The religion I have chosen to study is Islam and the domination of this religion I will focus on is Shi’a. While the Islamic religion is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion believers, it is estimated that only 10-20% of these believers belong to the Shi’a denomination, however it is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. Islam believers are called Muslims and have various beliefs and rules to live by, these ideas were brought to the earth by mainly Prophet Muhammad as well as other prophets of the Islamic God, Allah. Muslims base their beliefs from their holy book, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the five pillars of Islam.
A core belief of the Islam religion is the belief that there is only one God, who is called Allah. Allah has always been and will always be, knows everything and can do anything, cannot be seen nor heard, has no shape nor form and is neither female nor male, ultimately the ruler of the universe. Allah is referred to by many different names that all show the nature of this God, some examples of these names are; The Most Compassionate (Al-Rahman), The Most Merciful (Al-Rahim), The Most Glorious (al- ‘Aziz), The Ever Forgiving (al-Ghaffar), The Ever Providing (ar-Razzaq), and 94 more admirable names that give an idea of how Muslims view Allah and the importance of Allah. Because Allah is so admirable and important in the Islam religion, the believers of Islam look up to and follow their God’s ideas which are spoken in the Qur’an. “And whoever holds firmly to Allah has indeed been guided to a Straight Path.” The Qur’an 03:101. By reading this quote from the Qur’an and others that are similar, it is clear to see how important it is to Muslims that they do as Allah would want, otherwise consequences are given.
The second core belief of the Islamic religion also involves the belief of Allah and is predestination. By knowing that Allah’s laws must be followed or else there will be consequences, these consequences are known to involve afterlife. This means that once Muslim’s die, Allah already knows whether they will then go to heaven or hell because of the life they have lived. Allah has all knowledge however, Muslims believe that this does not stop human beings being able to make free choices and live how they want to. They still must know that their actions will affect their future, therefore are more conscious of how they obey their God and the decisions they make. In the Islam religion, Allah is the most important significant figure and your fate is in his hands, therefore it is important to worship and connect with Allah on a regular basis. A believer can approach Allah by praying and reciting the Qur’an which happens five times a day, this makes up the second pillar of Islam and is a very important part of the religion. There are various places to worship and routines that must occur when doing so.
The five pillars of Islam are the most important Muslim practises, Muslims must follow all these obligations in order to live a good and right life. The pillars are the ‘rules’ that frame the Islam religion and heavily intertwines their lives with their beliefs. By practising these, it also shows that a Muslim is invested in their faith by doing things to prove so, as well as putting their religion first and working their lives around these practises.
The first pillar is called Shahadah, this means sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith – the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the sacred text of the Islamic religion, an important story of the Qur’an explains how one night, Muhammad, who was a prophet of Allah and is known as his messenger, was meditating when he was visited by angel Jibreel. Angel Jibreel ordered Muhammad to recite what she was saying. Once the angel mentioned Allah’s name to Muhammad, he believed they were the direct words of Allah, being passed by the angel. Therefore, he began to recite and record the direct words of the angel, the direct words of Allah. Throughout the rest of his life, Muhammad continued to receive and remember these revelations that he experienced. He recorded these exact words from his encounters to then form the Qur’an which is so important to Muslim’s because it is known to be the direct words of Allah and in his language – Arabic. When a Muslim recites the Qur’an, they show that they believe and accept that it is true, will obey all commitments of Islam in their life and understand that Allah is the only God with Muhammad as his prophet.
The second pillar of Islam is Salat. Salat is the ritual of prayer that is performed at five set times a day because this is what Allah ordered Muslims to do. However, Salat is not for the benefit of Allah but for the benefit of Muslim’s because they believe they will receive great benefit by doing as their God has told them to do. The prayer times are at dawn, midday, late afternoon, after sunset and between sunset and midnight. The prayer timetables are important for the structure of a Muslim’s day especially for Islamic countries, where everyone will pray together. Hundreds of millions of people perform Salat each day from all around the world, this is not only a highly spiritual ritual but a way to connect Muslims across the globe. Salat is a huge part of the history of Islam and is over 1400 years old. Not only the words that are spoken in prayer are important but also the movements of prayer and the attitude the preacher must have. As the Qur’an 107:4-6 states “Woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their prayer, or who pray only to be seen by people” This quote from the Qur’an means that if a person is not fully involved and dedicated with their prayer, it does not mean anything therefore, they are not obeying Allah and in fact are disrespecting their God. The prayers are also important because they are known as a direct way of contact between a person to Allah when they pray in Allah’s presence and each lead their individual prayers. A Mosque is the most common place of worship for Muslims and is known to be the best place for prayer as praying together in a Mosque helps people to realise that we are all one people, everyone is equal to Allah. Before every time of prayer, a ritual washing must take place called Wudhu, Mosques have washing places for this to happen which also makes them an important place for worship. Wudhu is an extremely respectful and vital part of worship and the hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head, ears and feet must be thoroughly washed. Wudhu is then finished by saying “I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone and I bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and messenger, O Allah make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who are pure.” Prayer is then ready to be performed.
