Sunday, September 15, 2019

Opposition of the Quraysh to the message of the Prophet Muhammad

Abstract The period that the Prophet Muhammad spent in Mecca is a critical component of the Islam religion. This essay will examine the time with the intention to assess the impact of the elements arrayed against the acceptance of the Prophet. The evidence presented found components in the establishment feared change and loss of power more than any other factor. This study will be of use to any researcher studying this period. 1. Introduction The opposition of the Quraysh to the Prophet Muhammad is a pivotal moment in history that has influenced the manner in which Islam has evolved. This paper will assess the impact of the factors that the opponents to the Prophet used in their opposition Beginning with a brief overview of the Quraysh and their position prior to the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca, this work will illustrate the fundaments of the opposition. Following this segment with an examination of the events that took place in Mecca as the Prophet attempted to spread his message will allow for a demonstration of impact. The combination of the first elements will allow for a clear illustration of the significance of the factors that drove those that opposed the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca. In the end this essay will have examined past practice, integration efforts and overall results in order to assess the impact that the opposition of the Quraysh to the message of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca has had on Islam. 2 Background2.1 The Young Prophet MuhammadThe Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca on the 12th of the lunar mother Rabi’l. It is known that he was of the noble family Quraysh, yet he was not taught to read or write and often tended sheep. His tribe can be traced back to Ishmael, a son of Abraham. It was the high capacity for moral dependability that separated the early Prophet Muhammad from the Ibn Kathir, 2000. The life of the prophet Muhammad : a translation of Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya / translated from the Arabic printed text of Mustafa other traders. During this period Muslims believe he worked and built a sterling reputation based on his integrity, truthfulness and overall dependability. From this recognition to truth and honesty came the youthful title of al-Amin, or the Faithful. From this early age as an emerging merchant, his hatred of idolatry was well known. Further, despite the fact that Mecca was known for their consumption of spirits, the character of the young Prophet was such that not a drop was known to pass his lips. his divine calling.2.2 The QurayshAfter waging a bloody war against the tribe of Jarham, Qasiy, Ibn Kulaab established the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. This fact led to the Quraysh being in a position of considerable influence in Mecca during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. A highly respected family that lived close to the Kabah and were therefore caretakers of Allah’s house was only one of the reasons the population of Mecca revered the Quraysh family so. It was common for virtually any and every request of the Quraysh to be accomplished quickly and thoroughly. The Quraysh maintained two separate major merchandise caravans that travelled through Syria and Yemen, which endeared the clan to the city Mecca and entrenched their power into such that many Arabs would not consider making a move while the family stood against it. Rooting themselves ever more firmly in the fundament of society was the Quraysh role in maintaining the safety of the oppressed which in turn aided their perception of benevolence and wisdom. In a very real sense the Quraysh became rich and powerful by being the very best at trade and safeguarding the house of Allah. With the rejection of Islam by the tribe of Quraysh of Mecca there were virtually no other Arab tribes that were willing to embrace Islam. The world waited upon the city of Mecca to accept or break the Prophet Muhammad. 3 The Quraysh Opposition to the Prophet Muhammad As one of the prominent trading and mercantile houses in Mecca during the period of the Prophet Muhammad, there are several layers to the position of opposition that the Quraysh took against his message. On an economic, social and judicial level the ruling class felt threatened by the emerging form of religion. During the time of the initial emergence of the Prophet, the city of Mecca was enjoying a relative period of peace and prosperity. With the Quraysh firmly in control of the pagans that were drawn to the city for religious purposes, there was a perception of reliance on the income from the trade. As the Prophet Muhammad first emerged and firmly denounced the multitude of Idols and Idolaters in the city, many Muslims felt a sense of impending change. The message of the Prophet was feared to put the traders at odds with one of the strongest sources of income in the area. This dependence on trade was a hallmark of the family Quraysh effort to maintain power and sustain a high leve l of political influence in the region. This factor of trade became a primary component of the family Quraysh resistance to the message of Islam as they sought a means to secure their wealth and status, not endanger them both. This long time power in Mecca had been created from a centre of trade and commerce, which in turn provided the family with reputation for integrity good works. The factor of pride was a central element in the Quraysh repudiation of the Prophet Muhammad and his sacred message. The changes that were sought by the emerging Prophet would have cast a form of aspersion on the forefathers of the family, and that was considered a stain upon their honour and therefore unacceptable. It was the current