Is Islam a Violent Religion by Nature?
By: regina • Essay • 974 Words • November 10, 2009 • 1,602 Views
Essay title: Is Islam a Violent Religion by Nature?
Is Islam a Violent Religion by Nature?
Islam and the worship of Allah (god) began with Muhammad and his revelations that lasted for 23 years of his life from (610 C.E.- 623 C.E.). In the Islamic religion it is believed that he was the last prophet sent by Allah (god) and this made all his teachings into to Law and are looked at as the will of God. These messages were given to him through the archangel Gabriel, in a kind of continuation to the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible, which the Qur’an shares some similarities or past “history” with them such as the belief in Abraham and Jesus as a prophet, but in the eye’s of Mohammad the Jews and Christians had fallen astray from the real teaching of god.
His life and actions were very important to the creation of the religion. I would say that his policies changed quite a bit under different situations of his career as a prophet. At the begging he had a small following that consisted of mostly of middle class that was upset with the injustices in society. They were expelled from Mecca and begin raiding caravans under the pretense that they had been robed of their belongings when they were expelled from Mecca. Mohammad tell them that their battle is holy and dieing doing the will of Allah is respectable and will be rewarded in the after life. After the battle of Badr in 624 c.e. the muslims having smaller forces but knowing that god is on their side attack a larger group of meccanMuslim warriors become highly feared and began winning battles even if out numbered. Qur’an (4:74) “Let those who fight in the path of God who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoever fight in the path of God, whether he be slain or victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward” This attracts more support for Mohammad’s movement not only from idealist who would fight under the protection of god and the benefits of this in the afterlife but also from people that wanted to reap the benefits of the pillaging that was going on gaining numbers in his movement.
Here Mohammad began changing his rules of tolerance to some that were justifying attacks even in the sacred month. This is also were understanding the Qur’an begin to become very contradictory and up to interpretation of the of the asbab al-nuzul (occasion of the revelation) because the earlier verse are abrogated by the later ones. Today this is still under question as to what is the proper interpretation of the sharia (Islamic law). Currently there are five accepted schools of thought that try and get the meaning of the religion/political system that is Islam and this is for only the Sunny Muslims. All of this is also was all written thirteen-hundred years ago by people that lived nomadic lives in the desert translating this modern life today is completely up to interpretations of people and what you are trying to find when you are reading it’s holy verses, “word of god”. “Man makes religion, religion dose not make man” Karl Marx. And in the wrong hands with all these verse to quote and this modernizing to make from it people such as Osama Bin Laden emerge in religions to kill the innocent and non-belivers in his version of “gods plan” according to what he see in the Qur’an. Just as thisa has happened in many other religions in the past that have less places to look for such pointless killing of incoent people, such as the Spanish inquisition and the crusades of the Christians who manages to pull this out of a religion who’s founder was a peacefull hippie that just wanted peace and love and would turn the other cheek if hit
Such as in his treatment of the Jew and Christians in Qur’an 2:83 ”And (remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents and to kindred and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish worship and pay the poor-due. Then, after that, ye slid back, save a few of you, being averse.” We later see Mohammad expel the Jews out by force in Medina over an argument and change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem over to Median after having an argument and is bitter. Hadith Volume 5, Book 59, Number 448:Narrated 'Aisha: When the Prophet returned from the (battle) of Al-Khandaq (Trench) and laid down his arms and took a bath Gabriel came to him while he (Gabriel) was shaking the dust off his head, and said, "You have laid down the arms?" By Allah, I have not laid them down. Go out to them