Chapter 10: Islamic Practice and Holy Days
Religions of a Single God - A Critical Introduction to Monotheisms from Judaism to Baha'i - Zeba A. Crook
Zeba A. Crook [+ ]
Carleton University
Zeba A. Crook is Professor of Religious Studies at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Canada. He is a specialist in early Christianity and Graeco-Roman culture, but was drawn to the study of religion more broadly, and the study of these three religions in particular by teaching it. That his course on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam at Carleton University has attracted an average of six hundred students per year since he arrived there in 2003 shows the enduring interest in this material among young adults.
Description
Islam is a religion with legal codes that govern the shape of daily life, from religious services to dress and diet. This chapter will illustrate just some the vast diversity of Islamic legal interpretation. We shall look at the development and characteristics of Shariah as it pertains to daily life, the legal schools, and the five pillars of action. We will also look at topics such as diet, modesty, and the pressures of assimilation. This chapter also describes the main Islamic holy days and religious and practices associated with them. It closes by looking at various features of art and culture in the Islamicate, and the global demographics of Muslims.