Allah written in Arabic
PHIL 104: Philosophy of Cultural Diversity: Challenge and Change
Melissa Gholamnejad, M.A. in Philosophy , Claremont Graduate University

Muslims form a
majority in over 48
countries.


Islam is the 3rd largest
religious group in U.K.
and U.S. The 2nd largest
religious group in
Germany and France.
Most Muslims actually
come from non-Arab
cultures. For example,
the most populous
Muslim country is
Indonesia.




Prophet Muhammad
was born in thriving
commercial city of
Mecca around 570.
Both parents died while
he was young. Thus,
raised by relatives.
Married a wealthy
widow.
Trader by occupation,
but would spend most
of his time in caves
meditating.
Muhammad written in Arabic.


Around 610, the archangel
Gabriel appeared to
Muhammad in a cave on
the mountain of ‘Arafat in
the present-day Saudi
Arabia and relayed to the
Prophet God’s design for
the world.
Because Muhammad
himself was unable to
write, his revelations were
recorded by his relatives
and later put together into
a collection called the
Qur’an, or “Verses”.




Written in Arabic, the
“Verses” are intended to be
recited out loud in Arabic.
For the sound of the verses
represents the divine speech
of God, or Allah.
The message from the angel
essentially emphasizes
submission to the will of
Allah, thus the term for this
message is “Islam”, which
means “submission”.
A Muslim is “one who
submits”
It is a message of both
discipline and universal love.



Muhammad died in
632, his message of
submission to the will
of Allah had become the
dominating belief in
that part of the world.
He had transformed
Mecca into a holy city.
Muslims regard
Muhammad as Allah’s
messenger.
For Muslims there is no
other gods but Allah.
The rooftop of Al-Masjid al-Haram (The Holy
Mosque) filled with worshippers in Mecca





Grounded in the Qur’an, they
convey the ethical and moral duties
of all Muslims, regardless of sect.
Islamic morality is not about
Muslims simply seeking their own
individual salvation. Stress the
building of a just community.
Muslims must work to bring about a
social order that is free from any
type of oppression.
Being pious, and just, promises
eternal reward to Muslims, whereas
impiety mean certain misery in the
afterlife.
Muslims have the obligation to
bring abut a good and just society.
Avicenna makes this clear in his
Book of Healing when he prohibits
activities such as gambling.





There is no god but God and Muhammad as his
prophet.
Muslims are required to recite this credo in public.
The credo expresses devotion to one God and to
his prophet.
The most serious sin is to worship another god
besides Allah.
The glorification of material comforts and monies
is therefore contrary to worshiping the one God.
To capture the image of God in statue or paintings
is viewed as blasphemous.


Muslims are required
to pray 5 times each
day: just before
sunrise, early
afternoon, later
afternoon, soon after
sunset, just before
retiring.
When praying they
are required to face
toward the Ka’ba the
holy temple in Mecca.
The Ka’ba the most scared site in Islam. The Mosque alHaram is build around this in Mecca. The building is
believed to predate Islam and build by Abraham.



Muslims are expected to fast during the holy
month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the
lunar year, from sunrise to sunset.
During this time Muslims are prohibited from
smoking and sex.
This strict fasting reminds each Muslim of the
poor and destitute throughout the world.


Muslims are required to give alms each year to
the poor and destitute.
Reminds each Muslim of the poor who have no
financial mean to support themselves.

Once during his or
her lifetime, each
Muslim is expected to
make a pilgrimage,
called Hajj to the holy
city of Mecca. To the
Ka’ba as long as he or
she is physically able
and can afford it.



Sunni Muslims claim that
succession stems from the
leadership of Mu’awiyah
(661-750) and his resulting
Umayyad dynasty.
Sunni movement remains
the mainstream tradition
in Islam and, long with all
Muslims, advocates strict
submission to the will of
Allah.
Sunnis are referred to as
orthodox Muslims.




Shiites claim Ali and his
son Husain are the
rightful successors.
Shi’i teachings still prevail
in Iran and Iraq and few
other countries.
Shi’i hold the notion of an
Imam as the spiritual
leader of all of Islam.
There is succession of 12
Imam of whom the last,
named Muhammad, has
yet to appear. The hidden
Imam currently exists in
Allah’s paradise.




Both Sunnis and Shiites
require that Muslims
practice the 5 pillars of Islam.
Demand absolute devotion
to the one and only God,
Allah, and chastise the
worship of another god.
They both require that every
Muslim strive to achieve
good and just society.
Although both Sunni and
Shiites share the basic moral
teachings, Shiites tend to
interpret these teachings in
more extreme ways.
Those cities underlined in red are the site of Shiites
Muslims.




For orthodox Muslims (Sunnis) there is irreparable
distance between the human and the divine. Any
attempt to approximate or identify with the divine is
viewed as blasphemous. Sufis however, claim that
human have an essential oneness with Allah.
Mainstream Muslims are generally critical of Sufis
because they see them as more concerned with their
own individual salvation than with working actively to
establish a just society. That is they place personal
piety above the common welfare.
The great Muslim philosopher Avicenna (980-1037)
tends to exhibit the Sufi emphasis upon personal
devotion.
Most Muslim scholars admit that Sufis come closer to
the core meaning of devotion, which is spiritual in
nature and not at all military or political.







Islamic law or Sharia covers all sorts
of topics from civil law to morality.
To avoid conflicting interpretations of
the law, Muslim scholars proposed 4
criteria for establishing legitimacy.
1st—the Qur’an
2nd—Tradition, called Sunna, which
often relies upon the works that
record the life and statements of
Muhammad, called hadith.
3rd—use of critical thinking to arrive
at analogies.
4th—social approval and consensus.
For example: woman wearing the veil
or hejab.
Picture of university of Al-Azhar’s
courtyard in Cairo, Egypt.





