4.+Muslim



Muslim __Aim:__ The purpose of Muslim people is to follow their religion, Islam, in order to practice peace, mercy and forgiveness. “ Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God” (“Understanding Islam and the Muslims”). The God they refer to is named Allah, and the famous story of the messenger, Muhammad explains the beginning of their faith. “30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab World, 10% in the Soviet Union and China” (“Understanding Islam and the Muslims”). The Muslim population is extremely vast and the religion they practice is now one of the world’s major religions. They take their religion very seriously and are seen by other religions in the modern world as extreme or incredibly different.

-Elizabeth Nadeau

__Audience:__  The Audience would be the Muslims, and what it means to be a Muslim. Being completely loyal to the Islamic religion, and living life by the Qur’an are how someone is identified as a Muslim. “ Simply by saying 'there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought” (“Understanding Islam and the Muslims”). Muslims usually say that it is very easy to be a Muslim since Islam produces a straight path throughout life. They live their lives open minded and truly have a set outlook on the purpose of their lives.

-Riley Thompson

__Historical:__  In history, the Muslims began due to the prophet, Muhammad. The historicity of Muhammad is unknown and questionable by many. After much research, Muhammad was a person who would be highly rejected by any decent person. “ As to how such a character could inspire such reverence and devotion, we would submit that it was because Mohammed and Islam were created by yet another faction of "the brotherhood" for purposes of competition with Judaism and Christianity Zoroastrianism and other religions” (Murdock). Therefore it is unclear as to what the true reason for the story of Muhammad was, either competition with the other religions, or he was really a messenger of God.

-Melanie Jones

__Cultural:__ Aside from possible theories of the realistic versus unrealistic qualities of their religion, the Muslims believe in life centered around the religion of Islam. “The Quran is considered to be the source of many aspects of Islamic culture” (“Muslim Culture and Religion”). They strongly believe in the words within the Qur’an, and follow them with complete loyalty. Before doing almost anything or saying almost anything, Muslims will say “Bismillah”, which means “In the name of Allah.” In marriage, the Muslim culture believes that it is “half of religion,” and it is looked upon as a legal bond. Aside from the Qur’an, the Muslims traditions today reflect the stories of the prophet Muhammad. These practices are called the Hadith. It includes men trimming the mustache and growing the beard, the women wearing the hijab, using the right hand to eat, and using the left hand for the bathroom. There are many other practices that Muslims follow that are visibly different from other cultures.

-Elizabeth Nadeau

Works Cited

"Understanding Islam and the Muslims." Understanding Islam and the Muslims. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

"The Origins of Islam." Origins of Islam. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

Borade, Gaynor. Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.