Academic study of Islam - Unisa Study Notes



Academic study of IslamIslamic studies emerged from Orientalism which became a highly developed field in the 19th and 20th century in Europe and AmericaEdward Said’s book Orientalism, revolutionised the study of the Middle East, bringing to the fore critical reflections on how and why we study people that are different to us.The central argument put forward by Orientalism is that the way we acquire knowledge of these people are motivated by certain interestsSaid argues that the way particularly the West, Europe and US look at the country and subjects of the Middle East is through a lens that tends to distort the actual reality of those places and peopleHe calls this lens Orientalism.At the end of the 20th century and the dawn of the 20th century, we saw a growing awareness to colonialism, modernity and globalization that have presented Muslims with a great number of challenges. These global historical forces have compelled many Muslims to adapt and grapple with their traditions, often causing extreme tension within the community of IslamA critical event at the dawn of the 20th century was the terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Towers and Pentagon that challenged Islam.It culminated with many misconception, issues of religious intolerance, racial/national profiling, stereotyping, imbued with immense hatred and prejudice towards the Muslim communityAs a by-product there emerged a growing interest into the study of Muslims, their belief systems, worldviews and ideologies.This also posited the danger of being viewed through a distorted lens with a self-motivated interest Islam claims its space in the public sphere as both a spiritual quest and group identityOne of the prominent theorists of our time, Samuel Phillips Huntington posits that culture and cultural identities, which at the broadest level are civilization identities, are shaping patterns of cohesion, disintegration, and conflict in the post-Cold War periodAccording to Tayob, Huntingtons thesis articulates the basis of Islam, which is that Islam is the foundation of a unique civilization and determines everything in Muslim societies, such as political, economic, judicial and education systems, as well as social interactionBasic beliefs in IslamBelief in One GodIslam follows the tradition of monotheismFor Muslims, there is but only one God who exists from eternity to all eternityHe is described as all-seeing, all-hearing, all-speaking, all-knowing, all-willing, all-powerful, and above all an absolute unity.Muslims reject the Christian articulation of God in the form of Trinity on the basis that they believe is reflects polytheismAccording to Muslim tradition, God has 99 names.Devout Muslims recite these names in the similar manner as that of a Roman Catholic Christian reciting the rosaryAllah is alone as the divine figure, he is surrounded and aided by other heavenly figures, such as angels who act as his messengersAnother creation halfway between human and angels is called “jinn”Some are beneficial creatures who act as guardian angels, and others are demonsThe leader of the evil jinn is Iblis, a fallen angelAccording to Muslim tradition Iblis was responsible for the fall of AdamDoctrine of predestinationAccording to the sacred Islamic text (Quran), humans are the creation of Allah and must be obedient to himA person who seeks to be righteous must follow the will of AllahDue to the emphasis of Allah’s sovereignty and power, Muslims ascribe to the notion of predestination - “God willing”This implies that whether one enjoys success or failures is entirely in the hands of God, who rules the world and has planned each event in advance.Muslims believe that people are responsible for the evil they commit and will be judged for itHence, some modern Muslim scholars articulate that God has given human beings the ability to reason between good and evil and choose from themDoctrine of eschatology Third belief - day of judgementAccording to the Quran, when a person dies the body returns to the earth and the soul goes to sleep until the day of resurrection.On this day, the angel of Allah will sound the trumpet, the earth will split and all the bodies will (re)join their soulsThe resurrection of the body and the uniting of soul is followed by the final destination of judgement before GodAll humans will be judged for their action and based on the outcome will either b3e sent to heaven or hellThe guardian angel of each individual will bear witness to the person’s record on earthThe eschatological scheme (last days) followed by Muslims is very similar to that of the Jews and ChristiansThe 5 pillars in IslamRepetition of the creed (shahadah)Ensures the frequent affirmation of faith “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”These are the first words a Muslim child hears, and are likely to be the last words uttered bu a dying MuslimDaily prayer (salaht)Muslims are expected to pray 5 times dailyThese 5 accepted times of prayer are dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfallIn early Muslim communities, men called muezzins climbed to the top of the towers known as minarets 5 times a day to cry out in a loud voice announcing the time for prayerIn modern days the same practice is followed but normally with the use of technology where speakers and microphones are used