The spread of Islam began in 632 CE with the creation of Caliphates, the Islamic city-states led by caliphs. Caliphates had an Islamic political structure evolving into a complicated dynasty during Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates (Leghaei). Islam religion spread through military conquest, influenced by politics, greed, and religion. Following Prophet Muhammad’s death, Arabic tribes began conquering Iran, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Jerusalem, and Iraq. Military expansion was followed by the conversion into Islam.
Furthermore, the spread of Islam occurred through trade, migration, and intermarriages. According to Munir, the Islamic Empire spread along central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East trade routes, where the Arabic language was used to facilitate the trade. Caravans led by the caliphs transported goods through various territories to expand their empires. Moreover, caravans were used by Muslim powers such as Abbasids to spread civilization (Munir). In turn, people from Mecca and Medina moved to Damascus, later Bagdad, Cairo, and Istanbul (Leghaei). The migration of Muslims to Malaysia, Indonesia, and India established the Islamic religion in those countries. Finally, intermarriages occurring over time shaped the spread of the Muslim religion. According to Leghaei, conversion through intermarriages contributed to the development of Islam in Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and Hong Kong.
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In Africa, Islam spread through an adaptive and gradual process that involved the building of Mosques and preaching. Islam in Europe and Australia spread through conquest by Arab Muslims. Muslims entered Europe through Spain, spreading Islam to Portugal and the whole of Europe. In South America, Islam spread through migration.
Muslim culture and fashion are emerging as one of the fastest-growing trends nowadays. According to Aljazeera (2019), big brands are targeting to incorporate Muslim culture, and fashion as a global trend for women increased the number of Muslims worldwide. Moreover, the Islamic style and dressing are identified as one of the modest fashions available for women.
Christians should live a simple life that focuses on obeying God’s commandments. They believe in and live to worship the Supreme being, God. The purpose of life is to follow the Torah, the living word of God. Judaists believe that the Torah’s ethical and spiritual insights are the founding principles of their lives. Judaism honors a well-lived life.
Muslim religion provides a complete code of details on the aspects of life. Islam encourages its followers to live worldly to the best of their abilities against abstinence. Muslims should follow the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and revelations of Allah. The purpose of life is worshipping Allah. People should also fast as a way of demonstrating their allegiance to Allah.
Death is an end to a human’s earthly journey. Dedication to Christ through a life of faith and prayer is a way to eternal life after death. Death and death preparation is regarded as a critical stage. Christians view death as a rest from the worldly struggles to go live with God. It is considered as sleep, and when Christ comes, He shall raise everyone.
Judaism views death as a necessary experience of human beings. It describes it as a passage from one stage of life to the next. Death is the transition where the soul is relieved from the body, thus returning to its original divine source. People should recite a confession prayer, Viddui, in preparation for death.
Death and death preparation is a significant stage in the Islam community. To the Muslims, death is returning to the creator. The perception of death and the afterlife is described in the Quran, which is God’s message. Death is similar to a sleep which is described in the Quran as one-night. During death, Muslims know their destiny, which is either heaven or earth. For the believers, death is a peaceful stage to go to rest with the Angels, while for the non-believers, death is a horrible and terrifying experience.
Christians believe in life after death and judgment day. The judgment day is described as the coming of Jesus Christ to raise the dead to determine their destiny. On this day, people will be judged according to the deeds during their lives on earth. The righteous will obtain eternal bliss in the presence of God. The wicked and sinners will be condemned to die eternally. Christians indicated in the scriptures what people need to do to enter God’s kingdom and enjoy eternal life in heavens.
Judaism believes in life after death. According to this religion, the soul belongs to God, and it will return to Him. Judaism’s teachings demonstrate that the judgment day is when people will be punished or rewarded. According to Judaism, life after death depends on God (BBC). People should do good for the sake of judgment day and life after death.
Muslims believe in life after death, where there are a soul and transformation of the physical body. Also, this religion teaches about the day of judgment when all human beings determine their eternal destiny, either hell or paradise (World Assembly of Muslim Youth). Muslims believe that on the final day, Allah will destroy the world to raise all human beings for judgment.
Jerusalem city has significant importance for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Jerusalem experiences one of the most major conflicts between Palestine and Israelis (Makdisi). Palestinians claim that East Jerusalem is the capital city of the Palestinian state. On the contrary, Israelis claim that the entire Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish state. The conflict has been challenging to solve due to Jerusalem’s religious and social implications.
Religious implications relevant to Judaism and Islamic faith have threatened peaceful coexistence. In Israel, religious Zionist dictated that the Jewish state should adhere to Arabic concessions. However, in Palestine, Islamic groups advocated for the need to liberate Jerusalem for religious purposes (Makdisi). They emphasized the hatred and violence against the Jews and the people of Israel.
Moreover, Israel created a policy that severed social, economic, and political connections between East Jerusalem and West Bank, thus contributing to the dire deterioration in standards of living for the Palestinians. Historically, Israelis believe that Jerusalem is the land that was given to them by God. According to Makdisi, the belief has been resisted by Palestinians, who claim that they are equal to share the occupancy of Jerusalem.
The religious and political views between the Israel and Palestine have contributed to the escalation of the conflict. Historically, the Catholic Church and the Arab population strained the connection between Israel and the Holy See for the Jewish state. In 1993, a fundamental agreement was signed to mark the beginning of mutual agreement to restore diplomatic relations (Makdisi). However, the emergence of the second Intifada intercepted the execution of the agreement. The Catholic Church demanded adhering to the due process by obtaining access to Israeli courts in order to protect Jerusalem (Makdisi). The continued dispute between the Roman Catholic Church and Israel has since contributed significantly to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
References
- Al Jazeera. “Why are Big Brands Buying into Muslim Fashion?” Al Jazeera, 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2019/07/big-brands-buying-muslim-fashion-190720112602238.html. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.
- BBC. “Life After Death.” BBC Bitesize, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm2tb9q/revision/3. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.
- Leghaei, Shaykh Mansour. “The Spread of Islam, from its Beginning to the 14th Century.” Al-Islam.org, https://www.al-islam.org/articles/spread-islam-its-beginning-14th-century-shaykh-mansour-leghaei. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.
- Makdisi, Karim. Palestine and the Arab–Israeli Conflict: 100 Years of Regional Relevance and International Failure. MENARA Working Papers, 2019, http://www.menaraproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/menara_wp_27.pdf.
- Munir, Hassam. “How Islam Spread Throughout the World.” Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, 2018, https://yaqeeninstitute.org/hassam-munir/how-islam-spread-throughout-the-world/#.XXaibH9RXIW. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.
- World Assembly of Muslim Youth. “Islam Guide: Life after Death.” Islam-Guide, https://www.islam-guide.com/life-after-death-by-wamy.htm. Accesed 9 Sept 2019.
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