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Islamic theology is a large field,
requiring detailed study to fully understand. There are several basic beliefs
and practices, however, that can be outlined here. Central to Islamic belief is
the absolute power of God. Islam is strictly monotheistic, believing that there
is only one God, omnipotent and merciful, and that associating any human being
or image with God is an unforgivable sin. We have already seen how this view
translates into the Muslim rejection of the Christian belief in Jesus' divinity,
as well as in the Trinity, and it also means that Muslims do not accept
idolatry, or shirk.
As we have also seen, Muslims believe
that Muhammad was the last of a series of prophets that God sent to earth. While
respecting the teachings of all earlier prophets, Muslims believe that Allah
sent his final message to Muhammad in order to correct the corruption of the
previous messages. As with the other Abrahamic religions, Satan also exists in
Islamic theology, but Islam's strict monotheism maintains that God is the most
important figure. Satan is not nearly as important in Islam as he is in
Christianity, for example. Also unlike Christianity, Muslims do not believe in
original sin. They believe that God pardoned Adam's sin in order for human
beings to begin life without sin. Muslims who have sinned in their lives, and
who sincerely repent and submit to God, can be forgiven for their sins. Muslims
also believe in a Judgement Day, when the world will end and the dead will rise
to be judged.
There are Five Pillars of Islam,
which are the most important practices for a Muslim to observe:
Hajj pilgrims praying towards the Ka'ba at the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca
Courtesy of IslamiCity
Gender Roles
The roles assigned to men and women
in Islamic theology have often come under fire in the Judeo-Christian world,
mostly due to misunderstandings of Islam's position on gender roles, or the
corruption of Qur'anic doctrine by present-day political leaders in Muslim
countries. The Qur'an says that men and women are created equally before God,
and that while they have different attributes, neither gender is superior. Both
men and women have souls and can go to Heaven if they lead a life without sin,
contradicting early Christian doctrine that women do not possess souls and are
inherently evil, because of Eve's original sin. Islam does not blame Eve for
what it believes happened in the Garden of Eden; it maintains that both Adam and
Eve were responsible, but they repented before God and were forgiven. Believing
women descended from the sinful Eve colored Christian ideas of women's character
for centuries - as untrustworthy, morally inferior, wicked beings - with
menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth believed to be punishment for all women
after Eve. The Qur'an has no such images of women, who are not put on earth
solely to bear children, but also to do good deeds the same as men.
The Qur'an states that women are not
possessions of men. They are free to choose their own husbands and maintain
their own names after marriage. Divorce is permitted, though discouraged.
Polygamy, or the practice of a man having more than one wife, is also permitted
- to a maximum of four wives - with the stipulation that the man must have means
to care for all of his wives. Both women and men are encouraged to seek
knowledge, and to manage their own financial assets. A wife has the right to
claim financial support from her husband, but a husband is not entitled to his
wife's earnings, inheritance, or property. Women can own their own property,
enter into legal contracts themselves, and give testimony in legal proceedings.
A wife has the right to receive a mahr, or dowry, from her husband upon
marriage, which cannot be returned under any circumstances. She also has the
right to kind treatment from her husband.
Still, one should not assume from the
rights listed here that medieval Islamic society featured perfectly balanced
gender roles. Women were still considered fertile fields to which men should go,
menstruation was treated as an illness, two women were required in order to
testify in legal proceedings in the place of one man, and a woman's inheritance
was generally half of her brother's. Both men and women are required by the
Qur'an to dress modestly, in order to be judged on the basis of character rather
than appearance, and they must dress differently from unbelievers. For women,
this includes the Hijab, which for some Muslim women covers the head and
body except for eyes and hands, while for others covers only the hair. It seeks
to ensure that a woman is not viewed as a sexual being by those other than her
husband.
These basic tenets of gender roles
are set out in the Qur'an, but as with many religions, the word of the holy
scripture has not always been followed by those with political power. Women, for
example, have not always been permitted their Qur'anic rights by Islamic regimes
throughout history, just as gender roles in Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or other
religions are not always carried out in everyday life.
Islamic theology is a large field,
requiring detailed study to fully understand. There are several basic beliefs
and practices, however, that can be outlined here. Central to Islamic belief is
the absolute power of God. Islam is strictly monotheistic, believing that there
is only one God, omnipotent and merciful, and that associating any human being
or image with God is an unforgivable sin. We have already seen how this view
translates into the Muslim rejection of the Christian belief in Jesus' divinity,
as well as in the Trinity, and it also means that Muslims do not accept
idolatry, or shirk.
As we have also seen, Muslims believe
that Muhammad was the last of a series of prophets that God sent to earth. While
respecting the teachings of all earlier prophets, Muslims believe that Allah
sent his final message to Muhammad in order to correct the corruption of the
previous messages. As with the other Abrahamic religions, Satan also exists in
Islamic theology, but Islam's strict monotheism maintains that God is the most
important figure. Satan is not nearly as important in Islam as he is in
Christianity, for example. Also unlike Christianity, Muslims do not believe in
original sin. They believe that God pardoned Adam's sin in order for human
beings to begin life without sin. Muslims who have sinned in their lives, and
who sincerely repent and submit to God, can be forgiven for their sins. Muslims
also believe in a Judgement Day, when the world will end and the dead will rise
to be judged.
