Subject Removed - Chayesh

[brsingr]

this is my essay on islam, what do you think? warning, thousand words.

Alexander Turro

6th period, 10/24/07

World History

Islam

Founded by Muhammad in the 8th century A.D. On the death of the roman empire, Islam was a driving force throughout much of the middle ages. They flourished in Great kingdoms before their cities were ransacked and their progress destroyed by the crusaders. They made many contributions to modern technology, making such huge strides as the invention of Algebra, and the concept of freedom of religion.

During one of his bouts of meditation, the angel Gabriel approached Muhammad in his mountain cave with a message from Allah him/her self, stating that he was the Messenger of Allah. In response to this, Muhammad asked “What shall I proclaim?”, to which Gabriel responded “Proclaim! In the name of thy lord and Cherisher, who created man out of a mere clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! And thy lord is most bountiful. He who taught the use of pen taught man that which he knew not” Muhammad took this to heart and created a new religion. He began to teach that Allah was the one and only god, and that all other gods must be abandoned. Those who believed this principle of Islam, or “submission to the will of Allah “ were called Muslims, or “Ones who have submitted”. His wife, and several of his closest friends were the first Muslims.

One of the new, revolutionary concepts that was introduced by Islam is the lack of any religious leaders. There are no priests, popes, etc. etc. Another new concept was a rudimentary Freedom of Religion;The Qu'ran forbids conversion by force. Conquered peoples were given a choice – convert to Islam, and become a second-class citizen, or keep their current religion at the expense of being a third-class citizen. Only one notch above slaves, third class citizens' lives were highly restricted.

The class structure was as follows:

First Class Citizens

Born as free Muslims, first class citizens enjoyed a life restricted only by the laws that were placed upon all of society

Second Class Citizens

Christians, Jews, or Zoroastrians that converted to Islam upon the conquering of their cities, Second class citizens enjoyed almost all the rights of a first class, save for a few privileges exclusive to Muslims from birth.

Third Class Citizens

Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians who chose to keep their religion when given the option. Third Class Citizens were the equivalents of serfs in the feudal European class system, they had very few rights.

Fourth Class Citizens

If someone was born as a slave, they were a fourth class citizen, regardless of religion or ancestry.

However, many parts of Islam were similar to Pre-established religions and communities. For instance, Monotheism was already established by Judaism and used by Christianity, making Islam the last major religion in the era to use it. Another similarity is the fact that they have a holy scripture – both Christianity and Judaism have holy scripture, as well; the new and the old testament, respectively. Though the Islamic holy scripture is from the Qu'ran, rather than from the bible, they have similar messages, and because of this, Muslims affectionately call Christians and Jews “people of the book”. Though they prefer Muslims to Christians and Jews, They prefer “people of the book” the disciples of other religions, because of the similarities evident between the their religions.

Muslims were very supportive of the advancement of science, as they were aware of the benefits. Islamic physicians spent years practicing their trades, Mathematicians and astronomers were relied upon by the faithful to calculate the times for prayer and the direction of mecca. Their attitude reflected a curiosity about the world and the quest for truth and resembled Muhammad's own strong belief in the power of learning. Because of Muhammad's views on education, there was a strong support for the building of places of knowledge, such as the “House Of Wisdom”. Built buy Caliph al-Ma'mun in the early 800's, it was a combination library, academy, and translation center where many scholars from different cultures worked together to translate many texts from around the world into Arabic so that the Arab/Muslim community could enjoy great epics or research reports to further Muslim culture and scientific advancement.

