Nonverbal communication and culture. Identity, stereotypes and prejudices, страница 29

History. Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, is monotheistic. It believes in one God, and that God is Allah. The two main forms of Islam—Sunni and Shi'a—both accept that Muhammad was the heir to the religious mantle passed down by the prophets of the Bible. For Muslims, Muhammad (570-632) was the messenger of God. Muslims believe that their God, Allah, spoke to human beings many times in the past: to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Like many of the prophets, Muhammad was concerned with establishing a new social order as well as delivering a religious message. Muhammad, believing that community and religion were one and the same, established the city state that became known as Madinah. This fusion of church and state was unique to Muhammad's time. His accomplishments marked him as one of the most remarkable and charismatic men in history.

Koran. When Allah spoke to Muhammad the prophet wrote down, in Arabic, the divine words in the Koran, the holy book of Islam. To a Muslim, this 114-chapter book (suras) represents the unique word of Allah and is without comparison and beyond question. It is a map, a manual on how to live. Unlike the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament, the Koran has very little narrative; instead, it deals with themes regarding legal and social matters and the general conduct of life. The Koran makes it clear that those who are cruel and undisciplined will be punished. It also promises, to those who have faith, that there will be great rewards waiting for them in heaven. Like so much of Islam, the Koran does not distinguish between religious, social, and political life. Some observers have suggested that the Koran is the most memorized book in the world. Muslims say that in the Koran, Allah has spoken completely and that he will not speak again. Hence, the book is seen as a perfect revelation from God.

Submitting to God. One of the keys to understanding the nature of the Islamic world view is the word Islam, which is the infinitive of the Arab verb meaning "to submit." The word Muslim is the present participle of the same verb. A Muslim, then, is one who accepts and submits to the will of Allah. So powerful is this belief in Allah that to become a Muslim, one only has to declare "I testify that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is the Prophet of God."

Like Christians, Muslims worship a personal god with a profound interest in moral behavior. This god also created the universe, called forth a community of beings, and charged them with the responsibility to establish righteousness in the world. But the god of Islam is distinctive because he dominates the globe and acts in history. Muslims believe that everything, good or evil, proceeds directly from the divine will as it is irrevocably recorded on the Preserved Tablets. This orientation produces fatalism: whatever happens has been willed by Allah. The saying "in sha'a Allah" (if God wills it) looms large in the thinking of the average Muslim. The word inshalle is also used with great frequency. This word translates as "God willing." This usage is important for it represents the Islamic theological concept that destiny unfolds according to God's will.

A Complete Way of Life. Muhammad, who was Allah's messenger, was both a political and religious prophet. In Islam, religion and social membership are inseparable. In this sense it touches all aspects of the Arab's life. An Arab's religion affects his whole way of life on a daily basis. Religion is taught in school, the language is full of religious expressions, and people practice their religion openly, almost obtrusively, expressing it in numerous ways. Viewed from this perspective Islam is a codification of all values and ways to behave in every circumstance. Islam is a religion that guides human thought and practice in unparalleled detail. For example, the Koran instructs women to cover their adornments (jewelry) and to draw their veils over their bosoms. This attitude is expressed today with the following proverb: "A woman is like a jewel: You don't expose it to thieves."