generation of the family Quraysh intention to follow strictly in the footsteps of their ancestors in order to maintain the propriety of their lineage. This sense of familial obligation was reflected in the Arab culture as each of the prominent families and tribes of the larger group continually competed for power and influence within the structure. A very real fear of the loss of power was at the root of much of the family Quraysh denial of the faith. The birth of such a powerful Prophet would bring respect and honour to his division of the tribe and several internal factions had no wish to follow the sub-tribe to which the Prophet Muhammad belonged. Th is factor alone was enough to generate a substantial amount of negativity form the associated tribes. There were several areas of social responsibility that the Prophet Muhammad taught that were at odds with the administration of the period, which in turn caused even further dissention and denial by the family Quraysh. In every case the emerging message from the rising power was teaching a transformation of the current societal structure, which was very frightening to those in power. Included among the many sections with which the Quraysh family took issue were the equality of tolerance aspects that spoke to the core of humanity and spirituality within the person. The Prophet Muhammad taught that it was right to be both generous and merciful to all, including the weak and destitute. Further, it was of God to show companionship to those that were considered low born and furtive. In a very real way, the Prophet Muhammad was teaching the Muslim population that the Quraysh family was not of true religion and it could be seen in their day to day actions. This fact also contributed to the initial growth of Islam through the lower strata of Meccan society. There was a very real perception that the emerging message was in direct opposition to the entitlement that the Quraysh felt that they had earned throughout the generations. Many historians note the fact that Quraysh were commonly thought to feel themselves as being better, or above, the common person.Therefore the resistance to impose a method of change that ran counter to their entire fundament came naturally. Driving much of the uncertainty surrounding the Prophet Muhammad and his message of Islam was the fear the new method would cause a core breakup of the Meccan society. Not only did the family Quraysh have their material wealth and lifestyle to lose, there were the accompanying political and religious appointments that would be lost as well. This factor of continual loss of the part of the powerful Quraysh family did not provide any path to acceptance.3.1 Methods of OppositionThe Quraysh family took the time to carefully consider and plan their rejection of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. There was a very real sense that this emerging threat to their power needed to be dealt with in a methodical manner. To this end, the efforts to discredit and vilify the Prophet Muhammad took on new shapes that had never before been utilized. The Quraysh family had influential people close to the Prophet through the ties of familial bonds formally reject his teachings. The element of denial by the family communicated in clear and certain terms that even though the Quraysh were of the same blood as the Prophet Muhammad, they did not speak the same message. This was a cornerstone of the campaign to destroy his message. His closest relative would publicly humiliate the Prophet in an attempt to further discredit not only him, but his message in front of the assembled crowds. Accusing him of lying, the assembled would fling dirt on his face and chest in a display of utter contempt in a show of denial. This was at the hands of those that had previous to his message, held the Prophet Muhammad as one of the most trustworthy and upright of men. The drastic change was in direct response to the threat that the family Quraysh felt his message held for their lifestyle. Another method adopted in order to diminish the acceptance of the Prophet Muhammad rested in the Quraysh painting the teachings as being an innate rejection of their own ancestors. With the cessation of the Al-Lat and he Al-Izza as well as cease seeking assistance from the Jinn, there came a clear division of interest for the Quraysh family which rested their power in tradition. The animosity of the family is further illustrated as they went so far as to reject the ties of kin to the Prophet, despite the fact that he only sought to protect himself from their taunts and fallacies. As the ranks of the Prophet’s followers continued to grow several members of the ruling merchant class turned to money or power as a possible incentive to stop the message of Islam. Despite his being feted by the very richest and most powerful among the ruler of Mecca there was no method to be found for reconciling the emerging religion with the need for power. As each method of assault upon the message of the Prophet was rebuffed, there was a clear perception of building dismay to be seen in the increasingly violent and abusive reactions of the Quraysh family. It became common for the ruling class to maim and torture the lower class in an attempt to sway them from their growing beliefs. There were concerted efforts to take every element of comfort away from those that would refuse to abandon these new and emerging traditions. As a result of the considered and well financed attacks the life of the Prophet Muhammad during this period is cited as extraordinarily hard. With a perception of being a madman and outcast from his own family few people were likely to accept either him or his message. It became common for these disturbances to force the Prophet to run bleeding from his spot, and in turn his message was never fully delivered. As a final method of denial, the Quraysh family sought to turn the very strength of the Prophet, his religion against him. Creating a test of sorts with the added element of the acceptance of Islam is he could answer the questions, the family felt their scholarship would be the true means to discredit the faith. The Muslim belief cites the wisdom of his learning as enabling the Prophet Muhammad able to overcome this test and prove himself. 