Convert Me

Religion is controversial in the modern day, and it is often a taboo that no one wishes to discuss in fear of offending or being offended. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to maintain civility and respect in this debate so as to remain topical and appropriate. === Content === o Observation o Preface o Sources ============ o Observation Seeing as my opponent is an agnostic (defined for this round as "a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)"), I will take it granted that we agree that God exists. If an objection is raised, I will go into proving that the God of Islam (Allah) is in fact a reality and undeniably real. For now, I'll provide an introduction to Islam, and we'll proceed to develop the debate from there. o Preface Islam, meaning submission [to His will], is a religion that was founded in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). On top of being a religion, it is a way of life. The worshiper under Islam is known as a Muslim; the holy scripture is known as the Qura'an, which is a book Muslims claim to be the direct word of God. Islam's foundations are 5, and are known as "pillars", or tenets. They are, 1. Shahada This is the most basic expression of being a Muslim; "shahada" in Arabic means "bearing witness", and the phrase that is known as the "shahada" (translated) is as follows: I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet and messenger of Allah. 2. Prayer Prayer is a ritual that is observed 5 times a day by the practicing Muslim. During prayer, the Muslim recites verses from the Qura'an and goes through several "motions" that have been established through Hadith. Prayer is a humbling act; of the motions in Islam, one bows his head to the floor, respecting their Lord and Creator. Who is more deserving of praise than the being that brought about all of life? 3. Sa'om Ramada'an Sa'om, meaning "fasting" in Arabic, is a practice that is observed during the month of Ramada'an, the 9th month of the year by the lunar calendar. It is mandated upon the age of "maturity" or ability; it depends on the physical capability of the Muslim. He will be trained as he grows by his parents, and eventually, will be able to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. When fasting, one is aiming for multiple goals, both personal and spiritual. ---> Personal By removing food and drink, what is the Muslim doing for himself, beside losing weight? Well, there are many arguments one can make, all of which are valid. These are the points I believe. 1) Through abstaining, one improves his personal strength at resisting temptation; this can be carried over to spiritual benefits as well. 2) Science has proven that fasting is a healthy practice, when practiced "correctly", of course [1]. Anorexia =/= fasting. 3) Without a constant desire to eat or drink, the abundance of time in the day helps one get organized. For a month a year, this will help anyone organize their life. ---> Spiritual 1) Through fasting, you learn to be humble (to yourself) by proving that you will obey ANYTHING your creator demands, even if it is to deny yourself water for a large portion of the day. 2) The hunger and thirst in the background of the day is a constant reminder of God; shahada is commonly made by the Muslim during Ramadaan because they remember God so frequently. 3) The purpose of fasting (materialistically) is to provide food for the poor. The food the we don't eat is supposed to go to those less fortunate than us; at the end of Ramadaan, sheep/lamb/another animal that's yum is usually sacrificed and donated to the poor, seeing as meat is expensive and generally a delicacy. It's one of the practices I esteem most in Islam. 4) Zaka'at Donation of money to the poor, or zaka'at, is a mandatory practice in Islam. It is not the idea that you empty out your wallet to the homeless man on the street; it is an established percentage (approximately 2.5% minimum) is to be donated to the poor. It frees man of the bondage of money. Once you have the ability to let go, life is a lot easier on the working man; you realize that you work not for the money, but for the sustenance of life that you appreciate, and that God gave you. 5) Hajj Hajj, or pilgrimage, is a Muslim ritual. It is mandatory on all capable Muslims- the Muslim must visit Mecca and pray at the Ka'aba, among other practices, once in a life time. It is symbolic of unity, tranquility, and humbleness. I have provided the very basic concepts Islam holds in this first round, just as an introduction. I'll hand the debate over to my opponent from here, and look forward to an interesting exchange of ideas. o Sources [1] . http://qa.sunnipath.com...