The third pillar of Islam is Zakat which involves paying a tax to help the poor and in need. This is a compulsory gift of 2.5% of one’s money each year to go to charity, gifts are not approved as Zakat and this is a compulsory tax for Muslims. By giving this sum, it proves that a believer is obeying God, acknowledging that God gave everything and ultimately has everything, acknowledging that wealth and poverty is God’s choice, so we must help those in need, letting go of greed, the love of money, the love of ourselves, our possessions and learning honesty and self-discipline.
Sawm is the forth pillar of Islam and it is the requirement of fasting during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. For the 30 days, Muslims are to give up food and drink, smoking and sexual activity during hours of daylight. Even if people are physically or mentally struggling, the task is to be completed or made up for at a later date and if this is unable to happen then a donation must be made to the poor. Physical things are mainly involved during Ramadan however it is encouraged for people to avoid evil thoughts and actions especially during this time. The eating schedule of Ramadan usually involves the break of the fast after daylight with dates or water to follow Prophet Muhammad’s example and then a large meal just before dawn called Suhur. Meals during this time are often used for social gatherings. The reasons for Sawm include obeying God, becoming spiritually stronger, appreciating the gifts of God, developing sympathy and sharing hardships with the poor, noticing the value of Zakat, giving thanks for the Qur’an and sharing experiences with other Muslims.
Hajj is the fifth and final Pillar of Islam. It is a complicated ritual that happens once a year in the month of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims of every ethnic group praise Allah together towards Kaaba in Mecca, by doing this it shows the bonds of Islamic people to show that Allah sees everyone as being equal. Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims as it is the birth place of Muhammad and where the first revelation of the Qur’an happened, and the Kaaba is a structure in the middle of Mecca which holds great significance and represents Allah. The Hajj is a ceremony that every adult Muslim must take once in their lives, there are exceptions for wealth and health reasons if someone cannot attend in their life time. To travel the journey of Hajj, a person must be pure, this means they must not kill or hunt, fight or argue, cut their nails, shave, be married, use scented oils or soap, women must not cover their faces and men must not wear clothes with stitches. A man who has completed this journey is then called a Hajji and a woman is called a Hajjah.
There are benefits that are given and earnt for Muslims and are reasons why Muslim’s are attracted to their religion. The benefits are spiritual and personal therefore, money cannot purchase anything that will compare to what a Muslim will receive from being dedicated and practising Islam. The strong connection between a Muslim and Allah is an extremely valuable part of belonging to the Islamic religion and is life changing. The commitment that a Muslim has to their religion is also life changing itself, because of how much they have to change their lives to do what is wanted from them. Prayer five times a day, gifting to charity, Ramadan and the rest of the pillars are rituals that effect a person’s way of life greatly. The unconditional love and the ability to be able to talk to Allah any time or place as the Qur’an 40:60 states “And your Lord says, call upon me, I will respond to you.” is a feeling that completes Muslims. As a result, Muslim’s will feel more comfortable and at peace. A strong sense of belonging is given from Allah and the inspiration from their God helps Muslims have the desire and wisdom to realise why they are on this earth and fulfil their destiny therefore making the most out of there life. Allah also gives people of the Islamic religion trust and by practising their religion, Muslims learn values of honesty, selflessness, loyalty, self-control, generosity and more which are learnt and the impact of Allah helping Muslims be good people, also makes them have happiness within themselves which is the greatest wish to ask for. To receive spiritual benefits, you must open to Allah and be fully devoted to your religion, otherwise the connection will not be as strong, you must prove yourself to Allah by showing your dedication and trust, this in itself is a big commitment as the five pillars already show.
