...Understanding Islam Christy A. Goff Dr. Thornton REL 212 September 8, 2012 In this paper, I will be reporting on my religious field research of Islam. The research that I have conducted has afforded me the opportunity to speak with, listen, and develop a stronger understanding of the Islamic faith. My research has also helped to dissolve some of the misconceptions that surround Islam. I will cover four major points throughout this paper. First, I will discuss preexisting misconceptions held against Islam. Second, I will analyze how my prior understanding of Islam was altered, or not, upon completion of my field research. Third, I will discuss whether or not I believe misconceptions of other people’s religions are common and explain in detail why or why not. Fourth, I will recommend at least one step that could be taken to help minimize misconceptions that people have in regards to other religions. I hope, through the reading of my field research report, to provide a stronger sense of understanding and receptiveness that I now have for other religions to the reader. Misconceptions of Islam In order to discuss the misconceptions that surround Islam, we must first delve into understanding what the word “Islam” actually means. “The word "Islam" means peace and submission. Peace means to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings. Submission means to submit to the Will of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam," is to achieve peace by submitting to the...
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...is why often misconceptions of some religions are formed. Normally through observations and research some of the misconceptions may be corrected. Recently, I interviewed two Muslims that are married they were both converted into the Islam religion. They both have been living as Muslims for over 20 years. After our interview, I had a better understanding of the Islam religion. The religion is Islam. A person that consciously follows Islam is called a Muslim. One major misconception that I had about the Islam followers is that they were confrontational. I have always viewed the Muslims as a group of aggressive people that communicated with their fist. I also thought that they only socialized amongst each other. However, I was wrong. Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning “peace” and submission”. Islam teaches that an Islam follower can only find peace by submitting to Allah through the heart and soul. Allah is the Almighty God, God the Creator, the Compassionate and the Sustainer. “Salaam Alaykum” a term that is used amongst Muslims which means peace be with you. The Islam religion guides towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from individual/s lives. Human nature and the complexities of human society are also considered by the followers of Islam. Another huge misconception about Islam, as regards to their followers. Arabs of the Middle East are usually associated with Islam. In the Middle East only 10% of Muslims are Arab. ...
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...Religious Field Research: Islam April Erique Dr. Keyes REL 212 12/11/11 Even though, it’s one of the most popular religions throughout the world, I believe that Islam is difficult to understand. People have their opinions about Islam and its followers. Especially, after September 11, 2001, many Americans became either fearful or angry towards Muslims and assumed that the Islamic religion and entire community was to blame. It’s a bit like the discrimination that Japanese Americans felt after Pearl Harbor but there wasn’t really blame on their religious views and morals. Well, before I actually had Muslim friends and acquaintances, I didn’t know much about the religion either. The good thing is that I wasn’t raised to be stereotypical but I did have a few ideas of the Islamic faith but I didn’t have any type of proof or reason behind it. One of the biggest misconceptions I had was that Muslims were against the belief of Jesus. Another big misconception I had with Islam was that all believers were Arab and was really only practiced in the Middle East. I also believed all Muslim women must stay covered up while in public and are believed to be beneath the men in their lives. Besides, women having limitations, I felt that it was a very strict religion in which the followers can’t drink, smoke, or partake in any type of promiscuous activities. As an outsider trying to catch a peek inside, I honestly had plenty of misconceptions of this religion, like...
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...Wilkerson REL 212 May 27, 2012 I have always been interested in Muslims which is the Islamic faith. I attended a service this past Friday at a Mosque, and interviewed a Muslim woman by the name of Anaan. She said that Anaan was Arabic for clouds. During this interview, I asked numerous questions and kept an open -mind. I was very particular with the questions I chose because I did not want to offend her during the interview. Anaan assured me that she was open to any and all questions. I also interviewed a Muslim brother by the name of Abdullah which means servant of God in Arabic. I wanted to interview a male and a female from the Islamic faith so that I could get a view from both sides. I have always had this misconception that Muslim women had no rights, or they had to obey their husband. After speaking to Anaan, a lot of my misconceptions were proven wrong. Can a religion that considers morality to be a part of faith clearly define the equality of men and women and their rights and responsibilities? The answer is a resounding “yes.” In a day and age when the basic tenets of Islam are being questioned by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, we must be cautious when evaluating Islam. The general picture that is painted by the media is biased and unsubstantiated. The impression that some Muslims give to the world is often not a true reflection of the religion, one that is the completion of all religions. Islam takes the equality of men and women very seriously. It sees the liberation...
