Midterm Exam Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Midterm Exam - Coursework Example However, according to many scholars, Sharia has been pointed out as not being a well-defined set of rules or codes, but rather, characterized as an interpretation and discussion of Muslim duties based on both extensive literature and the Muslim community opinions. Sharia is a diverse, long, and complicated divine law, rather than just a set of rules and codes of conduct for the Muslim community. Although only eighty verses in the Qur'an are regarded as the legal prescriptions, the Sharia law is established with regards to this. Muhammad’s example is emphasized as an importance source of Sharia in the Quran with which the Muslim community bases their arguments of the divine law. Sharia based on Sunnah is contained in reports of Muhammad's actions, his sayings, and his tacit approval of his demeanor and actions. Sunnah as Sharia takes pride of the many compilations of reports during both the sahih period and thereafter regarding Muhammad’s examples. However, Sharia extend s and interprets its applications beyond the issues addressed in the Quran and the example Muhammad and includes secondary sources such as consensus regarding religious scholar in the ijma and qivas analogy. More to the analogy of the Quran and Muhammad’s example, Shia jurists always seek to apply reasoning as Sharia basis. Sharia is believed by the Muslim community as God’s Law although the extent to which the law exactly entails is diverse. Sharia functionality based on traditionalist, modernists, and fundamentalists holds varying opinions among divergent views of scholars and schools of thought. More so, different cultures, countries, and societies have divergent views and interpretation of Sharia as a divine law. The functions of Sharia entails defining societal issues with regards to aspects such as crime, economics, politics and personal issues that range from hygiene, sexual intercourse, fasting, diet and prayers. Through these issues, Sharia seeks to streamline the lives of human beings as intended by their creator. Sharia functions through the Imam whose responsibility entails interpretation of the Sharia. Section B Question 3 Worship basically entails honoring the creator through adherence of individuals and communities to detailed codes of conduct according to ones religion. The livelihood of a people with regards to prayers and general day-to-day activities entails worship activities. Communities and individuals have particular ways of honoring their creator through their day-to-day activities such as their way of praying, waking up in the morning, and even eating. Through these specific activities in honor of God, a community and individual can be attributed to having worshiped their Creator. Worship shapes and expresses religious life in Judaism through their day-to-day activities of individuals and communities and more so their way of communication to their creator. Judaism worship is rather an informal way of communicating to God although it is largely guided by tradition. Judaism focuses on the tenets of rituals where community and individual’s religious life expresses values that are inclined towards helping others and Loving God. Ritual is basically inclined towards helping others and loving God. Judaism religious life is defined and shaped to greater extent by dietary law, which comes out as the most evident and significant form or worships. Judaism adherence to the dietary laws is a form of worship that expresses and shapes

A death of princess (Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud) Research Paper

A death of princess (Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud) - Research Paper Example There is no denying the fact that one major reason for which people would want to travel from one place to the other is to have a feel of the diversity in culture that exits in different parts of the world. But as much as cultural differences give different people of this world unique identities and personalities, there are cases that some cultural practices practiced in certain places of the world have come up for very sharp global and universal debate and discussion (Brown, 2008). Such debates and discussions are most common about cultural practices that touch on themes of gender, class, race, and ability. In this essay, there is critical review of the case of Misha’al bint Fahd al Saud from a cultural and religious perspective, while discussing how various forms of privilege become evident in her story. This is done with the use of the docu-drama story of â€Å"Death of a Princess†, which gives a secondary account of the execution of the princess on the accusation of adultery. The essay shall be addressed from an argumentative perspective, seeking to weigh all sides of prevailing issues as gender, class, race, ability, the reaction of the media, use of privilege. A conclusion shall then be drawn on the side or opinion held by the writer on both sides of the arguments to either justify or condemn various acts that took place. Interlocking themes of social justice Gender During the setting of the event, which was in the 1970s, issues of gender discrimination and gender suppression, especially against the female gender had gone on against most Islamic nations and for that matter, Saudi Arabia. The commonest forms of discrimination and suppression that females suffered are recorded to include in issues of education and selection of a life partner (Smillie, 2009). Some secondary sources have actually debated that the fact that Princess Misha’al bint Fahd al Saud had her education in Lebanon could be attributable to the opposition that she cou ld have faced if she took her education in Saudi Arabia (LittleJohn and Foss, 2008). Argumentatively however, the question of justification in some of these practices that are considered as abuse of the personality of the female gender has been raised in other debates. For example the preservation of chastity and the impact that it has on the moral fiber of the people has been raised. It would be noted that even though education was not totally absent, there were laws that forbad the education of boys and girls in the same classroom setting. Such practices have been said to champion the quest to minimize the natural and biological bond that exists between males and females, especially when they become adolescents. This debate notwithstanding, there is another school of thought that believes that gender related laws in Saudi Arabia is biased against females and this is where the problem is. For the princess, it has been argued that her freedom to make choices of whom she wanted to be with was greatly abused when the royal family attempted to impose a man on her. Class Throughout primary and secondary sources for the story of Pincess Misha’al bint Fahd, the issue of class and how it was used have been questioned and debated. First and foremost, there are researchers who hold the opinion that the king’s action might not have gotten to the extent it did if the Princess was from any ordinary family, and for that matter, a low class family (Jacobsen, 2008). This is because according to such reviewers, the princess’s grandfather, who ordered her execution, took particular interest in the case following the level of shame and