Laylat al-Qadr is the most important night during Ramadan. Traditionally it falls on the 27th day of Ramadan and means "Night of Power." The Night of Power commemorates Mohammad receiving the first verses of the Qur'an. Thus, the Laylat al-Qadr is the essence of Ramadan itself. Worshippers around the world spend the entire night in prayer because Laylat al-Qadr is believed to contain the spiritual power of a thousand months. I have stayed up with my family during the Night of Power and the experience is like nothing else. To be in a room full of people praying and worshipping at the same time does indeed feel like a Night of Power.

However, Laylat al-Qadr is not my favorite time of Ramadan. Ramadan comes to an end with a giant feast called Eid al-Fitr. The feast can only take place after the next month's new moon is spotted in the sky…...

The article explains that many evangelicals believe that fasting in the same fashion as Muslims, undermines Christianity. They assert that such associations actually blur the lines between the faiths.
However, leaders of the Christian movement towards having such relationships with other faiths disagree with the aforementioned assertion. According to Brian McLaren, one of the Christian leaders of the interfaith movement, explains that the reason for fasting is not to become Muslim. Instead he asserts that "we are deeply committed Christians. But as Christians, we want to come close to our Muslim neighbors and to share this important part of life with them." The goal is to join Muslims in the observance as "a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship and neighborliness (Gorski, 2009)."

McLaren started the movement because he believed that many Americans began to develop an anti-muslim ideology as a result of the terrorist attacks of 2001. He believed that through…...

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Works Cited

Ariarajah S.W. Religious Diversity and Interfaith Relations in a Global Age. Retrieved December 12, 2009 from; http: / / www.flinders.edu.au/religiouscentre/multifaith _chaplaincy/Geoff_papers/ariarajah.PDF

Gorski, E. (2009) Muslims find new Ramadan fast partners: Christians. Retrieved December 12, 2009 from;  http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-09-18-ramadan-christians_N.htm

oman and Islam
Islamic religion has its established guiding teachings and principles that ensure its followers submit totally to the will of Allah for all the adherents. In effect, Islamic religion recognizes the fact that people and things around them affect their survival irrespective of their age, community, families, and the nation. The quality of life of the Muslims invariably affects the existence of the Islamic nations and religion as a whole. Muslim women are highly vulnerable to various health problems due to the strict religious ideation of most of the conditions that affect them. Islamic women as most of the women from other contemporary communities face numerous health challenges, including reproductive health problems such as increased cases of maternal death, destitution, poor access to maternal health services, and social violation of their human rights. As such, the health challenges make it necessary for the adoption of policies that recognize their…...

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Works cited

Agnew, Vijay. Racialized Migrant Women in Canada: Essays on Health, Violence, and Equity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009. Print

Aswad, Barbara C, and Bilge? Barbara. Family and Gender among American Muslims: Issues Facing Middle Eastern Immigrants and Their Descendants. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996. Print

Atighetchi, Dariusch. Islamic Bioethics: Problems and Perspectives. New York? Springer, 2007. Internet resource.

Cortese, Delia, and Calderini Simonetta. Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2006. Print.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
The film, documentaries and the last docudrama are exceptional production pieces by notable directors and producers. Crouching tiger-hidden dragon defies the usual mantra of strength only attributed to men. Jen effectively acts as person having higher morals. The martial arts performance was exceptional, an unusual feature in Hollywood. Islam, the empire of faith is another documentary made on the rise of Islamic empire and the life of Prophet Mohammad having a great impact on establishment of religion. 'Gandhi' also remains an unquestioned production classic that eloquently portrays Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the unquestioned leader of India. The film sheds light on Hinduism as a religion and its faith and dogmas. Lastly, Kundan is a docudrama based on life of Dalai Lama. 'Kundan' might not have justified the stature of Buddhism in history of mankind but the piece of production remains an earnest effort on part of Martin Scorcese…...

