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Recommended: The prophet essay
Amongst Khalil Gibran's works of literature, one of the most reputable ones is The Prophet. In this book, Khalil Gibran establishes his prowess as a capable writer on spirituality by shedding analytical light on various everyday matters. In this book, the protagonist, al-Mustafa, is a man who, due to circumstances, had to live in the foreign city of Orphalese for twelve years waiting for a ship that will take him back home. During al-Mustafa's years in the city of Orphalese, he establishes a unique bond with the people of the city. The people come to recognize al-Mustafa as a man of astounding wisdom and hence would often seek the counsel of al-Mustafa. Khalil Gibran begins the story with an opening scene in which at long last a ship arrives to take al-Mustafa back home. As al-Mustafa is about to leave, the people of the city come out for a farewell gathering. In this farewell, the people request al-Mustafa to shed some wisdom on some of their questions as a parting gift. Khalil Gibran uses this sequence of developments to provide the structure for his book, in which he divides the chapters based on the wisdoms al-Mustafa imparts to the people of the city based on the issues they request him to enlighten them of. The Prophet is divided into twenty six prose poetry essays; each chapter or essay containing pearls of wisdom from al-Mustafa on various every day matters. In this essay, I will analyze al-Mustafa's wise words on "Crime and Punishment" and "Reason and Passion" while exploring parallels of them within the science of Islamic spirituality or Tasawwuf.
Similar to the other themes in this book, the Prophet in Khalil Gibran's story imparts his wisdoms on Crime and Punishment in response to a judge who inquires about it. The Pr...
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...an from the dangers of the intellect, amongst which one is stoicism. Here, the robotic usage of the intellect, unchecked by the faculties of the heart, which contains emotional dispositions, is what is being referred to. One of the greatest God-endowed blessings is the ability to love. It is through love that one enjoys the various blessings of God. Were it not for love, there would be no motivation and hence no enjoyment in experience. If we were to beings of just the intellect, we would be no different from robots who lack the ability to enjoy. Although the struggle between the heart and the intellect or reason and passion might more than often seem to be strenuous, there is much beauty in this struggle. By allowing the angelic and animalistic faculties to become harmonious and balance each other out, God allows us to excel beyond both the animals and the angels.
In Stephen Chapman’s essay, “The Prisoner’s Dilemma”, he questions whether the Western world’s idea of punishment for criminals is as humane as its citizens would like to believe or would Westerners be better off adopting the Eastern Islamic laws for crime and punishment. The author believes that the current prison systems in the Western world are not working for many reasons and introduces the idea of following the Koranic laws. Chapman’s “The Prisoner’s Dilemma” is persuasive because of his supporting evidence on the negative inhumane impact from the Western form of criminal punishment and his strong influential testament to the actions used by Eastern Islamic societies for crimes committed.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Critics have already begun a heated debate over the success of the book that has addressed both its strengths and weaknesses. The debate may rage for a few years but it will eventually fizzle out as the success of the novel sustains. The characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. The internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. The novel does not need confrontations with the Middle East to remain a staple in modern reading, it can hold its own based on its life lessons that anyone can use.
Zacharia, Sophie1. "Death By Stoning: The Uncertain Fate Of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani." Amicus Journal 26 (2011): 21-24. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
...ministry, without seeing the existing and progressing widespread adoption of Christianity during his time on Earth; Muhammad lived a longer life and died with the satisfaction of having seen the acceptance of Islam spread throughout many areas previously unreached. From their lives’, to their actions, to their teachings, this paper examined the similarities and differences in the two great “teachers” of the religious movements of the Anno Domini age, showing just how vastly contrasting the two truly were at the core of their leadership and values. In the end, one was the Son of God, sent here to set the perfect example for humanity and offer a chance at eternal life, through Him. The other? He, Muhammad, was just a simple, sin-laden human with dreams of grandeur and the ability to lead a crowd. All similarities pail in comparison to such an outstanding difference.
