“Middle East Religion”
One of the main influences of the people in the Middle East is religion. Religion affects every aspect of life, including hair, dress, dating, marriage, meals, role in society, and lifestyle, just to name a few. Religion is held in the highest regard and given the utmost respect by all that follow it. However, religions can vary from country to country. In Jordan, the majority of the population (80 percent) is Sunni Muslims.
The Sunni Muslim religion has certain duties, or pillars, for all followers to perform. The first “pillar of faith”, and most basic part of the Sunni Muslim’s beliefs, is the confession of faith. This confession states that “There is no God but the one God, and Muhammad is His Prophet.” This prayer is called the shahadah. It is practiced five times a day (salat, which is the second pillar of Sunni Muslim).
The third pillar of the Sunni Muslims is the giving of alms, or zakat. The giving of alms is based of the percentage of certain kinds of property, and while not strictly enforced, it is encouraged to practicing members of the religion. Fasting, or sawm, is the forth pillar and is during the mouth of Ramadan, which is considered to be the most important Sunni Muslim celebration of all. This means no food, drink, smoking, or sexual contact during the daylight hours for one month. Fasting starts at daybreak and ends at sundown. The fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca, or Medina, and is called the hajj. Every Muslim is expected to go on the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.
The Essay on Islam Religion Muslims Muhammad Jesus
... Know the differences between Shi " ite and Sunni Muslims and between Sufi Muslims and other Muslims. From the Articles. Be able to explain who ... human self, and the Day of Judgment? . Know the Five Pillars and be able to explain how each is carried out ... Study Sheet on Islam: World Religions. When we speak of Islam, God is the founder. The ...
The Koran, or Qur’an, is the Muslim Bible and is considered to be the revealed words of God (Allah), but the human transmission of them has been flawed. The Koran contains not only the teachings of Muhammad, but Islamic law too. The teachings of Muhammad are taught as his followers remembered them and how they told them to each other.
Muhammad (Muhammad or Mohammed) was a forty-year old man who lived in Mecca. He was a merchant, of some wealth, and had visions of God. The words of Allah came to him when he was alone in the desert. Allah decreed to Muhammad the five pillars of faith and when Muhammad returned to Mecca, he began to talk about his new beliefs to the Arabs, who he had felt had become sinful people. He introduced a new way of life and gave many people hope. Even though Muhammad could not read or write, Caliph Uthman commissioned that the Koran should be written down to maintain accuracy. The Koran was written down between the years of 644-656 AD.
The Koran is the highest authority in Muslims matters of faith and law. It is read in mosques and studied by scholars. It is written in Arabic, and is about 80,000 words in length. It has 114 surahs, or chapters, which are in turn, further sub-divided into number verses. The first surah (“The Opening”) is in the form of a short prayer and addressed to God. The rest of the Koran is in the form of an address from God. The Koran is in prose, much of it is intense, some parts are narrative, and much of is it rhymed.
The Islam religion extends to every aspect of life and on every level, even the justice system and language. Islam even has is own courts and its’ own laws. The religion was incorporated into the laws of Syria when it became a country.
There is a second holy book of the Muslim’s called the Sunna. The Sunna is a collection of words and deeds of Muhammad as remembered by his followers. The Sunna, along with the Koran, is incorporated into a body of law called the Sharia. This became the Constitution and the legal system of the Muslim world.
In Syria, the Islam religion is by far the dominant religion (about 86 percent), but not the only. Some of the other religions in Syria are Alawites and Druzes, which are both offshoots of Shiite Islam. Shiite Islam is much like Sunni Islam. Shiite Islam has “pillars of faith”, but there are seven, rather than five. The first of the seven pillars of faith is shahadah, which is the recitation of faith: “There is no God but the one God; and Muhammad is the Prophet of God and Allah is the Saint of God” (Slightly different from the Sunni Muslims).
The Coursework on Prophet Muhammad Allah Qur Muslims
By: The Institute of Islamic Information & Education In the linguistic sense, the Arabic word "jihad" means struggling or striving and applies to any effort exerted by anyone. In this sense a student struggles and strives to get an education and pass course work; an employee strives to fulfill his / her job and maintain good relations with his / her employer; a politician strives to maintain ...
The second pillar is salat, ritualized prayer performed three times a day (opposed to five as in Sunni Islam).
Both Sunni and Shiite Muslims cleanse their hands, face, and feet in water in the prescribed manner before prayer. The forth and fifth pillars of faith (zakat and hajj) are the same for both Sunni and Shiite religions. The sixth pillar of the Shiites is the promise to engage in a holy war, or jihad, if Islamic lands or institutions are attacked. The last pillar is that all followers must engage in “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.” This pillar is from the old Zoroastrian code.
The Shiites have been said to have “older” beliefs. Some of these beliefs include Gnostic elements from the old regions of Babylonia, and the monarchial tradition of Persia.
The highest honor a Shiite Muslim man can get is called mujahids. One must first complete courses in religious instruction and pass certain tests. This title gives that person the right to interpret religious and civic laws.
In conclusion, the Sunni and Shiite Muslims are dedicated and loyal followers of their religion. They practice their religion everyday and make many sacrifices for it. They work hard for something they believe in, and you have to respect that.
