Islam Essay -- essays research papers

Visiting a mosque for the first meter for some(prenominal) non- Moslem can be kinda a daunting and intimidating experience if genius doesnt know exactly what to expect. A mosque is the place of prayer for Muslims within the Islamic faith. It is a house of prayer, one very much like that of churches and cathedrals for Christians, Synagogues for Jews, and temples for Hindus and Buddhists, nevertheless with its own distinct rules, rituals, and services. Mosques ar not only the center of religious prayer amongst Muslims, but rather also serve as the center of any Muslim community and society in the area. Muslims, however, dont always have to pray in mosques, other than Friday, the Muslim holy day of the week, much like Sunday in Christianity. The reason why Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims is because the Prophet Muhammad was born on a Friday. The Prophet Mohammed taught that prayers are mandatory at least five times a day, and subsequently, can be held anywhere as long as it is sincere to Allah. The word Islam, in Arabic, gist submission to the will of Allah. The Islamic Mosque, and or Masjid, as it is referred to in Arabic, is a place where Muslims bow before Allah declaring their obedience to His will. The history of the Islamic Mosque dates back to the time of the Prophet. Mosques usually contain a place for washing and cleansing oneself before prayer. This cleansing in Arabic is referred to as Wudu, a physical and spiritual polish of oneself before submitting themselves to Allah in prayer.I took a trip to a local nearby mosque in Miami two weeks ago with a Muslim friend of mine on Friday. His name was Ali, and he is a Pakistani-American. The mosque was called Masjid AL Noor, and is located in downtown Miami. It was a SunniIslamic mosque. Sunni Muslims comprise the worldwide majority of Muslim adherents, as opposed to Shiite Muslims, whom comprise the minority of Muslim adherents. However, the Sunni/Shiite schism within Islam is for the most part more political, rather than that of religious. My friend, whom I came with to the Sunni-Islamic mosque was actually a mainstream Shiite Muslim. He usually goes to this particular mosque because its closer to where he lives. According to him, a mosque is a mosque, and Muslims, all Muslims, are brothers in faith, regardless of sect. Friday prayers, also known as salah e Juma in the Quran, is mandatory fo... ... keep up with their prayers, give alms (charity), pay their dues (zakat), the essence of modesty, as well as the frequent recitation of the Quran. The imam recited ayahs, which are passages from the Quran, and then gave an English translations of it. The mosque was comprised of a very change crowd of all backgrounds and ethnicities. One saw some Middle Eastern people, many Indians and other southmost Asians, people from the Far Pacific and Oriental looking, African Americans, as well as some Anglo Saxons. It felt like a tightly knit diversified community. My experi ence at the mosque was that of one of an extraordinary one. I didnt feel like an outsider, nor uncomfortable at all, but rather, on the contrary, I felt quite welcomed. I find the Islamic religion very fascinating and unique. I am always keen and open to learning about new ideas, effect systems, and faiths. One acquires a greater understanding and perspective of others in how they think, and how they view the world and this life. Overall, I think that this was a rather rewarding experience because it broadened my horizons on the Islamic faith as a whole, something, which I had very little knowledge about prior to.

Having A Gun :: essays research papers

Having A GunVery often in life I would find myself strongly disagreeing and upholdingthe totally opposite point of view about(predicate) the actions and behavior of those,whose deeds seemed to me rather disadvantageous and harmful to the entirecommunity or society. These kind of actions were mostly coming from governmentauthorities, and quite obviously, there was not much that could have been donein order to refute or override them. Therefore, not only once, the idea ofhaving adequate power and authority to banning these kind of pernicious practices,would appeal to me.For the purpose of decreasing the crime rate, that was the top concern ofthe Ukrainian citizen, in 1994, some misguided politicians in government followthe legislation repealing the previous amendment and thus, abolishing theconstitutional properly to own the handguns. Banning the sale of firearms seems tome a most malicious and reckless deed, that instead of safeguarding andprotecting, endangers more the entire so ciety.     The governing body justified this act by saying that it would protect theinnocent citizens. But it failed to even entertain the notion that the enactmentof this law would come to protect the right of those who violate the rights ofothers. It has never occurred to authorities that vicious criminals, in spite ofthis legislation, will still manage somehow to get the firearms.     Innocent mess, however, will suffer, because they will be less likelyto obtain handguns in order to protect themselves and their families. Therefore,it would not be hard to imagine the carnage of the citizens, should there not be any guns in their homes. The criminals would walk in at any time they desired,they would take whatever they wanted, rape whom they wanted, and shoot whoeverwould resist.     The Government defended the enactment of this law by declaring that multitude could not be secure as long as there would be handguns around they couldnot be secure when three million people in the country had shotguns stuck in theglove compartment of their cars, bedside drawers, pockets and kitchen cabinets.But could they be secure if some criminal would try to take away somebodys carunder the threat, plume and rape somebody in the street or try to burglarizesomebodys home, knowing that they would not have any guns to protectthemselves? The prompt and correct set is "NO".     The government was established to insure that none of our rights wouldbe violated or taken away. It seems to me that the government, by infringing theright of people to keep and bear arms, has failed to come through its citizens with