The values that a Muslim will learn are also taught through festivals and events that Muslims take part in, such as Hajj. Ramadan is one of these festivals which is then ended with Eid ul Fitr, the festival to end fasting. Eid ul Fitr is celebrated by dressing up, going to the mosque to pray and visiting family and friends for big feasts which are eaten together. Eid ul Adha is another holiday which remembers the sacrifice that one of Allah’s prophets Ibrahim made when he was ordered to give his son. At this time, Muslims remember their own commitment to their God and celebrate their dedication with prayers and presents. A sacrificed animal is also killed and eaten between friends, family and poor for those who can afford it, this is usually a sheep or cow. Eid ul Adha and Eid ul Fitr are the two official holidays in the Islamic calendar. Some holy days are only celebrated by one denomination of Islam, the other ones that Shi’a celebrate are Lailat al Qadr – the Night of Power which marks the night that angels came to earth and Muhammad began to recite which was the beginning of the Qur’an. Milad un Nabi – the birthday of Muhammad where parents often tell their children stories. Muslims do not celebrate birthdays or death anniversaries, however the day that Muhammad was born is sacred because he was such a blessing to humanity and a gift from Allah. Al-Hijra – the Islamic New Year, there are no specific rituals for this, but it is a time for Muslims to reflect and set goals for the past and the up-coming year. Lailat al Miraj – the night time journey of Muhammad, the festival celebrates how the Prophet Muhammad was greeted by two angels who cleansed and gave him knowledge, it is celebrated by telling this story. Lailat ul Bara’h – the night of forgiveness, the night when Muslims pray for their sins to be forgiven and their fate for the next year is made. These are the main festivals in the Islamic calendar and are celebrated annually.
The ultimate way that the Islamic religion was brought to humanity was by Prophet Muhammad, but there were other prophets and stories which strengthened, encouraged and spread beliefs. In about the year 570 in Mecca, Arabia, Muhammad was born, he always believed in one God called Allah and then when he was older in about the year 610, the night of power took place. This was when the angel Jibreel spoke to Muhammad and gave him messages to recite, he then began to repeat what the angel was saying. This is when Muhammad began being a prophet and the messages from Allah then continued for the rest of his life and they were written down to then later be collated to form the Qur’an. After Jibreel first spoke to Muhammad, he told everyone about what he experienced and spread the word about Allah being the one and only God. This did not please the higher-class people of where he lived, this led to the people who obeyed Allah (Muslims) being ill-treated and even tortured and killed. Once when he was feeling down, Muhammad was praying in a cave when Jibreel came and put him on a winged horse and flew him to Jerusalem then took him up to heaven to speak to past prophets and even Allah. Allah then told him to pray five times a day and stay strong, Muhammad then returned to Mecca and this is called the night journey, to this day there is still debate on whether this actually happened or was a dream. In a near-by city, people had heard of the Muslims and invited them to come and live in peace with them so slowly Muslims began to migrate to Yathrib. Muhammad and some of his friends where the last to leave which was difficult because he was a wanted man by many families. When all Muslims made if to Yathrib it was then called Madinat ul Nabi or Madinah, meaning the city of the Prophet. However, it was not over that easily, there were three battles between Muslims and Meccans, the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Trench, Muslims won two of these battles therefore, Meccans were losing respect of local people as more people joined Muslims. Muhammad declared there to be no more fighting as he was then in power. This is how the Islamic religion became and the main way it was introduced to humanity, Muhammad is extremely important in Islam because of the events in his life and connection to Allah.
The reason for the divide of the two denominations in Islam is as a result of Muhammad’s death. Some believed that Muhammad’s cousin, Ali, should be leader but others thought his closest and longest standing friend, Abu Bakr, was a more suitable fit. This ended up being a divide with Shi’a denomination believing that religious leaders should come from the Prophet Muhammad’s descendants while Sunnis do not. The Sunni vote over ruled Shi’a so then Abu Bakr became their leader while Shiites made their leader Ali because they would not acknowledge Abu Bakr to lead them. There were then conflicts between the two groups and some of these conflicts have never really ended with many terrorist groups being based off the divide. This does not mean that all Sunni and Shi’a people hate each other but there is certainly segregation. Depending on who is in power in Muslim countries, there is war based off the Sunni and Shi’a divides such as the forming and fighting of ISIS. The conflicts between the two are directly more about power and denomination than religion, the want for power has developed into warfare and terrorism that is out of control and harming many people throughout the whole world. ISIS is a Sunni led terrorist group and Shi’a also have their own groups however not nearly as strong. Both branches of religion practise mostly the same things, have many of the same beliefs and both follow the Qur’an, however there are some distinctive differences between the two.
Some differences are minor like how Shiites pray with their hands by their sides and Sunni pray with their hands on their chest or stomach. Another daily difference is how Shiites perform the Wudhu, the Qur’an 5:6 states “When you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles.” Shi’a believers do just that rather than the Sunni ritual. Many things that the Shiites do have great reasoning that are direct form the Qur’an or history. Other differences are mainly based off the opinions and beliefs from historic events such as some Shiites do not actually believe that the Qur’an is directly from Allah because it was lost in translation when it was being recorded, this is huge to believe this because it goes against the base of Muslim beliefs. Many Shi’a ideas are confusing and destructive, and they are known to Sunnis as being the most harmful thing that has happened to Islam because of how they act and what they believe. Shi’a is like the rebellion of Islam and although it follows most of the same practises and traditions and Sunni, this is why there is so much hate between some groups within the two branches.
