Islam 101

Introduction

Islam is spoken of often – in discussions of history, debate over current events, and estimations about the future of our world – but it is not thoroughly understood by a great majority of people. Currently it is the second largest religion worldwide, and it is forecasted, if trends continue as they are, to be the largest before the close of this century. It is important to have a solid grounding in the history and practice of Islam to actively and competently participate in many discussions about our world.

Can we cut through centuries of misinformation and misunderstanding to better understand this impressive and massive faith that has grown around the world – can the average person learn about the fundamentals of Islam? With a mature and sincere intent to learn about this tradition, with a decision to ignore popular stereotypes, and with an investigation that covers the basic ideas and integral people and events, one can truly develop one's understanding of what it means to be a Muslim.

The lure of Islam is not new – since its inception people have been drawn to it. As well, there is a fascination with Islam that has existed for centuries. Our interest in learning of Islam is not new – take for instance the story of the English explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton, whose investigation of Islam, though in a sense quite disrespectful of the tradition, shows a keen desire to learn more. In the mid-nineteenth century Burton disguised himself as a Muslim and employing his skill at learning languages was able to journey to the Ka’ba in Mecca. He was able to pose as a Muslim performing a pilgrimage. This adventure, which is clearly disrespectful to the tradition, in that it pulls the wool over the eyes of the adherents of Islam, and trivializes a sacred aspect of the religion, does demonstrate the fascination that exists for this faith. A truly beneficial examination of Islam should have all the passion, but much more respect, than Burton had.

Perhaps the most interesting way to begin to study a religion is look at the tales within it. One of the most entertaining and enlightening is a story Sufis (Muslim mystics) tell of a king. He was distraught due to his wavering emotions – he experienced highs and lows with such frequency that he became terribly agitated. He asked his royal advisors to prepare for him some device that could even out his temperament – but for days they were puzzled and could not meet their king’s request. Finally a group of Sufis came before the king and gave him a ring – instantly the king knew that his days of suffering were at an end. The ring bore an inscription that would sober him in times of glee and relieve him in times of distress – the inscription read “This too shall pass”.

An exploration of Islam is greatly beneficial for anyone who wants to learn more about our planet, as Islam contributes much to our common history and Muslims make up a great deal of our population. Beginning this investigation can be daunting at first – there is a great wealth of history and theory to understand – but devoted study will ensure that any apprehension will be alleviated. However, the nature and enormity of Islam makes it impossible to exhaust all sources of learning, and knowing “everything” about Islam is certainly an unattainable goal – any sense of knowing it all shall surely pass as well.

Lessons

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