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Discuss the role of the mosque as serving as the “umbilical cord” of Islamic civilization and the different social
Islamic civilization
Question 1
Discuss the role of the mosque as serving as the “umbilical cord” of Islamic civilization and the different social, political, religious and social purposes that it served
The origin of Islam can be traced to Arabia and some of the practices adopted by Muslims can be traced to the culture of Arabs who used to live mainly in the desert. During this era, the traditions and ways of life and worship were passed from one generation through the use of drawings, poetry and narratives from teachers and elders. Mosques played a crucial role in the preservation of Islamic culture and passing of teaching to future generations. The mosques served as a common ground where Muslims could meet to listen to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) who stressed a lot on the value of education. The mosques thus served as schools and a common place for worship and dissemination of information concerning various issues.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) equated the regular visit to the mosque to learn to pilgrimage which is a major pillar in Islam. The mosque where the prophet worshiped had some unique features that have shaped modern society. The mosque was open to all people both Arabs and non Arabs and anyone who wanted to enquire about Islam was welcome. Also, there was a common room for all to worship rather than the practice being used currently where women pray differently and are not allowed in the men’s area. According to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) the mosque was a place to socialize, to celebrate and a hospital for soldiers wounded in wars. CITATION Say15 l 1033 (Sayre, 2015) The major contribution of the prophet’s mosque to Islamic civilization was the fact that it was a place whereby the illiterate would learn to read and write. The mosque was a major educational institution and this has led to the preservation of the hadiths which were used by the prophet. The mosque would also function as a war room where battle strategies were discussed and established.
The success of Islam during the early days has continued to baffle and amaze researchers in equal measures. Prophet Muhammad was also a political leader and conducted the successful invasion of Mecca and other parts of Middle East. The army of believers who followed and practiced the Prophet’s teachings can be traced all over the Middle East. It was in Mecca that the first mosque was built formally and the design was largely motivated by the Prophet’s courtyard. It was during this era that Islam spread out wide and far because people viewed it as a freer and welcoming religion. This is because of the fact that whenever the army of believers conquered a territory, they allowed the local to continue to practice their religion without fear. The conquering of Byzantine and Persian armies was a great relief to many especially the citizens who had been heavily taxed by their governments. However, the conquering of regions by Prophet Muhammad was aimed to spread Muslim rule and Arab culture rather than Islamic faith and this has continued to affect world peace. CITATION Say15 l 1033 (Sayre, 2015) A good example of this is the conflict being witnessed in Nigeria between the North which is occupied mainly by Muslims and the Christian’s south.
Question 2
Current Study (Present StudyPurpose)
Current Study (Present Study/Purpose)
The purpose of the present study is to examine two biases (the framing effect & hindsight bias) by using one set of Tversky and Kahneman’s (1981) framing questions and one set of Slovic’s and Fischhoff’s (1977) foresight-hindsight questions. We also want to determine the relationship between these two biasing effects and to find out whether people who are susceptible to the framing effect are also susceptible to the hindsight bias. In line with Tversky and Kahneman, regarding the framing effect, it is predicted that the majority of the participants will be influenced by the different frames (i.e., positive vs. negative) presented to them. Specifically, we predict that positive frames will prevent people form risking what they were certain to gain; while negative frames will lead to people risk-taking what they seem to perceive as a sure loss. In addition, it is also predicted that scores concerning people’s predictions of an approach outcome will be higher in the hindsight condition than in the foresight condition.
Everyday Use by Alice Walker, Character Comparison of Maggie and Dee
‘Everyday Use’ by Alice Walker, Character Comparison of Maggie and Dee.
Alice Walker’s ‘Everyday Use’ is a story centered on three characters: Mrs. Johnson fondly referred to as Mama and her daughters Dee and Maggie. The story is rich in an African-American way of living represented in Dee and Maggie. Walker presents this through the characters of Dee and Maggie which are sharply contrasting.
