Resurgence of religion in Europe



}Sociological research: the systematic decrease in religious practices and commitment in the life
of confessional communities
}BUT:
}grassroots movements (e.g. different forms of fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, movements within the
Catholic Church, New Religious Movements)
}Transcendence as universal desire

}individualisation and privatisation lead to different (new) forms of religiosity
}But: religion in the public sphere, in public debates, religious communities in dialogue with
political partners
}P.L. Berger: supported the secularisation theory in the 1960s, later: withdrew it
}Multiple modernities: different (socio-political) cultures, different historical trajectories
}

Introduction



}Strict monotheism
}Role of community (ummah)
}Din (religion):
}Islam (surrender to God)
}Iman (deep faith, following religious rules, e.g. Zakat)
}Ihsan (perfection, deep devotion)
}jinn (genies) and angels

1)One God (Allah)
2)Belief in angels
3)Holy books: Torah, Evangely and Quran
4)God’s messengers (e.g. Adam, Noe, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad)
5)Belief in Judgment Day

}4 Archangels:
}Gabriel (Jibril) - angel of revelation
}Michael (Mikhail) – protects the world;
}Israfil (Israfel) – will signal the coming of the Judgment Day by blowing a trumpet
}Azrael (Izrail) – angel of death

}The Quran
}Hadith
}Ijma
}Qiyas

}God’s revelation through Muhammad
}Holy book of Islam
}Revealed both in its form and content
}Revealed gradually (610 – 632);
}The original version- in Medina
}Different cultural influences
}
}

}Recitations (only) in Arabic
}No chronological or thematic order but: from longest to shortest surahs (chapters) – with the
exception of the first („opening”) sura Al-Fatiha
}The longest (2nd): ”The Cow” (286 verses)
}The shortest (last chapters): 3-4 verses
}90 surahs: the Meccan period
}24 surahs: the Medinan period

}Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah
}Religious surahs, religious truth, dogmas
}Beautiful, poetic form, mystery and fears (Judgment Day)
}Visions of Hell (Gehenna): fire, smoke, heat
}Visions of Heaven/Paradise (Janna): peace, „garden” with trees, nature, shadow, pure water, good
and beautiful maidens (Houris)
}
}

}Muhammad as a political leader of Islamic community (still a Prophet)
}Religious practices, roles of men and women, social justice, solidarity, brotherhood
}Private law (e.g. inheritance laws, marriage)
}Fight in the name of God
}Prophet’s life
}Religious, social, political, legal constitution

}„path”, „rule”
}Muhammad’s words, behaviour, rules preserved in the tradition, in an oral form; the interpretation
of Muhammad’s behaviour and teaching, habits and moments of silence
}The practice and theory of orthodox Islam
}Repeated in an oral form à led to the creation of hadith

}Stories, traditions of Sunnah, which complement the Quran
}Acknowledged by most Muslims (mainly: Sunnites)
}1 tradition in hadith: text (matn) and the chain of narrators (isnad)
}

}Consensus of the Muslim community (ummah) on religious issues
}Mainly: agreement of religious scholars/authorities (as a consensus of a whole Islamic ummah is
impossible)
}Gradual process

}The rule and reasoning of analogy
}Based on the comparison between a particular situation with the existing rules of law
}Applied when no particular rule can be found in the Quran or hadith

}Fiqh (theory): knowledge about the rights and responsibilities, what is permitted and prohibited;
based on the Quran and sunnah
}
}Sharia (practice): set of rules, duties, laws (based on fiqh)
}
}à development of Islamic schools of legal thought
}

}majority of Muslims; different groups
}Differences between Sunnites and Shiites- mainly of a political (and not religious) nature;
conflicts between both wings
}Imam- primarily a religious leader
}Do not acknowledge Shia imams
}Ijma more important than an imam’s authority
}First 4 khalifs as Muhammad’s successors
}
}