The middle east is the area of origin and where most of the population are Islam. Some countries are dominated by Sunni and other Shi’a, Saudi Arabia is a Sunni dominated country while Iraq and Iran are Shi’a. The differences between the denominations have led to huge violence in middle eastern countries especially Syria and Iraq as Sunnis have begun to want and take power over Shiites. This is what is happening with ISIS, meaning Islamic State of Iraq and Syria although ISIS is extremism and the worst example of this in Muslim countries as they do such terrible and inhumane things to people. In Syria, the politics and power are also relevant to the two branches of Islam and so people from Iran and Saudi Arabia are coming to support their own, therefore creating terrorist groups and destructing a huge amount of the Middle east. This has then led to other counties being involved such as the US invasion to Iraq to take down the people in power who were poorly treating the population and had no interest in stopping conflict. As a result, Shi’a took over from Sunni leadership which caused even more argument from Sunni and led to destructive civil warfare. It was all, and still is, one huge mess over power which began from religion and is affecting other countries also. The Islamic religion is meant to be a peaceful and fulfilling thing to be a part of but sadly in these strong Muslim countries, this has not been the result. The conflict has caused much warfare and destruction of people’s homes and towns, therefore adding an extreme amount to the refugee crisis because people have nowhere safe to live. Refugees clearly effect many other countries because they are constantly putting pressure on countries to help and many are open to taking refugees, however this has caused a lot of debate in some places. The lives that some of the refugees in places like Syria are living are horrifying, no refugee in these places is a thriving person who is given the opportunities to reach their potential, they are simply just trying to survive and were caught up in the middle of the conflict. The strong religious connections are still with these refugees, as they continue to pray, have hope and put their trust in Allah. This is a powerful thing, that through all the wrong that these poor people have suffered, they still are so dedicated to Allah and serve Islam as they would even if they were not in a refugee camp because of the believe that everything will turn out fine in the end. “He will give you something better than what has been taken from you.” The Qur’an 8:70. This quote shows what power the religion has to Muslims and the trust the put in their God, even if they are ill-treated in this life, there is always more to look forward to and be positive about.
The Islam religion has many traditions, beliefs, stories and so-called rules to live by, this makes it a complicated and meaningful religion that is said to have many personal rewards. The five pillars of Islam are the five guide lines to live by and follow in one’s life, to obey your God, Allah, is extremely important and is the base of all beliefs and traditions. Your relationship with Allah, the one and only, all powerful and mighty God, is known to affect your life, after life and all round mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. Many beliefs are based from the holy text, the Qur’an, this is so sacred because it is known as the direct words from Allah, therefore is preached and practised daily. The connection that a Muslim has with Allah determines their fate in future and present lives. For a stronger connection, a Muslim prays and does everything in their power to live as their God would want them to, however this does not stop a Muslim from making their own decisions and being their own person. Being a part of the Islamic religion helps a person to learn values of selflessness, self-discipline, honesty, strength, sympathy and many more which shape people into being the best they can be for themselves and the people around them. A sense of completion, happiness and fulfilment is given when a person is fully devoted to this religion, a reward that money cannot buy. The Muslim history is celebrated at times of festivals and traditions which often recognise past stories of prophets of Allah, the most respected prophet being Muhammad, known to be the final revelation of Islam. Muhammad is the person who finally bought Islam to man-kind through his experiences and stories from encounters with angels who spoke on behalf of Allah himself. However, Muhammad’s death brought great conflict between Muslims and that divided the religion into two groups, Sunni and Shi’a. They both practise and preach mostly the same things apart from who they thought the rightful leader of Islam should have been when Muhammad died. Shi’a believe the role of leadership should have been kept in the family and so made Ali, Muhammad’s cousin, their leader. This conflict has never really left the religion, and so the world, it’s people, and Muslims especially have suffered in many ways for a long time because of the disagreement in power which still continues in Islamic countries. Sadly, Islam has made quite a big negative impact on the rest of the world because of the fight for power with terrorist groups like ISIS and the refugee crisis being something for countries all over the world to have to deal with. Despite the hatred and warfare, Islam is still a passionate and peaceful religion with many innocent and good people being happy with their God and beliefs as they continue to be devoted and put their trust into Allah to receive the security that is offered. Qur’an 30:60 “So be patient. Verily, the promise of Allah is true.”