Faiths that Moved the World - Essay Example

Take Home Exam - Two Essays Name: Roll No: Class: Subject: Teacher: June 2nd, 2008 University SECTION A QUESTION 1 What are the main features of Islamic faith, practice and spirituality, and how are these features balanced within the religion? QUESTION 2 How does Islam view the history of religion and how does it see itself fit into that history? SECTION B QUESTION 3 What are the main characteristics of the Islamic Civilization and Culture as it was shaped from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (610-632) to 1800? QUESTION 4 What were the contributions of Muslims to science and knowledge and how did this contribution impact on the Western Civilization? Table of Contents SECTION A 2 SECTION B 2 Table of Contents 2 SECTION A 3 Features of Islamic Faith, Practice and Spirituality and Their Balance 3 Islam brought a new concept and ideal of religion. Muslims, the follower of Islam believe in Allah who is the possessor of all dimensions of highest excellence and of absolute perfection (Shipp, 1999, 45). He is the fountainhead of all values and ideals. He is the omnipotent, the omniscient, the infinite, the one and indivisible God, who has no partner, son or compeer. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Giver and the Evolver of everything that constitutes the cosmos (J. Jurji, 2003, 75). Allah Himself provided Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) all the knowledge to preach Muslims. According to Islamic faith, Allah is one and Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is His Prophet. According to Quran, 3 SECTION B 7 Contributions of Muslims to science and knowledge and their impact on the Western Civilization 7 References 13 SECTION A Q 1 - What are the main features of Islamic faith, practice and spirituality, and how are these features balanced within the religion? Features of Islamic Faith, Practice and Spirituality and Their Balance Islam brought a new concept and ideal of religion. Muslims, the follower of Islam believe in Allah who is the possessor of all dimensions of highest excellence and of absolute perfection (Shipp, 1999, 45). He is the fountainhead of all values and ideals. He is the omnipotent, the omniscient, the infinite, the one and indivisible God, who has no partner, son or compeer. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Giver and the Evolver of everything that constitutes the cosmos (J. Jurji, 2003, 75). Allah Himself provided Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) all the knowledge to preach Muslims. According to Islamic faith, Allah is one and Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is His Prophet. According to Quran, “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the last day and the angels and the scripture and the Prophets; and giveth his wealth, for love of Him, to kins folk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor due (Zakat). And those who keep their treaty (or promise) when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress.” (2:17) There are five pillars of Islam, which can also be called as practices that the Muslims are asked to perform as compulsions. They are 1. Shahadah: It is the declaration that no one should be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is his messenger. 2. Salah: The Muslims should pray to Allah five times a day. 3. Zakat: Zakat means charity. Every Muslim has to pay Zakat at the ratio of 2.5 % over the possessions he/she has. 4. Sawm: Sawm means fasting. Muslims are asked to fast from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan. 5. Hajj: Hajj means Pilgrimage. Muslims are asked to perform Hajj if they are capable to, once in their lifetime. During the month of Zil-Hajj, Muslims reach Mecca for Hajj. The scripture of Islam, the Quran, is not a collection of dogmas, but a code of life. It is not voluminous treatise on theism, but a social, penal, commercial, civil, military, judicial, international and yet a religious code, which regulates everything that a human being has to do for its welfare from the cradle to the grave (Shipp, 1999, 65). Though it provides for every contingency of human affairs, it is wonderfully laconic. It is the masterpiece of Arabic language and is extolled through out the world for the simple grandeur of its diction, the chaste elegance of its style and the variety and magnificence of its imageries (King, 2000, 119). The three basic unities on which the entire structure of the Quranic message may be said to have been founded are 1. Tauhid-i-Ummah: Oneness of the nationality and mankind. 2. Tauhid-i-Rabubiat: Oneness of the Rab, the Creator, Sustainer, Evolver and Guardian of all. 3. Tauhid-i-Ibadat: Oneness of worship and the singleness of Almighty to Whom all should submit and surrender their entire selves. Although the differences of country, colour, race and language have divided humankind into thousands of groups, they all constitute only one family of the house of Adam and Eve and one nationality of the human species (King, 2000, 102). The one Absolute and Eternal reality of God cannot be changed by giving Him different names in different languages and by worshipping Him by different methods in different temples. Islam promotes the ideas of tolerance, acceptance, submission, rationality, peace, patience, fortitude, kindness, forgiveness, charity, respect, cleanness, discipline, dutifulness, self-control and many other features that are necessary for building a better personality and that are compulsory to lead a successful life (King, 2000, 128). As far as spirituality is concerned, the aspects of Islam and its teachings, keep the ability of improving a person as a human as well as a soul. If you are tolerant, kind and forgiving, you are going to make a place in people’s hearts and when you are loved by humankind, God loves you