4 Conclusion The opposition of the Quraysh Family to the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad is a critical lesson in history. With a family that was firmly entrenched, the Quraysh, in power there was an established pattern of expectations in place. As the Prophet Muhammad, a member of this same family, grew to manhood he began to teach that the idols that were prevalent in the city took away from the spiritual purity of the region. This attack on the very cornerstone of regional commerce that the Quraysh family subsisted on was the first round in a very bitter battle to deny the Prophet and all of his teachings. The family Quraysh utilized extreme methods in their desire to mute the Prophet Muhammad. From public familial repudiation, to humiliation and shaming they sought to utterly and completely discredit the Prophet in order to maintain their hold both the commerce and religious establishment of the Meccan society. As the followers of Islam grew in number so did the family Quraysh issues with the calls for equality and tolerance. This fact continued to fuel the animosity of the family against the Prophet Muhammad. This period of life in the Prophet Muhammad is both heroic and demonstrative. Not only did he rise above the petty societal limitations to preach his message, he continued to do this despite his loss of almost everything he held dear. 5 Bibliography Ali, A. Y. 2000. The Holy Qura?n. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd. Ali, M. 1947. The living thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad. London: Cassell. Azzam, L. and Gouverneur, A. 1985. The life of the prophet Muhammad. London: Islamic Texts Society. Basit, A. 2012. The global Muslim community at a crossroads. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger. Cohn, J. 2012 Muhammad: Prophet of Islam. New York, NY. Oxford University Press. Hashmi, S. 2003. The Qur’an and tolerance: An interpretive essay on Verse 5: 48. Journal of Human Rights, 2 (1), pp. 81–103. Ibn Hisha?m, ?. A. and Ibn Ish?a?k?, M. 1955. The life of Muhammad. London: Oxford University Press. Ibn Kathir, 2000. The life of the prophet Muhammad : a translation of Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya / translated from the Arabic printed text of Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid by Trevor Le Gassick, v. 1 Garnet, 1998-2000, p. 278-310. Mcauliffe, J. D. 2006. The Cambridge companion to the Qur?a?n. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Peters, F. E. 1994. Mecca. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Rahman, F. 1976. Pre-foundations of the Muslim Community in Mecca. Studia Islamica, (43), pp. 5–24. Ramadan, T. 2007. In the footsteps of the prophet. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Rubin, U. 1995. The eye of the beholder. Princeton, N.J.: Darwin Press. T?abari?. 1988. The history of al-Tabari =. Albany: State University of New York Press. Venardos, A. M. 2009. Handbook of Current Islamic Banking and Finance Issues in South East Asia. Hackensach, NJ [u.a.]: World Scientific Pub Co Inc.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

There’s more to life than meets the eye

Mary knows everything about the color, red, except to experience the experience of seeing it for the first time. Would she sigh when sees red? Would she hug the person standing next to her out of joy, because she is seeing the color red, a beautiful color, for the first time? Would Mary be reminded of a happy or sad memory when she sees the color, red, for the first time? In other words, would she experience a flashback in black and white? If the answers to all these questions are in the affirmative; it is true that Mary also experiences thoughts and feelings that cannot easily be explained through the physical senses. What is the nature of the mind, after all? Churchland does not even explain how the nature of imagination could be described in terms of things that can be sensed with the five senses alone. Of course, Mary has read about the color, red. Then again, how would she describe the joy she feels in terms of the physical world? If physicalism is the only way to describe and understand the nature as well as experiences of human beings, then Mary should know everything about the color red, just because she has studied everything under the bright blue sky (Vinueza, 2004). This is the belief of people that believe there are only facts to describe about the physical world. There are no bases for feelings, such as joy, in this belief system. So, Mary must essentially feel like a robot. Because Mary is not a robot – she is a human being – it is essential for her to experience the color red for the first time as something breathtaking, even if books had taught her to expect that. In that case, books must also have taught her how she would see the color red for the first time, that is, what she would experience within herself to boot – her thoughts and feelings. If this is true, then physicalism cannot truly be false, according to those that believe in it. After all, it is now possible to reduce everything to physical notes and tones – neurons and electric signals within the brain – in order to understand thoughts, feelings and imagination. Given that it is possible to argue for both physicalism and metaphysical philosophies – it can be stated with confidence that both the knowledge argument and physicalism were developed by reasonable people. It was only their belief systems, and the way they explained their experiences in life and facts about the world – with both metaphysical examples and arguments based on materialism – that made them either for or against physicalism or another philosophy. The example of creative writing or fiction shows that it is possible to explain almost everything with words, regardless of how human reason is applied to create an argument or philosophy. The active human mind makes it possible to believe anything whatsoever.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Important Considerations of Calorie Dissertation

