Members Of Other Religions Research Articles

The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present, yazar: Youshaa Patel (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2022), 341 sayfa, ISBN: 978-0-300-24896-8

Fulfilling the orders and prohibitions of Islam will make Muslims different. Performing ablution and praying five times a day affects the daily routine of Muslims. The fact that fasting Muslims wake up and eat at night and abstain from eating, drinking, and having sex during the day is an essential factor in the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims. For Muslims, performing the pilgrimage constitutes the pinnacle of their similarity to each other and their differentiation from members of other religions. The prohibition of waste established by Islam requires Muslims to adopt a simple lifestyle and clothing style that is away from ostentation. It primarily prevents silk clothes from being worn by men and creates a difference between cultures that use silk extensively in their clothes. When we evaluate these differences together, we can say that the difference in Islam is not a goal but a result. Commands that act on difference are not commanded to create difference. For example, fasting is effective on difference; however, commanding Muslims to fast is not to make them different from other people. The Prophet Muhammad’s approach to silk clothes is also within this framework. He said that this was the clothing of those without a share in the afterlife. The aim is not to create a difference but to prevent waste and ostentation. The difference that occurs when religious obligations are fulfilled is not abnormal. This is within the scope of freedom of belief; however, when Muslim difference is transformed from a consequence of Islamic commands and prohibitions into a direct goal, it will cause artificiality and alienation of Muslims from their society. There is no doubt that this supports Islamophobia.

Proclaiming the gospel in an interfaith environment: Missiological and ecumenical approach

Proclaiming the gospel (Christian witnessing) in an interfaith environment is an increasingly critical concern for Christians in today’s globalised society. This article intends to explore a missiological and ecumenical approach to address the challenge of sharing the message of Christ in multi-religious contexts. Drawing on missiological and ecumenical perspectives, the article makes suggestions on how Christians can engage with members of other religions through respectful and authentic dialogue. Such an approach involves recognising the values and beliefs of other religions. The words Christian witnessing, mission and evangelism were used interchangeably in the article in reference to proclaiming the gospel.Contribution: The article concludes that a missiological and ecumenical approach is vital for the effective proclamation of the gospel in an interfaith environment, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue and fostering spiritual growth in both the Christian and non-Christian communities. It also makes a case for the integration of interfaith dialogue and encounters in the theological and ministerial formation curriculum for pastors and church workers.

Leone Ceatani’nin Varaka b. Nevfel, Abdullah b. Cahş, Zeyd b. Amr ve Osman b. Huveyris Adlı Hanifler Hakkındaki Görüşleri

With the birth of Islam and the influence of other religions around it, there were those who opposed it. Islam has imposed itself on the world and brought peace and justice to the regions where it spread. In the following times, such an acceptance of Islam could not be accepted by members of other religions, especially Christians. The Westerners, who could not achieve the desired goal against Muslims in the Crusader attacks, changed their tactics and chose to weaken Islam, misrepresent it, and break it from its historical truth. With this, baseless allegations were made about the religion and its primary source, the Qur’an and its prophet, the Prophet Muhammad, and perception studies were initiated within this framework. Within the scope of these studies, many orientalists were trained in Western countries. These people, who carried out research in political, economic, and cultural fields, especially in Islam, were supported by the state they were affiliated with and produced many studies on the values of Eastern societies. Leona Ceatani from Italy was included in these studies in the West with his work titled Annali Dell’Islām. In this work, Ceatani distorted the basic principles of Islam and reached some conclusions of his own. As stated in Mustafa Asım Köksal’s refutation, in Ceatani’s work titled History of Islam, he made heavy accusations against our religion, our Prophet, and the Companions. In addition, the translation and presentation of Ceatani’s work as a reliable source caused some unrest in the public opinion of the newly established Republic of Turkey, and falsifying information about the Prophet, the Qur’an, and Islam was put forward. Ceatani, in his History of Islam, refers to the Hanif religion and its adherents and claims that these people were not Hanifs. The most important belief of all prophets during their prophethood was the belief in tawhid. Although the prophets differed in the system they applied during their mission of notification, their main duty was their determination in the belief of tawhid. Prophet Abraham, the sign of the belief in tawhid, has an important place in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and the term “Hanif” is used for him in the Qur’an. Hanifism expresses the principles common to the messages of all prophets. In the Qur’an, the word “Hanif” is used against idolatry and against the corrupted belief in the tawhid of Jews and Christians. It is stated that there were people in Arabia who adopted the religion of Abraham before the Prophet Muhammad’s message. It has been observed that these people had moved away from the religion of Prophet Abraham in Arabia and questioned this situation. According to the sources, these people did not commit polytheism, rejected the wrong beliefs and customs of the tribe they belonged to, and thought of the existence of a single Creator by retreating in seclusion away from the oppression of their tribes. In this study, we have examined Ceatani’s evaluations of Hanīfiyyah and the Hanifs known in our sources, such as Waraga b. Nawfal, Abdullah b. Jahsh, Zayd b. Amr and Uthman b. Huwayris, according to Islamic sources and found that he has wrong assumptions about this subject.

