History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History - Assignment Example The religious patriarchs like Abraham and Ishmael were available before the scripture. The  Quran started with these patriarchs to build Islam. Muslims give great regard to the authority of Quran and its sacred and divine nature. The  Hadith  is yet another important text in Islam. Hadith means traditions. Hadith constitutes the traditions followed by Muhammad in his life with the first Muslims. Numerous stories are told about the life of Muhammad. His daily affairs, his way of interacting with people, his manner of leading the community and his ways of taking care of household are considered as good examples by Muslims. Hadith illustrates the image of Muhammad, which is considered by Muslims as the role model. The Quran and the  Hadith  together give the textual basis for what is considered as Islamic ‘divine law’. Both are honorable texts with high degree of authenticity and integrity. Mohammed, the Seal of the Prophets is deemed as the greatest of all prophe ts. Quran is considered as the exact embodiment of Message of God. The teachings that got revealed to Muhammad are considered as the final of all previous messages. Muslims believe that Quran follows Torah and Gospel. According to them, Quran is the final revelation of God to man. The Quran gives great honor to Hebrew patriarchs, kings and prophets who are associated with Jerusalem. Islam recognizes the revelations received by these prophets. Jesus Christ is recognized by Islam as a great messenger of God. 2. List the five pillars of Islam and define Jihad. What is the role of Sharia to Islamic law?   The five pillars of Islam make the make the foundation for true Muslim life. Believing in one true God and the prophethood of Muhammad makes the base of Muslim belief. Daily prayers, concern for poor and giving arms to the negatively privileged, self sanctification through fasting and sacred pilgrimage to the Makkah makes the subsequent four pillars. The Qur'an explains Jihad as a ty pical structure of checks and balances. According to Islam Jihad is a system that checks one group of people using another group. If a person or a group of people violates the rights of Muslims or breaks their limits, Muslims can rightfully ‘check’ them and take them to the right line. Islam never permits unprovoked attack from its own side. Quran has asked Muslims to never start hostilities or do any act of aggression. Muslims are further commanded not to harm innocent ones and never violate the rights of others. Hurting animals and even trees is wrong according to the teachings of Islam. Islam recommends war only to defend their people from persecution, war and oppression. Quran recommends hostility to those who oppress Muslims. According to Quran, persecution cannot be afforded as it is worse than oppression. Sharia is the set of Islamic canonical laws that are fundamental to Islam. They are derived from four different sources, The Koran, The Sunnah, The Hadith or Ah adith and the ijma. Sharia was formed in the eighth and ninth centuries. Sharia means a path that leads to God. Muslims believe that Sharia is the law of God. Sharia however has different faces depending upon what exactly it entails. Fundamentalists, modernists and traditionalists, each have different views on Sharia. Sharia is therefore related to different Islamic schools of thought. Sharia deals with different fields