Important Considerations of Calorie - Dissertation Example Most of the previous research that has been done in this field relates perceptions and attitudes of consumers towards fast food. The global trend clearly indicates that consumption of fast food have increased significantly in the past two decades with the infiltration of fast food giants into the major cities of the world. Studies conducted in United States have shown that the percentage of calorie intake from fast food have increased from 3% to 20% in the past twenty years (Henderson and Kelly, 2005). It has been documented in the existing literature that individuals who consume fast food have been observed to consume more calories compared to the nutritional content which contribute to factors like obesity and other health related problems (Binkley, 2006). Research conducted in United States regard of fast food consumption has revealed that consumption of fast food is very high for young adults. Individuals belonging to the age group of 19-25 years have been observed to consume higher proportion of fast food than individuals belonging to the age group of 12-18 and 30-39. College students prefer to consume fast food primarily because they are low in cost and conveniently available (Bowen and Vinyard, 2004). Most of the studies that have been conducted regarding the consumption of fast food among college students have shown that convenience is the most important reason that makes college students intake fast food. The increasing globalization of the world economy has altered the preference of Asian consumers.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Movie Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Movie Review - Essay Example At the immigration desk, he meets an officer whom they converse. Ibrahim tells him of miseries he has underwent to get there and the officer stamp Ibrahim papers and reveal to him he has arrived in a nice city. This was on the tenth September 2001 a day before attacks happens. The Citizen is based on true story of what happened in the 9/11 to Arabs and Arab Americans immigrants. This movie tells of a story of being the wrong person in the wrong place and time. Although Ibrahim makes it through he had undergone many challenges and struggle as he attempts to become a good citizen Series of problem sets in the life of Ibrahim. His cousin who was to pick him at the airport fails to do so but this does not worry him a lot. Some hours later Ibrahim meets Diane lovely American woman whom they become friends. Both Ibrahim and Diane check in to Brooklyn hotel, the same hotel which Diane junky boyfriend has moved out to berserk her. Bad luck seems to keep following Ibrahim even in his new country. From his hotel that morning when he wakes up, he is shocked by what he sees and he is disturbed when he strolls that afternoon. Later that evening as Ibrahim returns to the hotel he is arrested by the FBI, interrogate and jailed. He is not permitted to contact by anybody from the outside world and is told that terrorist cannot get lawyers by a government agent who is convinced that Ibrahim’s travel history is tied to the attack. He is then released after six months, which he finds the outside world to be discriminative to the Arabs and Muslims. This is evident durin g his search for work where Arabs were to change their names to be employed (Stein 6). However, Ibrahim meets Diane again, finds a job as English teacher, and tries to live as a good citizen who has positive intentions. On the eve of him getting citizenship, he is notified that he is going to be deported because his name is the same as one

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Recommendation Letter for College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recommendation Letter for College - Essay Example She is not only talented but also hardworking. Her good academic performance does not affect her other activities as she has been dancing professionally and participates in dance competitions. She has served her town of Southington and has been competing in the Miss Southington Competitions since 2002. She is a much focused young lady, which is proved by her ability to compete and upholding the excellent academic results. For her academic career she plans to study Forensic science/Criminal Justice. Lynze Khan is determined, obedient and prudent. She has never given her parents any trouble at all. She is responsible and able to manage different roles effectively at the same time. This can be recognized by the fact that, from an early age, she has been involved with her community as a volunteer. Volunteer work is one of the constant passions of hers. She's donated her time in many of the Non-Profit organizations such as the local soup kitchens, "Relay For Life", "Crowns for the Cure" t o help towards finding a cure for Cancer, "Crop Walk" and many more. She is never short on energy and devotion to help better her community and the lives of others. By profession of Registered Nurse myself, I have never met anyone as committed as she is at such a young age. My life has been blessed just knowing such a person. I am honored to show my support and camaraderie toward her. She was definitely born for greatness.

