In our final review unit, we will look at Islam today.  This program relates especially to chapters 7-17 of Frederick M. Denny, An Introduction to Islam, 2nd ed. (New York:  Macmillan, 1993).  

BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIP PRACTICES

    Let me ask you a mathematical question:  if you were asked to identify the most important and distinctive number in the Christian faith, what would it be?

• 1:  the unity of God is a very important theme for all monotheistic religions.  However, 1 is probably emphasized more in Judaism than in Christianity.
• 4 gospels are certainly very important for the New Testament.  However, few other aspects of Christianity fall into four categories.
• 7 is a key biblical number, especially in the book of Revelation, indicating completeness.  John counts on his readers to be familiar with the symbolism of this number.  But it too comes from Judaism.
• 12 is used throughout the Bible, especially because of the twelve tribes of Israel.  It indicates completeness, often as a symbol of the Jewish people.  But another number is even more significant in Christianity.
• 40 years were spent by the Hebrews in the Sinai wilderness, and 40 days were spent by Jesus in the Judean wilderness.  Often in the Bible a period of forty years represents one generation; again, this is a Jewish concept rather than a distinctively Christian identification.
• 3:  the Christian doctrine of the Trinity -- God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One -- is unique among the great religions of the world.

    I'd like to note two central numbers for Muslims:

• 1:  the unity of God is a key Islamic doctrine.  Jesus is highly respected as a great prophet and teacher, born of a virgin, but in Muslim understanding he was not the Son of God.  The declaration of God's oneness is the first in a series of "pillars of faith" which are central in Islam.
• 5:  your textbook discusses various Islamic doctrines and acts of worship.  But the most important grouping, which we've discussed in class in detail, is the traditional Five Pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada, bearing witness:  la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadun rasul Allah, "there is no god but God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger."
2. Salat, worship five times a day, facing toward Mecca.
3. Zakat, almsgiving to the needy.
4. Fasting each year during the holy month of Ramadan, the month when the Qur'an was first revealed.
5. Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime.

ISLAMIC LAW

    Christians and Jews share with Muslims a concern for high moral standards.  Islamic law has developed in ways similar to Torah and halakhah in Judaism.  The basic constitution of Islam, the Shari`a, is a living law, constantly changing with new situations.  Legal formulations are based primarily on the Qur'an and on the hadith, "reports" or traditions about Muhammad's actions and teachings.  

    In order to determine the proper interpretation, two major principles are used.  One is qiyas, the use of reason to find analogies to preceding laws and decisions.  Muslim philosophers can use that approach most effectively.  An individual may follow his or her own individual reasoning to make comparisons in specific situations.  But something is needed to balance this individual approach, or Islamic laws could be interpreted in a myriad of ways.  So a second major principle for interpretation is ijma`, "consensus" or "agreement."  In fact, ijma` is the strongest principle of interpretation.  It allows for the consensus of the earliest caliphs or of a group of modern theological and legal experts.  Since Islamic law includes both a respect for ancient judgments and an openness to ways in which those judgments can be applied to modern situations, it is not frozen in the past, but can be applied to new situations which weren't envisioned centuries ago.

THE ISLAMIC LIFE CYCLE

    Let's review the life cycle in Islam.  A child is a precious gift of God.  Remember the Quran's emphasis on God as Creator of all life.  One way to express gratitude to God for the gift of a baby is to give the child a name with religious meaning.  What is the one name which is given to more children than any other name in the whole world?  Hint:  it was the name of the persons who made two of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the 20th century -- the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic library at Nag Hammadi, Egypt.  Right:  Muhammad!  And many a young Muhammad is taught to memorize parts of the Qur'an at an early age.  Fatima is a popular name for Muslim girls.

    Now I'm moving into a delicate area.  Since I'm a computer, I have a difficult time distinguishing men from women.  I can't go by physical clues, such as clothes, hair length, earrings, and fragrance, as I could back in the good old days when Macintoshes were young.  I remember having a crush on a cute little iMac ... But I digress.  Even though I can't recognize whether you are male or female, in order for me to talk about the Muslim lifestyle, I must ask you:  how many spouses (husbands or wives) would you like to have?

• As many as you can?  You're pulling my computer table leg -- Sigmund Freud would like to meet you!  I suggest that you moderate your desires; don't let your Id run away with you!

• Zero?  I didn't mean that you have to go that far!  OK, no one really must be married in order to find fulfillment and happiness in life.  A number of my friends have chosen the single life and are quite happy with their choice.  But most Muslims get married; Islam has a strong emphasis on family values.

• One?  Most Muslims would agree with you.  Monogamy is the standard in most Islamic countries.

• Two?   I can understand that.  I find two disk drives more enjoyable than one!  And I've seen those TV commercials claiming that you can double your pleasure with Doublemint gum.  A few Muslim men have two wives, in countries where polygamy is legal.

• Three?  I thought that you human beings said, "Three's a crowd"!  A few Muslim men have three wives, in countries where polygamy is legal.

• Four?  If you are a man, you want the maximum number of wives permitted by the Qur'an!  But Islamic law says that you may do that only if you can treat them all equally.  Please think carefully, and you'll probably agree with most Muslim men that one wife is enough.  If you are a woman:  I'm sorry, but a Muslim woman may not have more than one husband.  So your desire for polyandry is not acceptable; only polygyny is permitted in Islamic culture.   

