Major Research Paper Islam
Seth Brickner
World Religions 350
We living in the bubble that is the U.S. see the vast growth of Christian believers,
but the reality is that in the East and even in certain places in the West there is a different
Abrahamic faith that is growing at extremely fast rates, this is the practice of Islam. Islam
is a story of submission and total discipline to Allah. Though this does not offer the
assurance or grace that Christianity does, it’s practice of constant compliance and prayer
grows in popularity just the same. Now Muslims still do believe that good deeds do
elevate a believer, but the real requirement of focus is in the full submission and
knowledge of the judgment of Allah. They see the way to fix the messed-up world we
live in is a community following Allah and coming to him in repentance so that they may
avoid judgment. They do believe that we are inherently good and that the only way we
can maintain that favor is by immediately and consistently repenting when we do wrong.
In a religion that is so young, but yet so popular, you see so much tradition and practice
in despite it’s youth. In this essay we will discuss the five pillars and other sacred
practices that help show the dedication that people of Islam show every single day.
Whether you line up with the beliefs in the state of Islam or not, we can always learn to
respect and even imitate the amount of respect for the sacred and the constant effort to
please God that Muslims show. Now seeing so many similarities in Islam and
Christianity we would think that they would fit quite well into America’s cultural melting
pot full of a large variety of religions but that is unfortunately not the most reasonable
statement when it comes to the treatment of Muslims in the U.S., the increased attention
is actually often negative. Emily Curry writes in her book Claiming belonging: Muslim
American advocacy in an era of Islamophobia, “I use this term with the understanding
that Islamophobia is not a fear but a structural system of oppression. It is pervasive and
deeply rooted in American history, manifested through state laws and policies as well as
individual acts of aggression and microaggression,” (Curry 6). There are multiple
organizations fighting for Muslim representation and I pray that they may be qualified as
Americans just as much as we are.
In world history, Muhammad is known as the founder of the religion of Islam. He lived in
Arabia between 570 and 632, being born in Mecca and dying in Medina. Muhammad was
a successful businessperson and lived a normal life. We see an incredibly unique
consistency in Islam in that we know a lot about the personal life and practice of the
founder. Muhammad according to Muslim account was very truthful and honest while
also being deeply religious. Living in Mecca with his wife and daughters in a life of
wealth in Mecca, he saw the pagan worship and the poor morals of the community.
Ayman S. Ibrahim talks in his book A concise guide to the life of Muhammad: answering
thirty key questions about the divine revelations during this time, “Muhammad would
isolate himself in a cave in Mount Hira and worship the true deity. When Muhammad
was forty, during one of his visits to the cave, the angel Gabriel appeared to him,”
(Ibrahim 18). Now we may think that after such a clear and concise command to spread
the goodness of God to the Arabs, Muhammad would be excited and ecstatic to get
started but he really was not. He entered into a place of great fear actually and had to be
convinced by friends and family that he should obey the revelations placed before him.
This was answered with a lot of persecution at first and because of the amount of
backlash, he felt like Gabriel had instructed him to move to Medina and share the world
there. We continue to see the good morals and honesty of Muhammad as he continues to
share his experiences and things he learned in revelation. Muhammad’s death was in 632,
he was poisoned according to Muslim belief, but many Muslims have different beliefs
and stories on by whom. We see that a lot in Muslim faith where the two main types of
Muslims, Sunni and Shia, will disagree on certain historical specifics to the life of
Muhammad. In his daily life, though it was filled with backlash, treachery, and his
enemies’ thirst for revenge, Muhammad remained mindful of the small details of life and
of the expectations of those around him, constantly displaying the simpleness of
forgiveness and love. The Quran, the holy book of Islam which we will talk more about
to come, Tariq Ramadan talks in his book, In the footsteps of the prophet: lessons from
the life of Muhammad, “...absolutely everything in his life was an instrument of renewal
and transformation, from the slightest detail to the greatest events,” (Ramadan 216). His
mission is still carried out today in the love and hospitality of those who follow Allah and
spread the goodness of the Quran. We may not agree with the infallibility of
Muhammad’s mission, but we can appreciate the idea of sharing religion with love and
with the intention of peace.
A worldview summarized is said to be the way a person thinks based on their core
beliefs. Beliefs and worldviews can have unique aspects but most of them are cultural.
Unfortunately, with Muslims, Western interpretation of their worldview is quite radical.
