The Five Pillars of Islam -
- Repetition of the creed (shahadah): There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
- Daily prayer (salat): dawn, mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset, nightfall
- Almsgiving (charity): 1/40 of income and assets (zakat)
- Fasting during Ramadan (sawm): Abstention from food, drink, medicine, tobacco, sex, from sunrise to sunset
- Pilgrimage (hajj): once in a lifetime pilgrimage to MEcca, the Muslim holy city
Islamic vs. Christian Beliefs -
Muslims
Revere Jesus as a great prophet
Believe Jesus ascended into Heaven, but did not die on the cross
Believe in the sin of Adam and Eve, but not inherited sin for all
Accept the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels as sacred scripture, but do not accept the rest of the Hebrew or Christian scriptures.
Christians
Worship Jesus as God
Believe in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus
Believe all humanity inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve
Accept as sacred scripture a larger Biblical canon than Muslims, one that includes historical and prophetic books as well as poetic and wisdom literature.
When you break it down to the basics, our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters are not that different or inherently disrespectful of each other's religious beliefs. If only every one could take the view expressed in The Alchemist that "[their] way is not the same as mine, nor mine as [theirs]. But we're both in search of our destinies, and I respect them for that."
Instead the media feeds each sides the worst images and ideas possible about the other side, dividing the camps further than necessary. For a more accurate look at a people and their culture I recommend reading Persepolis and Neither East Nor West.
For the Christian perspective...I can't really speak to what to read...any suggestions?
Despite not being updated recently, The Progressive Faith Blog has links to Christians, Jews, and Muslims who strive for love and acceptance, not hate and isolation. Look at the posts and see who's linked and in the comments too.
ReplyDeleteIt never ceases to amaze me that religious beliefs cause great wars and rifts among people. People need to seriously educate themselves on where their religion actually comes from and learn to think for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post though, I learned something new :)