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...Running head: THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Richard Bucher September 9, 2012 THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Numerous individuals define religion as a belief or faith. By practicing a specific religion one agrees to exist in life by a certain creed. Thus, religion is employed as a guide for practitioners’ lives. This is one component that is similar amongst all religions. Furthermore, there is an abundance of religions located everywhere in the world. One of the most commonly practiced religions is Christianity. In the United States alone, 79.5 percent of its citizens claim to be Christian (Fairchild, Christianity). I am apart of this statistic. A person who deems themselves Christian is one who concurs with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and accepts him as man’s savior. Moreover, there is another religion that has a much smaller percentage, but it is growing exponentially, and it is known as Islam. Individuals whom are practitioners of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a monotheistic belief where they believe that Allah (God) is the creator of all things. Ultimately, before properly educating myself on the religion of Islam, by going to the mosque, through extensive research, and by interviewing an individual from the Muslim community, I had my own notions about this religion. Consequently...
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...kinds of fruit. I later learned that these people were of the Islamic faith and commonly referred to as Muslims. At the time this is all I knew of the faith other than the fact that Muslims were not permitted to eat swine. Later, I learned that the Muslims selling The Final Call were Muslims in the Nation of Islam which is a sect of the Islamic faith. The Nation of Islam was considered a more radical group of Black Muslim which had gained more celebrity during the sixties and the Civil Rights Movement due to the teachings of Malcolm X. In this assignment, I chose to interview a member of the Islamic faith to get a personal point of view of understanding of the Muslim experience. This person is not a member of the Nation of Islam, but only a devout Muslim born of African heritage. His name is Mousa Adamou born in Karma Koira, Niger and was raised in Lome, Togo Africa. In preparing for our sit-down, I thought of what I already had known about the Muslim faith which was not as much as I thought prior to studying it in chapter 10 of our textbook. I did know of the ignorant and bigoted misconceptions that have plagued the Islamic religion especially after the September 11th attacks from Muslim extremists. Since then more people have educated themselves about the Islamic faith to become more aware of the beliefs, customs, and to also get a better understanding of the Muslim culture. I have met a number...
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...Misconceptions about Islam – A personal perspective Islam may be the most misunderstood religion in the United States. The impression that majority of non-Muslim Americans have is usually obtained through the media which typically represent Islamic countries or groups in the middle of a Holy War. These wars are usually waged by Islamic Fundamentalist who use terrorism and other violent acts to get their messages across giving Islam a negative reputation. Because of the lack of understanding of this highly visible religion, many conflicts arise between non-Muslim Americans and the people who live in Muslim worlds. Consequently, this causes problems among our different cultures by creating various political and religious battles that result from these misconceptions. In order to decrease the U.S. populace agita regarding the various Muslim cultures, it is important for Americans to have a better understanding of other religions including Islam. I believe three of larger misconceptions are: Islam condones violent acts, Islam is intolerant of other religions and that Muslims worship a different God. One of most misunderstood beliefs is that Islam condones violent acts and supports various types of “Jihad”. Karen Armstrong notes that Islam means “submission” or the total surrender of oneself to God, while the word Jihad in Arabic, means "struggle.” Jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an and, in Armstrong’s text; its common usage implies the "striving in the way of Allah"...