Philosophy - Aristotle’s Concept of Virtue and the Comic Strip of Calv

Aristotles Concept of Virtue and the Comic Strip of Calvin and Hobbes One of the many questions with which Aristotle is concerned in the Nicomachean Ethics is What is virtue and who is the virtuous man? However, this question of virtue is not considered in a vacuum. Aristotles discussion, far from amounting to mere ethereal musings, is unwaveringly grounded in the everyday of life and consideration. So, in discussing the ideas of Aristotle, it is appropriate, and even necessary, that we ground our discussion in a like manner. That is, we should turn to a concrete font in order to help clarify Aristotles discussion of virtue in the Ethics. Thus we are presented with our first dilemma who to choose as this concrete example of which we take over spoken. In order to determine this, we should first determine to whom it is that Aristotle addresses himself and his discussion, as it will obviously do us no good to attempt to keep back the ideas which Aristotle sets forth to a perso nage whom he discounts or, at least, to whom he merely does not address himself. In general, it is fair to say that Aristotle attempts to address the bulk of mankind. In doing so, Aristotle assumes some very basic morality as a grounds for the proceeding discussion, and those who expect the discussion to be applicable to their own lives must have done the same. That is, to be a competent student of what is right and just, and of politics generally, one must first have received a proper education in moral conduct (Arist. 1.4.5).1 In addition, integral to the discussion is the geography of the soul which Aristotle provides, and thus it would be helpful in our concrete example if it were also to provide a somewhat tangible expression of this juxtaposi... ...ng good when one has an innate inclination towards evil.Closeup on Calvin as he packs snow in his hands, forming a snowball.Calvin I think one good act by me, even if its just to get presents, should count as five good acts by so me sweet tempered kid motivated by the pureness of his heart. Dont you?Susie Durkins (Calvins archenemy) enters the frame. Calvins arm is cocked with the snowball in hand. Hobbes is merely visible in the frame, but it is important to note he has reverted to his stuffed-animal state.Calvin Hey SusieThe snowball hits Susie in the back of the head with a POW knocking her to the ground.Calvin and Hobbes (now in his live-animal state) bolt across the snow in flight.Hobbes Of course, in your case the question is academic.Calvin I wanted to put a rock in the snowball, but I didnt That should be worth a lot

Creationism Vs Evolution: Through The Eyes Of Jay Gould :: essays research papers

Creationism vs Evolution Through The Eyes of Jay Gould     It has been over 100 years since English naturalist Charles Darwin firsttold the world his basal concept almost how livings things develop.Evolution through natural natural selection and adaptation was the basis of his argumentas it remains to this day a debated subject by many. Across this nation, a"return" to "traditional" values has also brought the return of age old debatedtopics. One issue that truly separates Americans is the issue of creationversus evolution. Since the nineteenth century, this divisive topic has been debatedin school boards and state capitols across America. In many instances religiousfundamentalists won the day by having banned the instruction or even the mentionof "ungodly" evolutionary thinking in schools. With todays social and politicalclimate, this question is back with greater force than ever. This is wherefore thissubject is more important now th an ever. In Jay Goulds book The Pandas Thumb,an overview of and an argument for Charles Darwins evolutionary thinking isconducted with flowing thoughts and ideas. This raise titled "Natural Selectionand the Human Brain Darwin vs. Wallace" takes a look directly at two hardfought battles between evolutionists and creationists. Using inner selectionand the origins of human intellect as his proponents, Gould argues his opinionin the favor of evolutionary thought.     In this essay titled "Natural Selection and The Human Brain Darwin vs.Wallace," Gould tells about the contest between Darwin and another prominentscientist named Alfred Wallace over two important subjects. These topics, onebeing sexual selection and the other about the origins of the human school principal andintellect were debated by men who generally held the same views on evolution.However on these two subjects, Wallace chose to differ as he described it as his" particular(a) he resy" (53). The first of these two areas of debate between the twomen was the question of "sexual selection." Darwin theorized that there laidtwo types of sexual selection. First a competition between males for access tofemales and second the choice "exercised by females themselves" (51). In this,Darwin attributed racial differences among modern human beings to sexualselection "based upon different criteria of lulu that arose among variouspeoples" (51). Wallace, however, disputed the suggestion of female choice. Hebelieved that animals were highly evolved and beautiful works of art, notallowing the suggestion of male competition to enter his mind. The debate ofsexual selection was but a mere precursor to a much more famous and importantquestion . . . the question of the origins of the human mind.