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References

Bowker, J. & Bowker, D. (1997). World religions. Dorling Kindersley.

Chan, K. (2004). The Global Return of the Wu Xia Pian (Chinese Sword-Fighting Movie): Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Cinema Journal, 43(4), 3-17.

Conze, E. (2004). Buddhism: Its essence and development. Windhorse Publications.

Driver, M.W. & Ray, S. (2004). The medieval hero on screen: representations from Beowulf to Buffy (Vol. 56). McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub.

SPSS was used to analyze the data collected from the participants. A Pearson correlation coefficient evaluated the relationship between the ordinal variables (such as gender and tendency to give zakat maal or zakat fitah) and evaluated whether significance in the relationship existed. Chi-square was employed to evaluate whether ordinal and categorical relationships are significant or not and if so the level of their significance.
Lessy's (2010) discovered that most participants (54) gave their zakat fitrah to mosques, whilst 490 gave it directly to the poor, and only 20 gave their zakat fitrah to foundations. On the other hand, the reverse was evidenced with zakat maal where 45 participants gave directly to the poor, followed by only 25 who gave to mosques. 10 participants, on the other hand gave to orphanages and educational institutions, whilst a mere 8 individuals gave to relief organizations.

As to why they give the way they did,…...

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References

Al-Qur'an al-Karim. (2008). The Qur'an: A new translation. In T. Khalidi (Trans.). New York: Penguin Classics.

Benthall, J. (1999). Financial worship: The Quranic injunction to alms-giving. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 5(1), 27-42.

Caster, J.J. (2008). A new direction in women's philanthropy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37, 353-361.

Dean, H., & Khan, Z. (1997). Muslim perspectives on welfare. Journal of Social Policy, 26(2), 193-209.

" The point made by the poet is similar to the poem above. The reference to John,
The Father of our souls, shall be,

John tells us, doth not yet appear;

is a reference to the Book of Revelations, at the end of the Bible.

That despite the promises of an Eternal life for those who eschew sin, we are still frail and have the faults of people. We are still besought by sin and temptations and there's really no escape. People are people. No matter what we say or do, we find that life is not so simple. Consider this reference, which really refers to a person's frame of reference or "way of seeing."

Wise men are bad -- and good are fools,

This is a paradoxical statement: there is large gap between spirituality and reality. Those we consider wise or bad, might make decisions that are globally profound, but might harm specific people, yet…...

The Sawm is the Fourth Pillar of Islam and it teaches Muslims in regard to fasting (refraining from eating or drinking). The Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar year and is believed to be the most important period of the year in Muslim tradition. Muslims are not allowed to eat, drink, or engage in sexual intercourse throughout daylight hours every day during the Ramadan. The person who abstains from eating, drinking, and sex during daylight hours at Ramadan also has to be moral, as any sort of immorality makes the fasting pointless.

The Fifth Pillar is the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. People understand this pilgrimage as a physical and spiritual journey to the holiest place in Islam. The Islamic world promotes the belief that any person who is a Muslim and who is physically able to travel to Mecca should do so at least once in their…...

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Works cited:

Boyd Jenkins, Orville, "MAJOR TYPES OF ISLAM," Retrieved September 10, 2011, from the Orville Jenkins website:  http://orvillejenkins.com/outlineintro/types.html 

Mason, Bethany, "Following the Prophet: A Comparison of Sunni and Shiite Muslims," Retrieved September 10, 2011, from the East Tennessee State University website:  http://www.etsu.edu/writing/teaching&theory_s06/sunnis.htm 

Penney, Sue, "Islam," Heinemann, 1999.

Ridenour, Fritz, "So What's the Difference?," Gospel Light, 2001.

