What is Islam?

Islam is the youngest of the Universal religions. Islam is an Arabic word which means "Submission" and derives from a word meaning peace. Muslim is the title of the people who believe in the Islamic religion. There are many aspects of the Islamic religion.

First, in the religion, they believe in one God, Allah, which is the Arabic word for God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic beleif. It is the belief in Allah with all his power. Tawhid indicates that Allah is the sustainer of the universe and the soul source of guidance. The first step to becoming adopting the Islamic faith is the belief that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/allah_swt.htm

Also, Muslims believe in prophets, and Muhammad was the most well known and important. When Muhammad was forty years old, he was meditation and received his first revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad began preaching what he heard from the angel and was persecuted for doing so. Because of the harsh treatment, he emigrated from Makkah for Madinah. This migration was known as the Hijra. After many years, Muhammad and his followers forgave their enemies and returned to Makkah. When Muhammad passed away, most of Arabia became Muslim, and it continued to spread.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3218&cat=9

The Muslim Holy book is the Qur'an. It is the primary doctrinal source of Islam. It is the product of Allah's revelations to Muhammad over a period of twenty three years. It is divided into thirty sections with 114 chapters, 7 stops, 16 prostrations, and 6,666 verses. Many verses are very poetic, while others are just written normally.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/about_quran.htm

Another aspect of Islam is the five pillars. They are the foundations of Muslim life. The first pillar is faith; the belief in Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. The second pillar is prayer; Muslims are to pray daily. The third pillar is helping the needy. The fourth pillar is fasting; during the month of Ramadan each year, Muslims fast from first light to sun down. The last and fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Makkah or "Mecca." It is known as the Hajj in Arabic.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3216&cat=9

Islam, like all religions, has many parts to it. It is not just the faith in Allah, but the dedication to the Qur'an and practicing the five pillars. Although Islam is the youngest of the universal religions, it spread just as far and is practiced by just as many as the other religions. Today, Islam is the second largest religion in the world behind Christianity. 1.2 billion people practice this religion and they represent 22% of the entire world's population.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm

Constantine and Christianity

Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. His conversion was extremely important in the rise of Christianity in Rome. Before the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine saw a vision of a labarum. That night, he had a dream, and Christ told him to take this cross into Battle. He was also told him his dream that the symbol would act as a safe guard in all the battles he ever encountered. When he woke up in the morning, he told his soldiers to mark their shield with the symbol in his vision. Constantine and his troops won the Battle of Milvian Bridge, and he continued to wear the labarum for every battle thereafter. Soon after the vision and his victory in the battle, Constantine converted to Christianity with no questions asked. He dropped everything he believed in for this new religion because of a vision and dream he had. Constantine slowly integrated Christianity into the empire.

It is in question whether or not the vision Constantine encountered was a real event, or just a natural event called, “halo phenomena.” Constantine, however, gave the testimony on oath and most historians accept his statement.

Constantine’s conversion to Christianity helped the religion in many ways. He paved the way for the rise of Christianity in Rome. He did a lot of work for the church and the Christian cause. An example includes allowing followers to practice the religion without being persecuted through issuing the Edict of Milan. Constantine played a big part in the growth of the church because he funded Christian leaders and churches. He believed that the church and the state should be as close as possible. This relationship between the church and state made Rome stronger. Constantine’s sponsorship of Christianity made it a favorable religion in Rome.

Constantine’s conversion, involvement, and sponsorship in Christianity had a huge impact on the religion. He paved the way for Christianity in Rome, and practiced aspects of the religion that are still done today such as, worship on Sundays. Without the vision or dream, Constantine may have never converted to Christianity and it may never have been so wide spread through Rome.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/rulers/constantine.html
http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/easteurope/ConstantineConverts.html
http://historymedren.about.com/od/cwho/p/who_constantine.htm

The Origin and Meaning Behind the Yin Yang Symbol

            I have seen the yin yang symbol so many times in the nineteen years I have been alive, and never knew that behind the symbol there is a meaning, and a reason. I use to draw them on my notebooks, and on my hand because I thought they looked cool, and never thought there might be a reason for the creation of the symbol.

            The yin yang symbol was created by Han dynasty philosophers, and has been around for thousands of years. The symbol is also sometimes called the Tai-Chi symbol, and comes from I-Ching, which is the greatest foundation of Chinese philosophy. The I-Ching explains the metaphysical workings of the entire universe; also known as the Tao. They believed the universe is run by the Tao, which is divided into two opposite actions; Yin and Yang. The Yin and Yang can explain all changes in the universe, and all phenomena. They believe that all phenomena has their opposite state within them. The way the yin and yang complete changes in the universe is through their agents; The movement of the stars, the working of the body, the nature of foods, the qualities of music, the ethical qualities of humans, the progress of time, the operations of government, and the nature of historical change. They believed that each of these opposite agents are all related in some way.

The symbol’s main purpose is to represent the universal harmony and unity between opposites that are complimentary to each other. For example, male and female, light and dark, passive and negative, weak and strong, and so on. The goal of the symbol is to send the message that everything in the universe can be related in some way or another, and everything that happens has the roots of its opposite state.

