Download Islamic Religion in Iraq

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.
“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 Islam
The “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.
Mean Rainfall
World War in BC
Persians 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.
ME in 6th Century
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.
Early Expansion
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.
Muslim Distribution
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 AlQa’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.
Muslim World 2000
ME Ethnicity