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The spread of Islam from its beginnings
The rise and spread of Islam
The rise and spread of Islam
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Islam's Appeal
Islam revolutionized the way people thought in the Middle-East. The Prophet spewed forth “The Word of God” (Cleveland 8) amid reflection, whether his own or that of God, concerning “the problems which afflicted Meccan society” (8). The subsequent production of the Quran fostered discipline and promoted spiritual growth. Mohammad, under the banner of Islam, united nomadic, feuding tribes in the barren plains of Arabia. The Seal of Prophets brought new rights to women and renewed a commitment to aid the destitute.
All Muhammad’s revelations brought welcome change. One thousand years later, the message has not changed in any significant respect. One-time innovation was Islam’s blessing- but is now its curse. In my opinion, steadfast refusal of the ulama reduces the overall appeal of Islam.
Sometime in the tenth century, the ulama shut the door on modernization by halting the modification of the shari’ah. Beforehand, the academic community was able to make additions to Islamic law through consensus, or ijma (30). Some three hundred years after the foundation of t...
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
The article also discusses the origins of Islam as well as the beliefs of Islam. The theme in volume two is the “relationship between the expansion and fragmentation of Islamdom into autonomous, local dynasties” (Turner 192). According to the author, “The background of Islam was the emergence in the Axial Age of a new conception of religion, not as a tribal commitment” (Turner 192). The main issue of the religion was the fact that other Muslim communities were challenged by different religions and the refusal to accept the teaching of Islam. The author also discusses the rise of sufism. The author refers to sufism as relgious cement (Turner 193). Turner mentions that the author of The Venture of Islam would like to see Islamic influences in technological advances because of the moral roots of
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
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.
Islam has impacted the world in tremendous ways. Islamic civilizations have helped shape not only the nations around them but, also those that came after them. They set a standard for how to treat the people who are being ruled and how to communicate with the peoples around them. Islamic civilizations also placed significant importance on working towards increasing ones’ knowledge and using it to help make the world a better place for all people. These advancements included making major contributions within the fields of mathematics, science, and even engineering. Some of the first surgeries were performed in the Islamic world, as well as key developments in the capability to fly. Examples such as these are only a few of the impacts Islam
The evolution of legal doctrine of the ancient schools of law, from the time after Mohammad...
The law, defined as the body of rules and principles governing the affairs of a community and enforced by a political authority, is an important facet of any community. It provides guidelines for those in the community to follow so that they may have the most peaceful and problem- free life. Islam takes this notion of peace and obedience and applies to everyday living for the members of its community. Islam law is of great importance to the Muslim community because it provides specific courses of action for living and also supplies mechanisms for considering how to deal with situations that are not discussed in the law. Islam law covers all aspects of life; it has its own personal, moral, civil, ethical, societal, and criminal law. All these laws come from God through revelations that are sent through His angel, Gabriel to the Prophet, Muhammad. The laws have been transmitted over time to the people of Islam in the two forms: the direct word from Allah, namely the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet, the sunnahs.
The attempt to understand the origins and evolution of Islamic law can be daunting. As has been indicated, this matter is largely fraught with complexities and inconsistencies. Some clarity has been added as a study was done of the Islamic tradition and contemporary sources. As the history and resources from scholars has shown, the true history and development of Islamic law into the Sharia that exists today is still an on going debate. Yet, despite its suspect and complex origins, Islam has remained an ever-pervasive topic in contemporary religious discussions. The true sources of Islamic law continue to be an expanding field of study and will probably remain as such for some time.
For centuries, the Muslim faith has struggled to create a “good” society on earth; the importance of Islam found within their worship of Allah, and the mission of their prophets to see to that from humanity; through the spiritual and moral lessons taught by the Qu’ran, rises a community built through the word of their God and the messages of Muhammad.
...n was divinely inspired, saying that it was manmade and created during human time would draw another group of detractors. Despite the group’s attempts to place reason and rational thinking on supposedly equal ground with revelation or belief, their attempts failed when put into practice. The sect actually still exists today, albeit with a minor following and none of the power it had previously. That being said, the Mu’tazilites did introduce Greek style argumentation to Islamic theology, an addition that would remain in Islam underneath the preferred values of belief and faith. Mu’tazilism was an important step in the progress of Islamic theology for the concepts it introduced as well as for the example it set. Islam could incorporate reason into its practices, but ultimately not at the expense of people’s beliefs or at the power or role of God in Islamic society.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
Since the topic of Shariah vs jamhuriat has taken its toll on the media and has been a hot topic for discussion for nearly a month, relatively an age-old topic, I thought I would share my views. This document is open to criticism and queries in case if anyone reads it.
Bouhdiba, Abdelwahab. "The Message of Islam." Diogenes (International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies). Humanities Full Text. 2005. Web.
· The new Islamic order does not reject science and technology. However, modernization is subordinated to Islam to guard against ...