Created in Crisis
Running head: Pillars and Peoplehood
Pillars and Peoplehood
Grand Canyon University
INT – 244 World Religions
9/13/11
Instructor: Professor Steven Mathews
[pic]
Pillars and Peoplehood The Five Pillars of Islam provide a comprehensive lifestyle and a moral/ethical framework for the Umma, which is the religious community of the Muslim people, and can be easily compared to the Christian community, as well. However, there are a couple of questions that one might need to ask first in order to satisfy any curiosity on the issue or see if they really do share common interests. First of all, why are they referred to as the pillars of Islam, and what does each signify? Can a transformation really be achieved in an individual’s life by submitting to either Allah or God and observing what the symbol of the pillars might signify within each ones particular religion? Can one find comparable principles and practices that provide proof of a similar comprehensive lifestyle in the Christian community? Undeniable truths will be presented to help support this essay’s view where it will be shown that yes, indeed, the two individual religions do share a common framework. In the Islam religion, Allah’s Will, obtained through transformation and submission to
His created order, and through observing the five pillars, is achieved through rational analysis.
The pillars are symbols of the obligations they must endure in order to come to faith with Him
(Burrell, 1997). They represent mandatory acts of service, and reflect Allah’s intentions for all mankind to bare witness (shahadah) to the creed “There is no God, but Allah; and Mohammed is
His prophet,” which is the first pillar, and is recited on a daily basis by all Muslims. The second pillar consists of a communal prayer (salat) that is recited every day at five designated periods, and almsgiving, the third
Pillars and Peoplehood
Grand Canyon University
INT – 244 World Religions
9/13/11
Instructor: Professor Steven Mathews
[pic]
Pillars and Peoplehood The Five Pillars of Islam provide a comprehensive lifestyle and a moral/ethical framework for the Umma, which is the religious community of the Muslim people, and can be easily compared to the Christian community, as well. However, there are a couple of questions that one might need to ask first in order to satisfy any curiosity on the issue or see if they really do share common interests. First of all, why are they referred to as the pillars of Islam, and what does each signify? Can a transformation really be achieved in an individual’s life by submitting to either Allah or God and observing what the symbol of the pillars might signify within each ones particular religion? Can one find comparable principles and practices that provide proof of a similar comprehensive lifestyle in the Christian community? Undeniable truths will be presented to help support this essay’s view where it will be shown that yes, indeed, the two individual religions do share a common framework. In the Islam religion, Allah’s Will, obtained through transformation and submission to
His created order, and through observing the five pillars, is achieved through rational analysis.
The pillars are symbols of the obligations they must endure in order to come to faith with Him
(Burrell, 1997). They represent mandatory acts of service, and reflect Allah’s intentions for all mankind to bare witness (shahadah) to the creed “There is no God, but Allah; and Mohammed is
His prophet,” which is the first pillar, and is recited on a daily basis by all Muslims. The second pillar consists of a communal prayer (salat) that is recited every day at five designated periods, and almsgiving, the third
References: Aliyev, Rafig Yahya Oglu (2001). Some Momentous Issues on the Ongoing Islamic-Christian Dialogue, Iran and the Caucasus, 5. Bajc, Vida (2007). Creating Ritual through Narrative, Place and Performance in Evangelical Protestant Pilgrimage in the Holy Land, Mobilities, 2(3). Bird, Frederick B. (1982). A Comparative Study Of The Work Of Charity In Christianity And Judaism, Journal of Religious Ethics, 10(1). Burrell, David B. (1997). The Pillars of Islamic Faith, Commonweal, 2. Koopman, Nico (2007). The Lord’s Prayer – An Agenda For Christian Living, Journal of Reformed Theology, 1(1). Muck, Terry (2001). Mohammed’s Message Rests On Five Pillars, National Catholic Reporter, 37(42). Skarsaune, Oskar (2008). From the Jewish Messiah to the Creeds of the Church, Evangelical Quarterly, 80(3). Witetschek, Stephen (2010). Going Hungry for a Purpose: On Gos. Thom. 69.2 and a Neglected Parallel in Origen, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 32(4).