Reading the Religious Diversity of the Later Seventeenth‐Century Ottoman World: An Anglican Traveller's Perspective

AbstractIn his Account of the Present Greek Church of 1722, Dr John Covel (1638–1722), an Anglican cleric and master of Christ's College, Cambridge, reflected on how human beings, and Christians specifically, might best please God. In so doing, Covel argued that disputes over ‘meer outward forms of Godliness’, such as the acts of fasting or praying, were only important insofar as they helped worshippers to develop what he termed ‘inward affection’. For Covel, ‘inward affection’, though difficult to define, was easy to spot. It was evidenced by ‘the unfeigned Exercise of a holy Life’, which entailed the performance of good works, combined with the pursuit of more abstract virtues such as sincerity, solemnity, patience, moderation, faith and conviction. In this paper, I explore how Covel, between his education at Cambridge in the 1650s, and the publication of his Account in the 1720s, came to conceptualize the worship of God in this way, with a particular focus on the impact of his travels around the Mediterranean in the 1670s and his exposure to the religious diversity of the Ottoman world. As part of this discussion, I show how Covel's observations abroad led him to question the sharp distinctions which were presumed to exist not only among Christians but also between Christians and members of other religions, most notably Islam. Taken as a whole, this paper will make a novel contribution to our understanding of early modern ecclesiastical debates in England, by examining their frequently transcultural frames of reference.

DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIFIC FEATURES OF SIYAR SCIENCE

The international community did not immediately reach the current level of regulation of international relations.This process is the result of international legal practical experience accumulated from the distant past to the present. Islamic law also plays a special role in this process. The article provides information on the formation and development of the “Siyar” branch of Islamic law, which is the science of regulating international relations in Islam. Siyar first described the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In addition, Siyar is the science of rules arranging the relations of Muslims with members of other religions in times of war and peace. In particular, we studied the rules of jurisprudence on the treaties of war and peace between Muslims and non-Muslims, the humanitarian principles to be followed in waging war, the procedure for sending ambassadors to other countries, the rights and obligations of representatives of different religions living in Muslim lands through Siyar science. The development of Siyar science was a necessity of the time. As a result of the expansion of the Arab Caliphate, there was a need to establish relations with members of different religions and nationalities. It led scholars to write works on Siyar. In particular, faqihs such as Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shabi, Imam Muhammad, Awzai, Sawri, and Fazari wrote books on this subject. Specialists who have studied the science of Siyar also show its peculiarities in their works. In particular, they expressed that international relations in Islam depended on moral principles.

World Christianity and Religions 2022: A Complicated Relationship

This article marks the thirty-eighth year of including statistical information on World Christianity and mission in the International Bulletin of Mission Research. This year it includes details on the growth of world religions, increasing religious diversity, and personal contact between Christians and people of other religions. The world is becoming more religious, and the world’s countries have become more religiously diverse, yet Christians have inadequate personal contact with members of other religions. Solidarity, including friendship, love, and hospitality, is posited as the way forward in addressing these trends.

DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE SCIENCE OF “SIYAR”

The article provides information on the formation and development of the “Siyar” branch of Islamic law, which is the science of regulating international relations in Islam. Siyar first described the life of the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In addition, Siyar is the science of rules arranging the relations of Muslims with members of other religions in times of war and peace. In particular, rules of jurisprudence on the treaties of war and peace between Muslims and non-Muslims, the humanitarian principles to be followed in waging war, the procedure for sending ambassadors to other countries, the rights and obligations of representatives of other religions living in Muslim lands were studied through Siyar science.The development of Siyar science was a necessity of the time. As a result of the expansion of the Arab Caliphate, there was a need to establish relations with members of different religions and nationalities. This led scientists to write works on Siyar. In particular, faqihs such as Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Sha’bi, Imam Muhammad, Awza’i, Sawri and Fazari wrote works on this subject. Specialists who have studied the science of Siyar also showed its peculiarities in their works. In particular, they expressed that international relations in Islam were based on moral principles.

Exploring the Prevalence of Protective Measure Adoption in Mosques during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Muslims worship together more frequently than members of other religions. They pray in congregation at the mosque five times a day, causing the mosque to become a central hub for COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, the adoption of protective measures as a method of mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in mosques is vital. This study aims to account for the implementation status of protective measures in mosques in Surakarta City, Indonesia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire sent to mosque caretakers as research participants. The mosques were chosen using a simple random sampling technique for a total sample of 247 mosques in Surakarta City. Participants were asked how often they implement the following protective measures in mosques, as recommended by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia: checking body temperature before entering the mosque, prayer distancing, carrying own prayer mat, wearing a mask when praying and no handshaking after prayer. The prevalence of the adoption of protective measures was revealed to be amongst 44.6% to 92.6%, with the lowest prevalence in checking body temperature before entering the mosque. Overall, only 33.7% of mosques implemented all protective measures. In mosques affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama and the small mosques, the prevalence of protective measures was lower than in mosques affiliated with Muhammadiyah and the large mosques, respectively, suggesting that it is crucial to develop targeted health messages for these groups. Finally, as religious communities remain active in congregational worship during the outbreak, the contradictions between medical and religious practices must be addressed in society for believers to adopt public health policies and for policymakers to comprehend the importance of religious observances.

The world-view foundations of hetero-images in Mullā Muṣṭafā Basheskī’s Chronicle

Written in the second half of the 18th century in the Ottoman Turkish language the Chronicle of Mullā Muṣṭafā Basheskī discusses ideological references about hetero-images in regard to post-structuralist imagology. Considering the hypothesis that the image of the other is always culturally conditioned, the members of other religions are researched through the analysis (Bosnian Catholics, Orthodox and Jews), military and political enemies of the Ottoman Empire (Austrians, Russians, Montenegrins) and non-Bosnians (Turks and Arabs). To be more precise, the way in which the chronicler creates the image of the members of other religions always depends on the fact whether they are neighbors i.e. people who live nearby and share living space or the members of other religions living across the Empire’s border. Basheskī’s descriptions, characterizations, as well as his comments of the ‘’inner others’’, are never primarily directed at the religious identity of the mentioned ones; those characterizations, however, either affirmative or negative, are always ad hominem oriented and related to real people. Nevertheless, as regards to the imagery point of view, those characterizations go beyond the notion of religion, being general and universal. Accordingly, such perception is related to chronicler’s cosmopolitan interpretation of the original rules of Islam, as well as to his affinity towards Sufi mysticism. As a result, imagery point of view of Sarajevo in the Chronicle does not function on the profane-descriptive, but on the ethical grounds, thus connecting empirical, concrete and metaphysical. However, as regards to the ‘’external others’’, the lack of information and affective relation towards the real danger, resulted in predominance of mythological conceptions and stereotypes even in Basheskī’s Chronicle.

