Islam and Jihad: Prejudice Versus Reality - Essay Example

ISLAM by The of the The of the School The and where it is located The Islam Introduction If one takes a look at the modern world, one can not help noticing that Islam plays an important role in it. Nevertheless, this religion has two distinct branches each of which should be carefully analyzed in order to gain the correct understanding of this spiritual tradition. In spite of the fact that Shia Islam constitutes only a relatively small part of the Islamic faith, it has an important impact on the religion in general. This paper will argue that differences between these two branches are more important than similarities between them. Succession of power It must be noted that the primary question that divided the Muslim world into two unequal parts is focused on the event that took place roughly fourteen centuries ago. It is beyond any doubt that Prophet Muhammad was a prominent individual; so, after his death the question of succession was extremely acute. According to Shia Muslims Ali ibn Abu Talib, son in law of the Prophet, has been called the successor of the latter on several occasions (Herbert 2005, p. 14). Nevertheless, the part of the Muslim world that is currently known as Sunni suggests that in spite of the fact that there are may be some explicit statements made by the Prophet, the actual succession was in favour of Abu Bakr, the person who was one of the most active companions of Muhammad. Indeed, as the historic evidence shows, after the death of the latter there was a discussion on the question of succession and the voice of the minority was outweighed by the majority which wanted to see Abu Bakr as their new leader. In spite of the fact that this may not see as an important issue, but in reality it reflects two approaches towards distribution of power: according to the first, Shia, it should be maintained in the family of the Prophet, contributing to reinforcement of the respect of his bloodline; on the other hand, Sunni point out that it is crucial to make sure that only the most talented ones are able to lead the Muslims into the future. In other words, there is a little possibility for reconciliation on this matter. The figure of imams It would not be a mistake to point out that believers are primarily organized around a charismatic person who is respected for one’s spiritual efforts. In the Islamic world such people are called imams. However, the two branches of Islam offer a different view on their role. According to Shia, they are guided by the divine powers and, therefore, their interpretation of the Quran or various current events is the one that should be adopted without any objection (1234 12, p. 12). In other words, their power of the people is relatively extensive. Contrary to that, in the Sunni world imams enjoy a great amount of respect. Nevertheless, there are primarily seen as spiritual leaders that guide people and that is why their ability to impact the social environment is limited by common sense. In other words, they are credited for their personal evolution and spiritual development, but their words may be discussed and the people are able to disagree with them. As one can easily see, Shia Islam and Sunni Islam feature two completely different positions with regard to structuring the social environment: the former is more authoritative while the latter is far more flexible. What is more important is that the rigidness of the system is largely facilitated with the help of spiritual means, implying that those who go against it go against the faith as well. On the other hand, the approach that was adopted by Sunni Muslims shows that the social environment should be granted a considerable amount of independence. The essence of jihad It is quite obvious that the word which comes to mind first when it comes to discussion about Islam is jihad. This is an extremely controversial term which is often misunderstood in the Western world due to extensive usage of it by the Islamic extremists. Thus, jihad literary means struggle, but there are two forms of it, lesser and greater jihad. Shia Muslims puts emphasis on the former suggesting that confronting people of different faith and fighting in the name of Islam is an important part of life of a Muslim (1234 12, p. 12). Nevertheless, this might be considered to be an outdated vision of jihad, which was gradually substituted by the idea of greater jihad of the Sunni world. For them, jihad still means struggle, but it is struggle against personal vices. In other words, it is absolutely no use to engage any weapons if one truly wants to fight in the name of Islam: it would be enough to become a nice person, a good mother or father, a reliable friend. So, Shia and Sunni Islam have developed completely different views on one of the most crucial points of this religion. It must be noted that when Sunni came up with Five Pillars of Islam, they did not include jihad as one of them while Shia Muslims enshrined it in one of the pillars. That is why it would not be a mistake to suggest that they reflect a more proactive approach towards faith as well as its role in the formation of the social environment. The importance of concealing faith At first