Essay on "Islamic Faith"

Essay 5 pages (1301 words) Sources: 2

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Islamic Faith

Religion is a very revolutionary thing, especially in the hands of the right person. This is hard for the modern mind to accept in the West where religion hs been dethroned. To understand this, it is necessary to return to the time of Mohammad and comprehend his time and faith. This is exactly what is done in A Concise History of the Middle East by Arthur Goldschmidt Jr.

Short Summary

The book functions as an introduction to the history of the Middle East from Islam's beginnings to the present. This work is distinguished by a clear style and a broad and balanced treatment of the subject. The authors wrote it for undergraduate college students, assuming that they have no prior knowledge. Thematically, its central treatment circles around focuses on the development of Islamic culture and institutions and culture, especially the life and times of Mohammad and his successors in the early history of Islam. Without Mohammad, it is likely that there would not be Islam. He is evidence of what one dedicated person can do to change history and the society around him.

Body

The meat of the Islamic history is explored in the book and this is critical to understand. While one textbook can not hope to fill in all of the holes in Western knowledge concerning the region and Islam, it certainly does yeoman's service in only a few pages.

Luckily, though a brief history, the book does a very nice job explaining the historical background of the Islamic faith in explaining its development by Mohammad in chapters 3 and 4. (Goldschmidt and Davidson, 2009, 15-42). The Quran is seen as the central

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miracle of Islam, proof itself of Mohammad's prophecy and the existence of God himself due to the beauty and integrity of the text. Even though Mohammad could not read, he produced this perfect book of law as it was dictated to him by God himself (ibid, 43).

Mohammad as God's messenger is key to understanding the Islamic world's view of itself in God's revelation to humanity. In addition to being the founder of the religion of Islam, he is considered by Muslims to be a messenger and prophet of God. In addition, he is the last law-bearer in a series of Islamic prophets and the last prophet of God as taught by the Qur'an. Thus, Muslims consider Mohammad as the restorer of an the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets that had become corrupted. In addition, Mohammad was also functioned as diplomat, social reformer and revolutionary, merchant, orator, philospher, legislator, military leader, humanitarian/philanthropist and an agent of the divine will. So that people would not worship Mohammad, his image could never be shown (ibid, 27, 43-44).

Born in 570 C.E. In Mecca, Mohammad was orphaned at young age and was brought up under the tutelage of his uncle Abu Talib who was a powerful man in the city. Mohammad later worked as a successful merchant and shepherd and was first married to a rich widow by the name of Khadija at age 25. Disenchanted with his life in Mecca, he retreated to a cave in the surrounding mountains over the plains of Arafat to meditate and reflect. According to Islamic tradition, the forty-year-old Mohammad saw received his first revelation from God in the month of Ramadan. Three years later, Mohammad began to preach these revelations openly, proclaiming that "God is One" and that complete "surrender" to Him is the only way to salvation. He proclaimed himself the prophet and messenger of God like the other Islamic prophets before (ibid, 29-34).

At first, Muhammad gained few early followers and was met with open hostility from many Meccan tribes. Mohammad and his disciples were treated very harshly. To escape persecution, Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina (Yathrib) in the year 622 C.E. The Hijra to Mecca marks the… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Islamic Faith" Assignment:

“

I need most of the information to be referenced from the following book:

A Concise History of the Middle East (Ninth Edition)

Author: Authur Goldschmidt Jr./Lawrence Davidson

I also need the following question answered in detail:

1. Briefly explain the historical background of the Islamic faith as developed by Mohammad, with its principles from the Qur*****an, the five pillars, duties and prohibitions, while also explaining to the best of your knowledge the religious-ethnic divisions between Sunni Muslims and Shi*****a Muslims vs. Arabs and Muslims in general.

Explanation of Essays

You are to write formal (APA style) essays-papers, approximately 1500 words each from a selection of topics covered in class.

The format for the essay should not only be a review and contain a summary of what other critics say about the work. The major purpose of it is to voice your concerns, views and opinions based on correct and logical evidences.

You should be reflective (think deeply and engage in multiple rewrites).

Since the required word count is 1500 words each paper (please keep writing within 100 words in either direction).

Format of essay:

A. Introduction -*****" Your introductory paragraph should set the stage for what is to follow. Use a catchy first line to grab the reader*****s attention. In this paragraph you should present the central theme, the thesis statement, and facts surrounding the main theme. Any important definitions and terms that will have relevance in the body can be defined and explained here if necessary.

B. Short summary - Provide a very brief summary of the work being reviewed. Then preview your argument, briefly stating what you will attempt to prove your argument. Never present any more than the minimum that the reader needs to know to understand your argument.

C. Body-*****" This should be the bulk of your paper. It is where the scope of the essay should be explored and where the facts and data presented in the article are analyzed and checked for their logic and accuracy. It is where you will present details of the reviewed material and where you ask the critical questions we have covered so far in the course. It should clearly demonstrate how your analysis and evaluation influences how you reacted to the reasoning. Most importantly, it should be your argument and not a summary. You need to cite your information and use parenthetical citation or footnotes / endnotes.

*****

How to Reference "Islamic Faith" Essay in a Bibliography

“Islamic Faith.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2011, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/islamic-faith-religion/7218709. Accessed 3 Jul 2024.

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A1-TermPaper.com. (2011). Islamic Faith. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/islamic-faith-religion/7218709 [Accessed 3 Jul, 2024].

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[1] ”Islamic Faith”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2011. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/islamic-faith-religion/7218709. [Accessed: 3-Jul-2024].

1. Islamic Faith [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2011 [cited 3 July 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/islamic-faith-religion/7218709

1. Islamic Faith. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/islamic-faith-religion/7218709. Published 2011. Accessed July 3, 2024.

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