by the muezzinsAlmsgiving (zakaht)Muslims are expected to share their possessions with those less fortunate, such as orphans, widows, and the poor.Charity (alms) is obligatory according to Islamic law and is assessed on a tax amount of 2.5% of one’s wealthAlms may also be used to support religious institutions, scholars and studentsReceiving as well as giving of alms is considered a blessingFasting (Sawm)Fasting in Islam is very importantFasting in Islam is more stringent and requires a much greater period of dedicationEach year during the month of Ramadan, Muslims are expected to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and engaging in sexual relations during daylight hoursThe fast is kept in remembrance of the month in which the Prophet Mohammad received his first revelationThe month of Ramadan, is dependent on the Muslim lunar calendar and varies from year to yearThe only Muslims excused from this fast are the sick, travellers, mothers nursing infants, and small childrenIt is believed that if one completes the fast, then Allah will pardon their sinsPilgrimage (hajj)Pilgrimage to Mecca (sacred Islamic place) was part of a pre-Islamic Arab traditionMentioned in the Quran as a ritual dutyEvery Muslim who can afford this trip, should make the trip to Mecca once in their lifetime This pilgrimage takes place during a special month in the Muslim calendar called Dhu al-HijahDuring the days of the pilgrimage, pilgrims to Mecca visit the Zamzam well, make several trips around the Ka’ba, and offer a sacrifice of sheep or goat on the 10th day of hajj (commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son to God)After these duties they may also visit Medina, to pay respect to the grave of the Prophet Muhammad and pray as his mosquePractices in IslamRites of passageBirthWhen a baby is born, the Muslim call for prayer known as that adhan is recited into the baby’s right ear by the fatherThe baby is given a taste of something sweet; a practice carried out by Prophet Muhammad and believed to help the digestive system get started7 days after birth, the parents name the child, shave the hair of the baby’s scalp and offer a sacrificeThe meat of the sacrifice is given to the poor and money corresponding to the weight of the child’s hair is distributed as almsCircumcisionMuslims practice circumcisionCircumcision is usually performed at the age of 4 or later and marked by family gatherings and festivitiesMarriageEncapsulated in a ceremony called the nikahThe nikah is a simple ceremony in which a man and woman declare their commitment to one another as husband and wifeIt is a holy contract, to which both must agree and is considered an act of worshipEssential to the marriage ceremony are the presence who can attest to the commitmentDeathEmbodies a very specific ritual performanceThe body of the deceased Muslim is washed with water ( by someone of the same sex); burial follows promptly after the recitation of short prayersAll Muslims are laid to rest on their right side facing MeccaMales and females are never buried in the same grave, if it is unavoidable than a partition is raised to separate the corpsesHoly Days and FestivalsFeast of Fast-Breaking (Id al-Fitr)Celebrated on the first day of Shawwal (the month after Ramadan) Commemorates a return to normal life after a lengthy period of fastIn many Muslim societies it is a communal event, a time for exchanging gifts, visiting friends and relatives and paying respect to the deadFeast of Sacrifice (Id al-Adha) Comes on the 10th of month of pilgrimage.Observed throughout the Muslim world and commemorates Abraham’s dedication to God to the extent of sacrificing his son IshmaelOn this day, the head of each household kills and animal and provides a feastSome of the food is also given to the poorMuslim New YearThe month commencing the New Year is Muharram and is believed to be the month of the “Hijrah” (Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in order to escape persecution)Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Mawlid an-Nabi)Comprises the recitation of the Prophets biography and prayers for himIn some countries the birthday of the prophet is celebrated in a carnival manner, with large street processions and mosques and homes being decoratedPurification RitualsThe major purification rituals in Islam are:Bathing (ghusl)Ablution (wudu)Dry ablution (tayammum)The first two are performed with water that is clean, colourless, odourless, and that which has not been used for any previous ritualThe ghusl is major ritual that becomes necessary under circumstances of “conversion to Islam, sexual relation, ejaculation, and for women at the end of the menstrual period and post-natal bleeding.The ritual of wudu is performed by washing of one’s face, washing both arms up to the elbows, wiping part of one’s head and the washing of both feetInstitutions in IslamAlthough the mosque does play a central part in Islam, the nomadic lifestyle of the Arab people prohibit them to worship at any templeThe nature of their lives demanded that they be free to worship every day, wherever they might beGenerally, Muslim worship is carried on in a variety of placesThe believers are lead in prayer by an imam ( a community member who is knowledgeable and pious)Mosques also serve as schools and librariesIn history we see that the mosques of Mecca and Medina were