Analysis Of Islam :: essays research papers

Religiological Analysis of the Islam Through the Koran and Hadith Islam may be considered as an exotic religion to many in the western part of the globe. The impression that Westerners have is usually obtained through the media representing Islamic countries or groups in the bosom of a Holy War. The wars, called Jihad, ar usually waged by Islamic Fundamentalist who use terrorism to get their messages across giving Islam a negative reputation. Because of the lose of understanding of this highly publicized religion, many conflicts arise between the people who live in eastern and western worlds. In turn, this causes problems amongst different cultures through variant political and religious battles that result from these misconceptions. In order to prevent future strife, it is important for people all over the world to have a fracture understanding of other religions. To interpret Islam from a objective point of view it is easier to use Religiological Analysis, a system that that breaks the religion down into specific terms Epistemology, Ontology, Anthropology, Psychology, Teleology, and Methodology. The Epistemology of Islam is contained in the sacred book called the Koran that was revealed in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad in exact words of God through the Angel Gabriel. The Koran means Recollect, Clarify, Recital, Reading, and Criterion. It contains truths slightly everything and functions as a recollection of all previously revealed books. When Muhammad was forty years old, he had his first revelation and continued to do so for the next xxii years, remembering each revelation and then having them written down by scholars. The whole book consists of chapters that were believed to be put in order by Muhammad himself and are word for word from God. This book is the most widely read and memorized book in the world and because of the number of people memorizing the book it helped it remain unchanged for the historical fourteenth centuries. Containing truth s about the world and our existence till the end (Judgement Day), it is also a guide for us on a way to live and devotion God. Besides the Koran, Sunnah, known as the customs or practices of the Prophet Muhammad are also considered sources of knowledge by Muslims who hold him as an exemplary human and show to emulate his actions and lifestyle. His actions, and sayings were recorded and reported in what is know as the Hadith, a collection of his doings in his whole life.