Islam: The Universal Religion
Posted by Yusuf Abdallah Mdala on Thursday, January 27, 2011
Under: Society
Islam is one of the three major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity, which professes monotheism or the belief in a single God.
In the Arabic language, the word Islam is a verbal noun originating from a trilateral root s-l-m, and is derived from the Arabic verb Aslama, which means “to accept,” “to surrender” or “to submit”— thus Islam means acceptance of and submission to the will of God — believers (Muslims) must demonstrate this by worshiping Him, following his commands and avoiding polytheism (shirik). Thus Islam constitutes an integrated cultural system encompassing the totality of individual and communal existence. It is a system of sanctification in which all is to be subsumed under God’s rule—that is, under divinely revealed models of cosmic order and lawfulness. It is way of life. This implies that, unless people choose to govern themselves through Sharia (laws that are an expression of God’s will), Islam is the direct opposite of western concept of democracy which has been defined as a political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish.
A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which in Arabic means “one who surrenders to God.” The Arabic name for God, Allah, refers to the God worshiped by Jews and Christians. Islam’s central teaching is that there is only one all-powerful, all-knowing God, and this God created the universe. This rigorous monotheism, as well as the Islamic teaching that all Muslims are equal before God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends class, race, nationality, and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one community, the ummah, irrespective of their ethnic or national background.
Within two centuries after its restoration in the 7th century, Islam spread from its original home of revival in Arabia into Syria, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain to the west, and into Persia, India, and, by the end of the 10th century, beyond to the east. In the following centuries, Islam also spread into Anatolia and the Balkans to the north, and sub-Saharan Africa to the south. According to 2009 demographic study conducted by Pew Research Centre, the Muslim community comprises about 1.57 billion followers, making up to 23% of the world population, and Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. Thus roughly, 1 in every 4 people in the world is a Muslim. The study found that there are more Muslims in Germany than in Lebanon and more in China than in Syria. The most populous Muslim country is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. Beyond the Middle East, large numbers of Muslims live in India, Nigeria, the former republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and China.
One of the reasons for the growth of the Muslim community has been its openness to new members. Also issues concerning Islam and terrorism have raised curiosity among people and in their effort to know more about Islam, some have understood the religion better, hence their conversion. Further, children born to Muslim parents are automatically considered Muslim. At any time, a non-Muslim can convert to Islam by declaring himself or herself to be a Muslim. A person’s declaration of faith (shahadah) is sufficient evidence of conversion to Islam and need not be confirmed by others or by religious authorities.
In the Arabic language, the word Islam is a verbal noun originating from a trilateral root s-l-m, and is derived from the Arabic verb Aslama, which means “to accept,” “to surrender” or “to submit”— thus Islam means acceptance of and submission to the will of God — believers (Muslims) must demonstrate this by worshiping Him, following his commands and avoiding polytheism (shirik). Thus Islam constitutes an integrated cultural system encompassing the totality of individual and communal existence. It is a system of sanctification in which all is to be subsumed under God’s rule—that is, under divinely revealed models of cosmic order and lawfulness. It is way of life. This implies that, unless people choose to govern themselves through Sharia (laws that are an expression of God’s will), Islam is the direct opposite of western concept of democracy which has been defined as a political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish.
A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which in Arabic means “one who surrenders to God.” The Arabic name for God, Allah, refers to the God worshiped by Jews and Christians. Islam’s central teaching is that there is only one all-powerful, all-knowing God, and this God created the universe. This rigorous monotheism, as well as the Islamic teaching that all Muslims are equal before God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends class, race, nationality, and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one community, the ummah, irrespective of their ethnic or national background.
Within two centuries after its restoration in the 7th century, Islam spread from its original home of revival in Arabia into Syria, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain to the west, and into Persia, India, and, by the end of the 10th century, beyond to the east. In the following centuries, Islam also spread into Anatolia and the Balkans to the north, and sub-Saharan Africa to the south. According to 2009 demographic study conducted by Pew Research Centre, the Muslim community comprises about 1.57 billion followers, making up to 23% of the world population, and Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. Thus roughly, 1 in every 4 people in the world is a Muslim. The study found that there are more Muslims in Germany than in Lebanon and more in China than in Syria. The most populous Muslim country is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. Beyond the Middle East, large numbers of Muslims live in India, Nigeria, the former republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and China.
One of the reasons for the growth of the Muslim community has been its openness to new members. Also issues concerning Islam and terrorism have raised curiosity among people and in their effort to know more about Islam, some have understood the religion better, hence their conversion. Further, children born to Muslim parents are automatically considered Muslim. At any time, a non-Muslim can convert to Islam by declaring himself or herself to be a Muslim. A person’s declaration of faith (shahadah) is sufficient evidence of conversion to Islam and need not be confirmed by others or by religious authorities.
In : Society