Islam: Defined and Specified

Introduction
Islam is an Arabic language that when translated simply means submission; however, if put in a religious conte t, it transforms to submission to the will of !od "Allah which is the Arabic name for !od#$ Second to %hristianity, Islam is the religion which is followed by a fifth of the world&s total population$ 'he followers of Islam are called (uslims$ )or these people, Islam is not *ust a religion rather, more+it is a way of life$ 'his is their lifestyle$ 'he traditions, beliefs and rituals that encircles and envelopes Islam is their life$ 'he five pillars of Islam are what embody their life$ 'hey regard Allah as !od and they have high repute for their prophet (ohammed$ 'he (uslims believe in Islam is more enclosed, confined, contained, demanding, laborious and millions miles way hard than how %hristians regard the %atholicism by faith$ 'his research paper is mainly about Islam, having it defined and specified$ 'he researchers believed that to understand something, you have to ,now it as a whole and dissect it to numerous parts$ -i,ewise, to understand Islam, it needs to be fathomed at arm&s length and scrutini.ed at haw,&s eye$

Islam: Defined and Specified

History of Islam: History of Muhammad

/very time the word Islam is presented, somewhat in the bac,ground, the name (uhammad will be heard in a hush$ And often, this so0called prophet is castigated because the (uslims held him at such a high regards$ (uhammad came from (a,,ah "a province in Saudi Arabia and most popularly ,nown today as The Holy City of Mecca# estimated on year 123 when %hristianity is still a baby$ 4e was orphaned by his father at birth and his mother left shortly after$ So this little child was left to be reared by his 5ncle, a native of the 6uraysh tribe$ !rowing up, (uhammad showed reverence accompanied with honesty, ,indness and what more, he has a big heart for everyone$ At such a young age, he showed mediation and negotiation s,ills during conflicts of adults$ Accounts will show that this man is always described as calm as the water and meditative li,e a bead stone$ 4is upbringing was that of a religious root$ 4e is always open to his disli,e of dishonesty and corruption in his society$ Always, this decadence pushes him to meditate in a so0called place %ave of 4ira near the summit of 7abal al08ur$ 4e was 93 years old, while in his usual routine of meditating when he first received his revelation from !od through Angel !abriel$ 'his communication, or rather revelation, happened and continued for twenty three years and was deliberately recorded+the contents of which composed the Islam&s holy boo, The Quran$ After this numerous showing of 'he (essenger, (uhammad was raised and his being was then called :rophet (uhammad$ 'o stand for his new title, Prophet Muhammad started preaching, reciting and echoing the words of Angel !abriel$ 4e received such a number of followings$ And from there, (uhammad and his followers were prosecuted heavily and severely$ It was in ;<< when !od again revealed to :rophet (uhammad that he needs to leave and migrate$ 'his migration mar,ed the (uslims one important event The Hijra (The Migration) , the day when they left (a,,ah and migrated to (adinah <;3 miles north from the holy city$ 'his is the start of the (uslim calendar$ =ears after, the (uslims were able to retain their solid ground and return to (a,,ah to establish the second most powerful religion, The Islam! >hen :rophet (uhammad died at the age of ;?, bul, of the people in Saudi Arabia are (uslims and century after his death, Islam had already stretched around the !lobe$