glance, it may seem somewhat strange to analyze the place of concealment of faith which discussing two branches of the same religion tradition. Nevertheless, there are two different views of this action that were developed by Shia and Sunni Islam. According to the former, one may conceal one’s belonging to Shia in case it endangers one’s life. In addition to that, it also may be helpful to conceal it while living among Sunni so that would no open conflict. Contrary to that, the latter argue that a Muslim should conceal one’s faith exclusively when there is an explicit danger to one’s life. In other words, the followers of this branch of Islam are encouraged to practice it openly and spread the word further so that it could be heard by other people. It is quite obvious that this point of difference may not seem crucial, but it surely holds significant implications. Thus, for example, for the point of view of Shia thought, it is absolutely permissible for a terrorist to conceal his faith in order to infiltrate into a social environment of his adversaries. As a result, Shia Islam becomes a religion tradition that does not operate with clearly determined framework only. On the other hand, Sunni Muslims are not likely to conceal their faith which makes them easily detectable. So, there is a situation when one branch is openly practiced, while the other is seen as some kind of secret knowledge. There is no doubt that under such conditions an open dialogue can hardly be facilitated. Appropriateness of temporary marriage There are several differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims that are not found on a level of theoretical framework, but rather on a much down to earth, daily level; nevertheless, they are still extremely important for the understanding of the core principles that guide each of the branches. One of such differences is view on temporary marriage. In Shia world it is thought that a man may be engaged in unannounced temporary marriage with a woman; this action is thought to be completely ethical and is not criticized by the society. Contrary to that the other part of the Muslim world see the above mentioned situation as an example of adultery. Indeed, the very definition of unannounced temporary marriage implies possibility of having a sexual intercourse with a person who one is not married to. In spite of the fact that both branches of Islam allow men to marry up to four wives, Shia Muslims also have ability to enter such temporary marriage. The reason why this difference was brought out in the first place is that is shows that the conventional position on monogamy and the essence of adultery is shared by only one part of the Muslim world. Indeed, this position might be seen as a common ground for bringing Islam closer to other religions; nevertheless, a part of it, namely the Shia, would protest such ideas. That is why it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that this branch of Islam does not adhere to the conventional morals that are shared by the rest of the world and serves as an obstacle on the way facilitating intercultural dialogue. The practice of self flagellation There is another aspect of Shia Islam that should be taken into account while considering the peculiarities of each of the branches. Thus, one should note that there is a unique ritual that is practiced in the Shia world. On the Day of Ashura, a tremendous number of men who are passionate about their religion show their mourning over Huseyn bin Ali who was murdered in the city of Kerbela some time after the death of the Prophet. On this day some Shia Muslims use knifes or swords in order to hit their forehead and bleed. It must be noted that Sunni Muslims celebrate the Day of Ashura as well; however, the rituals do not include any kind of violence or damage that is done to the body. In other words, this branch of Islam tries to show that religion passion does not necessarily have to involve blood or violence. If one continues this thought, one will be about to suggest that Shia Islam, on the other hand, encourages people to make sacrifices and involves them into practices that cause harm to their body. That might be regarded as a reason why Islamic extremists are often found in the environment of Shia Muslims: they were accustomed to ritual violence with a certain religious colouring to it. Of course, it would be a tremendous exaggeration to point out that Shia Islam contributes to the formation of terrorism; however, it surely has impact on the way people think and how they value their life and lives of others. Conclusion Having examined all the evidence that was brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: the differences between Shia and Sunni are found both on theoretical, historical or daily level and outweigh the similarities that they have. That is why the dialogue between these two parts of Islamic world is facing a considerable amount of obstacles which might be overcome by mutual efforts. References Herbert, D 2005, Islam: Study guide, Open University, Milton Keynes. Noorani, A 2002, Islam & Jihad: Prejudice versus reality, Zed Books, London. Ruthven, M 1997, Islam a very short introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Read More