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...The Islam Religion Rel/134 The Islam Religion “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God” is the basic core belief in the Islamic religion. Islam means “submission (to God)” in Arabic. Islam is a monothetic religion whose followers are known as Muslims. This paper will be clearing common myths in the Islamic religion, explaining the sacred texts, and giving descriptions of common symbolism in Islamic text and religious practices. Also to be found in the paper is the historical foundation of the religion and some of the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. Islam traces its roots back to Abraham and his son Ishmael. In 570 AD, a descendant of Abraham named Mohammed was born. He began his life working as a shepherd for his uncle. In 610 AD, the Qur’an begins to be revealed to Mohammed by God. By 650 AD, the complete written text of the Qur’an is established. Only one hundred years after Muhammad’s death, Islam had spread around the Mediterranean. The Golden Age of Islam (750-1258 AD) saw new legal, philosophical, and religious developments. The major Hadith collections were compiled and the four modern Sunni Madh'habs, or schools of law were established. As the Caliphate, or Islamic Empire expanded, the Muslim culture became enriched by the scholars, poets, and scientists that they conquered. For example, many Muslim thinkers pursued humanistic, rational and scientific discourses in seeking knowledge, meaning and values...
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...Institution: DeVry University The only way one will be able to have much knowledge about the Muslims is through the researching from different sources, academic research, traveling, knowing what is going on around you, and reading – accepted books or journals that talks about Islam. Gale says the meaning of Islam as the submission to God. He also talks about the history of Islam that the founder/restorer of Islam is Prophet Muhammad. Newberg misconception of belief towards Islam is that Muhammad is God fearing but Muhammad did not know how to escape the future vengeance for the Muslims. Malik argues the Islam cultural diversity and thinks there is no democracy in Muslim societies, but still Islam societies are modernizing and developing economically and their literacy rates are increasing steadily which makes the democratic movements in Islam societies to be picking up at different speeds in different countries. Teachings about Muslims teaches by Gale when he said there are two main branches of Islam; Sunni and Shia, there will be further clarification of the two main branches. Islam is one of the types of religion that the worshippers are very good believers, very submissive, and there are some words in Islam that really means a lot to the worshippers of Islam. Islam means submission to God. Muslims express their submission to their God by following the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are; Shahada, formally is by witnessing the unity of God; Salat, formally is by...
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...Islam Religion Stephanie Scott Professor Carmen Pai Daschke REL 212 World Religions 12/16/12 Islam Religion Today I am doing my paper over the Islamic Religion. Earlier in the semester I had some misunderstanding about the religion because I didn’t really know the religion and parts of me didn’t want to know. I knew going into this class I had to be opened minded but I wasn’t. I think it took me the whole class to build myself to where I could be open minded. The first thing I did in researching for this paper was to figure out how I wanted to get my information. I felt that I wasn’t quite to the point of actually going to a foreign service so I researched and found a man that goes by the name Yaser Birjas. Instead of emailing we spoke over the phone and it was quite an experience. I realized that I was being judgmental about the Islam Religion because I didn’t know really anything about it. During our discussion we talked about the history of the Islam Religion, the Six Articles of Faith, the 5 Pillars of Islam, and misconceptions. In speaking with Mr. Birjas about the Islam Religion he started out with a small history lesson about what the Islam Religion is about. He states that Islam is a sequel of previous religions and that there are similarities because all religions are born from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael. This was new to me, I didn’t know this about the Islam religion and I sure didn’t realize this was the beginning of learning something new. Islam...
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...Stereotypes about the Islamic faith and Muslim culture in the United States range from the idea that Muslims do not value education, to the even more offensive notion that they are all violent terrorists. Despite the idea that college campuses are viewed as more enlightened and progressive settings, misconceptions about Muslims continue to abound in these environments. Mercer University is no exception. The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Mercer University, a university with a strong Christian heritage, is one of the less popular undergraduate organizations on campus and includes only thirty students. In an attempt to demystify the the behaviors, beliefs, and practices of Muslims in the United States, I conducted an ethnography that studies...