    If you do marry, I hope that you find pleasure and fulfillment in your marriage.  The only happiness for us poor old computers is in crunching numbers.  How would you like a steady diet of 0's and 1's?  Muslims can eat and drink just about anything, with only two big exceptions.  Abstinence from pork and alcohol enables Muslims to make a witness of their submission to God and commitment to their faith.  

    When Muslims come to the end of their life, they prepare by facing Mecca and repeating the shahada, La ilaha illa Allah, "There is no God but God."  Friends and relatives help the Muslims to prepare for God's Judgment and to die in peace, through reciting Surah 36 ( Ya Sin), and through performing other appropriate rituals.  

ISLAM AND THE MODERN WORLD

    One area which divides Muslims today is that of the rights and responsibilities of women.  The Qur'an defined the roles of women quite precisely for the seventh century.  But how should the precepts of the Qur'an be applied to the twenty-first century?  Questions of marriage and divorce, inheritance, and dress codes for women are hot issues in the Middle East.  The revolutionary spirit among some Muslims today leads them to abandon the compromises made by their parents and ancestors, in an attempt to return to the basic beliefs and practices of Islam.

    The term which best expresses the "back-to-basics" approach that is present today in both Islam and Christianity is fundamentalism.  In the early 1900's a series of pamphlets describing "the fundamentals" of Christianity gave its name to such movements.  Shi`ite Muslims today, especially Iranians, are seeking to bring their Sunni brothers and sisters away from their closeness to Western culture.  They want to reestablish the oneness of the Islamic community and its dedication to the ideals of the Prophet.  The powerful "corrupting" influence of Western culture is seen by fundamentalist Muslims as a clear and present danger, which demands extreme measures.  Shi`ites are also taking on leadership roles in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein; it will be interesting to see how the Iraqi political structure develops in the months and years ahead.  Saddam Hussein governed with a predominantly secularist approach, but with the support of the Sunni minority.  Now Shi`ites, who comprise about 60% of the Iraqi population, are demanding a strong voice in the future of Iraq.  With its ancient and rich cultural heritage, Iraq represents an area of the Middle East which I hope will one day be at peace.  

    Fundamentalist Muslims are especially active in areas such as Iraq,  Iran, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.  The Iranian Revolution of the 1970's showed that the evils of modernism could be banished from an entire nation, and Shi`ite principles could become the law of the land.  Success brought with it the desire to establish other Islamic theocracies on the Iranian model.  Lebanon attracted the attention of Shi`ite revolutionaries when the coalition of Muslims and Christians that had governed the nation since World War II fell apart.  The Lebanese civil war, which lasted many years, shattered leadership in Lebanon into many warring factions.  Since Israel pulled its soldiers out of Lebanon several years ago, and Syria pulled the last of its soldiers out of Lebanon in April 2005, perhaps eventually some of the groups can begin to work together again.  Afghanistan's fundamentalism had enthusiastic adherents determined to rid their nation of Soviet control, but the Taliban produced one of the most strict codes of life in the whole Islamic world until it was removed from power.  Palestine, Egypt, Pakistan, and other Islamic countries have also experienced significant fundamentalist activity in recent years.

    If you are interested in the place of Islam in America today, let me recommend two books.  You should begin with the powerful book written under the direction of Alex Haley (who produced the TV series, "Roots"):  The Autobiography of Malcolm X (New York:  Grove, 1966).  It includes the story of how the pilgrimage to Mecca really changed Malcolm X's whole life.  It also tells about the mysterious W. D. Fard and the beginnings of the "Black Muslims" (later called the Nation of Islam) under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad. Then go to Jane I. Smith, Islam in America (New York:  Columbia UP, 2000).  This book will bring you up to date on Islamic groups and leaders in America today, including Louis Farrakhan and Warith Deen Mohammed, son of Elijah Muhammad.  It also has very sensitive treatments of how American Muslims seek to preserve their religious and ethical values in a society that is predominantly Christian and Jewish.    

    What does the future hold for Islam?  History gives us a picture of constant change in the nations and cultures that are part of the umma.  The one thing which is certain is that the picture will continue to be volatile rather than stable.  In spite of centuries of tension and turmoil, the Middle East still attracts us.  As the origin of three great Western religions, it certainly has a rich potential.  We may hope that some of that potential will one day be directed toward enabling human beings to live together in harmony!  One word points to the dream of peace which people of the Middle East have longed for, throughout many centuries.  That word sounds almost the same in both Semitic languages:  salaam in Arabic, and shalom in Hebrew.  Salaam or shalom is the peace which allows a person to enjoy a full life of happiness and fulfillment -- in a family, a community, a nation.

    This concludes the review program on Muslim life and the Middle East today.  Salaam!  If you have comments or suggestions, please let me have them.  You can send me e-mail: fkellogg@ehc.edu

To look at one of my other syllabi or to review a unit in a different course, go to my Home Page.

To review a different unit in this course, go directly to one of the following:

    Unit 1, Foundations of Judaism
    Unit 2, Modern Judaism
    Unit 3, Foundations of Islam

If you prefer, you may return to the Emory & Henry College Home Page.

Last updated:  April 25, 2005