Question 1. Were you surprised to learn the development of Islam and its historical ties to Christianity and Judaism?
Due to the antagonistic nature of Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the modern world, it is surprising to learn that the three sets of faith had historical ties. Having been derived from Christianity and Judaism, Islam claims prophets from both Christianity and Judaism such as Noah, Adam, Moses, and Abraham. Islam claims to be sharing the same God with both the two religions but having Muhammad as their last prophet. Muslims consider themselves as the descendants of Ishmael who was the son of Abraham born with his maid, Haggai (Bell, 2012). In contrast with Judaism and Christianity which were compiled over time by different people, Islam came as a result of the revelations which were given to Muhammad by God and the deeds of Prophet Muhammad. The laws of Islam are based on the deeds of Muhammad otherwise known as Sunna.
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Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all based on monotheism worshipping the God of Abraham and Moses and who they all believe is the creator of the universe. All the three faiths believe in one God, prophets, the existence of angels and Satan. Also, they all advocate for moral responsibilities, transparency, and accountability, as well as the judgment day. Christianity expresses their special covenant with God through Jesus, Islam through Muhammad and Judaism through Moses.
Question 2. Is it possible to respect all other religions before knowing in detail what their beliefs are? Why or why not?
Religion is an entity which earns respect from people even without any justification or explanation. Even so, it depends on the general beliefs that are propagated by the religion itself. A religion whose practices or beliefs do not promote ethics or morality is not worthy of respect. For example, Religion which promotes the violation of human rights, slavery, terrorism, female genital mutilation, and any other inhumane act would not be tolerated let alone respected by people. It may not be easy to determine what exactly is taught by different religions because different people claim the right interpretations. I respect the fact that people have the right to different beliefs and practices from mine. Even so, that right stops when the beliefs and practices are harmful to other people.
Question 3. For a Muslim living in one of the first world countries (e.g. Germany, England, the United States, etc.): How feasible would it be to practice the Five Pillars of Faith? Which of the Five Pillars would be most doable and which would be the most challenging?
Islam is a religion founded on five pillars. The first pillar which is considered as the most fundamental is the confession of their belief in one God and His prophet Muhammad (Kamal-ud-Din, 2010). The second one is the worship in which every Muslim is expected to worship at least five times a day. The third pillar is fasting in which Muslims are expected to fast and pray during the period of Ramadhan. The fourth pillar is almsgiving in which every Muslim is expected to share their belongings with the less fortunate in the society and to practice charity all the time. The last pillar is the pilgrimage in which the Muslims are expected to visit the Mecca and surround the sites considered as holy at least once in a lifetime.
For a Muslim living in the first world countries, it would not be easy to practice all the five pillars of the Islamic faith. This is because of the negative stereotypes attached to the Islamic faith in these countries. Issues of terrorism have made it difficult for the Muslims living in these countries to publicly confess their faith with the fear of being categorized as terrorists (Fuller, 2018). Even so, for a Muslim who is strong in faith, it is possible to practice the faith even amidst stigma. It would be easier, for example, to fast, worship and practice charity if one has strong faith. Amongst the five pillars, it would be easier to worship and fast and it would be challenging to practice charity and confess faith since it involves engagement of people from different beliefs and who already have stereotypes against Islam.
Question 4. Think of different occupations that would present special obstacles to the practice of the Five Pillars: an emergency room nurse or physician, someone working in a day care center, a sales clerk in a large department store, an attorney, etc. Describe how someone in these professions might be able to follow the Five Pillars
Professional Muslims who love their faith and wish to faithfully serve God find it difficult to balance their religious obligations with their demanding careers. To maintain the balance, the Muslims find a constant struggle. For example, an emergency nurse may find himself in a dilemma when there is an emergency case at a time when he should be in the Mosque worshipping. In my view, Muslims who are in such situations can still practice the five pillars outside the routine of the other people. So long as they practice the five pillars, even if they do it outside the normal routine, it would still be okay. For example, the emergency nurse can do the worshipping any time that there is no emergency in the hospital. Fasting is easier because it does not involve the abandonment of duty. The nurse can practice almsgiving by attending to the vulnerable in the hospital and even paying their bills.
References
Bell, R. (2012). The origin of Islam in its Christian environment . Routledge.
Fuller, G. (2018). A sense of siege: The geopolitics of Islam and the West . Routledge.
Kamal-ud-Din, K. (2010). Five pillars of Islam . Nabu Press.