Scholars at the house of wisdom were composed of researchers, editors, linguists, and technological advisors. The research techniques developed by them are the basis of the techniques used today, and Muslim artists wrote poems and stories about ideals like bravery, love, generosity, and hospitality, nature, and the pleasures of life and love. One popular book was “The thousand and one nights”, which was a collection of parables, fairy tales, and legends. Islamic expansion led Arabic peoples into areas rich in artistic traditions, which they often continued, but adapted to fit Islamic beliefs. Calligraphy, or “beautiful handwriting”, because the Qu'ran, or Muslim scripture, states that “Only Allah can create life”, so images of living creatures were discouraged. Muslim art is intricate and colorful, but is more often abstract than realistic; artists used such mediums as Calligraphy, Arabesque, and Geometric Patterns to express themselves. Many Muslim people also expressed themselves through architecture. Muslim architecture was a blend of the buildings of many cultures. The Great Mosque of Damascus was built on the site of a Christian church, and, in many ways, blends Muslim ideas with byzantine architecture, while Muslim-Syrian architecture resembles that of romans, with baths and roman heating systems.

Muslims made many contributions to the field of medicine, as well. Al-Razi was a Persian, Muslim physician, and he was, more than likely, the greatest physician of world civilization between A.D. 500 and 1500. He wrote an encyclopedia called the “Comprehensive Book” which drew on medical knowledge from all over the world, as well as “Treatise on Smallpox and Measles”, which got translated into may languages.

In conclusion, the Muslim community and the religion of Islam is a very important part of world history, which has contributed much over the course of it's existence. While the media has portrayed Muslims in a bad way in light of 9-11 and Osama Bin Laden, they are referring to the radical Sunni Muslims, which only make up roughly 5% of the Islam community. Had Muhammad not been “approached by the angel Gabriel”, the world would be a very different place.

Word count: 1055

[Raargant]

The title of this post is inappropriate.

[The Wayward Knight]

I think Islam sucks! **** Islam! There is only one true religion!

Bushism.

[goldbond]

actually arabic calligraphy is quite beautiful, as the written language lends itself to artistry which you could plainly see on google images or anything.

[Evangelion]

Arabic and Islam are not the same thing.

[elfdude]

oh good lawd

[Evangelion]

Your conclusion is inviable. One of the most sophomoric things you can do in an essay is end with a sweeping generalization like: "Without Muslim, the world would be a different place."

First of all, you can't just toss "9-11" in there, and expect it to complete an essay about Islam. The rest of your essay is about the formation and history of Islam. Why even bring the present into it? It adds very little, if anything to your essay.

Also, your essay's "facts" are incorrect. Islam originated (wasn't really FOUNDED) with the teachings of Muhammed. Muhammed died in AD632. Therefore Islam did not originate in the 8th century. In addition, Sunni Muslims are not 5% of the population - they are the majority.

In a formal essay, never ever break into this:

The class structure was as follows:

First Class Citizens

Born as free Muslims, first class citizens enjoyed a life restricted only by the laws that were placed upon all of society

Second Class Citizens

Christians, Jews, or Zoroastrians that converted to Islam upon the conquering of their cities, Second class citizens enjoyed almost all the rights of a first class, save for a few privileges exclusive to Muslims from birth.

Third Class Citizens

Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians who chose to keep their religion when given the option. Third Class Citizens were the equivalents of serfs in the feudal European class system, they had very few rights.

Fourth Class Citizens

If someone was born as a slave, they were a fourth class citizen, regardless of religion or ancestry.

If your teacher wanted a chart or a table, they would have told you to make one. You're writing an essay - figure out a way to say that stuff in paragraph form.

Finally, you have a few grammatical errors. "Islam Community" should be "Islamic Community".

['tarako]

'Your intro is very choppy and needs smoothing out. Many is spelled wrong in the last paragraph, look for may. The conclusion itself needs to be redone. What was the premise for this paper? You might want to cut some of the vague facts and focus on more specific history ones. Go for quality and not quantity in number of facts.

[Questioner]

Hrm, this is one of those, \"I really should not get involved\" threads.

First off, Islam was not founded by Muhammed, as Evangelion correctly stated (Research it). I find that your essay leans towards puffing up the good facts of Islam to make it seem absolutely great.

