Inside Islam: Beliefs and Non-Beliefs - Literature review Example

INSIDE ISLAM: BELIEFS AND NON-BELIEFS Introduction Islam was born and grew out of the polytheism practices at the time the prophet Muhammad was beginning to ponder upon his existence. It was also during those times when the prophet was bored of the emerging technology and materialism. This essay is about Islam. Many of the beliefs and principles preached by the prophet Muhammad were taken from the Bible and Christian teachings. Islam, a religion of about 1.2 billion followers, encompasses the countries that stretch from North Africa to Southeast Asia and to smaller Muslim communities across the globe (Esposito, 1999, p. ix). At the time before the birth of Islam, Arabia was cut off from neighbouring civilizations. During the birth of Muhammad, much of Arabia was subjected to foreign influences such as political, economic and cultural. Christianity was one of these influences. (Lassner & Bonner, 2010, p. 4) Muslims who compose Islam have many religious sensibilities and of diverse cultures. Their belief starts with the Quran, the Islamic bible, which is believed to be a collection of God’s revelations to Muhammad over a course of 23 years while he was in Mecca and Medina. The Quran has 114 chapters and about 6,200 verses. (Campo, 2009, p. xxiii) During the medieval times, the Christians regarded Islam as a religious idolatry, or a false religion authored by Satan. Such prejudiced opinions can still be heard over Christian circles and gatherings. But most Christian leaders and sects want to have improved relations with most Muslims sects today through inter-religious dialogues and ecumenical meetings. Times have improved when before conflicts and wars between these two religions used to occur, or when persecution and martyrdom were practiced by both faiths. Religious fundamentalism and terrorism have been linked to the young Muslims of today, but this is not to say that the whole Muslim population throughout the world believe in the link between jihad and terrorism. It is what some believe but it is a misconception because Islam has always been synonymous with peace. Bible scholars of today regard Islam as an Abrahamic religion, just like Judaism and Christianity. Abraham is the father of all, as told in the books of Genesis and the Quran. He is the ancestor of Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Muslims link their religion to Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest with the Egyptian Hagar, while Jews and Christians link their religion to Isaac, Abraham’s son with Sarah. (Campo, 2009, p. xxv) The similarities of the three religions include: monotheism; belief in prophets, the angels and saints; the word of God as foretold in holy books and revealed by the prophet, that serve as the basis for doctrine and beliefs, ethics, and statutes; a view of the Judgment Day; claims of the holy land; and belief that when we die, we are resurrected and are judged according to our deeds. The beginning The prophet Muhammad was born in 570AD in Mecca. His parents died at an early age but at his tender age, he was already seeking the truth about God and his own existence. He married a rich widow and during this time he started to search for God and the meaning of life. He learned to find solitude in caves as an escape from the demands of city life. Muhammad abhorred the polytheism practices at the time and so he would find himself hiding in caves. It was at this time that the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a dream while he was seeking refuge at Mt. Hira. Muhammad at first did not believe, or refused to believe, what the angel was saying but later the angel proclaimed him a messenger of God. (Jennings, 2001, p. 2) Another account about the angel’s appearance states that Gabriel, dressed in a pure white gown, appeared as an ordinary man to Muhammad while he was with his friends. The angel asked him a question about Islam and Muhammad answered, stating the five pillars of Islam. (Campo, 2009, p. xxiii) From that time on, Muhammad concentrated on things about Allah and religion. He formulated the principles and the teachings of Islam; some of these teachings were taken from the Christian bible. Islam fosters belief in God, the angels, the Scriptures, the prophets, the last days, and predestination. Belief in one God is similar to the Christian belief but the Muslim’s Allah is different from the Christian Trinity. Islam teachings tell that Allah is unapproachable by sinners. In fact, Allah hates sinners. This is in contrast to the Christian belief that says, “Hate the sin and not the sinner.” Islam grew and became powerful as a political force. The believers, called Muslims, started to persecute the Jews. In 630 AD, Muhammad conquered Mecca and converted those under realm to the religion Islam. Muhammad claimed that Islam came from above. His force became a religious and political power which conquered most eastern countries of Europe including those in Northern Africa and some parts in India. Islam was the centre of influence in politics, religion, arts and sciences. Muhammad was succeeded by the caliphs who gained political power over the many lands of Arabia. The Islamic empire grew rapidly that it has become one of the dominant religions of the world today. When Muhammad died, he failed to name his successor, which was one of the reasons for the internal conflicts which sometimes resulted into violence and death of some of the members. Sects started to emerge, divided by beliefs and interpretations of Islam and the Qur’an. The Sunnite is one of the dominant groups with about 90% of the Muslims worldwide. The next largest sect is the Shia’te who believes in the practical interpretation of the Qur’an and who follow a line of leaders called Ayatollahs. (Jennings, 2001, p. 3) Muhammad taught his members that there is only one God who created everything, who was never born or begotten. Muhammad believed that Christ is a prophet, but only a mere creature of God and servant, the son of Mary who