Islamic teachings and practices across global regions

Teachings and Practice of Islam

The Teachings of Islam Around the World: Outline

Islam is an incredibly complex religion, where religious practices often differ depending on the cultural context of the region in which it is practices in.

Basic Teachings of Islam

History of Islam

The Quran

Five Pillars: Prayer and Practices

Denominations

How it is Practiced in the United States and Great Britain

Influx in Muslims

Facing Adversity and Stereotypes

Muslims as a Minority

India

Spread of Islam into India

Sufi Islam

Other Asian Nations

Southeast Asia

Islam as Reacting Against a Growing Western Presence

The Middle East

Prominent Denominations

Islamic Law as National Law

C. Gender Issues

Pakistan

A. Fundamentalism

Taliban

Conclusion

The Teachings of Islam Around the World

Introduction

No two Muslims are alike, just as any two persons of any other religion. Here in the West, we tend to lump categories of Muslims together, without understanding the regional and cultural differences that make the practice of Islam so varied across the globe. Overall, Islam is an incredibly complex religion, where religious practices often differ depending on the cultural context of the region in which it is practices in.

History of Islam

Islam is one of the neighboring monotheistic religions that developed alongside Christianity and Judaism as one of the world's largest religions. In the 6th Century, AD, God, or Allah, revealed himself to the prophet Muhammad. The month of Ramadan is said to give praise for these revelations to Muhammad (Raatma, 2009). Islam aims to answer basic theological questions, and presents a series of prophets, Muhammad being the most important, who claim to reveal the word of God. Known as Allah, the Islamic God is very much similar to the deity's Judeo-Christian counterpart. In fact, other major figures that appear in the Bible are seen in the Quran as other prophets, including figures like Abraham, Adam, Noah, Moses, and even Jesus. Muhammad is the last and most important of these prophets were sent by God to spread His word. Like Christians, Muslims believe in a Heaven and in a Hell, with the soul traveling to one or the other after death based on the quality of that individual's life and the level of sins committed.

Basic Teachings of Islam

The Quran

Mohammad's teachings and other revelations from God were written down in the Quran, which is the spiritual cannon of Islamic religious doctrine, much like the Bible is to Christianity and Judaism. It is a combination of the hadith, which chronicle's Muhammad's life and teachings combined with the Medinan which is more of the abstract spiritual guidelines and moral teachings (Raatma, 2009). Overall, the Quran is like a moral guide, helping provide God's guidance to those devoted followers who want to live a moral and righteous life under Allah. From the pages of the Quran come the main principles of Islam as a whole, which are used from all Muslims from more progressive Muslims living in the West to fundamentalists living in hostile Pakistan. Within the Quran is the chronicling both of the suffering of Muhammad, as well as his major moral gains as he tries to live a pious life under Allah. These very obvious periods help "provide occasions for the display of both kinds of moral qualities, viz., those which can be demonstrated in time of suffering and those which cannot be put into practice except in triumph and prosperity," (Ahmad, 2003, p 167). As such, the Quran witnesses thirteen years of Muhammad teaching in Mecca, where he suffered the most. Even during the worst of times, Mohammad spread the word of God as it had been revealed to him, devotedly living a moral life under the new guidelines of Islam. Yet, throughout his suffering and success, Mohammad always kept his faith in Allah. Thus, "his complete trust in God, his patient acceptance of every form of trial and adversity, his calm and serenity, his noble and dignified manner, his unbroken activity and zeal in the performance of his duties laid upon him, his perseverance, his fearless courage" all impressed those around him and helped set up a structure for Mohammad to spread the word of Allah (Ahmed, 2003, p 167). Within the Quran are these moral teachings, but also a more specified set of guidelines for living the life of a devoted Muslim. These were later established as Islamic law, which are followed in various degrees by Muslim's around the world. It even includes laws regarding diets and daily behaviors, as well as larger, more abstract moral teachings.

