Impact of Islam on Developing Societies

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Impact of Islam on Developing Societies Impact of Islam on Developing Societies Islam was a key to the development of societies in the eastern hemisphere throughout the postclassical era. As Sterns (2001) explains, “Islam appealed to people in a variety of societies and cultures, bringing important changes as a result of contact while often in some respects merging with the established local beliefs system” (pg 46). Islam was the most influential religion on societies in the postclassical era because of Islam’s strong values, acceptance of cultural exchanges and advancements in cutting edge medicine and astronomy. Since the birth of Islamic religion, the strong values and beliefs of these followers have remained unchanged making Islam influential on societies in the postclassical era. The Quran is a collection of verbal teachings, compiled by devout Muslims; written around seventh century C.E. and has served as the cornerstone of Islamic society (Bentley, Ziegler & Streets, 2008). As Nigosian (2004) explains, “The Qur’an (also written Koran, meaning ‘Recitation’) is, for Muslims, the final revelation of God (Allah) and as such contains his divine message to humanity as revealed to his prophet Muhammad” (ch 4 par 1). Muhammad was the founder of the Islamic religion, and his religious experiences complied by devout Muslims serves as one of the cornerstones for strong values in the Islamic religion. Along with the Quran, the hadith is another cornerstone for strong values and provides religious and moral guidance for Muslims. As Bentley, Ziegler and Streets (2008) explain, “Most important after the Quran itself are traditions known as hadith, which include sayings attributed to Muhammad and accounts of his deeds” (pg 197). The hadith contains inspirations for Islamic thought, depicting social and legal customs, biographies of Muhammad and

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