Islamic History
Silverstein is known for his ability to narrate his history. One of the most outstanding features that have come out in the current circumstance is concerning how he addresses specifics of history and more so when it comes to the Islamic religion at the time. He touches on the historical movement of a religion that had shocked the World by its growth to Turkey, which was a significant part of Europe. For a more massive moment, they continued to grow, and the Islamic religion would change tact in terms of how it spread in different region as well. He offers a good overview of how the religion moved through the seventh to the twenty-first century. Silverstein believes that the history of Islam is rich and profound enough as to touch on different centuries, which in return can be a lesson for humans to learn a lot about resilience and togetherness.
Islam, as a religion, started in Arabia at the time of the emigration of Muhammad to Medina, specifically in 622. It led to the creation of a new community at the time, which was often referred to the Umma by the Prophet. The idea was occasionally to have people believe in a system where togetherness and humility were vital. The Prophet was very keen on people living communally and appreciating one another as a team rather than a group that spreads some selfish looks to the tail end. In such a period, it was integral to come out and understand the average nature of the society that would after that remodel the community to believe in the change of culture and attitude to follow the religion.
Silverstein touches on the fact that the Arab community were strongly resisting a religion that had been promoted to them and occasionally organized raids against Muhammad and his people as a way of discouraging the belief from spreading at the time. However, with the support of an excellent military system and Muhammad’s intelligence, it managed to work out as a good percentage got to understand what was needed to achieve the heavens. Others were slaves who later converted to Islam without force and with the same explanation, one would realize that there is so much that Western history leaves out about the growth of Islam.
One can equally realize that the Arabian Peninsula was a prosperous region and a formidable force since and carried a lot of wealth from the time. The religion further strengthened them by the idea that the Umma was supposed to work as a group with a sole agenda to achieve against the pressures of the word. Across the centuries, there were several developments which were made culturally to follow the new religion as it was strict in terms of compliance and had an element of rigidity in so far as change is concerned. Factually, Prophet Muhammad had come up with a religion that would quickly transform people and significantly rarely affected by societal change instead be the one to be changing societies across the World.
Initially, the religion faced adamance from different regions but then with time, there was more compliance from other areas, and the country had now absorbed a new ideology that would enforce superiority over the people. The idea that God was in control of everything meant that all persons had to follow the same path and that no one person would claim strength over the other. This would then be the direct correlation that created a well-established system that has so far kept Islam at the top in terms of performance and societal understanding as well. These straightforward measures were set up to create the right environment that promoted better understanding and similarly enhanced better rapport among individuals as well.
The story touches on the initial Umayyad Caliphs and how they managed to move the religion into several conquests to the North of Africa. Such was an outstanding achievement for them because they were looking to grow as a religion, and the more comfortable they spread, the better it meant for them. In some cases, it would be preaching and gospel sharing while in some instances, it involved battles on the war field and thus spread the name of the religion at all costs. The reasons for the matches would, in most cases, apply the natural resistance that the belief was facing in that period and continuously worked towards making the changes to the existing systems of those days. These were emotions that had been set up to try and ensure that the religion was set up in the correct frame and similarly had to be in the right direction throughout.
Silverstein analyses the growth of Islam, and that creates a direct correlation to the Western civilization topic, where it is noted that it is currently the fastest-growing religion in the World. Western Civilization was more about freedom, while Islam was more restrictive and conservative and thus would lead to clashes in some cases. In the long run, it shaped more countries into accepting the change and embrace the idea of freedom of worship where the government was out to embrace the change ideology and set themselves up within the right environment. In these moments, it also set up the correct attitude for the population to appreciate the general changes that had been set up to the end. Additionally, for any religion, it was a good idea for it to grow, knowing the societal perceptions while also embracing the change plan as the way forward for them.
Islam has, in recent years, grown a lot and being able to understand the rich history meant a big deal more so in a society where more people understand the essence for growing in the right direction. The religion started with the command of Jibril being handed to Muhammad, and over the years, it has been on an upward trend, more so when it has changed tact to embrace new technology and techniques as well. Additionally, it changed how much Western Civilization has moved even as the rest of the society has worked to achieve a final answer to how Islam has been key to the growth and development plan of the community at large and the planet.
Reference
Silverstein, B. (2011). Islam and modernity in Turkey. Springer.