Kafr El-Elow is based upon the novel Kafr El-Elow: Continuity and Change in an Egyptian community written by Hani Fakhouri. This paper takes into account two chapters from the novel and explains why both of them are absolutely essential in understanding the social structure of the village, Kafr El-Elow. The paper also highlights some very important traditions and customs followed by the villagers.
Kafr El-Elow

The writer of the novel, Kafr El-Elow chose the village of Kafr El-Elow for the ethnographic research not because of its close association with Cairo but because of its location in the middle of Egypt's colossal mercantile complex. According to the author, the small village of Kafr El-Elow is bound to experience a lot of changes due to its most central location, as it is the industrial complex of a country that experience advancement. The people of Kafr El-Elow as result of urbanization and industrialization experienced…...

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Works Cited

Hani F. Kafr El-Elow. Wave Land Press. May 1987.

Ethnographic Perspective: Guests of the Sheik
Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village -- analysis

Elizabeth Fernea's book "Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village" provides readers with a complex description of women in Iraqi village during the 1950s. The text is meant to enable people to abandon stereotypes they might have considered when coming across Iraqi women. The book should not necessarily be understood as a form of criticism with regard to society's understanding of this particular community, as it is actually meant to inform readers and to make it possible for them to employ more open-minded attitudes with regard to the group. The fact that the writer provides a personal account regarding Iraqi women during the 1950s contributes to the overall authenticity of the manuscript.

The book is based on Fernea's experiences in Iraq during her stay there with her husband, an anthropologist studying concepts…...

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Works cited:

Warnock Fernea, E. (2010). Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Muslims are a family oriented people with religious centered traditions and government. They follow the law of Sharia based the Koran or Qur'an. The women experience a range of individual rights from dressing more liberally with colors and headscarves, to being unable to drive or dance in public. Although Westerners often paint a negative picture of Muslim culture, there are many wonderful and beautiful things to be learned of the Muslim faith and Muslim culture.
In recent times, many Muslims have adopted new ways of living, providing outsiders' access to their pursuits. From female racecar drivers to singing competitions, Muslims have grown and expanded their culture to embrace modernity and variety. The best example of this is Dubai. Dubai houses ultramodern skyscrapers and the latest in cars and fashions. Although separation of genders remains prevalent even in a more modern city like Dubai, that does not keep Muslims from enjoying life…...

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References

Knight, K. (2006). My Muslim faith. North Mankato, MN: Cherrytree Books.

Modood, T. (2005). Multicultural politics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Pohl, F. (2010). Modern Muslim Societies. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing.

A large body of literature has treated many different aspects of these influences on Asia, Europe and the United States (Busser & Sadoi, 2003). The importance of the study relates to the current trends taking place in Libya where aggressive steps have been taken in recent years to normalize relations with the international community. For example, Libya opened up its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction to international scrutiny and renounced terrorism as a political tool (Libya, 2010). Moreover, the country's political leadership has been equally forthcoming in its efforts to normalize their relations with Western nations since 2003 (Libya, 2010). More recently, Libya has been removed from the U.S. State Department's list of states that sponsor terrorism in 2006 and in 2008, Libya joined the United Nations as a nonpermanent member on the UN Security Council during the 2008-2009 term (Libya, 2010).
Other signs that clearly point to…...

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References

About us. (2010). Mobil. Retrieved from  http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/about.aspx .

Al-Waha Oil Company overview. (2010). Al-Waha Oil Company. Retrieved from http://www.

wahaoil.net/company_overview.htm.

Announcement of oil discovery. (2010, July). National Oil Corporation. Retrieved from  http://en.noclibya.com.ly/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1423& ;

370).
The most egregious sins that can be committed by a Muslim include to deny the unity of God by ascribing divine status to any person or object. This sin is called shirk. Emphasizing the importance of shirk to Muslim morality, all iconography is strictly forbidden in Islam. Iconography in a mosque, the Muslim place of worship, would be akin to idol worship. The second major sin of Islam is kufr, or atheism.