Five Pillars: Prayer and Practices

One of the most widely understood and recognized set of laws within Islam are the Five Pillars, which help guide the lifestyle, prayer, and practices of Muslims around the world. The first pillar is known as Testimony, or Shahadah, which is the profession of the follower that Allah alone is the only God. It is a written creed that all Muslims must state, pledging their allegiance to one God, Allah (Raatma, 2009). Then there is the pillar of Prayer. These are specific prayers that are supposed to take place five times a day, known as Salah. Individuals in prayer meet in mosques, or pray from wherever they are, allowing for a flexible daily communication with God. Muslims take this time to connect with Allah on an extremely personal level, where they give thanks and praise to Allah. The third pillar is Zakat, or the giving back of charity back into the community. Zakat allows some of the more affluent members of the community to give fixed donations to help those in need in the community. It expresses the moral value of charity and good deeds, and is considered part of a Muslim's religious obligations in their connection with Allah through Islam. The Fourth Pillar is Sawm, or the fasting that takes place during some of the religion's highest holidays. During the entire month of Ramadahn, Muslims fast by refraining from food and drink during the days, and then eat again at night. These fasts are meant to help further connect the individual to God by their understanding of how blessed they are with His gifts of food and sustenance. Finally, there is the Hajj, or the sacred pilgrimage that every Muslim must take. Mecca is one of the holiest sites in all of Islam, and the pilgrimage is demanded of every Muslim at least once in his or her life time. Travelers come from far and wide to walk seven times around the Kaaba and visit some of the holiest sites where Muhammad preached throughout his lifetime.

Denominations

Throughout the Muslim world, there are various denominations that differ in their practice and conceptions of Islamic rules and traditions. Several major denominations include Sunnis, Shiates, and Sufi. Sunni Islam is the denomination which is followed the most by the majority of Muslims around the world. They place a special importance on the hadiths, or the accounts of Muhammad and his life, as they try to live by the more traditional path of the holy prophet. The main difference of their belief structure within Islamic traditions is the notion of who can be seen as a major authority figure within the religion itself. According to Sunnis, the caliph, or successor of Muhammad, was directly from descendents of the prophet. After Muhammad's death in 632 CE, God chose no other prophets, which the Sunni's interpret as a clear sign Allah wants the members of the religion to choose their own leadership (Raatma, 2009). As such, any religious and pious man can be a caliph and help lead communities following the Islamic path. On the other hand, Shia Islam sees a much different concept in regards to the choosing of its leadership. Shia Islam is the second largest branch. The major difference here is that there is a much more structured hierarchy in regards to who is the leadership within Muslim communities. Shiates believe that Muhammad did pick someone to replace him before his death, his son-in-law named Ali ibn Abi Talib. Caliphs in Shia Islam have to be from that blood line to become major leaders. The final denomination is also the smallest, and is Sufism. It is a much more abstract and mystical interpretation of the Quran and its teachings. Thus, it is a more flexible interpretation that focuses on spirituality built through individual emotional charges and connections, which is often criticized by the two other denominations in Islam (Raatma, 2009). Together, all three denominations have their own unique customs and practices that helps differentiate how Islam is practiced around the world.

India

India is the gateway that lies in between Asia and the Middle East. It is heavily influenced by Pakistan in the north, and by Southeast Asian nations further south, both of which regions have large Muslim populations. India has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world (Raatma, 2009). The research shows how the Muslim population was "confined at first to North India, Islam later spread throughout the entire subcontinent" (Morgan, 2010, p 157). Most of this progression southwards occurred during the Mughal dynasty that was founded in 1201 (Morgan, 2010). Since then, Islam has grown dramatically and become one of India's top religious affiliations. India now finds itself in a state of "a cultural synthesis between" Hinduism and Islam (Morgan, 2010, p 158). Sufi Islam is popular in India because of the mysticism that goes well with indigenous and Hindu religions that were here well before the spread of Islam into India (Morgan, 2010).

Other Asian Nations

Other Asian nations have adopted Islam alongside India as well. According to the research, "outside of the Arab-speaking world of the Middle East, the next largest population of Muslims is to be found in Asia -- Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia" (Shamsul, 2006, p 62). Islam is much different as it is seen in the context of Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian nations. The differences in practices have often been attributed to the fact that "the pluralized Islam was embedded and set into a non-Islamic mould that constitutes an admixture of indigenous belief, Hinduism, and Buddhism" that were layered on top of one another to create a truly unique form of Islam that varies enormously from community to community (Shamsul, 2006, p 63). Fortunately, most "Muslims in Southeast Asia had accepted a separation of religion and politics" that was much like Muslims practicing in the United States and Great Britain (Shamsul, 2006, p 64).

