Huston Smith: Islam 4

Sufism:

*Like other religions, Islam has divided based on political lines, but this is not its main schism. The divide between the mystic Sufis and the rest of the Muslim population is much more unique and defining to the religion of Islam.

-Sufis want a direct spiritual connection to God via Love, Heart Knowledge, and Mind Knowledge.

-Sufis believe that loving God is the best way to reach him, however for every profession of love for God, God professes his love tenfold.

-Heart Knowledge is the concept of things one knows from the heart, they can "feel it" to be true. This knowledge claims to know God.

-Mind Knowledge consists of a form of mental focus allowing the Sufi to see through the veil of everything. This veil is said to disguise everything that God is. God is everything but resides beneath a disguise of material objects.

-Sufis sometimes claim to have some sort of exclusive right that other Muslims do not and they have made several claims considered blasphemous (such as "I am God")

Islamic Vocab Paragraphs

Imam, Medina, Muhammad:

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and his followers were facing severe persecution during their original existence in the city of Mecca. With the prospect of being wiped off the face of the planet (and therefore losing the word of God) staring him in the face, he decided to send his followers to Medina. Eventually he followed, bringing up the tail of the great migration and settling in Medina. Here he rallied his first, solid, large mass of adherents and his ideas became so popular that the city soon asked him to lead them as Head of State. He accepted and lead a harmonious society such had never before been seen in the area. His governance was directly influenced by his religion which was still developing, for God was still delivering him messages. These ideas were expressed through speeches and announcements to the people (as well as recorded in the Qur'an) and documented by memorizers. These statements and are now known as Hadiths and are studied by the Imams (Islamic theology experts/political leaders) as well as Muhammad's political conduct.

Ka'bah, Muezzin, Mihrab:

When the Muezzin makes his call to prayer, all Muslims within earshot join in the praying rituals. They all turn towards Mecca, or more specifically, the Ka'bah, a small black building on the site where Adam supposedly built the first building on earth and where Abraham and Ismail built their first building devoted to God. Subsequently, it is called the "House of God" and all Muslims pray facing this monument. To help them orient themselves, Mosques and prayer rugs have been endowed with a Mihrab, a notch or arrow or marking of some sort aimed at Mecca. Of course in the Mosque it is a fixed piece of the building, but on the rugs it is important for the believers to have a keen sense of direction in relation to Mecca.

Shi'a, Ummah, Sunni:

After Muhammad's passing, Islam lacked a leader. Though still adhering to the tenets of the Qur'an, and using the book for guidance, the religion lacked an earthly figurehead. Thus was the rise of Islam's primary sects, The Shi'a and the Sunni. This subdivided the Islamic Ummah and although they are still united under the same banner, sectarian violence has ensued. The division was based on who would lead the Islamic people after Muhammad's death. Shi'a believed that the direct descendants of Muhammad should take over while the Sunni believed that the people should vote on their leader. And it was so that in an attempt to keep Islam unified, to protect the Ummah, that it suffered its first split.

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The Five Pillars:

* The Five Pillars of Islam are designed to constantly force the Muslim to think outside of themselves and recognize their position as a human being.

- Accepting one God as the lord of all puts many at ease. To recognize who is in control allows humans to relax and let someone else drive.

- Praying is aimed at keeping life in perspective and remembering that Allah is always in control. He is forever our sovereign.

- Praying also provides the sense of overwhelming brotherhood, for muslims all around the world are praying to the same place at the same time.

- Alms are implemented implicitly to relieve human suffering. 2.5% of a persons holdings should be delegated to the poor.

- Fasting outlines human's fragility and dependence on God as well as underscoring the true meaning of hunger, helping the Muslim to understand why giving alms is so important. If you know what it is to be hungry, you will be less apt to let your fellow man go hungry.

Social Teachings:

* Islam's social teachings are aimed primarily at creating an atmosphere of brotherly and sisterly love.

- Economic principles focus on keeping wealth balanced and/or constantly circulating through society.

- Muhammad greatly improved the status of women in society, although he wouldn't necessarily be considered a feminist by today's standards.

- He did not terminate polygamy, but limited it to only 4 wives and that the only way a man can have more than 1 is if he is capable of distributing love and attention in a completely fair and equal manner.