The religious beliefs of Islam are based around a core set of tenets known as the Five Pillars. The first pillar is the Shahadah: there is only one God, and the prophet Mohammed is God's messenger. At the same time, Islam encourages respect of and unity with "all prophets" of God and "all revealed scriptures," (p. 381).

The Second Pillar is prayer, five times a day. Ritual washing is also integral to Muslim prayer. When praying, the worshipper faces…...

The EU, first and foremost, takes care of its own interests. Turkey's candidacy reflects EU interest of expanding its sphere of influence, but the sluggish pace of negotiations reflects the EU's defense of Cypriot and Greek interests as well as issues with respect to natural gas and illegal immigration.
The EU has traditionally emphasized European cultural values as a prerequisite for entering the union. Historically, these values have been reflected in democratic government, human rights and capitalist economies. The Turkey question, however, expands the notion of European cultural values. hen the predictable issues such as the squabble over Cyprus are removed, Turkey's accession is a challenge for Europe because it adds the undercurrent of religion into the discussions. hile many point to the formal process as being one of laws, economies and political systems, it is clear that European cultural values now extends into a Christian worldview for many.

Turkey has…...

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Works Cited:

Champion, M. (2009). EU expansion fosters stability, Bildt says. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124568425718637441.html 

EC. (2009). EU -- Turkey relations. European Commission Retrieved December 8, 2009 from  http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/turkey/eu_turkey_relations_en.htm 

EU. (2009). Turkey. European Union. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from  http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/enlargement_process/accession_process/how_does_a_country_join_the_eu/negotiations_croatia_turkey/overview_negotiations_tr_en.pdf 

Ramadan, T. (2009). Turkey is part of Europe. Fear keeps it out of the EU. The Guardian. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/06/turkey-eu-membership

Holy books contain the prophets' teachings" (Douglass). Islam has the Qur'an and Christians have the Bible. Douglass points out that both texts teach about "Adam, and that Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others" (Douglass). Christians also believe in prayer, fasting, and alms - just not in the same way that Muslims do. Christians pray whenever they like and while the Bible teaches that believers should tithe 10% of their earnings, it is not a strict recommendation. Christians can also fast but it not required of them to do so at any particular time of year. Both religions warn against false prophets and worshipping the creation as opposed to the creator. Both religions believe in angelic beings and both religions believe in some type of day of judgment. Furthermore, both religions adopt a version of hell and heaven in the afterlife.
Christianity and Islam share many difference as well. hile Muslims…...

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Works Cited

Philips, Abu Ameenah Bilal. "The True Religion." IslamWorld.net. Site Accessed September 03, 2008. http://islamworld.net/docs/true.html

Besancon, Alain. "What Kind of Religion Is Islam?" Commentary. May 2004. EBSCO Resource Database. Site Accessed September 03, 2008.  http://search.epnet.com 

Douglass, Susan. What is Islam? Faces. February 2008. EBSCO Resource Database. Site Accessed September 03, 2008.

It was their right and duty as loyal followers, a way they could prove their faith and their commitment to God. This mindset is one reason the Muslims under Mohammed's leadership during his conquests were so successful, as described below.
Reasons for Success

Mohammed and his followers defeated migrants and other raiding parties in part because they decided to attack and defend their holy place during the holy month of Ramadan, something that was unexpected. Among those the Muslims following Mohammed opposed included a group named the Quraysh. During the infamous battle at adr Walls, Mohammed said to his followers about to engage in battle, that "no man will be slain this day fighting against them with steadfast courage, advancing and not retreating, but God will cause him to enter Paradise." Many Muslims following the messenger Mohammed believed that God sent to them 3,000 angels the day of the conquest at…...

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Bibliography

Akbar, M.J. The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict between Islam and Christianity.

London: Routledge, 2002.

Ali, Ameer. The Spirit of Islam: A History of the Evolution and Ideals of Islam with a Life of the Prophet. London: Christophers. 1922.

Bainbridge, William Sims and Stark, Rodney. "The Rise of a New World Religion."