Islam: Defined and Specified

History of Islam in the Philippines

Islam was first introduced in the :hilippines on the @? th century after an Arabian (issioner named Sharif (a,hdum set foot in Sulu$ 4e built the first ever (osAue in the archipelago in 'ubig0Indangan, Island of Simunol, :rovince of 'awi0'awi$ (a,hdum&s missionary was continued by Ba*ah Caginda in @?D3 and continued through Abu Ca,r in @913$ Ca,r married Caginda&s daughter and first created the Sultanate of Sulu to which he became the first ever sultan in the island$ 4is Islamic missionary was communicated through his territory$ 4is then followers, the so0called (uslims, sailed through the whole (indanao led by Sharif Eabungsuwan$ >hen Eabungsuwan set foort in (aguindanao in @921, he married :utri 'unina and created the first Sultanate of (aguindanao, also being the first Sultan in the island$ 'his seemingly warm welcome of the natives of the archipelago in the Islam and the (uslims was heard by neighboring countries$ In a matter of time, ten Datus were in a boat and sailed through the island of :anay$ 'hey are Datu :uti, Datu Suma,wel, Datu Cang,aya, Datu Dumalogdog, Datu :aiburong, Datu :aduhinog, Datu -ubay, Datu Dumangsil, Datu Ealantiaw at si Datu Calensula$ 'hey all missioned the Islamic teachings$ >hen (agellan set foot in (arch 3;, @1<@ in -imasawa, the archipelago was almost a (uslim country$ %hristianity was born and was continuously educated to the natives of the archipelago$ In @12@, the Spaniards battle against the (uslim troops led by Ba*ah Soliman of -u.on$ 'his mighty Ba*ah fought until his last breath and met death in 'ondo$ After the battle, Spaniards conAuered the island and ,illed massively every natives of the country who dare to fight against the colonialism$ 'hose who survived from this ill0fate, mostly believers of Islam, were converted to %hristianity and made to forget Allah$ Islam is the first ever recorded religion in the :hilippines which believes in one !od "Allah#$ Cut there are still those who remained loyal to their faith$ 'hese valiant and courageous (uslims came mostly from (indanao$ And until today, it has flourished and thrived in the southern part of the archipelago$ 'he Autonomous Begion in (uslim (indanao "AB((# where one can find most (uslims$ AB(( includes Casilan "e cept Isabela %ity#, -anao del Sur, (aguindanao, Sulu and 'awi0'awi, and the Islamic %ity of (arawi$ It is the only region that has its own government$ 'he regional capital is at %otabato %ity, although this city is outside of its *urisdiction$

Islam: Defined and Specified

"i#e Pillars of Islam

Islam has so0called five pillars and these are faith, prayer, concern for the needy, selfpurification and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able. "http:FFwww$islamicity$comFeducationFunderstandingislamandmuslims# 'he )ive :illars of Islam is the heart of this monotheistic religion$ 'his is the manner and conduct, deeds and thoughts, acts and feats that are followed by every (uslims who worship Allah$ It is said that following this decreed is satisfying the will of Allah$ A (uslim will be rewarded and sent to paradise if he follows thoroughly these five pillars and incorporate it with repentance of sins and solid faith on Islam$ Gtherwise, the (uslim will not be saved$ a# Shahada ")aith# It was derived from an Arabian word meaning to declare$ Shahada is the Islamic proclamation of their faith: to believe that there is only one true !od e cept Allah and (uhammad is the (essenger of Allah$ Allah is the all0,nowing being and that all his rules and decreed encrypted in the 6uran+(uslims should abide, without any compromise$ (uhammad is to be recogni.ed as the only means Allah communicated through man$ It is reAuired to believe that he conveyed the first and last revelation from Allah$ 'here are seven considerations for the faith of the Islam to e ist and these are: Al-'Ilm: knowledge of the meaning of the hahadah.
Al-!a"een: certainty that counteracts suspicion and doubt. Al-Ikhlass: sincerity which negates shirk. Al- id": truthfulness that permits neither falsehood or hypocrisy. Al-Mahabbah: lo#e of the hahadah and all that it stands for. Al-In"iad: submission and implementing the deeds re"uired of all Muslims. Al-$ubool: unconditional acceptance of the hahadah. %he &i#e 'illars of Islam and %heir Meanings ( uite)*) http:++suite)*).com+article+the-fi#e-pillars-of-islam-and-their-meanings-

