Nicole Nangle Composition 1 Project Part 5 November 25, 2012 Project Part 5: Refinement A Muslims Moral Compass: The Five Pillars of Islam As with many other religions, the Muslim faith has experienced many changes and newly developed branches. Like Christianity, the original faith is still practiced by some, but others have now started their own new branches with their own unique interpretation of what it means to be Muslim. Despite these differences within the Muslim religion, one set of rules for moral guidance is central for all. These rules are known as The Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam act as a moral compass for Muslims and are universally accepted as they are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an, the sacred Muslim book of God’s words as they were recited to the prophet Muhammad.
There is no God, but God and Muhammad is the “Messenger of God”. Muslims are also required to tell others of Islam so they will have the information needed to make an intelligent choice, the use of coercion is ruled out ( Fisher, 2005). The second pillar is the performance of a continual round of prayers. Five times a day Muslims are expected to face Mecca and go through a ritual of prayer in words and action, which signifies their submission to Allah. Muslims are encouraged to be in constant prayer to see their lives more objectively.
The first pillar is believing and professing the unity of God and the messengership of Muhammad. The faithful are required to spread the word to others so they might have the information needed to make an intelligent choice. The second pillar defines prayer rituals. Faithful should pray five times each day. The belief is that prayer strengthens the belief in God’s existence, purifies the heart, develops the mind and conscience, comforts the soul, encourages good and suppresses evil, and awakens the innate sense of higher morality and aspirations.
Similarities and Differences between Christianity and Islam This section on Christianity and Islam has been very interesting for me. As a devout Christian, I’ve always had an interest in learning about Islam. We were given good information for this unit, but I had to do a little more research because Sura 2 and 4 in the Qur’an did not give me basic concepts for Muslims. What astounded me were the similarities between the Fateha (Sura 1:1-7) and the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). They both focus on adoration, submission, and Supplication.
Simply to perform the ritual obligation of prayer five times daily is enough to gain salvation as a Muslim". How far do you agree with this statement? 15 MARKS The ritual obligation of praying salah Five times a day is not enough to gain salvation as a Muslim as Islam means “submission to will of Allah’. Prayer is one of the Five Pillars; it is a fundamental way for Muslims to show this submission toward their God in their daily lives. Although salah is mandatory on every Muslim it does not mean that performing this ritual is enough to gain salvation as a Muslim.
News outlets, as expected, play a large role in how terms are viewed by the majority of people. Various Western outlets portray veiled women from other countries as oppressed and present the being covered in a negative light. They portray it as if the headscarf is the only thing that stops these women from progressing. The issue of poverty, lack of education and lack of resources is ignored and if a woman is suffering in a Muslim country, it is only because she is covered. Despite the fact if she is doing it willingly.
In the past, women’s rights have been extremely low as the ones that are prevalent today in Saudi Arabia in many other places in the world. Yet all these places have evolved from the submissive housewife to the educated independent woman except for them. This has become a global issue because if you type in Saudi Arabia you will get more results concerning the issues of women’s rights than the actual country. Many believe that women’s rights are like this because in Saudi Arabia they practice the most extreme version of contemporary Islam. I believe that Saudi Arabia rules its country because of religious and social aspects that have caused them to lounge behind the rest of the world economically and technologically.
The Muslim Next Door I really enjoyed reading The Muslim Next Door:The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing by Sumbul Ali-Karamali. She introduced the values, practices and beliefs of Islam clearly to me. This book was easy for me to understand. I found Ali-Karamali to be a warm yet funny author and while reading this book, I felt like Sumbul Ali-Karamali invited me inside her life. For me, I thought it was hard trying to be a faithful Christian in America but for Sumbul Ali-Karamali, being an American Muslim was much more difficult.
Once established, the people that became followers of the religion, also known as Muslims, would soon experience the influence that Islam would have on their lives and their culture. This includes Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, and his contribution to the establishment of Islam, the Qur’an, laws that followed based on the readings of the Qur’an, and the rights and roles of the women of Islam. Muhammad was the pioneer of a new era. Growing up, he was a direct contrast of the Arabs around him. The future Prophet held strong, independent beliefs and ethics that differed from the men that he lived amongst.
Hajj means to pilgrimage, which requires every Muslim to make a pilgrimage to Mecca before death. Hajj ties into visiting the Holy land because during prayer Muslims turn their heads so they are aimed towards Mecca. For me the easiest of the Five Pillars would have to be Zakat as it is easy for me to give to others regardless if it’s money, time, advice, or help in general. I’ve always been the helping time, I even go out of my way to help someone when I can. Giving as always been something that is easy for me to do.