Barclays CoCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Barclays CoCo - Essay Example instrument, debt is reduced, and it qualifies as a Tier 1 capital increasing the book value of the bank’s equity capital before the occurrence of the trigger event. When a CoCo triggers, there are two things involved; the losses involved are absorbed by the CoCo either by suffering a principal write-down or by transforming into common equity. In the case of principal write-down, the bonds are written down to equity that matches the extent of liabilities released thus generating exceptional gains that are allocated to the bank’s retained earnings (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). In cases where the CoCo is convertible, when a trigger is met, the bond automatically converts to common stock as a prearranged percentage. As the CoCo bond market unceasingly grows, investors are exposed to various risks and rewards. One of the appalling risks faced by investors in CoCos is the systematic risk. The CoCos market is vulnerable. A conversion or coupon deferral may soon occur causing a fall in price upto 9% and a significant drop in conversion circa -15%. This could put CoCo holders in a worst/unfortunate position than shareholders (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). Moreover, there exists information asymmetry in the CoCos market where investors have little knowledge regarding the operation of the CoCos while the issuers are fully aware of their credit fundamentals. For instance, the PONV (point of non-viability) as a language has been hard for many investors to comprehend thus upsurging the risks of them losing their cash by investing in unfeasible CoCos. According to Stefan, Anastasia and Bilyana (2013), this coupled with the complexity of CoCos, and the flawed CoCo rating methodologies presents a majo r risk to investors and might lead to unfathomable losses. Nevertheless, CoCos are rewarding as they provide a high yield of 4.5%-10% that is better than the average yield of circa 4.2% for high yield sectors in the U.K (Chorafas,  2015). These high returns continue

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Inividual 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inividual 4 - Essay Example Predicting the performance of different currencies in the market can help both individuals and investors in making sound business decision to minimize risk and maximize returns on investment (Oberlechner, 64). This paper focuses on a case studies related to exchange rate forecasting. A leader in a certain firm who has had keen interest on the exchange market and studied it predicts that in the next 12 months the exchange rate between the dollar and the Euro will be $1.41 to Euro. The company seeks to invest $ 500 000 in the forward, spot or options market. Using the current performance in the market, the forward rate is $1.37o5 to the Euro and the spot rate is $1.3435. This article discusses why the firm leader predicts that there will an increase in the exchange rate, seeks to calculate the profits that can be earned from the investment and gives recommendations on investments based on speculations. How to make Prediction on Future performance of the currencies in the exchange rate market One of the ways that can be used to predict future performance is by the use of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). This is the most commonly used method and is based on the theory of one price where the prices of a identical commodities are assumed to have the same price in different countries. This means that if the rate of inflation in one country if higher than the rate of inflation in another country is lower, then the value of the currency with a higher rate of inflation will reduce in relation to the currency of the country with lower inflation. For instance, in this case study, the increase in value of euro could be as a result of increase in the rate of inflation in America in relation to inflation in the euro zone. For instance, if the predicted increase in inflation in America for the next 12 months is 5% and the expected increase in rate of inflation in the euro zone is 2% then the difference in inflation rates is the level of depreciation the American dollar currency suffers in relation to the dollar (Yu et al 245). 5%-2%= 3% difference in inflation rates. If currently the value of the euro is $1.5 then the new exchange rate will be: $1.5 ? 103%= $ 1.545 1 euro will exchange for $ 1.545. Another way the leader could have predicted an increase in the value of euro in relation to the dollar could be through the prediction of the relative economic growth rate. The value of a nation’s currency is expected to appreciate if the country has a good economic growth outlook with likelihood of greater domestic and foreign investment. American just experienced a government shutdown which is a phenomenon that is expected to influence investment negatively. Both foreign and domestic investors may not be willing to make huge investment under the unsure circumstances and this is expected to stunt economic growth rate (Yu et al 243). The euro zone is not experience anything like this and their economies are expected to continue growing. It is thus possibl e that the value of the euro will increase in relation to that of the dollar. Calculation of the Expected profits The spot rate is $ 1.3435 Forward rate $ 1.3705 $1.3705-$1.3435= $0.027 Percentage increase in rate: 0.027?1.3435? 100= 2.01% Expected profit $500 000? 2.01%=$ 10050 Recommendation on Investment Making investments in the speculative market brings about a lot of income within short period of time. It is also less involving as it does not require labor but being able to predict the market