Elements of Eating Morality According to Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s Views: A Complementary to The Basic Concept of Food in Islam

The issue of food wastage can be described as global ‘ugly culture trend’ which is under a critical zone although various initiatives introduced to minimize this unethical behaviour among citizens. To tackle this issue, people should have ‘an inner motivation in reforming attitude to appreciate the ‘value of food’ by understanding food ethics based on morality perspectives because food wastage problem is closely related to ethics and morality. Learning and taking lesson from historical events are very important to establish a better future. Although the events will never be exactly repeated, the historical patterns can possibly be utilized to formulate a new concept, theory or solution for any contemporary issues affecting the society. To minimize food wastage, the prominent Muslim thinker, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960), is chosen as a role- model. He emerged prior the fall of Ottoman Caliphate and lived through first and second world wars during which scarcity of food affected millions of Muslims and members of other religions. The aim of this study is to find the elements of food morality to complement the basic concept of food in Islam based on his attitude and views on appreciating the value of food. His work , Risale-I nur (Flashes of Collection) will be used as main source supported by other sources such as Al- Quran, Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, journals, trusted websites and other related sources. Result of discussion shows Bediuzzaman Said Nursi views on the elements food morality is able to complement the basic concept of food in Islam and still relevant to be adopted in facing rapid phases of urbanization and modernization challenges lead human being to morality declination.

PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DALAM KONTEKS PLURALISME AGAMA DAN REALITA SOSIAL

Pluralism in religion indicates the fact that historically religions present a plurality of traditions and their respective cultures. Pluralism in religion is not only implies an attitude of willingness to recognize the right of members of other religions to exist, but also has the meaning of being fair to other members. Philosophically, the term religious pluralism indicates a particular theory of relations between various traditions and culture itself. The theory interacts with relations between the various major world religions that reveal various conceptions, perceptions, and responses about one ultim, a divine reality full of mystery. The theory of interfaith relations, at least approached through two main formats, exclusivism and inclusivism. After reviewing the literature, the definition of religious pluralism, the situation of religious pluralism in social reality and Islamic education with a pluralist perspective are produced.

Religious education of children in interfaith marriages

ABSTRACT Various religious groups impose strict restrictions on their members marrying someone outside their faith, especially when it comes to Muslims marrying members of other religions. However, travelling in pursuit of higher education and employment has made it possible for people marry to outside their religious affiliation regardless of religious dogma and teachings. Since the 1970s, Turks have been migrating to the UK for various reasons such as job opportunities, and political conflicts happening in their homeland. The increasing number of marriages outside of the Turkish Muslim group has made it necessary to focus on the religious and ethnic identity formation of children in interfaith marriages of couples who are Turkish Muslims and non-Muslims and have at least one child between the ages of five and twenty. This case study examines responses of 32 couples and 15 children collected through questionnaire forms and interviews. The findings demonstrate that gender, religious and ethnic identity, level of religiosity, and the dominant culture have influenced parents’ identity and that of their children. While the parents try to minimise their differences by focusing on moral values, most children develop double consciousness, which can lead to hyphenated identity or syncretism.

Western Criticsan and the Answers of Muslims to Critism of Dozy on Quran, Revelation and the Prophet Muhammad: The Example of Flibeli Ahmed

Kendilerini “biz” diğer din ve etnik grupları özellikle de Müslümanları “öteki” olarak niteleyen Batının, kendi yaşamını şekillendiren değerlere alternatif bir yaşam ve kültür sunan İslam’ın sürekli karşısında olduğu tarihî bir vakıadır. Bundan Batı Hıristiyanları, İslamiyet’i, onun peygamberini ve kutsal kitabını, tarih boyunca sürekli eleştirmişlerdir. Bunlardan birisi de Hollandalı müsteşrik Dozy’dir. Doğu dilleri hakkında araştırma yapan Dozy, tarihî gerçeklere ters düşen bir eser yazmış, Abdullah Cevdet tarafından da “Tarih-i İslamiyet” adıyla Türkçeye çevrilmiştir. Osmanlı kamuoyunda büyük tepkilere sebep olan bu esere çok sayıda reddiye yazılmıştır. Bu reddiyelerden birisi de Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi’nin “Tarih-i İslam” adlı eseridir. Filibeli Ahmed eserinde Dozy’nin Hz. Peygamber, İslam ve Kur’an hakkındaki önyargılı, mesnetsiz ve tarih metodolojisine uymayan görüşlerine cevaplar vermiştir. Bu çalışmada Filibeli’nin Kur’an’la ilgili yaptığı değerlendirmeler ile “Dozy ve emsali” dediği bazı Batılı müelliflerin eserlerinde vahyin keyfiyetine yönelik olarak yaptığı itirazlar ile Hz. Peygamber’e sara ve histeri hastalığı ithamları karşısında ortaya koyduğu karşı görüşleri üzerinde durulacaktır.