Islam has been spread for centuries by the point of the sword.

Don\'t believe me? Here is a small fact you can use for your essay. Spain was once conquered by muslims in 400B.C. Most of spain was forced into practicing islam or die. But then the muslims soon realized that there were so many spanish who would not practice islam and it was impossible to kill them all, that they forced them to pay heavy taxes in order to continue practicing their religions of christianity or judaism. Only the north western province of Galicia continued to keep the muslims from conquering them. It wasn\'t until about seven hundred years later that the spanish were able to kick out the invading muslims.

I would like to tell you more about how Islam was not toppled over by the \"evil\" crusades. However, it is late, i am tired, and I am not in the mood to rummage through my library of books on muslims, islam, galicia, and the ignorant generation of today.

P.S. What course is this, an AP, Honors, or is it just a regular history course?

[goldbond]

i'm not sure what islam secrets you think you hold. but everything you just claimed can be compared exactly to the pre-monotheistic pagan empires most notably rome. and then rome in its christian era. and the english, portugese, and spanish empires. it was all the era of conquest when populations were ready to conquer and other populations were ready to succumb, like spain and southern europe in the grip of its dark age. imo some people are too paranoid on an issue when they dont have context for comparison.

[Evangelion]

That is not entirely correct either, Questioner.

Muslim, as a religion and theological practice, did not start until Muhammed received his revelation from Allah, which he believed meant he was the Prophet, in the 6th century AD. Muhammed's teachings are the basis of the Qu'ran, and thereby the Five Pillars of Islam, thus the beginning of the religion as a widespread entity.

Islam did not, in fact, turn into a forcibly spread religion until Abu Bakr, Muhammed's successor, became the Caliph in AD632.

After the split of Islam into Sunni and Shiite sects, in AD661, Muawiya's sect (the Sunnis) formed the Umayyad Dynasty, which lasted from AD661 - 750. When the Abassids took over in AD 750, the Umayyads fled to Spain and reformed their dynasty - they only historical event involving Muslims in Spain.

This is not to say that Muslims have been peaceful - Abu Bakr nearly obliterated both the Persian and Byzantine empires (both weakened from their mutual war). However, it isn't right to say that Muslims have forcibly spread their religion any moreso than their Christian and Jewish brethren. And note that I say Brethren, since the basis of Islam was a polytheistic society in which Allah was the chief God, and Jesus/Moses are both believed to be prophets of Allah by Muslims.

You will find that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam vary rather little, in both history and belief.

[Evangelion]

Re Goldbond: Rome did not have a Christian era in which it forcibly spread Christianity. Rome only stopped persecuting Christianity when Emperor Constantine I personally embraced it, in AD313, with the Edict of Milan, just a few years before the beginning of the end for Rome.

[Grim_Reefer]

Gotta love the Afghan Kush.

[Aulian]

Yeah I take offence to this title to be honest.

I have a lot of Muslim friends and have read/listended to most of the Koran.

It is both beautiful and poetic.

All organised religion has at some point equated to bloodshed and violence. No one religion has clean hands. However whilst the current Muslim situation is not one I am in favour of, I still take great offence to ignorant people basically talking ****.

Sort your **** out.

[mya]

"Let me tell you how Islam was really spread throughout the world. Not through learned academic men. Not through peaceful integration and diplomacy. Islam has been spread for centuries by the point of the sword.

Don't believe me? Here is a small fact you can use for your essay. Spain was once conquered by muslims in 400B.C."

Yes it was at the point of a sword. But spain was not conquered, as there was no spain. It was the Iberian Peninsula that got conquered.

[Pali]

Also, your generalizations about the citizens' rights gaps are incorrect... in many places, Jews and Christians were only forced to pay increased taxes, and otherwise they had the same rights as any Muslim. Jews and Christians in the Middle East were not the equivalents of serfs, many had great amounts of money and power. For example, Cairo had numerous Jews and Christians holding high government offices, despite being a Muslim city.