This is shown in how she values the quilts that once belonged to ‘grandma’ Dee. Maggie tells us that she remembers her ‘grandma’ without the quilts (Walker, 7). On the other hand, Dee is an educated and sophisticated young woman. She schools in the city, and although she grew up in a traditional setting, she has never associated or wanted to be associated with it. At one time she writes to her mother that she will visit her at home, and that she could never tag her friends along (Walker 2000, 3). This is because she does not want her friends to know her real heritage, a heritage she is not proud of.
Dee even changes her name. She acquires her new name Dee because she claims her African name, Wangero, suggests her African culture. Her new name, she claims, gives her a freedom that her African culture does not (Walker, 4).
According to Kirszner and Mandell, Maggie is an introvert. She is shy, uneducated and far from being ambitious (121). This can be supported Walker’s narration in reference to Maggie where she says, “She has always been like this, chin in on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle” (Walker, 384). Maggie is very traditional and has always stayed back at home with Mrs. Johnson.
Contrarily, Dee is confident and extroverted. Her physique differs from that of her lean, unsophisticated sister. She has a full figure and beautiful hair (Walker 161). Walker states that Dee would always look at anyone straight in the eye, she would not hesitate. She would even look at a white man in the eye confidently (Walker 485). This also contrasts her mother’s character; Mrs. Johnson would shy away from looking at a white man in the eye.
Dee is defiant. She was unmoved when their little house was burnt down in a fire. She felt no regret; after all she never liked their house. She watched the house burn down with concentration (Walker 485). In an interview with Stitches in Time’s Evelyn C. White, Walker concurs with the idea that Dee might in fact be the one who set the little house ablaze (Kirszner and Mandell, 123). Maggie, however, is very much concerned with the loss of the house. It is what contributed to her self-pity and shyness having been burnt in the process.
Another contrast between Dee and Maggie is shown in Dee’s materialistic character. Mrs. Johnson states that Dee always wanted good things in life and that from the age of sixteen she already understood what style is, she even developed her own style (Walker, 384). Mrs. Johnson knew that Dee never liked their house roofed with tin. She also wanted to take the ancient quilts and the churn top. This reiterates Dee’s love for material and fine things in life.
Maggie is cultural and material things do not appeal to her. She cherishes their culture and heritage. Most of her utterances are a recount of history which she probably learns from her mother. Maggie tells us that Aunt Dee’s husband was Henry although people called him Stash, and that he whittled the dash (Walker 6). In this story, there is no particular reference to Maggie’s love for material things, rather, her love for tradition and culture manifests.
The two young women’s way of dress differs. As earlier mentioned, Dee discovered her own sense of style by age sixteen. Dee has an Afro-American style, whereas Maggie dresses in conservative African wear. Walker tells us that Maggie conceals her physique in a red top and pink skirt (384). She feels intimidated around Dee because of the burns and scars she got when their house burnt down. These scars run deep down her soul. She perceives herself as not beautiful unlike her sister.
As much as these two characters differ in many ways, some similarities are evident. Both Maggie and Dee are strong, bold and daring women. Both of them are intelligent in different ways.
On the one hand, Dee dared to step out of her traditional upbringing to explore a different world, a world of education, challenges, class and sophistication. This is not easy for any ordinary girl who in her formative years was only exposed to tradition, culture and heritage. She even has a boyfriend, Hakim, who hails from different race and culture.
On the other hand, Maggie boldly lives through her limitations. She is shy and of low self-esteem yet she has a boyfriend, Thomas. Mrs. Johnson felt that the young man did not have much to offer, but again she felt that it was an achievement for a character like Maggie. Maggie’s strengths also manifest in her singing in church, her intelligence, good memory and mastery of their tradition and heritage (Tyson, 19-20).
Works CitedTop of Form
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Kirszner, Laurie G, and Stephen R. Mandell. The Brief Wadsworth Handbook. Boston, MA: Thomson Higher Education, 2007. Print.
Tyson, Lois. Using Critical Theory: How to Read and Write About Literature. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Walker, Alice, and Barbara Christian. Everyday Use. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Print.
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