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Islamic Religion in Iraq. Custom, Tradition and Faith. The Middle East. “Allah” The one God. For believing Muslims this is the name of the one God. For them there is no other.
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Islamic Religion in Iraq Custom, Tradition and Faith
“Allah”The one God For believing Muslims this is the name of the one God. For them there is no other. “Allah” was originally the name of an astral god worshipped by the pagan Arabs before Islam. The “Kaaba” in Mecca is survival of this earlier form of religion. Islam is a most strictly monotheistic faith.
The Three Heavenly Religions • Judaism – The “Root” Stock • Christianity – Clearly comes from the beliefs of the Jews but seeing a savior in Jesus. • Islam – In the eyes of non-Muslims, a further development of the Judeo-Christian prophetic tradition.
Islam – The outsider’s view. • Other peoples’ views on religion must be respected whether or not one shares them. • Religion is about faith, not reason. • Debating the “truth” of religion is for theologians, not soldiers. • Never challenge a Muslim over the “value” of his religion ot yours. • Nevertheless, an objective view of the subject is necessary.
Emic vs. Etic • Emic knowledge is that which you “learn” from what people tell you about themselves or others. • Etic knowledge is what you decide is true about the same people after you have evaluated all available data, including the Emic knowledge. • Never! Never! Accept what people tell you about themselves at face value. • People have many reasons for telling you things that are not accurate.
Islam and Arianism • The Prophet Muhammad was exposed to many forms of Judaism and Christianity in his travels. • Early Christian “fathers” in the lands captured by the Muslims thought Islam was just another form of Christianity. • “Arian” Christianity was widespread in Arabia. It held that Jesus was a great prophet but not God. This is like Islam.
Origins of IslamThe “hydraulic” theory as opposed to the message of faith. • Rainfall in the Arabian Peninsula is both meager and uneven. • An irregular cycle of plentiful rainfall and severe drought is unending. • Plenty of rain means more food, means more people. • Less rain means less food means starve or move. • Time of the Islamic revelation and its establishment as a community corresponds to a profound drought. • Invasion of Syria, Iraq and Egypt followed.
World War in BCPersians versus Byzantines • Persia and the Byzantine Empire were the two great powers. • They fought an all out war for world domination. Total “kinetic exhaustion” was the result. • The Muslims were lucky enough to expand into that vacuum. • At Qaddisiyah and the Yarmuk River the Muslims seized Syria and Iraq.
Muslim Empire - 1 • Conquerors organized themselves as garrisons to rule the defeated Christians and Persians. • All loot was shared according to when a person or his ancestor had accepted Islam. • The conquered did not share. This led to great bitterness.
Muslim Empire - 2 • First the people of the Hijaz ruled from Damascus. They were called the Ommayads. • Then a mixed dynasty ruled from Baghdad. They were called the Abbasids. • Eventually the empire disintegrated and was ruled by foreign “slave” dynasties, Turks, Mamelukes and Mongols.
Many forms of Islam - 1 • Sunni – accepts the authority of Quran, and the early example (Sunna) of Islamic community and majority community leaders. • Shia – Represents the interests of the “underclass.” Probably developed as a result of Arab discrimination against the conquered. Identity “pinned” to the rights of the prophets family.
Many Forms of Islam - 2 • Shia • Twelvers. Prevalent in Iraq and south Lebanon. • Seveners. Exist mainly in India and Pakistan. • Fivers. Only in Yemen. Nearest Shia sect to Sunnis in law. Follow ancient rationalist school of law.
Basic Sunni and Shia Islam • No “ordained” clergy. Ulema are scholars and officials, not priests. • No Hierarchy. • No sacraments. No baptism. Affirmation of Islam is substitute. Marriage is a religiously certified contract.
Predominate form of Islam is law driven • Man is insignificant. God is everything. Man’s function is to obey God. • Therefore, knowing the will of God as expressed in religious law is all important. • Determining accepted law and its application is the principal function of Ulema (clerics)
The “Roots” of the law -1(Usul Fiqh) • Quran – The uncreated word of God. It was no written by man (Muslim understanding). It descended from heaven and has existed in this form and words for all eternity. • Hadith – Various authorized collection of records of the practice of Muhammad and the early Muslim community. The Shia and Sunni have different collections.