There are Five Pillars of Islam,
which are the most important practices for a Muslim to observe:
Creed (Shahada): The
statement of Shahada in Arabic is: "Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa-llah wa ashhadu
anna Muhammadar rasulu-llah." An English translation would be: "I bear witness
that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
Messenger." This declaration of the faith must be uttered publicly at least
once in a Muslim's lifetime, although most Muslims recite it daily.
The Shahada inscribed at the Ottoman Topkapi
Palace in Istanbul
Courtesy of IslamiCity
The Masjid Aqsa in Jerusalem
Courtesy of IslamiCity
Prayers (Salate): The Muslim
holy day is Friday, when congregations gather just past noon in a masjid,
or mosque in English, the Muslim place of worship. The three holiest places of
worship in the Islamic world are the Mosque of the Ka'ba in Mecca, the Mosque
of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, and the Masjid Aqsa, adjacent to the Dome
of the Rock in Jerusalem. An Imam, or religious leader, gives a sermon
and leads the congregation in prayer. Muslims do not need to be in a mosque in
order to pray, however; they may do it anywhere - a house, office, school, or
even outside. They must observe the qibla in all cases though, by
facing towards the Ka'ba in Mecca when praying. Prayers must be performed five
times daily - at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The prayers
always contain verses from the Qur'an, and must be said in Arabic. Muslims
believe that prayer provides a direct link between the worshipper and God.
Purifying Tax (Zakat):
Muslims believe that all things belong to God, and that humans hold wealth in
trust for him. For that reason, it is believed that wealth should be
distributed throughout the community of believers, or umma, through a
purifying tax. The usual payment is 2.5 per cent of a person's wealth every
year, the proceeds of which are distributed to the less fortunate. Additional
charity work is also encouraged.
Fasting (Sawm): During the
month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast
between dawn and dusk. They must abstain from food, liquid, and intimate
contact during those hours of the day, in order to commemorate the Muslim
belief that Ramadan was the month in which the Qur'an descended from the
highest heaven to the lowest, from which it was then revealed to Muhammad in
pieces over 22 years. Fasting is seen as a method of self-purification, by
cutting oneself off from worldly comforts. The sick, elderly, travellers, and
nursing or pregnant women are permitted to break the fast during Ramadan,
provided they make up for it during an equal number of days later in the year.
Children begin the ritual at puberty. The end of Ramadan is celebrated by the
Eid al-Fitr, one of the major festivals on the Muslim calendar.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): All
Muslims are required to make one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetimes,
provided they are physically and financially able to do so. The Hajj begins in
the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar which means, like Ramadan, it
does not correspond to a specific month in the solar calendar. Modern
transportation methods, particularly the airplane, have made it possible for
many more Muslims to make the Hajj today than 1400 years ago. Like Ramadan,
the end of the Hajj is also celebrated with a festival, the Eid al-Adha,
which is celebrated by all Muslims, whether or not they made the pilgrimage.
These two festivals are the highlight of the Islamic year.
Hajj pilgrims praying towards the Ka'ba at the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca
Courtesy of IslamiCity
Gender Roles
The roles assigned to men and women
in Islamic theology have often come under fire in the Judeo-Christian world,
mostly due to misunderstandings of Islam's position on gender roles, or the
corruption of Qur'anic doctrine by present-day political leaders in Muslim
countries. The Qur'an says that men and women are created equally before God,
and that while they have different attributes, neither gender is superior. Both
men and women have souls and can go to Heaven if they lead a life without sin,
contradicting early Christian doctrine that women do not possess souls and are
inherently evil, because of Eve's original sin. Islam does not blame Eve for
what it believes happened in the Garden of Eden; it maintains that both Adam and
Eve were responsible, but they repented before God and were forgiven. Believing
women descended from the sinful Eve colored Christian ideas of women's character
for centuries - as untrustworthy, morally inferior, wicked beings - with
menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth believed to be punishment for all women
after Eve. The Qur'an has no such images of women, who are not put on earth
solely to bear children, but also to do good deeds the same as men.
The Qur'an states that women are not
possessions of men. They are free to choose their own husbands and maintain
their own names after marriage. Divorce is permitted, though discouraged.
Polygamy, or the practice of a man having more than one wife, is also permitted
- to a maximum of four wives - with the stipulation that the man must have means
to care for all of his wives. Both women and men are encouraged to seek
knowledge, and to manage their own financial assets. A wife has the right to
claim financial support from her husband, but a husband is not entitled to his
wife's earnings, inheritance, or property. Women can own their own property,
enter into legal contracts themselves, and give testimony in legal proceedings.
A wife has the right to receive a mahr, or dowry, from her husband upon
marriage, which cannot be returned under any circumstances. She also has the
right to kind treatment from her husband.
Still, one should not assume from the
rights listed here that medieval Islamic society featured perfectly balanced
gender roles. Women were still considered fertile fields to which men should go,
menstruation was treated as an illness, two women were required in order to
testify in legal proceedings in the place of one man, and a woman's inheritance
was generally half of her brother's. Both men and women are required by the
Qur'an to dress modestly, in order to be judged on the basis of character rather
than appearance, and they must dress differently from unbelievers. For women,
this includes the Hijab, which for some Muslim women covers the head and
body except for eyes and hands, while for others covers only the hair. It seeks
to ensure that a woman is not viewed as a sexual being by those other than her
husband.
These basic tenets of gender roles
are set out in the Qur'an, but as with many religions, the word of the holy
scripture has not always been followed by those with political power. Women, for
example, have not always been permitted their Qur'anic rights by Islamic regimes
throughout history, just as gender roles in Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or other
religions are not always carried out in everyday life.