Social Mechanisms of Harmonization of the Relations between Muslim and Christian Culture

The article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological problems of the study of relations between Muslim and Christian culture. It has been shown that the globalization processes in the world affect all spheres of human life, diversifies it, promotes interpenetration of cultures, increases pluralism, and requires a new vision of the world in all its manifestations. It has been actualized that in today’s world traditions related to religious ones mostly gain the form of religious culture. The new state of secular culture and the emerging socio-cultural environment is accompanied by the activation of religious structures, institutions and processes, which are called »desecularization«, »religious renaissance« and »revitalization of religion« in the scientific literature. The dialogue between Islam and Christianity, Muslim and Christian culture, has historical and religious roots. In the era of wide development of Islamic culture, Muslims actively contributed to the establishment of mutual understanding with other people and civilizations. History shows that Islam has been the initiator of dialogue and exchange of opinions with other cultures for ages. The Holy Scripture of Muslims, The Koran, in many verses obliges its followers to conduct an intellectual dialogue with members of other religions. The unique and centuries-old experience of religious interaction on the territory of Russia strives at maintaining the religious identity by Christians and Muslims alike. Dialogue within the Cristian and Islamic culture in Russia does not provide for and even prevent attempts for selection of dogmatic integrity and unity of religious knowledge, however it implies the need of individual, personal relationships and joint solutions of various socio-cultural problems and challenges, where the tasks of the spiritual and moral development of society are the most important ones.

Are Muslims More Likely to Beat Their Wives Than Members of Other Religions? An Empirical Study of 60 Countries

Wife beating, spousal abuse, domestic violence, or whatever else you want to call it, has been around for centuries, probably since the beginning of human existence. There are several reasons why this kind of behavior exists, but the present paper will not get into those reasons. For more on this aspect of the topic, see the items listed in the reference section of this paper. The goal of the present paper is more modest, to merely measure the extent of support for wife beating, and determine whether wife beating is more acceptable in some religions than in others. The Muslim religion has been receiving a lot of bad press in the United States and elsewhere, partly because of the belief that most terrorists are Muslim and partly because of the way they allegedly treat their women. One purpose of the present study is to determine whether Muslims are more likely to beat their wives than are members of other religions. The most recent wave of World Values Surveys examined 60 countries. One question in its survey asked whether wife beating can be justified. It used a 10-point Likert Scale where 1 = never justifiable and 10 = always justifiable. Thus, it is possible to find an answer to the question of whether Muslims are more supportive of wife beating than are members of other religious, although it does not answer the question of whether Muslims are more likely to beat their wives than are members of other religions. The present paper is part of a series on wife beating. Studies in this series examine male and female views on wife beating to determine if women think differently about this issue than men; a longitudinal study to determine whether wife beating has become more or less popular over time; two studies that examine the relationship between religion and wife beating; a study that ranks the acceptability of wife beating in 60 countries; and a study of attitudes toward wife beating in the United States. Links to these studies are provided in the reference section of this paper.

The Catholic magisterium and world religions: a study in the modern history of theology

From the time of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has sought to develop a positive approach to other religions and to interreligious relations in its official teaching. This article outlines the main themes of this teaching in Conciliar and subsequent Papal documents. The Church’s approach is seen to be rooted in the affirmation of the unity of all humanity and is always Christological and ecclesiological in character. The consequent call for dialogue and collaboration becomes a means by which Christians can share in and extend God’s own saving dialogue with humanity. The scope of dialogue has also been deepened so that it encompasses the whole of the lived relation Christians have with members of other religions. The article also considers the main ways in which Catholic theologians have extended official teaching in their more systematic approaches.