The wearing of the veil is deeply symbolic, it
signifies that the woman is Muslim and thus
submits to the will of Allah.
Wearing the veil embodies her personal decision
to follow the teachings and example of the
prophet, Muhammad.
So why is the veil viewed as being oppressed?
It is not only the wearing of the veil but rather
the inequalities found between men and women
in Islam that gives the impression of oppression.
 For example, only men are allowed multiple
wives not women. Qur’an permits
husbands to inherit twice as much property
and possessions as their wives. Although
women have learned basic instructions of
Qur’an, in contrast to men they were/are
excluded from receiving any further
education. Play no role in public and
political affairs.
All of these together has led the veil to become
symbolized as oppression.




The Qur’an makes it clear that drawing
unnecessary attention to oneself, whether man or
woman, detracts from the selfless obedience and
submission required by Allah.
Muslims believe that true feminity and physical
beauty are not one and the same.
Wearing the veil is a way for the woman to reveal
her feminity while concealing her sexuality.
By wearing the veil, the Muslim woman chooses to
make a statement about her identity, namely that
she is a true Muslim, and that means she chooses
not to be looked upon as a sex object by others.





Treatment of woman in
Islam
Defense of polygamy
Islam is often linked to the
extremely political fabric in
middle east countries.
Americans have come to
think of Islam as a religion
of violent fanatics.
It is important to know
there is a difference
between Islamic extremists
and a devout Muslim who
follow the creed of
nonviolence that is found
in the Qur’an.
Picture of Louis Farrakan the leader of Nation of Islam
in America.





Islam is against the West.
However, the view is due to the dualist view of
Islam. World of Believers (dar al-Islam) and the
world of heretics (dar al-Harb). It is this second
one that leads to Islamic extremism.
On one hand we have suicide bombings in Hamas
or “istishhadi”=“self-chosen martyrdom”
In contrast Islam tends to be more conservative in
monarchy of Saudi Arabia, which has consistently
been an American ally.
Not to deny that there are Islamic extremist but to
not confuse them with devout Muslims.




Islam is essentially a religion that preaches
nonviolence as in Buddhism, compassion is a key
virtue in Islamic ethics.
Muslim encourages a just society and to rid society
of all forms of oppression.
However, even though Islam upholds nonviolence
as an ideal, there may be times when violence is
permitted in order to restore injustice and to resist
oppression.
Violence is permitted only when it is absolutely
necessary for the purpose of defense. It must be
the last resort.


West thinks of jihad as “holy
war” between Muslims and
non-Muslims
Jihad literally means
“struggle”. It is an interior
and personal struggle within a
Muslim to remain true to his
or her beliefs.


Also refers to the struggle to
apply these beliefs to the social
realm with the aim of bringing
about a better world.
However extremists in Muslim
have interpreted this version
of jihad in brutal, literal
fashion.
Picture above depicts what a
jihad extremist looks like or is
thought of as looking like in
the West. However, this is
NOT what the Qur’an refers to
as being jihad.








Was executed in 1982 after the attack on Egypt's president Anwal
Sadat in 1981.
He wrote the pamphlet “The Neglected Duty”
According to him Qur’an offers valid sanction for assassination.
Supported violent overthrow of enemies of Islam whether soldiers
or civilians.
In his pamphlet Faraj proposes a 6th pillar of Islam.
1. belief in one God, 2. daily prayers, 3. alms to the poor, 4. fasting
during Ramadan, 5. pilgrimage to Mecca, 6. all devout Muslims to
conduct a jihad against enemies of Islam like Americans and their
allies.
 Examples: The Muslim Brotherhood, Afghanistan, the Taliban
and Osma Bin Laden
Unfortunately this text remains a pivotal text for modern militant
Muslims even though written in 1970s
Muslim scholars from the esteemed university of al-Azhar insist
that jihad represents a spiritual struggle that can be resolved
through proper knowledge and reflection.
Khatami and Roxana Saberi
Revision that challenges both extremist views and the more
traditional perspective.
Iran—the election of Khatami as president in 1997
At the time Khatami urged to confront western influences
not by rejection , as preached by traditional clergy, and not
through militant opposition, as encouraged by extremist.
Rather argued that Muslims need to face up to scientific
advancement.
Duty of every Muslim to adapt Muslim beliefs to changing
realities.
Khatami and Ahmandinejad after the
2005 election.

Terrorist violence is still justify their action by
appealing to Qur’anic teachings.


Is there room for individual conscience in Islam?


Women wearing veil, should be a free decision
undertaken by women. Yet many women are strongly
pressured by their families and by their society into
wearing the veil
Does Islamic teaching support individual choice?


Drawing a distinctions between the extremists and
devout Muslim does not resolve this critical problem of
interpretation.
Islamic teachings appear vague here.
Feminist point to double standards in applying
certain rules.

Islamic ethics lies in its simplistic reliance upon its
religious teachings.


Emphasis upon balance and avoidance of the extreme
positions of materialism and spiritualism.



Ultimate aim in Islamic ethics is to pursue the Truth—Allah
and his message constitute Truth.
Similar to Aristotle’s teaching concerning virtue. Avoidance of
excess and deficiency.
Has a harmonious vision of understanding between
the individual and the collective.
Recognizes the organizational and social roots of
oppression.

The reason why Islamic teachings seek to transform both the
individual and the society.