And Evangelion, if something happened after the year 600 CE, it's 7th Century, not 6th.

[Evangelion]

Do not confuse my statements that Muhammed began teaching the ways of Islam with my statement that he died in AD632. Muhammed was born around AD570, and there is no conclusive date for his revelation. Therefore, it could very well have been in the 6th century (500s).

However, since I did not give a date, and you merely confused my statements, it's irrelevant.

You're forgiven.

[Pali]

His revelation was at the age of 40, according to Islamic tradition, so it'd have been in 610.

EDIT: I'd give you the sources from my various classes on Islam that I'm taking right now, but sadly, you're not a UW student so you'd be unable to access them. If you'd like another, you can read the second paragraph on Wikipedia's Mohammed article.

[Evangelion]

Cite your scholarly source, and if you say Wikipedia, I'm going to hurt you.

And again, you must remember that I STILL did not give a date. So either way you were just being an *** for the sake of being an ***.

[Pali]

Cite your scholarly source' date=' and if you say Wikipedia, I'm going to hurt you.[/quote']

If you really want the article names and authors, I'll look them up and tell you them. Having primary sources at your fingertips comes in handy sometimes.

EDIT: To prove I'm not spouting crap out of my butt, my easiest to look up sources include Mohammed by Michael Cook and A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani.

And again, you must remember that I STILL did not give a date. So either way you were just being an *** for the sake of being an ***.

Fair enough.

[brsingr]

Arabic and Islam are not the same thing.

I'm aware

Your conclusion is inviable. One of the most sophomoric things you can do in an essay is end with a sweeping generalization like: "Without Muslim, the world would be a different place."

First of all, you can't just toss "9-11" in there, and expect it to complete an essay about Islam. The rest of your essay is about the formation and history of Islam. Why even bring the present into it? It adds very little, if anything to your essay.

Also, your essay's "facts" are incorrect. Islam originated (wasn't really FOUNDED) with the teachings of Muhammed. Muhammed died in AD632. Therefore Islam did not originate in the 8th century. In addition, Sunni Muslims are not 5% of the population - they are the majority.

I had to add like 50 words, the conclusion was just some BS, and I was talking about the radical sunni, the ones who are blowing us up, and I just got the facts from my book.

i'm not sure what islam secrets you think you hold. but everything you just claimed can be compared exactly to the pre-monotheistic pagan empires most notably rome. and then rome in its christian era. and the english' date=' portugese, and spanish empires. it was all the era of conquest when populations were ready to conquer and other populations were ready to succumb, like spain and southern europe in the grip of its dark age. imo some people are too paranoid on an issue when they dont have context for comparison.[/quote']

and as I said, these facts were from my book. oh, and another note, this was done in like 3 hours.

[Evangelion]

The first comment was not directed toward you.

The second was, and needing fifty extra words is not an excuse to put non-factual statements in a conclusion. Be it a high school paper or a published document, no literature should contain information that is so egregiously false and/or misleading.

And finally, saying "it came from my book" is not a justification, since once you get into the real world of academics, you'll understand that a lot of books, professors, etc. have very real biases, and just because something is labeled a textbook does not make it accurate.

PS - Three hours is a long time, for an effort like this.

[The Forsaken]

/sigh....people....don't post your homework on the forums unless you want people to chastise you for it. Because trust me, Balinor has NOTHING better to do than read the forums, and attempt to prove you wrong.

[Raargant]

And finally, saying "it came from my book" is not a justification, since once you get into the real world of academics, you'll understand that a lot of books, professors, etc. have very real biases, and just because something is labeled a textbook does not make it accurate.

And believe you me, as a freshman in his first semester of college, Balinor knows more than a few things about the real world of academics.

['tarako]

'word Raargant. Books in college are crazy. And professors and stuff. haha. I have a teacher that takes off 50% from a paper if you cite wikipedia.