The Chronicles of Chaos
Ramachandran
Islam ,meaning "submission [to God]", is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad fundamentally teaching that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is the last and final messenger of God.It is the world's second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world's population, known as Muslims.They make up a majority of the population in 49 countries. Islam teaches that God has guided mankind through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs.The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, believed to be the verbatim word of God, as well as the teachings and normative examples,called the sunnah, composed of accounts called hadith of Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 AD ).
Muslims consider the Quran in Arabic to be the unaltered and final revelation of God.Like other Abrahamic religions, Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded in paradise and the unrighteous punished in hell.Religious concepts and practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are obligatory acts of worship, as well as following Islamic law (sharia), which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, from banking and welfare to women and the environment.The cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are the three holiest sites in Islam.
Islam originated in the early 7th century Arabian Peninsula, in Mecca, and by the 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east. The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century, during the Abbasid Caliphate, when much of the historically Muslim world was expamding.The expansion involved various caliphates and states such as the Ottoman Empire, trade, and conversion to Islam by missionary activities (dawah).
Most Muslims are of one of two denominations: Sunni (75–90%) or Shia (10–20%). Sunni and Shia differences arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions.About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia,the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa.Sizable Muslim communities can also be found in the Americas, China, Europe, and North Asia.
Jihad means 'to strive or struggle [in the way of God]'. In its broadest sense, it is "exerting one's utmost power, efforts, endeavors, or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation." Depending on the object being a visible enemy, the Devil, and aspects of one's own self ,such as sinful desires, different categories of jihad are defined. Jihad also refers to one's striving to attain religious and moral perfection.When used without any qualifier, jihad is understood in its military form. Some Muslim authorities, especially among the Shi'a and Sufis, distinguish between the "greater jihad," which pertains to spiritual self-perfection, and the "lesser jihad", defined as warfare.
Within Islamic jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-Muslim combatants. Jihad is the only form of warfare permissible in Islamic law and may be declared against illegal works, terrorists, criminal groups, rebels, apostates, and leaders or states who oppress Muslims. Jihad only becomes an individual duty for those vested with authority.
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early criticism came from Jewish and Christian authors, many of whom viewed Islam as a Christian heresy or a form of idolatry, often explaining it in apocalyptic terms.Later, there appeared criticism from the Muslim world itself, as well as from Jewish writers and from ecclesiastical Christians.Issues relating to the authenticity and morality of the Quran, the Islamic holy book, are also discussed by critics.
Islam ,meaning "submission [to God]", is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad fundamentally teaching that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is the last and final messenger of God.It is the world's second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world's population, known as Muslims.They make up a majority of the population in 49 countries. Islam teaches that God has guided mankind through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs.The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, believed to be the verbatim word of God, as well as the teachings and normative examples,called the sunnah, composed of accounts called hadith of Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 AD ).
Muslims consider the Quran in Arabic to be the unaltered and final revelation of God.Like other Abrahamic religions, Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded in paradise and the unrighteous punished in hell.Religious concepts and practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are obligatory acts of worship, as well as following Islamic law (sharia), which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, from banking and welfare to women and the environment.The cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are the three holiest sites in Islam.
Islam originated in the early 7th century Arabian Peninsula, in Mecca, and by the 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east. The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century, during the Abbasid Caliphate, when much of the historically Muslim world was expamding.The expansion involved various caliphates and states such as the Ottoman Empire, trade, and conversion to Islam by missionary activities (dawah).
Most Muslims are of one of two denominations: Sunni (75–90%) or Shia (10–20%). Sunni and Shia differences arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions.About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia,the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa.Sizable Muslim communities can also be found in the Americas, China, Europe, and North Asia.
Since it is a monotheistic religion,it has created only dictators from its very inception.Several characteristics of miltancy in the world,kidnapping,taking hostges,asking for ransom and jihad,were contributed by Islam.Out of the four Caliphs after Muhammad,three were murdered,proving it is not a peace loving religion.The founder himself ruled by subjugating the masses with terror and religion;adherence to the faith was mandatory.Death or Islam was the slogan.Iconoclasm,established in the final battle for Mecca was followed the world over,and was witnessed by Malabar in 1921,by islamists breaking the idols in temples,garlanding the idols with the entrails of cattle and even destroying the temples.Malabar had witnessed it much before,during the conquests of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.The Zamorin had to commit self immolation,setting fire to his palace.
India had witnessed it during the Islamic conquest of the Sindh in the 8th century,attacks of Muhammad Ghori,Mahmudd Ghazni and finally during the Mughal empire.Bakhtiyar Khalji destroyed the Nalanda University;Qutb Din Aibak constructed the vicory pillar of Qutb Minar,destroying 27 temples.Raja Dahir,Jayapala,the Hindu Karkota empire of Laltaditya,Suhaldev and Prithviraj resisted the Islamic conquest.
For Islam,conquest of India and Hindus was,jihad.
Jihad means 'to strive or struggle [in the way of God]'. In its broadest sense, it is "exerting one's utmost power, efforts, endeavors, or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation." Depending on the object being a visible enemy, the Devil, and aspects of one's own self ,such as sinful desires, different categories of jihad are defined. Jihad also refers to one's striving to attain religious and moral perfection.When used without any qualifier, jihad is understood in its military form. Some Muslim authorities, especially among the Shi'a and Sufis, distinguish between the "greater jihad," which pertains to spiritual self-perfection, and the "lesser jihad", defined as warfare.
Within Islamic jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-Muslim combatants. Jihad is the only form of warfare permissible in Islamic law and may be declared against illegal works, terrorists, criminal groups, rebels, apostates, and leaders or states who oppress Muslims. Jihad only becomes an individual duty for those vested with authority.
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| World Muslim Population |
Islamic salvation optimism and its carnality were criticized by Christian writers. Islam's sensual descriptions of paradise led many Christians to conclude that Islam was not a spiritual religion. Although sensual pleasure was also present in early Christianity, as seen in the writings of Irenaeus, the doctrines of the former Manichaean Augustine of Hippo led to the broad repudiation of bodily pleasure in both life and the afterlife. Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari defended the Quranic description of paradise by asserting that the Bible also implies such ideas, such as drinking wine in Gospel of Matthew.
Defamatory images of Muhammad, derived from early 7th century depictions of Byzantine Church,appear in the 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Here, Muhammad appears in the eighth circle of hell, along with Ali. Dante does not blame Islam as a whole but accuses Muhammad of schism, by establishing another religion after Christianity.
Since the events of 11 September 2001, Islam has faced criticism over its scriptures and teachings being claimed to be a significant source of terrorism and terrorist ideology.India had known it for several centuries,as a politico-religious phenomenon,rooted in militancy.
Other criticisms focus on the question of human rights in modern Muslim-majority countries, and the treatment of women in Islamic law and practice.In the wake of the recent multiculturalism trend, Islam's influence on the ability of Muslim immigrants in the West to assimilate has been criticized. Both in his public and personal life, others objected the morality of Muhammad, therefore also the sunnah as a role model.
Muhammad being the last prophet,leaves little room for updation in the religion he has found.Its priest hood interprets the Quranic verses according to their whims and fancies,most of the time,in an archaic manner.The resultant reality is often chaos and anarchy.It is a religion marred by homicides and fratricides.This book chronicles the militancy Islam has given birth to and groomed over centuries of strife and conquests.
© Ramachandran
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