The creator He exists as God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit Strict monotheism is observed and they believe that God exists as only one God (Allah) who is not a trinity. They believe in Yahweh or Jehovah as one God. Holy Book(s) The holy Bible. The Qur’an or Koran. The Hebrew Tanakh which is similar to the Christian old testament. Jesus Christ Born of virgin Mary and the second person of the trinity. He is divine. Not divine and is a prophet who was initially a trader before being sent by Allah. He was born of the virgin Mary. Not a divine person but an ordinary person. Mission of Jesus Christ To die for the sins of man all so that man would reconcile with God To pass forward the gospel to the people. Mission is irrelevant as Jesus is not considered as the divine Messiah Origin of name From the Greek word, christos From an Arabic word, submission From the Hebrew word Yehudim or Judah. Initiator or founder Jesus Christ Mohammed Abraham Groups Protestants and Catholics. The Sunni and the Shia. Hasidic, Ashkenazi and shephardi Jews. Estimated followers 2200 million 1500 million 14 million Rituals Sacraments, anointing of the oil, confirmation and prayer Their rituals are termed as the pillars of Islam; profession of faith (shahadah), salat, alms giving (zakat), sawm (fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and Hajj (pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Circumcision of newly born males, prayers and bar mitzvah that involves observation of the Sabbath. Holy spirit 3rd person of the trinity and is divine Same as the angel Gabriel who gave Mohammed the Koran text It is considered as a divine power given to the prophets. Death of Jesus Christ For the sake of sinners or all human kind Jesus was never crucified on the cross but he rose up to heaven to be with the father who is Allah He was crucified for his claim to be divine Salvation Through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is achieved through good works. Salvation is acquired through good works, prayers and the grace of God Hell Where the unrighteous will receive eternal punishment. A place of torture and fire but eternity is not an assurance, as there are levels one may undergo. Judaism does not emphasize on the after life but it is said that if one dies in sin, they may suffer everlasting punishment. Old traditions The creeds and the famous writings of the early church fathers and ecumenical councils The Hadith which is a collection of the sayings of prophet Mohammed The Talmud, which is an oral tradition explaining, and interpreting the Tanakh. Source: Headden, S. (2008). Understanding Islam. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/religion/2008/04/07/understanding-islam.html Islam in the United States Different sources give different figures for the total population of Muslims in the United States. Pew Research center gave 6.6 million Muslims in the United States, which is about 0.8 % of the U.S. population. This is in contrast to the 5.8 million figure given by CIA World Factbook or 0.6 % of the U.S. population. Brockopp (2003) further stated that the rise in population of Muslims has been observed from the 1880s up to now when they were migrating from the Ottoman Empire. The population has greatly increased in the 20th century due to frequent migrations, conversions and a high birth rate. In 2006, nearly 96,000 Muslim gained legal and permanent residency in the United States that was a record. The table below shows a consistent rise in the Muslim population in United States Year Total population 2005 2m 2006 3.2m 2007 4.5 2008 5.8 2009 6.0m 2010 6.6m Figure: Brockopp, J. E. (2003). Islamic Ethics of Life: abortion, war and euthanasia. University of South Carolina press Islam in the United States is practiced openly and freely because the United States has the freedom of religion. However lately, the existence of Muslims in the U.S. has caused a big debate particularly after the September 2001 attack, which brought about a fear of Islamic terrorism. The regions with a significant population of Muslims include; New York metropolitan area, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, the West Coast, Washington DC and the rest of Texas. Islam in China Chinese Muslims have lived in China for the last 1,400 years and they have had a positive influence on the Chinese community. Over the years, the Chinese and Muslims have lived together with peaceful interactions. China has housed so many Muslims who are scattered all over the country. Even the prophet Mohammed advised the Muslims to seek knowledge from China and both societies have peaceful continuous interactions thus making Islam the second most popular religion in China. The Muslim youths in China are now accepted same as the youths in China are accepting and adapting to the Muslim religion (Battistini, 