was the sister of Moses and Aaron. Muhammad taught that Jesus was begotten of Mary when the Word of God entered her and she bore a son named Jesus. The Jews planned to crucify Jesus and so they took hold of his shadow and crucified it. Christ was saved from crucifixion when God saved him and brought him up to heaven. This is the teaching of Islam about Jesus and Christianity. (Nikolaou, 2012) Muhammad ibn Ishaq, a biographer of Muhammad who lived a century after the prophet, wrote the prophet’s life and the beginnings of Islam from the oral accounts of the descendants of Muhammad’s close confidants and associates. Uthman, the third caliph after the death of Muhammad, was ordered to collect the Islam beliefs and doctrines from oral traditions twenty-three years after Muhammad’s death. (Adler & Pouwels, 2012, p. 2003) Muhammad was about forty years old when the Archangel Gabriel visited him and taught him the Five Pillars of Islam. These are contained and described in the Patterns of Belief box. The teachings and the ritual requirements were so simple that they were significant in winning many converts to Islam. At first instance, it became an Islamic Empire which grew and gained popularity through the power of the sword. (Adler & Pouwels, 2012, p. 203) Muhammad and his preachers were successful in gaining many converts for various reasons. Muhammad preached a doctrine of salvation through principles and commands. Those who believed and became faithful converts were assured of reward in the afterlife. But the unbelievers were assured of tormenting life in hell fire. (Adler & Pouwels, 2012, p. 203) Beliefs and doctrines Islam means submission. Its doctrines are the simplest and can be readily understood. Muslims believe in angels, creatures who record the good and bad deeds of men and women. They don’t have free will while the jinn is an angel who has free will and is powerful like Satan. Muslim scriptures are a combination of the Old and New Testaments of Christianity, such as the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, the Gospel of Jesus, and the Qur’an (Koran) which contains Muhammad’s visions. (Jennings, 2002, pp. 3-4) Islam contained large measures of elevated moral and ethical code. Muslims believe that this code is attainable. The teachings of Islam appealed to the people who were puzzled of ‘the purely ritualistic and animistic’ doctrine of the Jews and Christians. Christianity at that time was plagued with internal conflicts while Judaism had some problems of complexities in faith. Muhammad taught that he was not an innovator but a prophet who came after the Jewish and Christian prophets. He was a messenger of God who was sent to preach the final teachings of God and a “finalizer” of the messages of the Jewish and Christian prophets. (Adler & Pouwels 2012, p. 203) The Qur’an The Qur’an is the Muslim bible, held with the highest esteem by all Muslim sects. The revelations of God were believed to have been passed down on the sacred month of Ramadan, on a night when the angels were permitted by God to come down to earth to deliver the message and bring peace and blessings. The revelations were in the form of books, handed down to Muhammad from heaven. The Qur’an was the last to be released after the books of Moses and the Injil or Gospel, and was delivered in the Arabic language. Verses and phrases, and the language about obligations of men, doctrines and dogmas of the faith, were given to him by God. (Sell, 2004, p. 3) The Qur’an is as long as the Christian New Testament. It depicts Abraham as the founder of Muslim sanctuary at Mecca known as the Ka’ba. Abraham destroyed the idols, and was also the father of Ishmael, an ancestor of the Arabs. Muslims believe that the bible has been corrupted by Christians, thus there is a need for another book, the Qur’an. (Sourdel, 1983, p. 2) Muslims also believe in the prophets through whom Allah revealed his messages. These prophets include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad who is the last and the greatest of the prophets. The last days will be the resurrection and the judgment based on everyone’s deeds. Those who follow the commandments and will of Allah and Muhammad will attain heavenly glory characterized by sensual pleasure and those who sinned will be tormented forever in hell fire. The Five Pillars of Islam The Muslim faith is strengthened by the creed. When a child is introduced to the faith he hears the words: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.” An adult person who becomes a member of the Islamic faith must announce this in public. This first pillar is known as the shahada or witnessing and is considered a sacred action because a Muslim pronounces it states the two main teachings of Islam: belief in God, or Allah, and belief in Muhammad as the prophet of God. Recitation of the shahada is repeated during the five daily prayers and over a course of a Muslim’s life. It is the first words of a convert and the last words spoken during dying times. (Campo, 2009, p. xxiii) Muslims recite their prayers at least five times a day. When they pray, they do positions of standing, kneeling, or lay prostrate, facing the east or where Mecca is. They practice charity and give a portion of their income which is about one-fortieth. During Ramadan, Muslims fast or abstain from eating and drinking and other forms of vices during daytime, but eating and drinking can be done during night time. Pilgrimage to Mecca should be done at least once in a lifetime for those who can afford it. (Jennings, 2002, p. 5) When the angel Gabriel asked Muhammad about faith, he replied that iman involves belief in one God, God’s messages contained in the bible, the angels, the Judgment Day, and predestination. The Quran tells of iman like it mentions of Islam, which leads to a conclusion by some commentators that iman and Islam are synonymous, although the two words have different root meanings. Another important word is mumin which is also related to the word muslim. The aspects of faith that were the subject of the