It is important to note that that is a very bias and uncharacteristic of all that Muslim’s
represent. The most important thing to note about the Muslim worldview is that it centers
around the creator, and only through belief in his power and deity do we understand a
true worldview. We as men will never be able to fully comprehend all that there is to this
world and so there is no use in trying to interpret it, we must look to Allah. This goes
with full submission and how submitting to the creator of the earth will then allow us to
better understand what is around us and what to do with it. A passage from the Quran
states “Say, ‘God is certainly capable of sending down a sign,’ though most of them do
not know. All creatures that live on the earth and fly with their wings are, like you,
communities. We have left out nothing from the book – then they will be gathered to
their Lord”. (Q 6.37–38). John Kaltner wrote an article that helps compare this worldview
to one of Christians, he states, “Because it teaches that all of creation is dependent upon
God and subject to the divine will, the elements of nature are sometimes described in the
Qur'an as “signs of God,” (Kaltner 2). We see similarities and differences in this to a
Christian point of view in that all creation is created to glorify God and how he provides
for them, but the Quran takes this a step forward by applying it to the Muslim priority of
submission and reliance, so not only is all creation created by God but it needs him
constantly to survive. Muslims portray this submission in almost everything to do to their
religion: Beliefs, practices, and traditions. First, we see the idea of fasting. Fasting is
something that can be shared in both Christianity and Islam but in Islam it seems to be a
lot more of a priority and seems to have a significant amount of meaning as well. Fasting
involves worship, meditation and spiritual self-discipline, the cause for learning Taqwa
(Al-Baqarah 2:183). This surah talks of how the long history of fasting and meditation
was created for a reason. In certain places in the bible, Joel 2:12, Daniel 10:3, Psalm
69:10, we see the same sort of fasting mentioned and even encouraged. Cho Cho Zaw
Raheema talks in his article Five Pillars of Islam in Relation to Physical Health, Spiritual
Health and Nursing Implications, he says, “It nourishes our spiritual life, makes us
humble and brings us closer to Allah. Thus, people who fast will attain inner peace and
tranquility. Through fasting, the arteries which are blocked by the diseases of
mercilessness are opened and cleaned, and hearts are inclined to the weak, needy and
lonely people” (Raheema 105). Spiritually this fasting helps bring them closer to Allah
and align their hearts and thoughts with those who are in need and suffering and gives
them a heart posture of empathy and service to them. Fasting also can bring many mental
and physical benefits to a person, for example, a man that can limit his desires for food
should also be able to limit his desires for the materialistic satisfaction of this world and it
can get rid of different toxins and fats in the body as well. The next ritual we will dive
deeper into is the ritual of Hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is
asked to be made to all those who are physically and financially able at least once in their
life. It requires those who participate to leave all their worldly possessions and to devote
themselves to spiritual strengthening and community. There are many main rituals to
hajj; “ihram, the state of ritual consecration in and around the city of Mecca (ihram);
circumambulation of the Ka'ba (tawaf); the ceremony of running seven times between
Safa and Marwa (sari); standing (waqif) at Arafah; stopping at night on the plain of
Muzdalifah on the way back from Arafah; and stoning three symbolic stone pillars in the
valley of Mina”. These rituals of hajj help the pilgrims to take examples of the sacrifices
of Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Haja and son, Prophet Ismail (peace be upon them all). It
leads them to reflect the patience, and endurance of Haja, running up and down between
the two mountains to get water for her son, and the miracles water (Zam Zam) given to
her by Allah. The main goal is to form that closer and more intimate sense of spirituality
through removing distractions in life and focusing on prayer and coming together as a
community of Muslim believers. I feel as Christians we can have a lot of respect for this
gathering of believers, I believe it shows a unity and support system that would benefit
Christianity as well.