among the most important centres of learningOver time we see that educational institutions known as madrasah developed alongside large urban mosquesThese schools offered instruction in Quran recitation and interpretation, theology, law and in some cases mystical knowledge and practiceSacred Texts (Holy Scriptures)The sacred scripture of Islam is called the QuranQuran - reading or reciting Prophet Muhammad did not write the QuranInstead, the utterances of the revelation he received were recorded by his supporters and organized by editors working under Caliph Uthman into what today we refer to as the Quran Muslims regarded the Quran as revelations from God transmitted to Prophet Muhammad through the angel GabrielMuslim adherents believe that the 114 chapters (suras) constituted in the Quran is a mirror of an original text presented on heavenThe contents of the Quran are varied, with some dealing with ceremony and civil law, while others offer theological views and moral exhortationThe Quran is first and foremost a scripture to be confessed by rehearsing its contentWhile followers of Islam respect the scripture of Judaism and Christianity, the regard the Quran as the pure and final essence of divine revelation.The second most important literature is the Hadith (Tradition)The Hadith is based on the actions and saying of the Prophet Muhammad Due to Prophet Muhammad not recording his saying, a succession of reliable narrators began to record them, which eventually culminated with the HadithBy the 9th century, the Hadith was established as the norm by which the Muslim community was governedBoth the Quran and the Hadith require interpretation and analysis to be applied to specific situationsFrom the early times, the Islamic community developed directives for action that were compiled into legal manuals over the centuriesThis legal compilation came to be known as sharia (literally implying way or path)Overview of selected periods in Islamic Traditional account: Life of Prophet MuhammadBorn in 570 or 571 CEHe was orphaned after birth and taken into the care of his uncle Abu Talid, a leader of the Quraish tribe of MeccaAt the age of 25 Prophet Muhammad married a 42 year old widow named Khadija, whose wealth allowed him the freedom to develop his private spiritual discipline and reflect on the situation of the people in the world around himWhile He was meditating on Mt. Hira during the month Ramadan, the angel Gabriel appeared and spoke to him giving him his first revelationOver the next 23 years he had similar encounters with further revelationsHe memorized what he heard and recited it to others who began to record his utterancesHe began his mission by proclaiming the message of the Oneness of AllahProphet Muhammad’s first convert was his wife KhadijaSlowly others accepted the message he preached and convertedHis major converts derived from the lower class of Meccan societyIn 662 he made a journey to Medina after being invited to mediate their tribal feudsIn return he was granted protection for himself and his followersThis migration is known in Arabic as HijrahHe settled the feud and won over the inhabitant of Medina to his faithIn January 630, he and his men conquered Mecca after intense diplomacy and military pressureHis first act was to go to the holy temple (the Ka’ba) and reverently walk around it 7 timesHe then ordered the destruction of all the idols in the temple, followed by the sanctioning of the Zamzam wellFor the next 2 years his power came to be acknowledged by all Arabs He unified the Arab tribes under divine rule governed by the will of GodIn 632 he died after a few days of illnessRise and demise of Islamic empiresThe Caliphate is the one central unifying office in the history of IslamThe Caliphs were first friends of the Prophet Muhammad and acted as pious leaders, chosen by election or common consentIn later years we see that the caliphate became hereditary and functioned like the office of a kingCaliph - a deputy or representative that would rule the Muslims in temporal mattersThe first caliphs were often called orthodox because they were selected from the circle of friend of the Prophet and ruled from ArabiaThese were:Abu Bakr (632-634)Umar (634-644)Uthman (344-656)Ali (656-661)From 661-750 Islam was ruled by the Umayyad caliphsThey were succeeded by the Abbasid dynasty (750-1258)After the 10th century, the golden age of Muslim civilization began to decline and the caliphate began to lose powerThe Abbasids were replaced by the Mamelukan Turks, who ruled the Muslim empire from EgyptIn the 16th century they were succeeded by the Ottoman Turks, who made the title caliph synonymous with that of “sultan”After the World War 1, with the demise of the Ottoman empire, the caliphate ceased to existThere have been periodic attempts to restore the caliphate Hizbul Tahnir, an organization founded in Jerusalem in the 1950’s is one such example of the move to restore the caliphate Osama bin Laden shared the similar goal, but believed that the destruction of the existing system of nation states cannot be obtained peacefully3 congresses were also held to try and restore the fundamental institution: Cairo in March 1926, in Mecca in July 1926 and in Jerusalem in 1931To date nothing has replaced the institution in the Muslim world ................
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