Understanding Islam, the Faith by Andrew Ensslin
Perhaps the most basic aspect of Islamic culture,
language, and history is the religion of Islam itself. Islam as a faith influences not only these
but every other aspect of life for those who practice it. I have found that I knew surprisingly little
about Islam, especially as someone who takes joy in knowing the details of the
many great beliefs and actions that have played such a tremendous part in world
history. But beyond knowing how Islam as
influenced the course of history, what I have found most extraordinary is
understanding the basic tenants of Islam and just how closely it intertwines
with Christianity and Judaism. I had
generally believed that Islam was a very distinct religion that often found
itself at direct opposition to many other religions, but I am intrigued to
learn that not only is that not the case, but Islam derives its very basic
tenants on a foundation established by the earlier religions and the leaders of
those faiths. According to the website
What Is Islam About, “Muslims believe that the first
Prophet was Adam followed by a long chain of Prophets to guide
humanity. The
Qur’an, according to Muslim belief, is the word of God revealed to Prophet
Muhammad. It
mentions many other Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jacob,
Joseph and Jesus. All the Prophets brought the same message, i.e., belief in
one God, upright human conduct and belief in the accountability of human acts
at the end of time.”
This simple and fundamental concept has completely
changed what I thought I knew about Islam.
To be honest, most of what I know about the Islamic faith comes what is
portrayed on the American news and Hollywood films. Obviously it’s not the best representation of
a faith that is predominantly of another culture entirely than what Americans
are used to. However it is the
representation that unfortunately leads many Americans into complete ignorance
about what Islam really is, and why it is the fastest growing religion in the
world. Learning that the primary
teachers and figures in the other major religions such as Moses and Jesus are
incorporated into Islam as well is a concept that caught me by surprise. The connection is that Islam is believed by
those who practice it to be the final revelation of God through the prophet
Muhammad. God is believed to have spoken
prior to Muhammad through the prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, and many more. With so many of the same figures involved in
Islam, I personally find it interesting that there is perceived to be such a
strong ideological divide between those who practice Islam and those who
practice Christianity, at least Christianity in the United States.
What seems to gain much of the attention in the
United States however is the perceived radical element of Islam that doesn’t
follow the basic mainstream belief of not allowing harm to fellow people. The violence committed by Islamic fringe
groups in the Middle-East and other places around the world form much of the
views by western culture that Islam is a religion of intolerance instead of a
religion of peace. The inner-religious
conflicts between the Islamic sects of the Shi’a and Sunni perpetuate the perception
of a turbulent faith. The trouble for
most Americans and I admit for me is being able to see through the negative
perceptions of Islam put out by the western media and understand what the faith
is about according to the overwhelming majority of those who practice it. That is why this class and the presentations
I have seen have been particularly interesting to me; I account for new
information and I find that old views of Islam or no views at all, are being
replaced by more factually accurate information. I really enjoy this class because it is a
subject about which I have known so little but as a result I learn a lot of
information every session.
Bibliography
What Is Islam About?
“What is Islam?” http://www.whatisislamabout.com/islam/what-is-islam/
(accessed
October 26, 2013)
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