Osman Bey: The founder of the dynasty that continued in unbroken succession until the dissolution of the empire. He was chief of a band of semi-nomadic Turks who migrated to northwestern Anatolia.…
When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism.…
Sunni, Shiite, and Sufi are three branches of Islam. The Shiite and Sunni’s were the first really major division of the Islamic religion. This division was the result of a political argument over who should precede Muhammed. Sunni’s name means tradition and they believed the legitimacy of the Orthodox caliphates, and based everything off those beliefs. Sunni’s believe that Muhammad did not designate a successor. Now Shiite’s get their name from the word Shia, which means faction. They believe that Muhammad did leave a successor and it was the son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad named, Ali. They do not believe the same thing as Sunnis and disagree and do not get along with them. Now Sufi’s are” a contemplative school of Islam that aims to develop an individual 's consciousness of God though chanting, recitation of litanies, music and physical movement (SCRUGGS, 2010, para. )” Sufis find the importance by approaching the inner meaning of god through mysticism. They want to find the hidden meanings of the world they do not read or follow the Qur’an as strictly and as a result have closer relationships to other religions (SCRUGGS,…
Islam is a belief system that affects its followers all over the world. The prophet Muhammad founded Islam and he created Islam is the city of Mecca. Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel in the Cave Hira and was is divinely inspired to create this belief system. Islam impacts the lives of its followers in many ways.…
To help us understand religion better, Ninian Smart formulated the seven dimensions of religion, which can be identified in all religions. The practical and ritual dimension covers the practical portion of religion. The important experiences of the founders of religion as well as their followers are explained in the Emotional and Experiential dimension. The stories within each religion are also important as expressed in the Narrative and Mythical dimension. The Ethical and Legal dimension constitute the codes of behavior whereas the Doctrinal and Philosophical dimension refers to the belief system found in each religion. The last two dimensions, Social and Institutional, and Material refer to the incarnation of religion in social and material forms respectively.…
There were many different battles where Muslim people invaded different lands or territories. There were two outcomes that the Muslims could expect from the native people of the places they were attacking. The people could either welcome them, or rebel and fight against them. Many factors contribute to whether the native people welcome them or rebel. One factor that caused the people being attacked to join forces with the Muslim invaders was religion, and whether or not they were satisfied with the conditions of it. Because there were such a great amount of Muslim conquests taking place, the empire began to expand rapidly. Many empires, such as the Byzantine empire, fell because the Muslims attacked them and the empires…
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, Muslim thinkers have faced numerous and repeated challenges to classical Islamic ideas about religious authority. Upheavals in the Muslim world have stimulated widespread reexamination of the classical sources of Islamic law as Muslims have struggled to preserve, adapt, or redefine their social and legal norms in the face of changed conditions. A central issue in this ongoing struggle has been the question of the nature, status, and authority of the Sunna, the normative example of the Prophet Muhammad. Because of Muhammad’ status messenger of God, his words and actions are accepted by most Muslims as sources of religious and legal authority second only to the Qur’an. Indeed, the Qur’an itself repeatedly commands its reader to obey Allah and His messenger.…
The Five Pillars of Islam allow a Muslim adherent to demonstrate total submission to the will of Allah. The Five Pillars of Islam are Belief (Shahada), Obligatory prayers (Salat), Almsgiving (Zakat), Fasting (Sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). Total submission to Allah occurs in three ways. Shahada strives to promote dedication and total acceptance of faith. Hajj and Salat assist in submission to Allah as they are practical manifestations of faith that provide a continuous link to Allah. In performing Sawm and Zakat, adherents please Allah and are reminded of his authority and power.…
For Muslims life is a period of testing and temptations. People have to find their own solutions to these problems. Allah has said that he will forgive anyone who sincerely repents, as he forgave Adam and Hawwa (Eve) when they were tempted by Shaytan and ate the forbidden fruit in Al-Jannah (paradise):…
There is no message after Islam. There is no prophet after Mohammed. There is no scripture after the Quran.…
As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. He soon established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Throughout his career, Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans.…
The essence of Islam is the very essence of humanity. Islam is a complete and comprehensive way of life. It leads to a balanced way of living. Islam brings civilization and happiness to man. Islamic principles and teachings can provide realistic, fair and objective solutions to the prevention of individual, familial, social and international problems which are threatening the existence of human communities throughout the world.…
Chapter 7: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia…
This book has been made for the readers to better understand the importance of both the Islamic Festivals and the Rites of passage from the point of view of Islams. There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law: Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha ("Eid" or "Id"…
He is most Gracious & Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah He is the Lord of the Worlds, Master of the Day of Judgment Will reward / punish as per deeds Only He is to be worshipped He is to be feared…