Part 5 of 8 - The expansion, and core beliefs, of Islam.

                                                      Islamic conquests 622 – 750 AD.

It is only fair to declare; that my culture, values and reasoning come from my Judeo-Christian heritage, supplemented by Greek natural law and logic.  This gives bias to my understandings and beliefs.

Yet, thinking all Muslims are terrorists is not helpful; nor is it correct. 

And thinking that the Taliban Leaders are representative of the leadership of all Muslim countries, is also fraught.  So, what is fair and what is the truth?

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, (Born Mecca 570AD - died Medina 632AD)

took his people from pagan, polytheistic beliefs to the one true God, ‘Allah.’  Saving them from what he regarded as moral decadence, idolatry, hedonism and materialism.

In 610AD, the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad telling him he was the Messenger of God. The angels’ revelations and teachings over the rest of Muhammad’s life, are recorded in the Qur’an and form the basis of Islam.  They are the literal words of Allah.

Muhammad was also a great warrior and Warlord.  His armies conquered surrounding tribes, and by this means, the religion of Islam was spread, uniting half of the Arabian Peninsula under his command. 

Armies of Muhammad and the following eight caliphs were able to defeat and subjugate countries along all their land-based trading routes: imposing Islam on all.  (See map above.)

As the Muslim conquest spread, so it adopted some of the cultural practices of the people in the lands it defeated. It was wise to do so; as this encouraged the conquered people to convert, while being able to retain some of their traditions and customs of old; a sort of comfort blanket.

In Persia, some women wore a Burqa; an enveloping outer garment which fully covers the body and the face, to show modesty and piety.  In Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, …, genital mutilation was carried out on young girls prior to puberty.  (This requires the removal of the inner and outer labia, clitoral glans; and sometimes includes the suturing of the vulva. Leaving just the urethral exit.

Both practices have spread. Even though most Islamic scholars agree that neither the burqa nor female circumcision is required by Islam.  Yet, last year 230 million female circumcisions were carried out across the Muslim world, globally.

To expand by conquest, they needed soldiers, and to be able to replace those killed in action. Fortuitously, the angel Gabriel told Muhammad that men could take up to four wives; (so the many women left war-widowed, could marry and share one of the fewer men not killed in action); meanwhile, wives were expected to have as many children as possible, to refill Islam’s continually reducing ranks of soldiers.

There are two branches of Islam, Sunni (around 85%) and Shia (around 15%), stemming from the death of Muhammad 632AD, as to whom should take over as Caliph, their new Civil and Religious leader.

Shia believe the role was to be inherited, and that Muhammad had divinely ordained his cousin and son-in-law (the father of his grandsons) to be the next caliph, making Ali Ibn Abi Tabib and his direct descendants Muhammad's successors.

Sunni believe that Abu Bakr, the father of one of Muhammad's wives, his rightful successor and that the method of choosing or electing leaders guided by the Qur’an is the consensus of the Muslim community. 

(So, although both claim their religion to be Islam; religious wars deal with absolute beliefs; there is no compromise, and so it is with Sunni and Shia. They slaughter many more of each other, than they do we infidels).  

Both consider the Qur’an to be divine, but they have different opinions on sunnah/hadith.

There are six fundamental beliefs:    

1. A single, indivisible God.   Allah, the creator, is just, omnipotent and merciful.

2. The angels.

3. The divine scriptures: including the Torah, the Psalms, the Bible, and the Qur’an (which is considered the verbatim word of God.

However, although it is seen as the final word; Muslims also consider examples from his life (the Sunnah - composed of accounts called hadith).

4. The Messengers of God, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad (the last prophet).

5. The Day of Judgment is when people will be judged based on their deeds while on earth and will either attain reward of Heaven, or punishment in Hell.

6. The supremacy of God's will.  (Muslims submit themselves to the will of Allah).

The Five Pillars of Islam are equally fundamental and touch on virtually every aspect of life and society.  I will write about these in the next article.