Islam: Defined and Specified b# Salat ":rayer# :rayer involves both the purification of the body and of the soul$ (uslims are reAuired to pray five times a day without fail, first at dawn and last on sunset$ ,%he names of the prayers are &a-r, .huhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha. %he Maghrib prayer is the sunset prayer. Isha is the prayer that is said after sunset. %here is also a prayer that is said right after &a-r known as huroo". "http:FFcarm$orgFfive0pillars0of0islam# (uslims are not reAuired to altogether pray in a mosAue especially in the face of their daily life$ So, it is allowed that they almost prayed everywhere i$e$ in fields, offices, factories and universities$ (ost people find these praying routines of (uslim amusing and nerve wrec,ing$ c# Saum ")asting# Bamadan is the event in the (uslim calendar where (uslims observed fasting$ -i,e in the %hristian faith every -ent season$ )or the (uslims, fasting is a way of worshipping Allah and ac,nowledging that they have utmost need for Allah, more than food$ During fasting, they do not drin,, eat and engage in se ual intercourse every daylight hours for the whole period of Bamadan$ 'hose who are sic,, elderly, or on a *ourney, and women who are menstruating, pregnant or nursing, are permitted to brea, the fast and ma,e up an eAual number of days later in the year if they are healthy and able$ %hildren begin to fast "and to observe prayers# from puberty, although many start earlier$ Although fasting is beneficial to health, it is mainly a method of self0purification and self0restraint$ Cy cutting oneself from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person focuses on his or her purpose in life by constantly being aware of the presence of !od$ d# Ha,at "Alms0giving#

Islam: Defined and Specified Alms giving or giving charity to the poor is an act holy in Islam because it regards the giver higher to glorification because of the act done and submissive to the will of Allah to help the poor and the needy$ 'he underlying reason behind this is that everything is owned by !od and only entrusted to man$ Ha,ah comes from the word purification and growth$ So, by giving to others, your soul will be purified and at the same time you will grow as in individual who do good for others$ e# 4a** ":ilgrimage# 'his refers to the pilgrimage of every able (uslims to 'he 4oly %ity of (ecca$ 'his calls for financial sacrifice and act of worship$ 8evertheless, over two million people go to the holy city each year from every corner of the globe providing a uniAue opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another$ 5sually, the pilgrimage is done during the first half of the last month of the lunar calendar$ :ilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments that strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand eAual before !od$
,%he rites of the ha--, which are of Abrahamic origin, include going around the /a'bah se#en times, and going se#en times between the hills of afa and Marwa as did 0agar 10a-ir, Abraham's wife2 during her search for water. %he pilgrims later stand together on the wide plains of 'Arafat 1a large e3panse of desert outside Makkah2 and -oin in prayer for 4od's forgi#eness, in what is often thought as a pre#iew of the .ay of 5udgment. %he close of the ha-- is marked by a festi#al, the 'Id al Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the e3change of gifts in Muslim communities e#erywhere. %his and the 'Id al &itr, a festi#e day celebrating the end of 6amada-n, are the two holidays of the Islamic calendar. 1http:++www.islam)*).com+dawah+pillars.html2

'hese are the five pillars of Islam$ 'he basic practice of this religion is simplicity$ 5nli,e in %hristianity which have intercessions of priests and clergy or saints, (uslims are ought only to follow these rules and they will have the promise of paradise$

Islam: Defined and Specified

Islam$s Holy %oo&: The Quran

'he 6uran is an Arabic word which literally means the recitation$ It is the boo, of Allah and the central te t of the religion of Islam$ /very (uslim believes that every word in the 6uran comes from Allah; that is why it is called the holy boo,$ 'he words in the holy boo, were sent by Allah to :rophet (uhammad through Angel !abriel$ Indeed, 'he 6uran is the boo, of divine guidance and direction for man,ind$ In its original Arabic content, it is the literal word of Allah, revealed to :rophet (uhammad by Angel !abriel over a period of <? years$ (uslim view the 6urIan as !odIs final revelation to humanity$
,Muslims regard the $ur'7n as the culmination of a series of di#ine messages that started with those re#ealed to Adam 8 regarded, in Islam, as the first prophet 8 and including the uhuf-i-Ibrahim 1 crolls of Abraham2,9the %awrat 1%orah2, the :abur 1'salms2, and the In-il 14ospel2. %he aforementioned books are recogni;ed in the $ur'7n, and the $ur'anic te3t assumes familiarity with many e#ents from 5ewish and <hristian scriptures, retelling some of these e#ents in distincti#e ways, and referring obli"uely to others. It rarely offers detailed accounts of historical e#ents= the $ur'an's emphasis is typically on the moral significance of an e#ent, rather than its narrati#e se"uence. .etails to historical e#ents are contained within the 0adith of Muhammad and the narrations of Muhammad's <ompanions 1 ahabah2.%he $ur'anic te3t itself proclaims a di#ine protection of its message: urely >e ha#e re#ealed the 6eminder and >e will most surely be its guardian.%he $ur'anic #erses were originally memori;ed by Muhammad's companions as Muhammad recited them, with some being written down by one or more companions on whate#er was at hand, from stones to pieces of bark. In the unni tradition, the collection of the $ur'7n compilation took place under the <aliph Abu ?akr, this task being led by :ayd ibn %habit Al-Ansari. @%he manuscript on which the $uran was collected, remained with Abu ?akr till Allah took him unto 0im, and then with 'Amar till Allah took him unto 0im, and finally it remained with 0afsa bint Amar 1Amar's daughter2.@An original copy of the Athman's standard #ersion of $uran from his time is on display at the %opkapi 'alace in Istanbul. (http:FFwww$Auran$org#

