More History


I thought it was interesting to read that the Quran can have such a powerful effect on people when they hear it.  I think the third pillar is actually something I would expect “believers to give generously to support the poor and needy community” (368).  It’s interesting that after Muhammad’s death, his followers called themselves “believers” which is said to be found in the Quran more than the word “Muslims.”  I’m not sure if I understood the tax thing correctly about how people can retain their own beliefs and systems, but they had to pay jizya tax imposed on non-Muslims.  First, do Muslim’s get taxed or is that part of their almsgiving where they donate to the poor and needy?  It comes off as being manipulative when I read that different incentives were offered to people that claimed Muslim identity…So, I must pay this special tax to continue with my beliefs and I don’t receive any incentives, but I still pay the jizya tax?  I wonder how many people practiced other religions but claimed Muslim identity.
I really enjoyed the stories about Mullah Nasruddin, especially the first and fifth one from our textbook.  I wonder how many “Sufi’s thought taverns and drunkenness often symbolized spiritual insight or mythical intoxication with the Divine.”  I do think that some people can offer useful, helpful, and insightful words of wisdom (drunk wisdom) but in my own experience, more times than not people make bad choices while being intoxicated.  I was very horrified to read about the “honor killings.”  Its just something I will not and cannot understand, I am extremely disturbed by it.  I was frustrated when I was reading about the men and women of early Islam.  Woman seem to have become “property” instead of human beings.  They seem like they were controlled and ruled over however, I did enjoy reading that some Sufi’s welcomed women as equal members.  “God-filled Men” had always been valued…as I’ve questioned before, I wonder how many charismatic bullshitters pretended to be “God-filled Men” because as we’ve all heard, terrible things can happen…even at church.

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