- Women received pretty much all the same marriage rights as men (right to divorce and whatnot).

- Islam is quite clear in declaring racial equality of all peoples.

- The Qur'an does not condemn nor condone violence completely. It allows violence in "self defense" (a term easily interpreted in many ways), but note that "God hates the aggressor" This demolishes most stereotyopes about Islam being spread by the sword.

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The Standing Miracle

* The Qur'an is magnificent to Muslims due to its language, its production (the way in which it came to be) and its straight forward content.

-Muhammad considered the Qur'an to be the only miracle God worked through him because of his illiteracy and lack of schooling. It was astonishing that a man of such little education would produce such a beautiful document.

-The Qur'an is the earthly representation of God and his will, much like Jesus was the incarnation of God.

-A large portion of the Qur'an's ability to move people lies within the poetic manner in which it is presented, a quality only expressed when read in Arabic. Along with the fear of losing meanings through translation, this is one of the reasons the Qur'an has never been translated as a holy text. If one wants to read the Holy Qur'an, it must be done in Arabic.

-The Qur'an does not base its theology in narratives full of drama and metaphysical allegory. It is overwhelmingly doctrinal, expressing the direct will of Allah. This helps to minimize confusion and sectarian discrepancies.

-With all these considered, Muslims take to Qur'an to be the book "whereof there is no doubt," making it the ultimate source of truth and therefore, central to the practicing Muslim.

Basic Theological Concepts

* Islam, at its base, is highly similar to its two Semitic predecessors, Judaism and Christianity. This can be seen in its most fundamental theological concepts of God, Creation, the Human Self and Judgment Day.

-God is feared in Islam, but in a good way. It is seen as the only appropriate emotion to feel towards God when humans are faced with the weight of being human and not divine.

-God is one and omnipotent.

-God is most merciful and loving, but also just.

-Creation was a deliberate act of God, therefore casting the world in a specific light. This light illuminates the fact that the world of matter is important and real and that said world is good.

-Humans are good but are subject to ghaflah, or forgetfulness and need constant reminding to stay on the right path.

-Humans must be grateful for the gift of life and must also surrender to their maker.

-Heaven and hell are described vividly, creating a contrast designed to pull the reader out of ghaflah.

-Judgement is carried out by Allah and will determine your residence for the totality of eternity.

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Seal of the Prophets:
* Muhammad emerged as the perfect candidate for prophet for 3 reasons: he was a humble and modest human being, times were ripe for change, and his character was in agreement with what God had to say.
- Muhammad is the "seal of the prophets", the last in the line of God's messangers.
- Mecca was living a hedonistic and greed motivated life along with tribal factions starting wars on a frequent basis. The situation was grave and Muhammad knew it. He wanted a way to repair the broken systems of his society.
- Muhammad was a man (important for all prophets that they are human) of outstanding moral conduct.
- He received the revelation initially from the Arch Angel Gabriel declaring God as one and powerful, the creator.
- Muhammad's teachings disrupted society and did not set well with the leaders of Mecca because they threatened their profits and their leisurely lifestyles. Also, they did not sit well with the people of Mecca because it challenged a social order that had been in effect for decades.

The Migration that Led to Victory:
*The migration is regarded as one of the most important events in Islamic history because it saved the religion as well as helped to spread the word of Allah and outline Muhammad as an even more worthy prophet in the subsequent years of his leadership in Medina.
- Meccan nobility began by mocking the Muslims, then by assaulting them in the streets and eventually moved up to full fledged persecution. However, in the face of such adverse conditions, the Muslims had a conviction about them that allowed them to retain the faith.
- Through pilgrimages and Muhammad sending families of the Islamic community on mini migrations to escape persecution, the messages of Muhammad had reached a small population of important people in the town of Yathrib (Medina).
- Yathrib asked Muhammad to come to their city and help them clean up their act (they were experiencing several of the same problems as in Mecca). He eventually ended up as the head of state in Medina.
- He was revered as an excellent head of state, a testament to his character, for he was able to weave the 5 major tribes of the area into one community, achieving a level of peace between such diverse a group (Jews, Polytheists, Muslims, etc.) never seen in the region.
- He is now considered one of the most (if not the most) influential person in history, successfully spreading his word far and wide, a feat that found its roots in the migration.