4ence, the chanting of the 6uran is the primary music of Islam$ It is the soul of Islam and is reflected in the speech of all faithful (uslims$ 6urIan as the >ord of !od is to (uslims what 7esus as the >ord of !od is to %hristians$

Islam: Defined and Specified

Islamic Traditions' Customs' Practices and %eliefs

A culture to e ist has to have a uniAue set of customs, traditions and etiAuettes$ 4istory will reveal that one important feature of one nation is its distinct traditions$ Beligion is no e ception to this norm$ In the formation of Islam, Allah directed his followers to conform to a particular set of customs and etiAuettes in order for them to be distinguished as a nation of Allah$ 'he particular set of traditions, hence, being a child reared by Allah has to conform to a certain standard+i$e$ to cleanse the human mind, body and soul from all the worldly and sinister things$ 'hese Islamic traditions are both wor,s of the mind of :rophet (uhammad and agreed upon by the ancestral (uslims way bac, then$ (uslims believe in one Allah and that one :rophet (uhammad, the (essenger of !od conveyed the first and the last revelation$ 'hey also believed that there will be the Day of 7udgment wherein all persons will be accounted for in front of the only and all powerful god$ (uslims also believe that Allah has the sole power to control life and death of any person living in the world$ (ore so, they believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including 8oah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, 7acob, 7oseph, 7ob, (oses, Aaron, David, Solomon, /lias, 7onah, 7ohn the Captist, and 7esus$ Celow are some Islamic etiAuettes$ :ronouncing Allah&s name before and after eating 5sing the right hand for eating and drin,ing (uslim greetings and its responses Clessing after snee.e and its response Beciting IAdhaanI in the Bight /ar of a 8ewly Corn 'rimming (oustaches, Bemoving 4air from the :ubic Area and from 5nder the Armpits, %lipping 8ails J %ircumcision Eeeping the 8ose, the (outh J the 'eeth %lean >ashing after 5rination and Defecation Befraining from Se ual %ontact During a >omanIs (enstruation and her :uerperal Discharge Cathing After (enstrual J :uerperal Discharge J After Se ual 5ncleanness

Cecause of the diversity of the (uslims, Islam is a colorful and not a dull combination of faith$ 'hat is why, for the (uslims, Islam is a straight and broad way of living$

