Islam Response Paper #2

Islam was created in a world of constant turmoil between Bedouin tribes. There was a lack of unity caused by competition for water in the Sahara desert. In addition, there was a pantheon of gods that separate tribes worshipped that increased the divisions in Arabia. Muhammad grew up among the Bedouin and saw the civil unrest created by the separate tribes. He himself was often a moderator of the conflicts and so he most likely was focused and disturbed by the conflicts between clans. Islam provided the perfect solution to the lack of unity in Arabia. It is focused on one central being, Allah, who commands complete submission to him alone so that everyone is small before him. This central being in Islam was something all the tribes could unite under so that no matter their differences, they were all one before Allah. This emphasis on submission can be seen in Muslim prayers where together and five times a day, Muslims pray to their god together. This creates a sense of community and togetherness with something greater than oneself which was something that Arabia desperately needed. In this way, Islam was the perfect solution to Arabia’s conflicts and the many other tribal regions they would later conquer.
In addition, central beliefs in Islam can also trace their roots to the environment in which Islam was created. For example, heaven for Muslims is an oasis with water, flowers, shade and grass while hell is a fiery, dusty inferno. Lastly, the Quaran is at its core, poetry. This can also be traced back to its Bedouin roots since the Bedouins were great poets and storytellers. Islam was therefore greatly influenced by the place it was created in, yet despite this its appeal is universal which has caused it to gain the second most followers in the world.