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...Tien Tran Chamberlain College of Nursing For the course project, the topic I would like to write is about Islam and the many misconceptions about its values, goals, and beliefs. In the scenario, it was mentioned how Islam is a highly controversial and sensitive issue in today’s world. This topic is unique and significant when it comes to the study of cultural diversity because Islam is not only a religion but a culture, too. The shape of Islam’s culture is helping many people believe in their practices and values that come from the heart. People who believe and practice the Muslim religion and faith are everywhere around the world, including in the United States. It is very important for people to understand and be more knowledgeable about not only the Islam culture but of every different culture around the world for us to understand them and their differences. In this case, it will help us understand and learn more about the Islamic culture and how it is different from Judaism and Christianity. It will also help to improve and strengthen the relationship and practice of the Islamic faith. This topic is a controversial issue, and I want to understand and be more knowledgeable about the Islamic faith, to know what it is truly about rather than how it is shown in the media. I want to be able to challenge these misconceptions by becoming more understanding and more knowledgeable about this faith. Besides that, I am also very interested in this Islamic topic because I have friends who...
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...The Islam Religion Violeta Toribio & Ryan Landry University of Phoenix Rel/134 Jack Killough June 21, 2010 The Islam Religion “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God” is the basic core belief in the Islamic religion. Islam means “submission (to God)” in Arabic. Islam is a monothetic religion whose followers are also known as Muslims. This paper will be clearing common myths in the Islamic religion, explaining the sacred texts, and giving descriptions of common symbolism in Islamic text and religious practices. Also to be found in the paper is the historical foundation of the religion and some of the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. Islam is a religion that has been subjected to many negative stereotypes where they are portrayed as violent uncivilized terrorist who oppress women. This portrayal comes from the lack of knowledge about the religion and how the U.S. mainstream media represents Muslims. Some of the common myths about Islam are Islam is intolerant of non-Muslims, Muslims don’t believe in Jesus, all Muslims are Arabs, and Muslims are violent terrorist. The first myth about Islam is that Islam is intolerant of other faiths. That is a misconception because the Qur’an preaches tolerance of other faiths, and the value of human life and to have respect for others. Announcements by Osama Bin Laden make the Islam religion seems like racist people who out to destroy any non-Muslims societies. The word of...
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...World Religions Report Denise Flythe HUM/130 March 3, 2013 Andrew Stein Islam Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions of the world today. One attributing factor for this misunderstanding has much to do with the fact that in recent years, Islam has been in the spotlight because of heightened tensions in parts of the Middle East. This tension serves to put its culture under the microscope of world attention; and although it is a major part of the Middle Eastern culture, it happens to be so much more. Like Christianity, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions today and it is rapidly spreading for several reasons. Islam has a strong political and cultural base because it happens to be the state religion of Moslem countries. Its simple creed and tenets gives it a universal appeal, and the fact that it has no racial barriers and it embraces universal unity also helps it to spread rapidly in both African and American communities. Furthermore, easy communication and practicality of its Five Pillars also helps it to spread even more swiftly in the Western Hemisphere. Many sources are available that provide information for extensive research on the topic of Islam; however, personal communication as a source, provides a more unique perspective on this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to highlight as well as to summarize a recent interview with an Islamic adherent as he gives his opinion on this topic. This summary will provide an in-depth report...
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...Islam, along with Christianity and Judaism is a major monotheistic religion of the world. It was founded by Prophet Muhammad in Arabia, in the 7th century CE. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, “the Arabic term Islam, literally ‘surrender,’ illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer, called a Muslim, accepts surrender to the will of Allah (God)” (Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). In Islam, Allah is considered the only God, and it is believed that humans must submit to his will. The Prophet Muhammad is considered the last Islamic Prophet, and the one to whom Allah had revealed sacred scriptures known as Qur’an. Although Muhammad started with a small group of followers, they quickly grew in number and his teachings started spreading rapidly “through the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula, and China”(Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). Today, there are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world which makes it 2nd largest religion of the world. However, Islam is perceived to be radical and contradictory religion by many non-Muslims. Moreover, due to the terrorist attacks which had been associated with this “religion of peace,” Muslims call it, Islam had been viewed as a “bad” religion. Since America is the “melting pot” of different cultures and religions, non-Muslims should strive to learn about the Islamic religion, its teachings and interpretations, its differences and similarities with Christianity and Judaism, and how to...
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