Islam: Defined and Specified 'he sacred law of Islam is called shariah which means broad path to water$ Shariah, as e pected, is not an obstinate and stiff regulation rather a fle ible and pliant set of regulations$ (uslim theorists even believe that these laws are compromising amidst the changes in the generation and the set of minds of the people$ Islamic culture depends upon the characteristics and personalities of the (uslims in the place$ )or e ample, Islam in 8igeria though generally similar with Islam in Saudi Arabia is still different in some aspects or details$ (uslims are reAuired to wear modest clothes, and women are reAuired to cover their hair and entire body e cept for the hands and face when in the presence of unrelated males$ >omen in 8igeria use colorful clothing which is different from the moribund blac, of the Arabian :eninsula+the thing is, both are acceptable in the laws binding in Islam$ )ood and merryma,ing also differ greatly, and (uslims, li,e other peoples, have diverse ways of en*oying themselves and appreciating the milestones of life such as weddings, births, graduations, and religious holidays$ Beligious music and chanting are widespread in the (uslim world, and 6uran reciters with beautiful voices have statuses in some (uslim countries$ Islam teaches (uslim to live and die in accordance to the will of !od as revealed by the 6uran and as practiced by :rophet (uhammad$ (uslim always attempts to see the worlds in the view of the 6uran$ 'hey believe that life is a struggle of good and evil$ 'his is because the 6uran teaches them that lies in every heart and beyond the society is good and evil$ 'his is jihad+the inward and outward struggle of man within himself and beyond the confines of the society$ ,>hile it can mean a militant struggle against those who attack the Muslim lands, it also signifies a person's struggle with the lower tendencies of the soul, the gra#itational pull of self-destructi#e forces that lead to alienation from 4od and a state of spiritual dise"uilibrium. ?ecause humans ine#itably fall short morally and succumb to these destructi#e tendencies from time to time, a means of reestablishing spiritual balance is gi#en, called tauba or atonement. %his is done by e3periencing a genuine sense of remorse for one's transgressions and a remo#al of the unhealthy effects of that state by turning to 4od and seeking di#ine grace through prayer, charity, and a sincere resolution not to return to the destructi#e patterns of the past. "http:FFwww$deathreference$comF4o0 EaFIslam$htmlKi ..<-!p<(yrd#

Islam: Defined and Specified Although life is viewed as a test, it is also seen as abundant and full of blessings from Allah and (uslims should en*oy it but waste not by e cess$ 'his is also the underlying logic behind Islam&s teaching on marriage$ %he Muslim sa#ants of the past identified se3ual relations between a wife and her husband as a foretaste of eternal bliss with 4od in the afterlife. "http:FFwww$deathreference$comF4o0EaFIslam$htmlKi ..<-!r?ID8># (onasticism is never a thing for the (uslims, as stated by :rophet (uhammad$ In Islam, children are highly regarded of and are viewed as great blessings from Allah to humanity$ >hen humans are born they are free of sin and their minds are only corrupted by the society+this is where the parents enter the picture, they are held responsible for ,eeping and rearing their child&s innocence and bringing them up with love and fear of Allah$ (otherhood is a revered role taught by the 6uran; thus, in most (uslim societies adult women are still predominantly mothers and housewives during their productive years$ >ith regards to death, Islam has a very vivid recollection of death and afterlife$ )or the (uslims, death is associated more with sleep and ama.ingly, the Arabic translation of sleep is little brother of death$ 'he :rophet spo,e often of death, and the 6uran is filled with warnings of the dangers of ignoring oneIs mortality and of not preparing for death before it is too late$ Death and reflecting on death is an essential part of the (uslim&s daily life$ 4ence, (uslim&s funeral is highly encouraged and attendance is one that is rewarded greatly by !od$ (uslims accept death and they call this one&s appointed time " ajal#$ Islam treats death as inescapable and fated$ If a (uslim dies, there are various rituals involved from the preparation of the body of the death, through the performance of funeral prayer$ 'he death body will be laid without a coffin and covered$ 'he deceased will be informed of what is happening because (uslims believed that the deceased can still hear and understand the environment around him$ (ore so, they believe that the dead person is not always aware of his transition from life to death that is why he needs instructions from his relative$ 'he soul of the death sleeps and will awa,e only in the command of Allah$ Islam believes that there will be a blast that will ,ill all the remaining humans and awa,en all the death to be rendered with *udgment$ >hen the Day of 7udgment ends, the saved soul proceeds to the bridge called sirat and cross over hell$ (uslims see death as a transition to the other side$ Islam is seen as the vehicle that will ta,e one safely there$ It is only in paradise that the believer finds ultimate peace and happiness$

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Islam: Defined and Specified

