Chapter 2 - Foundation of Islam

Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo
Course/ Student No.: DICOS M1 / 300202040

1. CHAPTER 2: THE FONDATIONS OF ISLAM

The Purpose of the Chapter:
• Describing some basic principles or central believes of Islam.
• Providing social background of the growth of Islam; and portraying the
relationship between religious thought and social practices.
• Correcting some misconceptions about Islam in a proportional way supported by
some evidences.

CENTRAL BELIEFS OF ISLAM

Before presenting the vital foundations of Islam, I would like to notify the meaning of
Islam and Muslim. Islam means “(total) submission”; and Muslim means “one who
submit”.

1. Five Pillars of Islam
• Shahada(t)
Shahada is a recognition statement or declaration that there is only one God
(Allah); and Muhammad is His prophet. To be a Muslim, it is enough to
declare shahada with full conviction and consciousness.
• Shalat (pray)
Shalat must be performed 5 times a day (before dawn, at noon, in late afternoon,
just after sunset, and at evening), facing in the direction of Kaaba, the holy
shrine in Mecca.
• Zakat
Zakat is the giving of a fixed amount of alms used to meet the need of the
religious community (especially for the poor). Beside, Muslims are also
strongly suggested to give some voluntary contribution.
• Fasting
During the month of Ramadhan at the definite time, Muslims view the
abstention from all physical desires (food, liquids, smoking, sexual relation).
However, the very young, the elderly, the sick, and the traveler are exempted.
• Hajji (pilgrimage to Mecca).
This religion duty falls only on those members of Muslim community whose
health and resources permit them to fulfill it.

2. The Koran and The Hadith
The Koran is the written record of Muhammad’s revelations. This is the exact
words and the exact language of Allah, composed of a series of chapters (suras). Its

2. subject matter ranges from warning about Day of Judgement to daily courses such
as marriage, inheritance, the treatment of non-Muslim minorities, etc.
The Hadith is the collection saying and practices attributed to Muhammad. This is
not a direct recitation of God’s words, and it functions as a complement and to some
extent as interpretation, of The Koran. It is also a fundamental basis of social and
legal code (sharia).

SOCIAL CONTEXT OF ISLAM

1. Pre-Islamic Arab Ethics
There are some frequent contacts and disputes among Bedouin groups and
between Bedouin group and non-Bedouin group. The loyalty of a group’s member
is based on closeness of kinship that ran from the nuclear family through the
lineage, the tribe, and to an entire ethnic or linguistic group. This situation led to the
need of organizational arrangement which functions to regulate cooperation and
resolve conflict. Every form of organizational requires a particular kind of value
commitment. The central value of Bedouin ethic was the honor and integrity of
the various groups, with which the individual identified. The other ethic of Bedouin
is hospitality / benign and generosity toward those who entered his domain with
permission, and were therefore under his protection.
Although the Bedouin system of political and legal organization centered on kin
groups and their dependents, in depended not only on authority imposed from the
top, but also on the individual’s sense of honor.

2. Social Setting of Mecca
At the time of Muhammad’s birth in 570, Arab people occupied the central
Arabian Peninsula. They were subject to the influences of several powerful
empires such as Byzantine Empire, Sassanian Empire, and Christian Abyssinian
Empire. However, this situation gave benefit to the Arabs in developing their own
urban economy and political strategy. Beside, the Arabs could make the world’s
long-distance trade relations.
Although the Meccans were relatively sophisticated urbanites, their society was
structured by the Bedouin ethic, with some modifications. Through the selective use
and modification of Bedouin organization, the Meccan established a viable
urban-mercantile economy. However, economic inequality had increased between
the various lineages of the Quraish, which led to a conflict of vested interest and a
growing social stratification that was difficult to reconcile with familial unity.

3. 3. The Confessional Religion
The three confessional religions (Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Judaism) had
political and spiritual implications. From political viewpoint, Zoroastrianism was
associated with Persian Sassanian Empire, Christianity with Byzantines and
Abbysianians Empire, while Yemen was associated with both Christianity and
Judaism. Christianity and Judaism had been making inroad in central Arabia, so that
in 600 many Arabs would eventually become Jews or Christians. However, inner
development and outer pressure, especially during Muhammad’s time, were
moving the Meccanns toward religious change (Islam).

4. Muhammad’s Ministry
When Muhammad began his public preaching, he conveyed some basic ethical
messages, such as:
• There is but one God, Allah the Creator
• Wealth and social position will count for nothing on the Day of Judgement,
while justice, piety and righteousness will count for everything.
• Every person is equal before God.
The revelations of Muhammad were perfectly in tune with the development course
of Meccan society, especially in unifying moral-religious system.

