Islam

Islam is one of the world's three largest monotheistic (belief in only one, personal God) religions. Originating in Arabia during the 7th century CE, Islam traces its heritage back to the person of Ibrahim (biblical Abraham) . The Arabic term Islam essentially means "surrender," which exposes the very heart of the faith. The fundamental religious idea of Islam is that the believer (called a Muslim) is called to surrender to the will of ALLAH (Arabic for God). It should also be noted that as is the case in Judaism, Islam is almost inseparable from its native culture. 

"Islam acquired its characteristic ethos as a religion uniting in itself both the spiritual and the temporal aspects of life and seeking to regulate not only an individual's relationship to God (through the individual's conscience) but human relationships in a social setting as well. Thus, there is not only an Islamic religious institution but also an Islamic law, state, and other institutions governing society." 1 

For this reason, Islam should not only be seen as a religion, but in many countries around the world, it is the basis for their whole social-economic system.

Islam has drawn from elements of both Judaism and Christianity. However, it differs from them significantly in terms of religious beliefs and practices. In Islam, Muhammad is considered the last and greatest of a series of prophets (which include the Jewish prophets of the Hebrew Bible as well as Jesus, who is also considered a prophet), providing the clearest and most developed revelation of the will of Allah.

Worldwide, it is estimated that there are as many as 1.5 billion people who claim Islam as their faith, second only to Christianity. In the United States, the estimates are about 6 million, and it is currently the fastest growing religion in the nation, due primarily to immigration. In Dearborne, Michigan, one-third of the entire population is Muslim, and the city is home to thirty mosques.

Islam

Metaphysics

Belief about God

Does God exist?

Yes, Allah

How do you describe God?

all-seeing, all-knowing, all-hearing, almighty, unique, transcendent, sovereign, benevolent,  creator, powerful; Allah is the only God--there is no trinity, and Jesus was a human prophet (not divine)

"In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the Most Merciful, say, He is Allah, the One Allah, the Eternal.  He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is nothing at all comparable to Him."

Is there any kind of spirit world?

Yes, there are angels--Gabriel delivered the Quran (Koran) to Muhammad There are also demons (Satan had previously occupied a high station but fell from divine grace due to his disobedience). Equally Allah is without shape or form and is said to reside everywhere, which can be taken to imply a spirit world.

Belief about the world

Is there an overall plan or order behind nature?

Yes. According to the Qur'an, the Universe is viewed as autonomous, but not autocratic. In other words, everything has its own laws of behavior as given to it by Allah, but because they were endowed by Allah they are strictly limited; thus, not autocratic.

"Glorify the name of your Sustainer, the All-Highest, Who creates all that exists, then forms it in its best mold, determines its nature with the proper measure and guides it towards it fulfillment." -- The Qu'ran 87:1-3; tr. by M. Asad

"In order to prove the unity of God, the Qur'an lays frequent stress on the design and order of the universe. There are no gaps or disclosures in nature."

Belief about humanity

Are human beings different from the rest of nature?

Yes. Humans have an immortal soul  According to the Qu'ran, humans are declared to be the noblest of all God's creatures. They are said to bear the trust of God, which the rest of Allah's creation refused to accept. Equally, according to the Qu'ran, Allah created two apparently parallel species of creatures: humans (from clay) and Jinn (from Fire). However, the Qu'ran mentions little more about Jinn, other than they are said to be endowed with great reason and responsibility.

"Human beings are God's finest reflection, the culmination of creation. The title vicegerent is an extraordinary vote of confidence and bestowed on the species because of its ability to think and reason." -- Akbar S. Ahmed

Where did we come from, & where are we going?

  • Created By Allah
  • In the afterlife, each human will be either rewarded with heaven (paradise, the garden) or  punished in hell (the fire).  There are degrees of both heaven and hell, and one's eternal state is dependent on how faithfully one has repented and obeyed Allah in this life.
Islam

Axiology

2.1 Beliefs about purpose

What is the overall purpose or meaning of humanity?

  • To submit to the divine will of Allah
  • Humanity was created as good by Allah good, yet has fallen from that state. On the "Last Day" the world will come to an end, and judgment will occur on all people (rewarding the good, and punishment on the wicked). Through direct submission to Allah mankind fulfils the "partnership" between Allah and humanity.

What is the main purpose or highest good for each individual?

A Muslims purpose is to be Allah's representative on earth, and bear the responsibility of a just and moral social order on earth

Belief about ethics

How does one decide right & wrong?

  • By obeying Allah's will: Revealed in the Qu'ran (Koran) through the prophet Muhammad and explained by Muslim religious teachers.
  • There are regular observances of religious practices within Islam, mainly the five pillars of Islam. These five pillars are the expression of personal faith and piety. The Five Pillars are:

The Five Pillars of Islam

  • To declare that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
  • To establish regular worship.
  • To pay alms .
  • To observe the fast of Ramadan.
  • To perform the hajj pilgrimage (a pilgrimage to the Ka'bah, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia).

"The injunctions laid out in the Qu'ran and the Hadith form the basis of what is known collectively as the Sharia, the "Islamic way". The Sharia is all-encompassing, and, to worship God, the Muslim must recognize that every realm of human activity bears religious significance."
-- Matthew S. Gordon

Islam

Epistemology

Is it possible for humans to know truth?

Yes

What are legitimate sources of truth?

Revelation

  • Prophets: Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus);    the greatest and final prophet is Muhammad: nature, science, history, mathematics, human reason
  • Scriptures: Quran (Koran) 
  • The sunnah (what the Prophet Muhammad said, did, or approved of) is the second source in Islam. 
  • The Bible is viewed as revelatory, though it has been "polluted" by Jews and Christians.
  • IJMA (Consensus) and IJTIHAD (Individual thought)
  • Nature, science, history, mathematics, human reason.

 

"Éilm (knowledge) is the second most-used word in the Qu'ran after the name of God Human beings are told to use their mind and think in over 300 places." - Akbar S. Ahmed 6

Further Resources

Books
For a good exploration of the historical aspects of Islam, refer to: Bloom, Jonathan and Sheila Blair, Islam. New York, TV Books, 2000. Or Armstrong, Karen, Islam: A short history. New York, Modern Library Edition, 2000.

  •  Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Doniger, Wendy Cons. Ed. Springfield, Mass. 1999
  •  The Harper-Collins Dictionary of Religion. Smith, Jonathan Z. Gen. Ed. New York, Harper Collins. 1995.
  •  Beversluis, Joel, Sourcebook of the World's Religions. Novato, CA, New World Library, 2000.
  • Kenneth Richard Sample, A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test (Grand Rapids. 2007): 247-263.
  •  Ahmed, Akbar S. Islam Today. New York, I.B. Tauris Publishers, 1999.
  •  Gordon, Matthew S. Islam: Origins, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Persons, Sacred Places. New York, Oxford University Press, 2002.

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