conversation between Muhammad and Gabriel have been the subject of debate by Muslim theologians who are known as mutakallims, or the ones who practice kalam, which means to say “speech” or “dialectical theology”. (Campo, 2009, p. xxiv) Another Islam teaching is the concept of predestination. Everything that is happening to the world is predestined by Allah. Allah is the author of evil and those who go to heaven or hell are already predestined regardless of their deeds or faith in Islam. Islam has a fatalistic claim that Allah likes to send people to hell. Fatalism is almost the same with predestination. It means that everything has already been set beforehand: all human beings are already predestined so that we are powerless to change the course of our destiny. We cannot change it even through our works and good deeds and beliefs. Human beings are not assured of salvation; even if we are the most faithful believers of Islam, we can still be sent to hell. (Caner & Caner, 2009, p. 31) This is something that cannot be taken by other faiths, especially Christianity. God is the creator of everything good but not evil. The devil, or Satan, was created as an angel first but when he rebelled, he enticed everyone to commit evil. So God did not create evil; it is Satan who creates evil. Islam teaches that Allah is the creator of both good and evil. Another teaching is being a part of Jihad or Holy War, which is a Muslim duty. Men have a duty to go to war to propagate the faith. Anyone who dies a martyr will attain eternal life in heaven. This is one of the reasons why Islam is linked to terrorism. The September 11 attack against the United States by al Qaeda under the leadership of Osama bin Laden is one proof of the link between terrorism and the Muslims. It was a shock to the world but to those who knew the foundations of the Muslim faith, it was no shock. (Caner & Caner, 2009, p. 25) To spread Islam, Muslims enter the jihad. Jihadists are warriors of the faith who attain eternal life when they become martyrs. This religious belief says that when the physical body dies, the martyr’s soul is rewarded of sensual pleasure in heaven, possibly by seven virgins. Islam has borrowed some beliefs from Christianity and we can see many of the similarities in these two religions. But there are always differences. Muhammad modified some of the Christian beliefs but Christian scholars countered that these modifications could be the result of Muhammad’s misunderstanding of the Christian faith. (Jennings, 2002, p. 6) The Muslim concept of God or Allah is different from the Christian God. The Muslim Allah is different from the Biblical God. He is not a God that has everlasting love and holiness. Muhammad’s concept of Allah is that he is the author of both good and evil and has unconditional love; he loves those whom he chooses. The unbelievers of Islam are called infidels and are persecuted. Allah used prophets and messengers in proclaiming his messages about the truth, in contrast to Christianity when God sent his Son Jesus Christ to proclaim the truth and to die in order to save the world from sin. The conditional love of Allah in Islam is that one has to love first in order for that person to be loved by Allah. Good works cannot save anyone and assurance of heaven can only be answered during the Day of Judgment. Muhammad rejects the cross of Christ. (Caner & Caner, 2009, p. 31) Are Muslims secured in their faith? There is no security for Muslims in their faith. Even Muhammad was in doubt of his own salvation. How can a member of Islam be assured of salvation when the ‘greatest of all prophets’, the source of their faith was in doubt of his own salvation? Islam claims that Muhammad was God’s Messenger and all Muslims should follow his example. But there is no assurance in doing this. This can be proved in Hadith 5.266 (as cited in Caner & Caner, 2009, p. 31): “By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.” One is not assured of salvation. The concept of predestination tells us that we cannot do anything to change our destiny if Allah has already predestined us to go to hell, of which he is pleased to do so. There are various Muslim sects that have interpretations of the Qur’an. This is one ‘defect’ of Islam; Muslims are not being united in their faith. Muslims all over the world differ in some respect over certain beliefs but these are errors that can be straightened out. Theologians and learned men of Islam can provide answers to things that may have led people to believe that it is a Christian heretical doctrine. Muslim organizations, such as “The Islam Project”, have the noble intention to unite and help Muslims around the world to be enlightened about their faith. (The Islam Project, 2012) It’s time they do so and help erase the feelings of insecurity of Muslims around the world. References Adler, P. & Pouwels, R. (2012). World civilizations (sixth edition). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Campo, J. (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. New York: Infobase Publishing. Caner, E. M. & Caner E. F. (2009). Unveiling Islam: an insider’s look at Muslim life and beliefs. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications Inc. Esposito, J. (1999). The Oxford history of Islam. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. Jennings, B. (2002). A Christian apologetic to Islam. Retrieved 28 June 2012 from Venture Summer 2002, http://www.grace-bible.org/files/leader_resources/a_christian_apologetic_to_islam.pdf Lassner, J. & Bonner, M. (2010). Islam in the middle ages: the origins and shaping of classical Islamic civilization. California: Greenwood Publishing Group. Nikolau, S. (1999). A survey of Byzantine responses to Islam. Retrieved 15 July 2012 from http://www.answering-islam.org/history/byzantine_responses.html Sell, E. (2004). The faith of Islam. London: Kessinger Publishing. Sourdel, D. (1983). Medieval Islam. London: Routledge. The Islam Project, 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012 from http://www.islamproject.org/ Read More