Still, in Southeast Asia, like in the Middle East, a more fundamentalist form of Islam has been a way for individual nation states to revolt and pull away from the colonization of European powers and ideas. Essentially, the research suggests that "in a redefined political, economic, and cultural scenario, Islam progressive as ever, became the source for creative dissent for the locals against the colonizers in each of the nascent modern-nation states" (Shamsul, 2006, p 63). Some of these Islamic dissenters have remained Democratic in their dominance, while others take a more hostile route like the fundamentalists seen in the Middle East.

The Middle East

The Middle East is the birthplace of Islam, and is still the region with the greatest Muslim population. Even within this enormous block of Islam practicing nations, there are still large differences between practices among cultural enclaves. The denominations of Muslims impact how they practice Islam, but also who they see as their primary allies in the region. Here, the research suggests that "most people in the Middle East belong to the Sunni sect of Islam" (Wheeling Jesuit University, 2002). Shiites take the majority is areas like Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran (Wheeling Jesuit University, 2002). The differences in denominations have helped shape relations between nations in the region for decades.

Many Middle East nations practice pure Islamic rule within their own legal requirements and structures. It has been said that "Islamic governments should follow Islamic law" (Morgan, 2010, p xviii). This entails a strong connection between church and state, where Islamic law becomes the primary foundation for law in general in such Islamic states. Essentially, "the Western concept of separation between church and state does not exist in many Islamic societies, nor is religious tolerance always considered a virtue" (Morgan, 2010, p xix). The head of state is typically Muslim and Islamic religious rules are followed as law. Saudi Arabia even forbids the open practice of any other religions in its borders (Morgan, 2010). This highly conservative nature to many Middle Eastern states is what makes practice in this region so much different than practices of Islam elsewhere in the world.

These practices are what often incite gender issues as well. In Islam, there is a general concept of keeping the two sexes separate. From the Quran, this is the principle that "the object of seclusion is that both men and women should be restrained from intermingling freely and that neither sex should be at liberty to display its attraction and beauty to the other sex," (Ahmed, 2003, p 49). It is meant to keep the sexes separate in order to ensure their dignity is not tarnished. Yet, when this is translated into law based on Islamic regulations, it can become an issue to women's rights and well being. In more extreme Islamic states, the rights of women have been dramatically impacted through heavy restrictions on their behaviors and dress. Unfortunately, "it is sheer ignorance of the teachings of that religion to suggest that seclusion means shutting up women like prisoners in a jail," yet often times in the most conservative Islamic states this is exactly what happens (Ahmed, 2003, p 49).

Pakistan

Speaking of conservative Islamic states, Pakistan is one of the most ardent Islamic governments. According to the research, "Pakistan was formed almost single-handedly in 1948 by Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) as a home for Muslims of the Indian subcontinent" (xviii). It soon became an enclave for Muslim inhabitants who wanted to live under Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent. Since then, it has turned incredibly conservative. Pakistan has chosen a "military solution" to ensure its Islamic principles are followed (Shamsul, 2006, p 65). As such, there is a very conservative Islamic government that rules over the lives and practices of its people.

The nation is most known for its militant groups against Western ideologies. There are not that many fundamentalist groups out there, yet they are the ones that have "always attracted our attention due to the violent and militant nature of their activities that often costs so many innocent lives" (Shamsul, 2006, p 66). These groups have garnished international attention. Moreover, the sharia, a set of extremely conservative religious rules that serve as the foundation for political rules, is practiced to the extreme in Pakistan. The Taliban in Pakistan set up an extremely conservative rule in Pakistan; one where the "the Pakistani Taliban also interprets sharia as forcing women to remain in their homes and the outlawing of all forms of entertainment" (Morgan, 2010, p 169). This is the picture the outside world most often sees of Pakistan and its connection to Islam.

Conclusion

Overall, it is clear that one cannot lump all the varying elements of Islam together into a nice, neat package. The religion is incredibly complex, making for varying ways of practicing its concepts around the globe. Cultural and regional influences definitely have an impact on the nature of Islam and how it is practiced in certain geographical locations.