Islamic Holidays' "esti#als and (ituals

-i,e most religions, Islam observes some of the ma*or events in a person&s life: L )&i&ah! 'his is an informal birth ceremony$ L *hadada! 'his is the mar,ing of a young (uslim&s formal entry into Islam$ 'here is no set age for this rite, though it is most commonly celebrated during the teenage years$ L Marriage (itual! >itnesses observe the groom&s formal offer of marriage and the bride&s acceptance of it$ 'here is no elaborate ceremony$ 'he waleemah is the reception which includes music and dancing$ L "unerals and Mourning$ 'his includes the recitation of the -ana;ah "prayers for the dead# at the gravesite and may include a service at the funeral home$ (uslims do not condone cremation and burial of the dead ta,es place within <9 hours of death$ 'he official mourning period for a family member is 93 days$ Accompanied by these rituals are the Islam&s holy days and festivals such as: L (amadan! 'his 4oly )estival ta,es place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar$ It is a time of fasting and daily repentance$ a# +ailat ul,Qadr M 'he final @3 days of Bamadan$ (uslims celebrate (uhammad&s first revelation$ b# Id al,"itr M 'he feast period *ust after the month long fast of Bamadan$ It lasts for three days$ L Id ul,)dha$ 'wo to three months after Bamadan, animals are slaughtered to benefit the poor$ 'he purpose of the the Id ul0Adha is to celebrate the faithfulness and obedience of Abraham$ L )l,Isra -al Miraj! %elebrated on the <2th Day of the 2th month in the Islamic %alendar$ It mar,s (uhammad&s *ourney from (ecca$ L Maulid al,.a/i! %elebrates the birth of (uhammad$

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Islam: Defined and Specified 'his is the calendar of the (uslims mar,ed with its important events and celebrations$

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Calendar
"esti#e day Islamic 8ew =ear Ashura (awlid an0 8abi -aylat al0 (ira* -aylat al0 Caraat Bamadan -aylat al06adr /id al0)itr /id al0Adha 0120 )H @N December <33D <2 December <33D <; )ebruary <3@3 D 7uly <3@3 <2 7uly <3@3 @@ August <3@3 ; September <3@3 @3 September <3@3 @; 8ovember <3@3 0123 )H 2 December <3@3 @; December <3@3 @1 )ebruary <3@@ <D 7une <3@@ @; 7uly <3@@ @ August <3@@ <2 August <3@@ ?3 August <3@@ ; 8ovember <3@@ 0122 )H <; 8ovember <3@@ 1 December <3@@ 9 )ebruary <3@< @2 7une <3@< 1 7uly <3@< <3 7uly <3@< @1 August <3@< @D August <3@< <; Gctober <3@< 0121 )H @1 8ovember <3@< <9 8ovember <3@< <9 7anuary <3@? ; 7une <3@? <9 7une <3@? D 7uly <3@? 9 August <3@? N August <3@? @1 Gctober <3@? 0124 )H 9 8ovember <3@? @? 8ovember <3@? @? 7anuary <3@9 <; (ay <3@9 @? 7une <3@9 <N 7une <3@9 <9 7uly <3@9 <N 7uly <3@9 9 Gctober <3@9

ource: http:++en.wikipedia.org+wiki+MuslimBholidays

Islam: Defined and Specified

The Modern 5ay Islam

)or the past few years until present times, Islam has reached new heights in its ideology and its global e pansion$ (illions of (uslims have emigrated to the >est$ (osAues are being built as rapidly as possible in /urope+formerly a place Islam had very little success$ Some fifty million people annually are being drawn to Islam and in fact, after %hristianity, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world$

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After the >orld >ar II, Islam flourished throughout the world and even through /ngland, one evidence of which is by the growth of mosAues from @ to @333, ?33 of which are converted churches$ (ore so, in the second half of the <3th century, a re*uvenated thin,ing towards Islam occurred$ 'his is after the oil boom "after the oil embargo of @D2?# fueled economic growth of many Islamic countries which were able to achieve reputation and identity the >estern people never reali.es+that there is a potential strength and political power sleeping within the confines of these Islamic states$