for your loving His creation (Schmidt, P. W., 2003, 64). All the principles of life taught by Islam and Quran make sure that a person leads a life in which, he/she remains happy by keeping other people happy (J. Jurji, 2003, 79). Islam teaches that a person should obey and respect his/her parents, people should spread love between the little ones, everyone should take care of every other person, a neighbour should not let his/her neighbour remain hungry, people should be kind towards old and children, people should be kind towards the animals, the poor should not be dealt adversely, there is no difference between rich and poor and black or white (M.M. Sharif, 1998, 12). All the principles taught by Islam are capable of leading a person towards success in this world as well in the other world. Imbalance in the sphere of human activities results, among other things, from the commission of excesses. That is why the Quran explicitly advises the human beings not to custom excess (M.M. Sharif, 1998, 22). The Quran also advises us to be moderate. Moderation means avoidance of excesses. According to Quran, the earth will be full of mischief if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another (Schmidt, P. W., 2003, 72). It means that Allah not only restores the balance when it is disturbed but has also devised ways for checking the commission of excesses. Islam and its principalities convert our imbalanced life into a balanced one as all the features of Islam direct us towards a healthy living (M.M. Sharif, 1998, 28). Muslims pray five times a day but this prayer never disturbs their daily routines of work but makes them capable to work swifter (Schmidt, P. W., 2003, 68). Keeping fasts in the month of Ramadan again enables the Muslims an opportunity to maintain their bodies. Keeping fasts in the month of Ramadan makes people fit health wise and they are also fulfilling their religious duty (Siddiqui, 1995, 31). Going to mosques five times enables the Muslims to meet their other Muslim brothers, which increases communication. All the Muslims whether they are rich or poor, at higher posts or labourers pray together. There is no discrimination. Everyone is considered equal and equivalent. Only those persons are preferred over others by Allah, who are more pious and righteous (Siddiqui, 1995, 34). Islam does not ask us to be away from our social life but to pass our social life by following the principles of Islam, which should be followed for a successful life. All the features of Islam take us towards healthy living. Features of Islam create a balance between the religious and social life. SECTION B Q 4 - What were the contributions of Muslims to science and knowledge and how did this contribution impact on the Western Civilization? Contributions of Muslims to science and knowledge and their impact on the Western Civilization When people of the whole of Europe were living in a highly savage state, the moral codes were degraded and theology debased, the crescent of Islam rose from the horizons to enlighten the faculties of understanding of Basic Laws of Nature. When the great founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him), was born, the majority of humankind looked upon the elements of Nature, the subject matter of science as objects possessing supernatural powers (J. Jurji, 2003, 83). They made idols, symbolizing different elements and worshipped them as gods and goddesses, either for protection from evil or for attainment of certain objects. Thus, all that was useful in the Heavens and the Earth remained unexplored, and for thousand of years, man did not realize the sublime utility of the forces of Nature. It was reserved for the book of Islam, Quran, to open man’s eyes to the wonderland of Nature. Scientific activity in the Islamic world started at a number of centres like Basra, Kufa, Baghdad and Cairo. Many Muslim scientists contributed in the development of science and led humankind towards success and achievement in terms of scientific discoveries and their usefulness. There is a list of names of Muslim scientists, who contributed to science and knowledge. Muhammad bin Musa Al-Khawarizmi was one of the greatest scientists of all times and contributed richly in the field of Mathematics, Astronomy and Geography. He was considered as an authority on Mathematics. He composed the oldest works on Arithmetic, Algebra and Astronomical Tables (Barrett, 2004, 18). He actually systematized the Greek and Hindu mathematical knowledge. His celebrated work on Algebra entitled “Hisab al Jabr Wal Muqabala” translated in Latin, was used as the principal mathematical textbook until the 16th century by European universities. He was an astronomer of outstanding ability. He was also a geographer of repute and laid the foundation of geographical science in Arabic. He has been called ‘the principal figure in the early history of Arabic Mathematics’. He wrote a great treatise on Algebra containing analytical solutions of quadratic equations. He authored many important books such as Hisab al Hindi, Al Jama-Wat Tafri, Kitab al Amal bil Asturlab, Kitab Ama of Asturlab and Kitab Surat al Ard (Barrett, 2004, 24). Jabir Ibn Hayyan known as Geber in the West was a great practical chemist of his time. He prepared a large number of important chemicals like Nitric Acid, Sulphuric Acid and Hydrochloric Acid. He is considered as godfather of modern chemistry. He became famous for his various chemical techniques and processes like calcinations, reduction, sublimation, distillation, melting and crystallization. Several of his chemical treatises were translated into several European languages (Barrett, 2004, 27). He gave sound views on methods of chemical research, and a theory on the geological formation of metals. He prepared basic lead carbonate, arsenic and antimony from their sulphides; dealt with refinement