Islamic Shirk and Diverse Views Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Islamic Shirk and Diverse Views. Answer: Introduction Islam is a monotheistic religion which has been coexisting with other religions for years in many parts of in the world. In Islamic tradition Shirk is the worshipping of idols and believing in multiple gods But Islam believes in only one god Allah (Khan 2015). Shirk is an unforgivable sin that one can commit. The word Shirk literally means the sharing or becoming partners. In the form of polytheism or idol worshipping God is associated with objects of worshipping, which is completely prohibited in Islam. There are several references in the Quran that support the belief. In the Quran it is mentioned as the greatest sin, as every other sin can be forgiven except disbelievers and idol worshippers (Al-islam.org 2017). Islam Is Not against Figurative Representation Figurative representations are not directly prohibited in Islam; however it becomes problematic if it becomes Shirk or worshipping the figure as a part of divine status. In the Genesis all the worshipped statues by Terah were destroyed by Abraham (Dube 2015). The hadiths discussed certain figurative representations can only be through plants, pictures and inanimate objects. Bamiyan Buddhas and The act of Shirk Bamiyan is a famous valley of central Afghanistan that became significant Buddhist centre during eighth century. In eleventh century the Muslims came in power in Bamiyan area. The Buddha statues were extremely popular among the Chinese monks and Indian Buddhists. UNESCO rewarded it by enlisting as one of the World Heritages (Whc.unesco.org 2017). In the Hindkush mountain region, the two large Buddha idols made of sandstone cliff were the main attractions. The 181 feet tall Buddha idol was carved between 591 A.D to 644 A.D and represents cultural combination of Greco Buddhist and Bamiyan traditional artistry (Litoing 2015). It is not just the contemporary Islamic practitioners of Taliban regime that attacked the idols; the idols were faceless even before the destruction. This proves that even before the Islamic era the idols have suffered various attacks. The Contribution of Taliban in The Act The Taliban regime is infamous for its obsession over religious identity and the act of breaking leads that the motives were only religious in nature. The ideology they believe in is built by Pashtun nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism (Roy 2015). Fundamentalists saw Buddhism as an easy target. However the destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas has more than just the Taliban religious identity. The edict said that the destruction was represented as an Islamic act (Harding 2001). Therefore any idols, temples are shrines representing non Islamic religions are considered to be the manifestation of polytheism and idolatry. The other idea behind the destruction could be considered as the restoration of orthodox belief. The Taliban wanted to secure that no one in the future could worship the statues. Mullah Mohammad Omar of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan raised the radical question regarding idol breaking that reflected their perception of Shirk (Litoing 2015). The Socio Religious Perspective Another connection can be made as one examines the time period when the destruction occurred. This time of the year is significant for as the time of celebrating the Eid al Adha. This is the celebration of the feast for Abrahams sacrifice (Loue 2017). Abraham sacrificed his son for fulfilling Gods desire. The time of celebration reminded them about their responsibility of life that is following Gods orders and offering him whatever is needed. Abrahams practice of idol breaking has already been discussed. So the specific time and Abrahams association with it made the Taliban feel the need more than ever. Mullah Mohammad Omars selection of the specific time seems to be more than just a coincident. The View on Negative Impacts The Islamic people prove that the idols are meaningful to them by breaking them with so much attention. Their concern for the existing idols highlights their acknowledgement of the idols power more than the worshippers. The destruction also gained huge public attention which those sites did not have during the period of preservation. Thus the idols also gained a greater status after the breaking. This demonstrates various contradictory views in protecting Tawhid and resisting shirk. Tawhid is the belief of unity of the lord (Bbc.co.uk 2014). As in Islamic tradition Allah is the god that created all the beings on the earth and everything depends on him. Islam believes that Allah is in the authority of all beings and no one else can share his authorship. Tawhid al Ibadah declares that Allah is the only one to be worshipped and Shirk paralyzes this core belief of Islam (Lamprecht 2014). The Philosophical View on Appropriation There can be other philosophical perspectives that can offer us a broader view that is associated with the practice of Islamic Shirk, if one considers that unconsciously man worships himself in the guise of God. The postmodern era has put too much stress on the concept of image. The image has been given too much importance by the postmodern man in a very commercial sense. Some theorists consider destroying the Bamiyan Buddha statutes to be a typical postmodern phenomenon (Janowski 2015). The incident can be seen as the Muslim appropriation of Buddhism (Rafiabadi 2007) The Buddhist theology is not just involved in idol making and concentrating ones good deeds on his feet. Buddha himself encouraged destroying of ones permanent self. So the obsession of the post modern era representing through idols would not have been appreciated by him. Instead he could have encouraged the statue making practice. However this is not enough to justify the destruction heritage statues by the Taliban. Conclusion Taliban are often accused of interpreting the Quran in a superficial and simplistic way. There are various interpretations of the Islamic Shirk, fundamentalists use it for some propagandist purposes, some theorists justify it through religious implications and philosophers shed different light over it (Taniguchi 2017). However from the above discussions it is undeniable that through Shirk one can understand the various perspectives related to it. Above that, the power of the understanding is capable of unfolding various aspects of religion, human acts and life over all. The Islamic understanding of Shirk possesses enough strength to uphold the diverse ideologies, beliefs and views and their bearers. References "BBC-GCSE Bitesize: Islam And Other Faiths". 2014.Bbc.Co.Uk. https://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/islambeliefrev3.shtml. "First Greater Sin: Shirk (Polytheism)". 2017.Al-Islam.Org. https://www.al-islam.org/greater-sins-volume-1-ayatullah-sayyid-abdul-husayn-dastghaib-shirazi/first-greater-sin-shirk Centre, UNESCO. 2017. "Cultural Landscape And Archaeological Remains Of The Bamiyan Valley".Whc.Unesco.Org. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/208 Dube, Zorodzai. "The statue debate: Ancestors and'mnemonic energy'in Paul and now."HTS Theological Studies71, no. 3 (2015): 01-05. Harding, Luke. 2001. "Taliban Blow Apart 2,000 Years Of Buddhist History". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/03/afghanistan.lukeharding Janowski, James. "Bamiyan, Vandalism, and the Sublime."Change Over Time5, no. 1 (2015): 28-64. Khan, Aftab Ahmad. "Just One God."Defence Journal18, no. 12 (2015): 34. Lamprecht, Mark A. "Exploration Of The Similarities Between The Unity Of Allah And The Unity Of The Triune God Of The Bible." (2014). Litoing, Nougoutna Norbert. "Rejecting shirk and promoting taw?id? A critical examination of the motivation and objective of the iconoclasts in Bamiyan (2001) and Timbuktu (2012)." PhD diss., University of Birmingham, 2015. Loue, Sana. "Religious Observances, Festivals, and Celebrations." InHandbook of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice and Research, pp. 103-120. Springer New York, 2017. Rafiabadi, Hamid Naseem, ed.Challenges to religions and Islam: a study of Muslim movements, personalities, issues and trends. Sarup Sons, 2007. Roy, Olivier. "afghanistan after the taliban."Afghanistan: Identity, Society and Politics Since 1980165 (2015): 147. Taniguchi, Yoko. "Do Archaeological and Conservation Sciences Save Cultural Heritage?: Cultural Identity and Reviving Values After Demolishment." InAncient West Asian Civilization, pp. 179-197. Springer Singapore, 2017.