Free College Essays - Response Essay to Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Response to The Scarlet Letter   "Confess thy truth and pace shall have eternal rest." I belive that is the moral to be taught in this tonic of inspirational love, yet a allegory of much sorrow. The impossible became possible in The Scarlet Letter, a story set back in the Puritan Times. In this response, I will give my reactions in writing to variant aspects of the novelthe characchters, my alikes and dislikes, my questions, and my opinion of the harsh Puritain lifestyle. Hester Prynne, the Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth each suffered wrong-doing in their own way in the novel The Scarlet Letter. In the beginning of the novel, Hester Prynne should have non suffered the way she did on the scaffold alone. She was forced to be intergated by the high-officials of the town, while holding her little drib in arms. Making matters worse, the father of the child was in that very group of officals. She was then sentenced to wear the scarlet letter "A&q uot, showing her guilt "externally". Unable to take it off, she was forced to show her guilt to the entire settlement. However, the Reverend Dimmesdale suffered "internally", with a scarlet letter of his own engraved in his mind, and on his chest as well. He felt like he betrayed God, and beat himself in a frenzy to prove his wrongdoing. He often questioned wheather his authority was true or not. Roger Chillingworth suffered the least, because he only failed to reveal the privy(p) that he knew, the father of the child who Hester Prynne was forced to live with. This small restriction to his life forced him to suffer "internally". I had different likes and dislikes in the novel The Scarlet Letter. There were many things that needed to be judged to fit into the given catagories, including character attitudes, and character decisions. For example, the attitude displayed from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale was rather unnapealing to me. There are different ways of s ettling ones guilt rather than whipping oneself in a closet. The one character whose attitude was appealing to me was that of Pearls. She showed that mistakes in a relationship often lead to bad situations. Her mischeif and connection to the devil are examples of just those situations. Character decisions played an euqally important role. For example, I thought the descision for Hester not to tell who was the father of Pearl on the scaffold to be very brave, but was wrong.

Free College Essays - Response Essay to Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Response to The Scarlet Letter   "Confess thy truth and thou shall have double-dyed(a) rest." I belive that is the moral to be taught in this novel of inspirational love, yet a novel of much sorrow. The impossible became possible in The Scarlet Letter, a story set back in the Puritan Times. In this response, I will give my reactions in writing to different aspects of the novelthe characchters, my likes and dislikes, my questions, and my opinion of the savage Puritain lifestyle. Hester Prynne, the rarefied Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth each suffered guilt in their own way in the novel The Scarlet Letter. In the beginning of the novel, Hester Prynne should have not suffered the way she did on the sustain alone. She was forced to be intergated by the high-officials of the town, while holding her little Pearl in arms. Making matters worse, the receive of the child was in that very convocation of officals. She was then sentenced to wear the scarlet letter &q uotA", showing her guilt "externally". Unable to take it off, she was forced to show her guilt to the entire settlement. However, the Reverend Dimmesdale suffered "internally", with a scarlet letter of his own engraved in his mind, and on his chest as well. He felt like he betrayed God, and wedge himself in a frenzy to prove his wrongdoing. He often questioned wheather his authority was true or not. Roger Chillingworth suffered the least, because he only failed to reveal the secret that he knew, the father of the child who Hester Prynne was forced to live with. This small restriction to his life forced him to suffer "internally". I had different likes and dislikes in the novel The Scarlet Letter. there were many things that needed to be judged to fit into the given catagories, including character attitudes, and character decisions. For example, the attitude displayed from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale was rather unnapealing to me. There are different ways of subsidence ones guilt rather than whipping oneself in a closet. The one character whose attitude was appealing to me was that of Pearls. She showed that mistakes in a relationship often lead to dingy situations. Her mischeif and connection to the devil are examples of just those situations. Character decisions played an euqally important role. For example, I thought the descision for Hester not to tell who was the father of Pearl on the scaffold to be very brave, but was wrong.