}Shiites/Shias- about 10-15% of all Muslims
}Ali’s party (Ali was Muhammad’s son-in-law and his successor, according to the Shiites)
}Different subgroupings
}E.g. in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan
}Reject the idea of ijma (agreement of Muhammand’s companions) – do not acknowledge the authority
of the first three khalifs (Shiites are loyal to Ali’s family)
}

}Shiites do not contradict Sunnites, similar tradition but: the great role of Muhammad’s family
}High (both social and religious) position and authority of an imam, infallibility, pure morality
(isma)
}Weakness of reason à further development and interpretation of Islamic law
}Cult of saints, imams, (and worship of tombs)

}Third Islamic denomination
}The oldest heretical group of Islam
}Religious purity
}Authority of an imam (should be pure, moral)
}Ideas of equality, democracy
}Fundamentalism, fanaticism

}Islamic mysticism
}Main goals: deep faith, absolute truth; contact with God through mystic experience
}Ascetic, peaceful, ecstatic
}Contemplation, ecstasy, intuition
}Popular e.g in Africa (close to local traditions)
}

}18th century („Islamic reformation” = back to the roots)
}Strict monotheism (against cult of saints)
}Unity of God
}Orthodox, fundamentalist, radical
}Intolerant, idea of jihad
}

}Close to Wahhabism
}„Dominant minority” in Saudi Arabia
}Subdenomination within Sunnism
}Fundamentalism, radicalism, pure version of Islam
}Against cult of saints
}No amulets etc., pure form, moral radicalism
}Literal interpretation of Quran
}Idea of jihad
}

}Internal struggle to become a good Muslim
}
}External struggle to protect and defend Islam, religious obligation, sign of solidarity of Muslims

}1) Shahadah
}2) Salat
}3) Zakat
}4) Sawm
}5) Hajj

}The statement of faith
}Recitation of the profession of faith, with full understanding of the words, sincerely
}Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah [There is no God but Allah,
and Muhammad is his messenger]

}performing ritual prayers five times each day
}Adan- call for prayer by a muezzin
}Individual obligation of every Muslim
}The spot must be clean (so e.g. no cemetery, slaughterhouse etc.), no shoes, on a little carpet
(if available)
}compulsory ablution
}

}First: as a kind of a ritual
}Later: paying a kind of tax to benefit the poor and the needy (official tax in some Islamic
countries)
}In Shiism- additionally: tax for an imam

}fasting during the month of Ramadan (9th month in the lunar calendar of Islam)
}Not if: disease, menstruation, pregnancy, old people, children
}Sugar Feast- the first day after Ramadan (first day of the month of Shawwal)

}pilgrimage to Mecca
}
}
}
}

}Alcohol
}Gambling
}Worship of other gods
}Drugs, drinking blood, eating pork
}Murder, lie, bribery, theft, robbery
}Extramarital sex, „other” forms of sex
}
}You should: work, wear modest clothes, worship God
}
}

}Polygamy: mentioned only in one verse of the Quran
}Burial ceremonies
}Diet and ritual slaughter
}Children
}Circumcision
}The role of women
}Religious dress
}
}

}A woman should be respected and treated well by her husband, must not be forced to marriage
}Can have property, can be socially active but: her role: family and household
}Receives ½ of inheritance (in comparison with men), according to Islamic law
}With her first menstruation becomes a woman
}A man is the head of family, but should consult most important issues with his wife

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8641070.stm



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8641070.stm



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8641070.stm



}Worth of human life, pro-life
}In-vitro: different attitudes
}Abortion- liberal vs. Orthodox attitudes
}Contraception- if a woman has children, but usually no condoms (different views, no one
statement); to preserve a woman’s health or well-being of the family
}
}

}No contraception with the aim of having a permanently child-free marriage; no sterilisation, ban
on the castration of men
}Sex- only between a wife and husband
}Different forms of marriage (e.g. marriage on trial- in Shiism)
}Homosexuality – prohibited, it’s a sin and crime (a man should have children)- but different legal
solutions in Islamic countries
}
}

}Transplantation of organs: different interpretations (but when life is in danger – rather
permitted)
}Suicide, euthanasia – prohibited
}
}