The “Roots” of the law - 2 • Qiyas – analogy from case law. • Ijma’ – Because Islam has no “chain of command,” consensus of Scholars or any group of Muslims effectively determines what law is accepted. • Ijtihad – individual striving for understanding of God’s will based on Quran, etc. The Shia believe this is still possible but the Sunni have not for a thousand years.
Shia and Sunni beliefs on Ijma’ • The Twelver Shia believe that Ijtihad is still possible and that certain great scholars have this ability. They are certified by the “Howza.” A “university” of scholars. There are basically two, one in Iran and the other in Iraq. The two are intimately connected. • The Sunni think this path to law is now blocked, but recent pressure has caused them to at least reconsider the subject.
Schools of Sunni Law • Hanbali – In use only in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Relies only on Quran and Hadith for making judgments of law. Forms the background of Wahhabism, takfiri jihadism and Al-Qa’ida. • Hanafi – This was the official “school” of law of the Ottoman Empire and for that reason is widely accepted. • Shafa’i – The oldest and most widely accepted school. • Maliki – Prevalent in western north Africa.
Shia Law • More organizationally structured than Sunni law and based on the ijma’ (consensus) of the great mujtahids of Shia Islam. They are also called ayatollahs. • The consensus is formed in the Howza of a great center of learning or in the following of a single man. • Such a man is called a “marja; at-taqliid” or “reference point for emulation.” • Such a man’s opinions have no authority after his death.
Ijma’ and Group Consensus • Because of the lack of hierarchy, group identity within Islam and belief in what Islam is is altogether dependent on the group’s acceptance of the leader or the group’s teaching. • “Official” Islamic authorities do not accept this bit it is effectively the truth.
The Five Pillars - 1 • Like all great religions Islam exists at different levels of sophistication. • At the top, men like Al-Ghazali, great philosophers ranking with Aristotle and Plato. • At the bottom, a mass of folk religion and superstition filled with demons, genies and charms.
The Five Pillars - 2 • Witness – “There is no God, but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” • Pilgrimage – To Mecca at least once in a lietime during “Dhu al-Hajj.” • Prayer – Five times a day, preferably in formation. • Alms – “Zakat” Tithing, preferably to the poor. • Fasting- in Ramadan unless one is traveling or ill.
Jihad, Shahadah and Salvation - 1 • Shirk – the idea that all but God must be de-valued and abandoned. • Muslims tend to believe that suicide is a crime against God’s will but that martyrdom is not suicide. • Muslims tend to believe that murder is a great crime but that killing the enemies of religion and God is not murder. Consensus rules here.
Jihad, Shahadah and Salvation - 2 • The pious believe that immediate salvation is the reward of the martyr (shahiid). For them there is no wait in torment for the last day and judgment.
The Mahdi • Both Shia and Sunni Islam believe in the existence of a “Mahdi” or savior. This belief is probably based on earlier Jewish and Christian beliefs. • In the case of the Shia, the belief is that the Mahdi is the same person as the “hidden” 12th Imam of the Twelver Shia community. According to their belief this descendant of Muhammad awaits the time of final judgment when he will come with Jesus to judge all.
The Sufis - 1 • “Orthodox” Islam is a matter of law and obedience to God’s law. • This is a view of man’s relationship to God which is not enough for many. • In response many Muslims have individually or in groups believed that that they could know God’s love personally. • They are called Sufis and their mysticism is related to that of Jews and Christians.
The Sufis - 2 • In the early days of Islam these people were persecuted terribly for what was seen to be blasphemy. • Many were burned or crucified for their “sin.” • After a few hundred years, a great scholar (alim) appeared who reconciled mainstream Islam to the Sufis by persuading them to accept the idea that they did not actually see God, but, instead only his image. This saved them and they are accepted today. • There are many Sufi “orders,” the members of which are often professional people.
Popular Religion • The high culture of Islam is only part of the story. • “Peoples’ Religion” is the rest of the story. • Village religion is filled with belief in saints, love of God as creator and tribal custom as modifying Islam. • In Iraq, village religion mixes strongly with Sufi empathetic feeling and Sharia law to make a “brew” that is inherently hostile to Al-Qa’ida’ constipated view of Islam.
Islam is not our enemy • Only the takfiri jihadis are our enemy and they are the enemies of most Muslims as well.
