¶ … Ancient Islam in Today's World

Islam is a religion that is based upon the beliefs and practices set forth in the Koran and by looking into this religion, we can understand more about the culture of the Muslim people. From the outside, it may look like a demanding religion, but when we look at the spiritual practices related to it, we understand how the religion becomes integrated with society and how it behaves.

If we look at the practices of Islam, we see that many of them include certain etiquette, or "supreme duties" (43), which is reflected in the overall behavior of the community. These behaviors are found within the Five Pillars, which all Muslims are expected to practice. The Five Pillars include confessing of faith every day, daily prayer, giving alms to the poor, observing the fast during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's life. Muslims believe that one must adhere to these practices if one is to reap "endless rewards in a blissful Paradise after the present earthly life" (Monk 44). Alex Pulsipher notes that all but one of these pillars Involve "daily life" (Pulsipher 314), thus it is difficult to separate the religion from the very existence of the culture. In addition to the pillars, there are other requirements of those that practice Islam. Justice, truthfulness, abstention from alcohol, and pork, and "anything that seems remotely connected to idolatry" (44) are all things from which Muslims must refrain.

When we look at the practices involved with being Muslim, we can see why these people behave the way they do. It is not because they are strange; it is because they are upholding ancient religious values through practices that help them define who they are. Understanding this helps build the bridge to understanding our differences.

Works Cited

Monk, Robert, et al. Exploring Religious Meaning. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 1997.

Pulsipher, Alex. World Regional Geography. New York: Macmillan. 2007.