James Joyce's use of religious imagery and religious symbols in "Araby" is compelling. That the story is concerned somehow with religion is obvious, but the particulars are vague, and its message becomes all the more interesting when Joyce begins to mingle romantic attraction with divine love. "Araby" is a story about both wordly love and religious devotion, and its weird mix of symbols and images details the relationship--sometimes peaceful, sometimes tumultuos--between the two. In this essay, I will examine a few key moments in the story and argue that Joyce's narrator is ultimately unable to resolve the differences between them.
Thomas W. Lippman gives an introduction to the Muslim world in the book Understanding Islam. He has traveled throughout the Islamic world as Washington Post bureau chief for the Middle East, and as a correspondent in Indochina. This gave him, in his own words, "sharp insight into the complexities of that turbulent region." However, the purpose of the book is not to produce a critical or controversial interpretation of Islamic scripture. It is instead to give the American layman an broad understanding of a religion that is highly misunderstood by many Americans. In this way he dispels many myths about "Muslim militants," and the otherwise untrue perception of Islamic violence. In this way the American reader will become more knowledgeable about an otherwise unfamiliar topic. However, the most significant element of Lippman’s book is that it presents Islam in a simple way that makes the reader feels his awareness rise after each chapter. This encourages him to continue learning about the world’s youngest major religion. Understanding Islam dispels many misconceptions about the Muslim world, and presents the subject in a way that urges his reader to further his understanding of Islam through continued study.
Al Ghazali a significant person in Islam has helped shape Islam to be what it is today - a living religious tradition for the lives of its adherents. His contribution to Islam though his theories, knowledge and works have left a positive impact upon the Islamic world that continues into the present. An everlasting impact upon the faith, Muslims and the expansion of Islam to be one of the most popular religious traditions in the present world for the lives of its adherents is seen as Al Ghazali’s
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy gives us insight to the philosophical views of a certain sect of Islam, and how it influenced it 's followers to view the world around them. Although it is helpful, this is written from a very biased position and it cannot be said that the views of the author are the views of Muslim culture as a whole. There is a constant attack on another religious group throughout the article that helps us to understand what this specific sect deems right and wrong through comparison of the groups.
...writer starts the essay by stating the basic fudamentals of Muslim's beleif and action. Then she connects this idea with beleifs and actions shown and inplied through the media. After that, the media images are connected with the fact that the images cause fear and stereotypes; the teachings that correct the stereotypes are also linked. Next the teachings are connected with the Quran and the leaders and groups who misunderstand and violate the teachings. After that, the five pillars of Islam are explained, described and defined. Finally, it is explained how the pillars affect Muslims by defining their character and lives. All of these ideas are organized so that they are logically linked with the writer's strategy. The writer's strategy includes explainations, the use of examples, and comparison and contrast, to support each idea claimed and to define a "true" Muslim.
From this novel one can argue that despite its brilliance linguistically, the novel has one certain quality that excludes it from your average travel writing and that is, the immense detail of the Islamic culture. From this detail one can argue that, this book indirectly defies stereotypes in that, in itself it conveys the qualities amongst the mediocrities of Islam and how it is not the cause for malevolence. This book draws a significant and an important line between Religion and Social Behavior. In a sense one can further argue that the book provides a safe haven for the religion whilst still giving a non-judgmental aspect towards it. In its entirety, Book 1 provides an excellent opening to the novel and is extremely well written.
On the surface Muhammad is usually considered to be a prophet and messenger of God, but when looking closer we can see that He played many more roles in His life time including one of a Statesman.
The Prophet is a book of short essays by Kahlil Gibran on a variety of themes ranging from love and marriage to pain and death presented by a character named Almustafa. By using a variety of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, and imagery, he enhances the ideas presented in each section and makes them easier for the reader to comprehend and put into practice. Although written in 1923, all of the themes are still very relevant in today’s world, perhaps even more so.