Islam+and+Islamic+Law

Islam: Law, Holidays, and How It Has Influenced The World By: Michael Phillips and Danny Woods

Refers to the "way" a Muslim should live or the "path" they must follow. The Sharia is the main item of law in the Muslim way of life, and by the size of the book that woman is carrying, it is clear just about how many laws make up this different but interesting way of life.

Calendar Ashura is a Muslim word meaning ten, and is celebrated on the tenth day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calender, which is a lunar calendar much like the one we follow in the United States). The day of Ashura is a day of optional fasting and is a day to celebrate the day that Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt. It is also Shari'a custom to mourn the death of Muhammad's grandson on this day. The next holiday celebrated is Mawlid an-Nabi. This holiday is to celebrate the birth of the prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in the third month of the Islamic calender, Rabi' al-awwal. Lailat al Miraj is a holiday to celebrate. It's purpose is to tell the story of how Muhammad received the knowledge from the archangel Gabriel to enter the seven levels of heaven to the children. It's celebrated by prayer and by lighting up cities with electric lights and candles. The next holiday celebrated is Lailat al-Baraat. This holiday is a night to worship Allah for saving Noah and his followers from the deluge. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a month devoted to prayer and fasting. Its purpose is to help Muslims become more spiritual, kindhearted, and dedicated to Allah. The next holiday, Lailat al Qadr, is believed by Muslims to be the night the first verses of the Qur'an were spoken to the prophet Muhammad. (Michael Phillips)
 * ~ Festive day ||~ 2008 ||~ 2009 ||~ 2010 ||
 * = Islamic New Year ||= 10 January ||= --- ||= --- ||
 * = Ashura ||= 19 January ||= 7 January ||= --- ||
 * = Mawlid an-Nabi ||= 20 March ||= 9 March ||= 26 February ||
 * = Lailat al Miraj ||= 31 July ||= 20 July ||= ? ||
 * = Lailat al-Baraat ||= 18 August ||= 7 August ||= ? ||
 * Ramadan || 1 September || 22 August || 11 August ||
 * = Lailat al Qadr ||= 28 September ||= 17 September ||= ? ||
 * = Eid ul-Fitr ||= 1 October ||= 21 September ||= 10 September ||
 * = Eid ul-Adha ||= 8 December ||= 27 November ||= 17 November ||

The next two holidays, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, are the two main Islamic holidays. Eid ul-Fitr is the day that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan. Its name literally means the breaking of the fasting period. It equates to Mardi Gras for catholics. Eid ul-Adha is known as the "greater festivity" where as Eid ul-Fitr is known as the "smaller festivity". Eid ul-Adha is a holiday to celebrate Abraham's faith and obedience to God when Abraham obediently lead his son on top of a mountain to sacrifice him to God, but God stopped him and had him sacrifice a ram instead. Eid (both ul-Adha and ul-Fitr) are times to be thankful to God for what one has: food, water, family, shelter, etc. It is a time time to sacrifice to God and be with friends and family. (Michael Phillips)

The law according to the Muslim faith is interpreted from the Koran and is simply known as Sharia law. Islamic law is probably best known for deterrent punishment which is the basis of the Islamic criminal system, and the discrimination against women. Another important feature of Muslim law is the fact that there is no clear separation of church and state because under Islamic law, the religion of Islam and the government are one. Islamic law is controlled, ruled and regulated by the Islamic religion, which is known as a Theocracy. Islamic law generally tries to regulate all public and private behavior including personal hygiene, diet, sexual conduct, and now prevails in countries all over the Middle East and elsewhere, covering 20 percent of the world's population. Despite its relative inflexibility though, Islamic law in some ways is superior to other systems of law such as the preference given to arbitration in civil disputes. (Danny Woods)

In the book __Kite Runner__, the concept of Islamic culture shows itself multiple times throughout the course of the story. The basis for Assef's hate against Hassan comes from the difference inside the Islamic faith (Sunni vs. Shi'a Muslim) and it is no different in real life situations of Islam either. You can also see evidence of the strict laws with the marriage "regulations" that the families try to maintain. Keeping the pure blood is important to the Islamic culture, and in some cases illegal for a woman to marry a non-islamic man. While it is true that the book does not focus mainly on what Islamic laws there are are aren't, it is clear that there are different laws in the different cultures of Iraq and America. (Danny Woods)

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