RELIGIOUS VIEWS IN MODERN AZERBAIJAN

What are the modern religious views of the Azerbaijanis? What is the degree of religious belief and tolerance in Azerbaijan? Which religions were spread in Azerbaijan? All religious confessions in modern Azerbaijan are equal before the law and have the same status within the frames of the state-religion relations. Along with the Muslims, who constitute the majority of the population in the country, the rights of the members of other religions are ensured. The religions such as Idolatry, Fire-Worshiping, Zoroastrianism and Christianity already existed in the country until Islam was spread in Azerbaijan. Nowadays, Islam is the dominant religion in Azerbaijan.

Religious variations in fundamentalism in Malaysia and the United States: Possible relevance to religiously motivated violence

Passages can be found in nearly all religious scriptures sanctioning violence against members of other religions, but they seem to be especially prominent in the Koran. Assuming that fundamentalists are most likely obey what they read in sacred scriptures, this study sought to estimate the degree of fundamentalists among college students from Malaysia and the United States using a scale from 1 to 10. Roughly 40% of Malaysian students and 14% of U.S. students used 10 to rate their degree of fundamentalism. Malaysian Muslims were the most fundamentalist, followed closely by Malaysian Hindus, with Malaysian Christians being a distant third. In the U.S. sample, far fewer Muslims, Hindus, and Christians used 10 to represent their degree of religious fundamentalism. Virtually no correlation was found between religious fundamentalist and parental education and family income in either country. Instead, high involvement in religious activities and closely following religious codes of conduct plus having parents who strictly enforced religious teachings were much stronger predictors of religious fundamentalism than parental social status. Overall, the Koran's authorizing religiously motivated violence against non-believers along with high degrees of religious fundamentalism among Muslims and their growing interaction with non-believers may best explain the rash of terrorist violence in recent decades.

Whiteness, Morality and Christianity in Australia

ABSTRACTThis article examines the relationship between Christianity and claims about Australian culture. In modernity Christianity was reconstructed as fundamentally European and white. This article argues that English middle-class values, which historically have been deeply imbricated with the values expressed by the Church of England, have been taken up in Australia as the foundation of Australian culture. In official multiculturalism non-Anglican Christian denominations have been with ethnics. This includes Catholicism which, in spite of the numbers of Italians, Maltese, and other Catholics now present in Australia, is still associated with the Irish. This article argues that the Howard government was a watershed in the political use of Christianity to claim a hegemonic Australian morality and this has been established in opposition to other religious groups in Australia, most obviously Muslims. At the same time, this Christian morality is implicitly white and the members of other religions are assumed to be non-white.

Social conflicts as seen by residents of Saint Petersburg: An empirical study

This article describes the attitudes of Saint Petersburg residents to social conflicts. The author analyses their assessments of danger associated with social tension in the Russian society. This tension becomes particularly pronounced during the time of economic, social, and political turbulence. The research aims to examine the existing threats and identify opportunities for reducing social tension. The article makes a practical contribution to the development of social policy and civil society. The author describes the attitudes of Saint Petersburg residents to various social conflicts. They believe that religious and ethnic conflicts are the most dangerous ones and consider ‘conflicts over property and status’ a minor threat. Residents, associating themselves with the middle class, are more inclined to stress the danger of religious conflicts compared to those who associate themselves with the lower class, which is corroborated by a comparison of real incomes. The intensity of personal anxiety, experienced in the presence of people differing from the respondents, can be described in the following way: the most acute anxiety is caused by people of a different nationality, followed by nationals of other countries and members of other religions, then people with differing political views, and compatriots from other Russian regions. These data make it possible to identify hidden connections and patterns in the socio-demographic structure of these attitudes, which can be instrumental in obtaining a comprehensive picture of threats and emerging social conflicts and, hence, in preventing them.