of metals, preparation of steel, dyeing of cloth and leather. He authored many important books like Kitab al Rahmah, Kitab al Tajmi, Book of Seventy and Composition of Alchemy (Huff, 2004, 35). Abu Ishaq Kindi was a great physicist, known as Al-Kindus in the West. He wrote a treatise on geometrical and physiological optics. He also endeavoured to ascertain the laws that govern the fall of bodies. No less than 265 words are ascribed to him of which at least fifteen are on meteorology, eight on music and several on specific weights, tides, optics and on the reflection of light. His important treatises are De Aspectibus and De Medicinarum Compsitarum Gradibus (Huff, 2004, 38). Zakariya al Razi was a Persian Muslim and a great physician by profession. He is better known as Rhazes in the West. His other fields of interests were physics and chemistry. He was the most brilliant pillar of Islamic medicine along with Ibn Sina (Huff, 2004, 42). He also contributed in the fields of music, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and ethics. He earned the title of the Father of Paediatrics by writing his monograph on “Diseases in Children”. He believed in five eternal principles in metaphysics namely Creator, Soul, Matter, Time and Space. He was also an excellent teacher of medicine (Nasr, 1968, 83). He made an attempt to classify chemical substances. He was the first scientist to classify substances into vegetables, animals and minerals. His famous books are Arabian Medicine, Al Hawi, Kitab al Mansuri, Al Judari Wal Hasbah, Kitab Al Asrar, Barr-ul-Saat and Fi Jamal il Musuqi (Nasr, 1968, 121). Abu Ali Sina is considered as the greatest intellectual giant in the Middle Ages. He contributed to medical science, philosophy, logic, mathematics, astronomy and music. He was an unforgettable physician of all times. He is better known as Avicenna in the West. His famous book ‘Al Qannun fil Tib”, known as Canon in Latin, was translated in many languages and it remained the sole textbook of medicine for several hundred years in Western universities (Nasr, 1968, 102). He was unparallel versatile genius. It is said that he wrote no less than 230 books and treatises. For six centuries, the Canon of Avicenna dominated the medical schools of Asia and Europe as the most influential textbook ever written. He was the first t o use catheters made of the skins of various animals and he mentioned intra-vesicle injections by means of a silver syringe. His famous books are Ash-Shfa, An-Najat, Nafia and Isharrat (Huff, 2004, 47). Al-Biruni was simultaneously a physician, astronomer, mathematician, physicist, geographer and a historian (Nasr, 1968, 118). He explained the problems of advanced trigonometry. It was he who discovered that light travels faster than sound. He accurately determined the weight of 18 stones in physics. He gave an understanding to the terms of longitudes and latitudes. He was the author of many famous books like Tahqiq al-Hind, Qamun-al Masudi, Kitab al-Jawahar and Asrar al-Baqiya (Huff, 2004, 49). Ibn al-Haitham, known as Alhazan in the West, was an outstanding mathematician, physiologist and optician. He is more known for his optical works, which were translated in Latin (Huff, 2004, 52). He explained the refraction of light rays through transparent objects, discovered magnifying lenses, and the function of retina as the centre of vision. He identified gravity as a force, a theory that was later on developed by Newton. He observed the semi-lunar shape of the image of the Sun during eclipses on a wall opposite a fine hole in the window-shutters, which is the first record of camera obscura (Barrett, 2004, 45). His famous books are Kitab al Manazir, Mizanul Hikma, Configuration of the universe and on Twilight phenomena. Abu Ubaidah contributed in Natural history; Al Battani contributed in Astronomy and Mathematics; Ibn al Baitar contributed in the fields of Botany and Pharmacy; Ibn Rushaid contributed in Physics, Astronomy and Philosophy; Nasir-ud-Din at Toosi contributed in Mathematics, Optics, Astrology, Astronomy and Geography; Abu Qasim al Zahrawi was a surgeon and physician; Al Farabi was a mathematician, meta-physicist, musical theorist and mystical thinker and the list of Muslim contributors in science and advancement of discovery goes on and on (Nasr, 1968, 123). Western civilization was deprived of any scientific knowledge before the contribution of Muslim scientists. It was only possible after many efforts by Muslim scientists that Europe was able to come in the light of knowledge and science. Muslims scientists promoted the Westerners towards more development and advancement. No one can deny the fact that without the input and involvement of Muslim scholars and scientists, the world would have not reached to the extent of advancement and development to which, it is today. References Shipp, Horace, (1999), Faiths that Moved the World. England: Macmillan. p. 45-65. J. Jurji (Ed.) (2003), Great Religions of the World. Princeton University Press. p. 75-83. King, Trevor, (2000), A History of Religion East and West. London: Macmillan. p. 102-128. M. M. Sharif, (1998), A History of Muslim Philosophy. Weisbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, Vol. 1 Chap. 1 and 3. p. 12-28. Siddiqui, Abdul Hamid, (1995), Life of Muhammad. Lahore: Islamic Publications Limited. p. 25-34. Schmidt, P. W., (2003), The Origin and Growth of Religion. London: Macmillan. p. 64-72. Huff, Toby, (2004), The Rise of Early Modern Science. London: Cambridge University Press. p. 35-52. Barrett, Peter, (2004), Science and Theology Since Copernicus: The Search for Understanding. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 18-45. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (1968), “The Principles of Islam”, Science and Civilization in Islam, London: Harvard University Press. p. 78-123. Read More