Mc Donalds Business Report Essays - Food And Drink, Fast Food

Mc Donalds Business Report McDonald's INTRODUCTION: McDonald's Corporation is the world's leading food service organization. The corporation started out as a small drive-through in 1948 by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald. Raymond Albert Kroc, a salesman, saw a great opportunity in this market and advised Dick and Mac to expand their operation and open new restaurants. In 1961 Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers. By 1967 McDonalds expanded its operations to countries outside the U.S.A. This unyielding expansion led the Corporation to open 23,000 McDonald's restaurants in 110 countries in 1994, producing $3.4 bn in annual revenues. In addition, McDonald's opens a new restaurant every three hours. Also, McDonald's has twice the market share of its closest U.S. competitor, Burger King, representing 7% of total U.S. eating-out sales. Similarly, McDonald's serves about 1% of the world's population on any given day through its 23,000 restaurants internationally. Big Mac, the world's most sold hamburger was developed by Jim Delligutti in 1967 to feed construction workers. 'Big Mac' is the biggest attraction and backbone of the corporation. Moreover, McDonald's maintains its competitive advantage by constantly creating new items to add onto its menu. This shows us that McDonald's practices an analyzer type of strategy, introducing new items and defending its existing ones. McDONALD'S MISSION AND VISION: We serve people with good quality food, fast and at low cost. McDonald's vision is to dominate the global food-service industry. Global dominance means setting the performance standard for customer satisfaction and increases market share and profitability through successfully implementing our convenience, value and execution strategies. THESIS STATEMENT: To have a clear picture of McDonald's corporation we need to look at its Task Environment, which includes its: .Customers .Competitors .Strategic Allies .Suppliers .Regulators We shall also explore McDonald's Workforce Diversity and its Total Quality Management. CUSTOMERS: Customers are those who pay money to acquire an organization's goods or services. For many years McDonald's mostly targeted the young people, however this has changed in this decade; McDonald's has turned towards a more general market. By doing this McDonald's concentrates on the family, targeting a diverse market which includes consumers ranging from children to elderly people, using products such as the happy Meal for children and Egg McMuffin for the elderly. McDonald's also realized the changing world we live in and the need for healthier food, since there is an ever changing demographic group, who demand fast, top quality food that is low in calories. McDonald's responded to this opportunity and introduced a new and innovative product. This new product was a regular hamburger that tasted like the real thing but was made of plant material like Soya beans. This same product also targets another demographic group, vegetarians. McDonald's mostly uses psychographic segmentation targeting the working and middle classes. These are the people that are more susceptible to enter a fast food restaurant, since these are the people that lead a fast moving life and thus require a fast meal. In brief McDonald's customers are of all classes, but largely working and middle classes, and people of all ages. COMPETITORS: A competitor is an organization that competes with other organizations for