Islam is a religion of celebration but also very much a religion of commemoration. They
have had things to be joyful of but have also had things to mourn as well. The one that
consistently comes to mind is Ashura (July 17th) that commemorates the martyrdom of
Hussein who was a grandson of the prophet Muhammad and was somewhat of a hero to
the Shia Muslims. Tanya Gulevich writes in her book Understanding Islam and Muslim
traditions,” The story of Husayn’s martyrdom is central to Shia Islam. Its influence is felt
far beyond the month of Muharram. So powerful is this story in forming the Shia
religious outlook that some scholars have described Shia Islam as a religion of lament,”
(Gulevich 263). The Shia have used this martyrdom as motivation to fight for injustice
and to right wrongs in the name of Allah. On a lighter and more celebratory note, Eid al
Fitr, or Holiday of the breaking of the fast, is a celebration at the end of Ramadan where
Muslims celebrate and feast after a month long fasting and time of prayer. During the Eid
celebration, Muslims greet each other by saying 'Eid Mubarak', which is Arabic for
"Blessed Eid". As it comes after a month of fasting, sweet dishes and foods are often
prepared and consumed during the celebration. Muslims typically decorate their homes
and are also encouraged to forgive each other and seek forgiveness. In countries with
large Muslim populations, it is normally a public holiday with most schools and
businesses closed for the day. Practices differ by country and region. Many connect being
Muslim with super serious prayer and submission, but we must not forget that they are
people who laugh and worship as well. One thing that I think is important to touch on is
the idea of the role of those who may lead prayer in a Muslim Mosque. These prayer
leaders, or Imams, do not account for your own spirituality and we still need to pray to
Allah on our own. They are simply seen as scholars or people who are experienced in all
that there is to do with Islam. They are highly respected members of society and culture,
though they are not mediators.
Islam teaches us that salvation is attainable through the worship of God alone. A
person must believe in God and follow His commandments. This is like the Christian
ideology that there is no way to Heaven except through God. The main difference lies in
that Muslims do not see total assurance in Salvation, they constantly repent and pray to
Allah, but they do not know if they are able to know for sure. Now they also do believe
that there is a large amount of truth to the teachings of Muhammad specifically are the
most revealing and direct us towards the most accurate interpretation of God. Mohammad
Hassan Khalil writes in Islam and the fate of others: the salvation question, “In
metaphorical terms, the ‘path of Muhammad’ is like sunlight, while all other divinely
revealed religions are like starlight. With the appearance of the former, the latter
disappear (which is not to say that they no longer exist) and, if anything, only contribute
to the luminosity of the former. The final message is nothing short of exceptional,”
(Khalil 2). They do believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a good teacher but is in no way the
Son of God and that his revelations and teachings are inferior to Muhammad. Now with
this worldview sharing with Muslims can be very hard but it is not impossible. It is
important to remember that no matter what: Relationships come first. Muslims in other
countries typically see America as a Christian nation, so when they look at the West, they
see a lot of immorality, and [in their eyes] that’s synonymous with Christianity. After you
bring up God, you might make the point that although most people try to live their best
and please God, no one is perfect. And that imperfection, that sin, is in direct opposition
to God’s will for us. There is no way possible that we can ever pay that debt ourselves.
That’s where we can rope Jesus in. Starting from something they do know, which is the
natural sinfulness of man and the displeasure we bring God and then branching in to the
matter that we cannot save ourselves and we need that savior, can bridge a major gap in
the Islamic Faith.
In conclusion, knowing that we are called as Christians to spread God’s word and
good news should make us want to reach out to Muslims that much more for, they are so
close to the truth apart from a few major points. We should come to them with a heart of
love and the desire to build relationships, in most circumstances they would be more than
willing to listen. Islam is so rapidly growing all over the world, we are beginning to cross
paths with more and more Muslims every day, so knowing their beliefs and history and
how to love on them well is so vastly important to the kingdom of God.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ibrahim, A. S. (2022). A concise guide to the life of Muhammad: answering thirty key questions.
Baker Academic.
Ramadan, Tariq. (2007). In the footsteps of the prophet lessons from the life of Muhammad.
Oxford University Press.
Kaltner, J. (2015). Nature as Muslim(: Applying a Qur’anic Concept to the Bible. Islam and
Christian Muslim Relations., 26(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410.2014.964523
Raheema, C. C. Z., & @ Mohd Omar, M. M. (2020). Five Pillars of Islam in Relation to
Physical Health, Spiritual Health and Nursing Implications. International Medical Journal
Malaysia., 17(1). https://doi.org/10.31436/imjm.v17i1.1019
Gulevich, Tanya. (2004). Understanding Islam and Muslim traditions(: an introduction to the
religious practices, celebrations, festivals, observances, beliefs, folklore, customs, and calendar
system of the world’s Muslim communities, including an overview of Islamic history and
geography. Omnigraphics.
Cury, E. (2021). Claiming belonging(: Muslim American advocacy in an era of Islamophobia.
Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501753619
Khalil, M. Hassan. (2012). Islam and the fate of others: the salvation question. Oxford
University Press.
