Critique of Islam as a mosaic not monolith

¶ … Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith

Critique of Vartan Gregorian's "Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith"

In his work "Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith," Vartan Gregorian explores the history and beliefs of Islam in an attempt to dissect the current tension between the Western and Muslim worlds. In an age of terror and ignorance, Gregorian expresses the idea that in order to cool tensions, we must learn about Islamic culture in an attempt to further understand it. Islam is one of the world's largest religions. Despite some American's criticism, the religion is one of the fastest growing in the United States. Gregorian believes that understanding and integration of the Islamic tradition will ensure the peace and safety of Americans.

Islam stems from the same region as Christianity and Judaism, but with a different twist on God's will. Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who is said to have lived between 570 and 632 a.D. (Gregorian 3), is the highest prophet in Islamic tradition. He was born into an Arab merchant family near Mecca in modern day Saudi Arabia. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad followed God's instructions through his messenger the archangel Gabriel. Muhammad brought monotheistic teachings to the pagan people of ancient Arabia. In fact the Islamic God, Allah, was not a completely new invention but more of an adaptation of the Judeo-Christian God. Muhammad wanted his followers to fully submit themselves to the will of God. Muhammad was the highest of many prophets who were said to reveal the will of God to His followers. His prophecies and teachings were brought together in a collection now known the Qur'an, which is 114 chapters arranged according to their length. The Qur'an was originally written in Arabic, but has since been translated into a variety of different languages; however these translations are thought to be mere "versions," (6).

There are many principals all Muslims follow, despite the factions in denominations. The Islamic faith balances on three major principles; the Towhid or the "unity of God," the Nowbowat is the "belief in the prophetic mission of Muhammad," and the Ma'ad which is similar to the Judeo-Christian belief in "the day of judgment and resurrection," (6). All Muslims must also adhere to the Pillars of Faith, or five holy rules. They must profess their belief that Muhammad was a prophet, pray five times each day, give a portion to any income to the needy, fast during the holy festival of Ramadan, and make the holy pilgrimage to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, (6). Islam recognizes the Biblical figure of Abraham as the first Muslim, just as the Jewish faith believes he was the father of Judaism. Muslims also believe that the Christian figure Jesus did exist, as a prophet and not the son of God. Many Muslims actually accept the New Testament as the prophecies of God delivered through the lips of His prophet Jesus. Unlike Christianity however, Islamic tradition believes that we enter the world as sinless creatures and that we become sinful "through sinful activity," (6).

Gregorian also explores the various histories of Muslim empires through the years. Islam spread like wildfire throughout the ancient world. During a time where the old powerhouses, such as the Persian Empire, were crumbling Islam offered new hope to disillusioned peoples. Between 750 and 1250 a.D., various rulers expanded the religion in what was known as the Golden Age of Islam. Muslims made huge advances in military might, the sciences, and the arts. However, the different factions of Islam haunted the religion, even in the Golden Age of its existence. Gregorian then goes to explore the territorial dispute which led to the centuries of fighting with Christian nations in what was known in the West as the Crusades. However, it was not the Christian Westerners who did the most damage to the Muslim strongholds but barbaric Mongols who eventually ended the Golden Age of Islam. The rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century revived the greatness of the Muslim tradition. The modern era, with the culmination of the Industrial Revolution, later diminished the grandeur and power of the various Muslim empires in the Middle East and Asia. With this decline many empires which, were once powerful, then had to deal with European colonization in an era of imperialism. After the European powers abandoned their colonies, many Islamic nations faced the hardships of rebuilding their communities. Many nations implemented strict religious-based laws to re-establish themselves apart from Western influence. The concept of jihad, or the holy war, first emerged with the Ottoman Empire with the dawn of World War I. Ancient rivalries re-emerged on a more global scale with the technological advances of World War I. The Ottoman Empire was eventually defeated, but the resentment never disappeared. In recent years, there have been major divisions in traditional, conservative Muslim nations, and more liberal ones. The later half of the twentieth century saw many conservative Muslim states begin violent campaigns against Western powers that were thought to be poisoning the Islamic religion. Many nations experienced extreme religious revivals which only deepened the gap between conservative Islam and the West. Recent terrorist attacks according to many scholars, show the desperation of isolated nations to preserve their ancient heritage in an increasingly globalized world. Many leaders have been abusing religious ideologies as a way to gain power. In today's modern world, ancient rivalries still haunt the world in the dawning of the twenty-first century.