Sociology Essay Samples on Sex - The Best Ways to Improve Your Grade

Sociology Essay Samples on Sex - The Best Ways to Improve Your GradeMany students are concerned about their sociology essay samples on sex due to the fact that many professors do not like such topics. Some of the problems that can occur include exclusion and second-guessing.Students often try to include these themes in their final paper to help them succeed. The trouble with these essays is that professors often do not approve. This is especially true when students start using several sources to try to fit their opinion into a single theme.There are different sociological essays samples on sex that exist online. There are the good, bad, and ugly examples. Students need to be careful about using one theme for multiple topics. It can also cause problems if a topic is being used for a science and then flipped to become an opinion about human sexuality.The opinions you write about sex have to be relevant to your topic in order to be accepted. You will need to write according to the style guide of the professor, but you will want to add a personal tone.Some students find it easier to write three different themes. The idea is to get an idea about what you are doing when you include these essays samples on sex in your final paper. These steps will help students not only to be accepted by their professors, but they will also have a good grade.When you want to give the most you can get out of your sociology essay samples on sex, you will want to get the most from your final exam. The truth is that many people do not succeed at getting top grades on their final papers because they do not give themselves a chance to succeed.Be aware that you may need to go back and edit the essays that you wrote on the final examination. This is so that the questions will not use the same idea over again. There are some things that you cannot change, but these tips will help you not only to get the top grades possible, but you will also help other students get the highest grades possible.

Free Essays on The Illegalization Of Abortion

The Illegalization of Abortion Many have pondered upon the meaning of abortion. The argument being that every child born should be wanted, and others who believe that every child conceived should be born (Sass vii). This has been a controversial topic for years. Many people want to be able to decide the destiny of others. Everyone in the United States is covered under the United States constitution, and under the 14th Amendment women have been given the choice of abortion. In 1973, Harry A. Blackmun wrote the majority opinion that it's a women's right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Even though these people have been given the right, the case is not closed. Pro-life activists carry a strong argument, and continue to push their beliefs. They feel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out in some known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, also carry very strong points. They believe that the child inside them is their property and it's life doesn't be until birth. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court decided that as long as the baby lived in the womb, he or she would be the property of the mother. Because of this decision almost every third baby conceived in America is killed by abortion, over one and a half million babies a year (Willke vii). Many countries have followed our decision on the abortion issue and some of these include Canada, England, and France. Other countries still believe abortion should be illegal, they include Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. Although many believe that abortion is a women's choice, abortion should be banned because its immoral and life begins at conception. Abortion is the choice of a women whether or not she want's to receive one. Under the 14th Amendment's "personal liberty" women are given the right to receive an abortion. The 14th Amendment's concept of "personal liberty" and restriction... Free Essays on The Illegalization Of Abortion Free Essays on The Illegalization Of Abortion The Illegalization of Abortion Many have pondered upon the meaning of abortion. The argument being that every child born should be wanted, and others who believe that every child conceived should be born (Sass vii). This has been a controversial topic for years. Many people want to be able to decide the destiny of others. Everyone in the United States is covered under the United States constitution, and under the 14th Amendment women have been given the choice of abortion. In 1973, Harry A. Blackmun wrote the majority opinion that it's a women's right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Even though these people have been given the right, the case is not closed. Pro-life activists carry a strong argument, and continue to push their beliefs. They feel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out in some known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, also carry very strong points. They believe that the child inside them is their property and it's life doesn't be until birth. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court decided that as long as the baby lived in the womb, he or she would be the property of the mother. Because of this decision almost every third baby conceived in America is killed by abortion, over one and a half million babies a year (Willke vii). Many countries have followed our decision on the abortion issue and some of these include Canada, England, and France. Other countries still believe abortion should be illegal, they include Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. Although many believe that abortion is a women's choice, abortion should be banned because its immoral and life begins at conception. Abortion is the choice of a women whether or not she want's to receive one. Under the 14th Amendment's "personal liberty" women are given the right to receive an abortion. The 14th Amendment's concept of "personal liberty" and restriction...