5. The Hijira
The Hijira was a long journey of migration from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) that
became a turning point in the growth of Islam. Around 620, the social order in
Yathrib (and in Arab generally) was getting worse, in which blood feuding was so
widespread. The Muslims and others in Yathrib saw in Muhammad an arbitrator
whose religious commitment and sense of justice, so that they promises obedience
to Muhammad and safety to the Muslims if the Prophet would agree to relocate in
their city. The year of migration became the 1
st
year of Muslim calendar (Hijriya).

6. The Koran’s Social Regulation
Social regulations of the Koran emphasize the moral responsibility, autonomy, and
the dignity of the individual. It also required the abstention from pork, wine, and
gambling. The blood feud was outlawed, while zakat, the alms tax collected on
behalf of the needy, were promoted. Regarding to marriage, the Koran
universalized marriage forms and family obligations; it discouraged casual forms of
quasi marriage and gave equal status in law between free person. The Koran also
limited the number of wives a man may take to four. The Koran also stressed on the
prohibition of infanticide, admission to individual property rights, and eliminating
slavery.

4. 7. The Spread of Islam
A central concept in the Koran is Umma. Firstly the term referred to the people
who whom a prophet is sent, but it came to refer to the believers in Islam as a
community. In principle, the Muslim owed allegiance unconditionally to another
Muslim, even a foreigner or a person without social standing.

8. Jihad and the Djimmi System
Jihad is a concept of holy duty and a struggle to extent and defends the faith.
However, this concept was never applied for those who didn’t oppose the
hegemony the hegemony of Islam. Even Islam protected a community that rejects
Islam entirely as far as they obey the rules such as paying tax. This later concept is
known as djimmi system.

MISCONCEPTION ABOUT ISLAM

In this part, the author make some comparison between Islam in one side and Christian
and Jews / Judaism in other side. In short, the author proposed an idea not only that
those common conceptions about Islam are totally wrong, but also that Islam is better
than other two religions, at least to some extent. However, I prefer not to focus on that
comparison, but simply look at the reality that those widespread conceptions about
Islam are entirely incorrect.

1. Islam as an Exotic Religion
Islam and two other confessional religions, Jews and Christians, have the same
notions of society, history, divine will, and personal responsibility. Islam draws
selectively on certain ancient Bedouin values such as sharing wealth and caring for
people in need. However, Islam is a rational and universal set of beliefs.

2. Islam as a Militant Religion
The scriptures of Islam do not advise believers to use the force to spread the faith.
However, the Koran praises those who go to war in defense of the faith. The concept
of Jihad (holy struggle against the unbelievers) doesn’t mean that the Muslims
sanction random acts of aggression against non-Muslims. The “djimmi system”
shows clearly that Islam is not a militant religion.

3. Islam as an Intolerant Religion
Although there were some tensions between Muslims and Jews, it was the fact that
the Christian and Jewish minorities enjoyed the status of protected communities

5. under Islam. Indeed, the djimmi status carried obligations of civil obedience, special
taxation and limitation of political independence, but it also exempted minorities
from the requirement of jihad and zakat.

4. Islam as an Ultraconservative Religion
It is true that Islam regulate social life aspects in a detailed way. However, the social
ideas presented in the Koran were the result of existing customs of the time, so that
it must be seen in their historical context as innovative. Moreover, until now Islam
has been invoked to justify a variety of social agendas ranging from the restoration
of an idealized past to the progressive program of social reform.

5. Islam as a Sexist Religion
Islam is “patriarchal” religion, in which the male is the chief authority and economic
provider. There is a variety of sexually differentiated rules such as men but not
women may take more than one spouse, a woman receives only half a man’s share
of an heritance, etc. However, plural marriage was permissible for a man as far as he
is able to treat his wives equally. As for property and inheritance, the most
significant innovations of Islam were in securing for women the right to inherit
property and to protect her full rights even in marriage and divorce. While in the
case of veiling and seclusion, it is more a matter of folk practice than an intrinsic
part of Islam. In Islam, the position or status among men and women are equal,
especially before the God.

MY COMMENT CONCERNING THE CHAPTER

1. The author proposed a proportional viewpoint about Islam. He tried to be neutral,
and he had objective facts or information to support his opinion. This passage is
very important to be read by Western people, Christians and Jewish, especially
those who have negative image about Islam.
2. Western policy in competing against Islam (both as a way of life and as a political
strength) proved that they worry regarding to the emerging of Islamic power. They
want to maintain their political supremacy as a single power in the world. Therefore,
after the collapse of communism, they change the target. When Islam power is
going to be defeated by Western superiority, they will look for other enemies to be
destroyed.

Name : Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo
Course/ Student No.: DICOS M1 / 300202040