2010). Islam in the United Kingdom Islam has been in existence in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, but was recognized in 1812. Over the years, the population of Muslims has increased and it is now the second largest religion in the country. This has resulted in construction of over 1,500 mosques within the country. Majority of the Muslims are found in England and Wales. Some live in Scotland and others in Northern Ireland (Mabry, 1998). Islam in India In India, the population of Muslims is the second largest after Hinduism and at the same time, India has the world’s third largest Muslim population as described by Battistini (2010). The Muslims in India have a much higher total fertility rate thus contributing to their constant increase in population size. The percentage of their population has grown from 10% in 1991 to 13% in 2001. The Indian Muslims are less educated and poorer as compared to their Hindu counterparts. Islam in Pakistan After Indonesia, Pakistan has the second largest population of Muslims according to writings by Mabry (1998). 95-97 % of the Pakistani people are Muslims while the remaining percentage is made up of Christians, Hindu, and other minor groups. Sunnis are the majority while the shia make up the second largest population of Muslims in Pakistan after Iran (Hasan, 2010). Interaction of Muslims vs non-Muslims Muslim religion has over the years been viewed as a violent and a threat to many countries and also to other religions. However, this misunderstanding has affected many people considering the fact that all Muslims live to make peace and not war. For example, in western countries, Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen on interaction with non-Muslims, stated the importance of Muslims and non-Muslims to consider each other as one. He said that there should be respect between Muslims and non-Muslims who interact and live together. He urges that violent existence is a lie before Allah and that whoever kills one will not smell the fragrance of paradise (Battistini, 2010). In America, Muslims do not feel isolated from political participation and other state activities unlike many Muslims in Europe (Hasan, 2010). This is because America is a free country and the constant meetings that are aimed at improving dialogue and creating good relations between Muslims and non-Muslim Americans. Different surveys done all over the universe indicate that a large percentage of non-Muslims tend to have an unfavorable view of their Muslim counterparts as compared to Muslims who respond negatively to non-Muslims. Even though dangerous groups such as the Al- Qaeda tend to create a bad picture of Muslims, most of the other Muslims are largely integrated, happy with their lives and moderate with respect to many of the issues dividing Muslims and non-Muslims. Dedication to the Muslim beliefs is misunderstood and thought to be overwhelming as some of their roles such as gender roles differ greatly from those of non-Muslims. Despite the close interaction with different religions and people from various countries, their faith is not jeopardized and they remain firm to their own belief system (Hasan, 2010). Conclusion Although Islam is a highly controversial and sensitive issue all over the world, we should consider our Muslim brothers same as ourselves with different beliefs, cultures, values and goals. In this paper, I have researched the belief practices carried out by Muslims and their interactions with different people, religions and countries. It is one of the world’s top popular religions and the dedication to their system of belief to their religion is to be respected and admired same as other religions like Christianity and Judaism. Understanding of the Islam religion will hopefully lead to acknowledgement of the religion and positive interactions eventually observed. Reference List Allison, J.R. (1995). The Crescent Obscured the United States and the Muslim World, 1776–1815 pp 57-59 Battistini, R. (2010). Early American studies: the Muslim world in early American periodicals. Spring, vol 8 & 2 pp446-474. Boehme, A.J. (2010). Notes from the fortune-telling parrot: Islam and the struggle for religious pluralism in Pakistan. Brockopp, J. E. (2003). Islamic Ethics of Life: Abortion, War and Euthanasia. Carolina: University of South Carolina press Hasan, Z. (2010). Gender, Religion and Democratic Politics in India. Third world quarterly, pg 31. Headden, S. (2008). Understanding Islam. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/religion/2008/04/07/understanding-islam.html Mabry, T. (1998). Modernization, nationalism and Islam: An Examination Of Ernest Gilmer’s Writings On Muslim Society With Reference To Indonesia And Malays. Miller, P.F., Vandome, A.F., and McBrewster J. (2010). Early Social Changes under Islam. New York: VDM Publishing House Read More