Your First Steps to Making a Career Change

Your First Steps to Making a Career Change A career change is a big and oftentimes overwhelming undertaking. You’re hoping to enter an unknown world, maybe even one wildly different from the professional life you’ve known so far.  Alyssa Gelbard, founder and president of Resume Strategists Inc., offers some tips on how to tackle the challenges that come with switching industries. ResearchWhile you might speak the language of your current field, a new career comes with a whole new set of terminology and practices. You’ll learn the ins and outs as soon as you get a job, but before you do, do your research so you sound well-informed and feel confident when you go out on interviews.Learn how to sell yourselfThere’s a reason you’re taking this new career leap–you feel ready and qualified to work in a new field. Make a list of reasons why you want to make the change and why your specific skills are ideal for such a change. The more you discover exactly how your strengths align with a pote ntial new job, the better you can speak to them in cover letters and interviews.Network†¦ and then network some moreIf you’re shy about networking, start small–get the word out by mentioning your hopes of a career change when among friends or family. You’re not necessarily looking for someone to hand you a job; networking is about making connections and you never know if someone in your circle might be connected to another person who can give you advice and help.Taking the leap into a new career is brave and exciting. Approach your journey with confidence, even when you’re nervous–if you are determined and willing to put in the work, opportunities are sure to arise.

Factors contributing to increase of obesity amongst women population Essay

Factors contributing to increase of obesity amongst women population within the United Kingdom - Essay Example This essay "Factors contributing to increase of obesity amongst women population within the United Kingdom" discusses the problem of the obesity among the women population of the UK. The main factor that is contributing to increase in obesity among women in the UK is poor dietary choices. Women are the leading consumers of foods with high calories and extra carbohydrates that are not utilised by their bodies (Kopelman, Caterson and Dietz, 2010). Eating fast food in restaurants during lunch breaks in the workplace, skipping of breakfast and consuming high-calorie drinks are some unhealthy eating habits that are common amongst women in the United Kingdom (Alters and Schiff, 2013). It is common for women to oversized portions and sweetened beverages that contain high levels of carbohydrates and other nutrients that contribute to accumulation of fat in the body. The second leading factor that is contributing to increase in obesity among women in the UK is sedentary lifestyle. Many women in the UK engage in less physically demanding work due to mechanised transport systems and labour-saving technologies in the workplace. In this case, women rarely engaged in physical fitness activities such as recycling or walking since they are committed in household duties or corporate work (Cappuccio, 2010). Accordingly, most of the women in the UK prefer relaxing in their houses while watching television, browsing the internet and playing computer games thus leading to excessive calories in the body that are stored as fat.

American Past Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Past - Essay Example To understand the American historical expansion, an extensive analyses and evaluation of the existing primary sources is significant. The essay analyses and evaluates two closely related primary sources of American past from Reading the American Past Volume 1 by Michael Johnson (a history of the United States of America and America revolution in South Carolina). The essay will as well elaborate in detail some of the main developments in American history. One primary source (A history of the United States of America) expounds on revolutionary incidences in the United States of America while the other sources (America Revolution in South Carolina) is focused on slave trade in america and its impacts to modern development.The two documents under study present a wide range of information on social, cultural, political, and economic development of America’s historical past. The American Past Volume 1 was authored by Michael Johnson. The main aim of the text, A History of the United States of America source was to incorporate ideas and experiences from different scholars in one volume. The source was also intended to provide a trustworthy basis for explaining contemporary developments in the United States of America. Michael has offered a decisive overview of the historical social, economic, and political challenges in the development of modern global superpower state that is the United States of America. ... American History Volume one author has as well documented the American Revolution in South Carolina, a source that talks about slave trade and slavery. The source was anticipated to give details on the role of immigrants, native inhabitants and slaves to the modern flourishing economic prosperity in America. The source also clarifies on the historical American revolutions that were solely responsible for the modern American civilization. The sources expounds on the incidents that took place in the settlement and exploration of American states, especially in South Carolina. The author outlines the impact and contribution of the initial inhabitants in the development Carolina states. The sources also analyses how the modern unique Carolina states cultures was shaped by slave trade and immigrants. The first source â€Å"A History of the United States of America† was documented to help scholars, economists, politicians and historians appreciate and utilize the past incidents and e xperiences in coming up with productive and sensible decisions and policies. The source is also significant to modern learners and thinkers as it offers an insight on the necessities relevant in modern and future development. The second source â€Å"America revolution in South Carolina† has emerged as an incredibly relevant source of information to the United States of America learners. Lawmakers and legislatures have used the source to make laws and policies that will minimize gender and racial based discrimination. The first source has as well offered an intensive explanation on historical wars, violence and their impact on ancient economic development. The source has also explained views and perceptions of different