>hat is happening in the (uslim world today bears this out$ %ountries such as 'ur,ey, Algeria, /gypt, Senegal, 5.be,istan, 'a*i,istan, Eyrgy.stan and Ea.a,hstan, to name a few, are trying to maintain some semblance of being semi0secular states$ Gn the other hand, countries li,e Iran, IraA, -ibya, and Sudan are girding themselves up for subversive schemes against the >est, trying with all their might to topple all secular0leaning (uslim governments, bring all (uslim countries into line with their plans to impose their version of orthodo Islam on all (uslim countries, and finally upon the whole world$ 'o say that the (uslim world, particularly the (iddle /ast, is in a state of ferment, is putting it mildly$ 'herefore, we see this growing disenchantment with Islam as an open door for the gospel for those (uslims so inclined$

Islam: Defined and Specified

Conclusion
'his ascension of Islam brought to it a lot of conseAuences$ )irst of which is the main concern of many a number of non0(uslims in the world+the insurgency of the (uslims not only spiritually but also worldly$ Cecause of the >estern influence, many conservatives have been hard in the resurgence of their conservative Islamic values$ 'he radical and militant Islamic movement was being revived as well$ %ontributing factors to its rise included the Islamic revolution of @D2D in Iran led by Ehomeini, the :alestinian situation; the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet 5nion and the rise of Saddam 4ussein in IraA$ 'he researchers believed that the insurgency can be traced way bac, to the times of (uhammad and his mista,es in absoluti.ing his words and deeds as e emplification to be followed by all (uslims$ 4ence, up to the present times, (uslims are bounded by the ethnocentricity of (uhammad and the ancient Arabs as found in the 6uran&s last and final revelation$ 'he (uslims are not prepared with the >estern influence and the secularism that they brought with it$ 4aving (uhammad in mind as the e emplary and epitome of what man should be as dictated by the Islam and 6uran should be, (uslims find it difficult to accept the globali.ation and moderni.ation of the modern world today$ Cut the truth, the researchers thin,, is that (uhammad could not have possibly conceived of life as it is in the twentieth century$ 'herefore, (uslims are forced either to come to terms with the supremacy of modern technological societies, at least economically and militarily, or utterly deny the accomplishments of non0(uslim countries, particularly the >est, and see, to re0 impose on all (uslims, and ultimately on all man,ind, the absolutistic model of a seventh century Arab culture$ 8either move is possible$ >hen (uslims ta,e the line of accommodating to >estern culture, it is in opposition to the core teaching of Islam, thus wea,ening the grip of Islam on its followers$ )or those (uslims who ta,e the other approach of ignoring the achievements of the >est and reverting to an Arabic version of seventh century lifestyle as modeled by (uhammad a dilemma follows$ 'hey are forced to use the tools and s,ills developed by the very people they feel destined to conAuer$ Along with these tools and s,ills, comes the >estern value system "worldview# that gave birth to them$ 'oday we see the (uslim world in the throes of this controversy$ 'he choice seems to be to accommodate to >estern culture or to prepare to go to war with the >est "and all other non0(uslim countries# to assert Islamic supremacy$

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Islam: Defined and Specified

6nline (eferences:
http:FFwww$islamicity$comFeducationFunderstandingislamandmuslims http:FFcarm$orgFfive0pillars0of0islam http:FFwww$islam@3@$comFdawahFpillars$html http:FFsuite@3@$comFarticleFthe0five0pillars0of0islam0and0their0meanings0a<99N@? http:FFsuite@3@$comFarticleFthe0five0pillars0of0islam0and0their0meanings0 http:FFenglish$islammessage$comFarticledetails$asp OarticleIdP;19 http:FFwww$al0islam$orgFshortFAuraanlessons$htm http:FFbigapples$multiply$comF*ournalFitemFDOJshowQinterstitialP@JuPR<)*ournalR<)item http:FFwww$Auran$org http:FFwww$deathreference$comF4o0EaFIslam$htmlKi ..<-!i58C-p http:FFwww$deathreference$comF4o0EaFIslam$htmlKi ..<-!p<(yrd http:FFwww$i*fm$orgF:D)sQI7)(F@@Q<Q:D)sF3DQ(c%urry$pdf

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