Now whenever I draw the yin yang symbol on my notebook, I will know exactly what I am drawing, and why it was created. Learning the history behind anything can help one to understand exactly why something is the way it is. So next time a symbol is drawn on a notebook, look it up and find out exactly what is being drawn. There is a story and history behind everything.

http://www.crossroad.to/Books/symbols1.html

 http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHPHIL/YINYANG.HTM

Trade in Africa

(Photo from: http://www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingdom/animal_images/ Camel_Jordanian_Desert.jpg)

The introduction to the camel to North Africa revolutionized trade across the continent. Camels are revered for their ability to endure harsh conditions for days at a time. Because of their stamina, camels were used to make the trek across the Sahara desert from West Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.

With new trade routes open, connections were made across the continent and beyond. Most notably, West Africa was impacted. The desert was no longer impossible to traverse which allowed for new items and new technology to reach across the continent. The sand roads, as they were called, stretched from West Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Along the roads, new towns sprung up; eventually city-states, states, and empires were also created. And as the towns developed, the need for organization soon became apparent. Monarchies became commonplace and relied on wealth from the trade routes. In fact, “an Arab traveler…described the ruler of Ghana as “the wealthiest king on the face of the planet because of his treasures and stocks of gold, (p.234).Slavery also became common along the sand roads: “…male slaves were put to work as state officials, porters, craftsmen…, (p.234). Many of the slaves came from southern Africa and were sent to work in Islamic households.

With the opening of sand roads, commodities, technologies, and lifestyles were transported from one side of the continent to the other. Different cultures were able to take what they gained from the sand roads back to their cities and incorporate the new ideas into their own culture. Local government and exposure to different religions were a stepping stone for early African civilizations to begin developing and to continue to develop more metropolitan areas.

Source consulted: Robert Strayer, Ways of the World, a Brief Global History - Volume I: to 1500. pg 233-235.

Conquering a Language

If you can read this post, the Norman Invasion of 1066 has impacted your life. This conquest permanently and significantly altered the English language, bringing it from its German roots into the more Romantically influenced language we know today.

English has its roots in Anglo-Saxon, an offshoot of German. (In fact, this is where the term English comes from, "Angle-ish".) Old English is very close to Anglo-Saxon, and is indecipherable to the modern reader today, requiring translation in order to read Old English literature such as Beowulf.

Old English evolved on its own for many centuries, until in 1066 something drastically changed the course of the language. William the Conqueror took over, and imposed Norman rulership on the British Isles. For many years, English rulers were actually French, and French became the language associated with privilege. The aristocracy spoke French, while the common people spoke English. As lines blurred, and middle class people learned to speak both, there emerged a common language, a combination of the two. English had a structure and basic vocabulary rooted in German, but many new words came from French, and conventions began to change a little.

Over time, this cross-cultural contact has caused English to evolve into its present form. Foreign language students find Germanic and Romantic languages similar to English, and often find them easier to learn than other languages. This is due to the German roots and French influences that shaped English. Additonally, cross-cultural contact is the driving force behind many of our new words; borrowing from other languages is the source of many new terms.

Source: Lecture notes by Dr. Ashley Shannon and Dr. Kathryn Remlinger.

The Origin and Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The religion was founded by a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who set out on his own to try and find enlightenment after growing up isolated from the realities of the world. At the age of thirty five, he sat beneath the Bodhi tree and finally achieved enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha meaning "the awakened one." The religion originated in India along the Gangi River, and stayed in India's boundaries for quite some time. Nearly three centuries later, Buddhism finally spread beyond it's country of origin. 

The Buddha began to travel to nearby kingdoms and share his insights. He also instructed his monks to travel and present his teachings. His goal was not to get people to convert to his religion, but rather to establish his own religion. His main goal was to help people overcome their unhappiness and suffering through his teachings. People began finding his teachings useful, and started sharing their experiences with others.

The Silk Road served as a carrier which spread the religion throughout central Asia. Monks began to live along the route, presenting the religion. From India, Buddhism first spread to Bengal and then Sri Lanka. A Han Chinese emperor became enthusiastic about Buddhism. He sent an envoy to learn about this new religion, returning with sacred texts and paintings, and even priests to explain the teaching of the religion. After spreading to china, Buddhism reached Korea, Japan, and lastly, Tibet.  

The Silk Road served as a carrier which spread the religion far and wide. The spread of Buddhism changed the lives and cultures of many places in the world. It is amazing that one man created this religion from his own path in life; to find enlightenment. The teachings of one man spread far, and many people adopted his creation. It only takes one person can have an influence in the world, which can be proved by the Buddha. Buddhism originated around 500 BCE, and is a religion that is still practiced in many countries today. 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13229/buddhisms_origin_and_development.html?cat=34

http://www.silk-road.com/artl/buddhism.shtml

http://www.buddha101.com/h_spread.htm

Warrior Kings...and Queens?

Yes, actually. Warrior queens to be specific. Despite widespread discrimination against women during the Classical period of the world, queens often ruled the African kingdom of Nubia, and powerful warrior queens at that. History notes ten women rulers of Nubia, and an additional six who significantly impacted the nation while their husbands ruled.

One ruler, Queen Amanirenas, even lead armies into battle. She defeated the Romans in one clash, but was defeated when they regrouped. Because they feared her power, the Romans negotiated a treaty, but the queen broke it a few years later. It is said that she became even more courageous after losing an eye in battle. Nubian women were a force to be reckoned with, certainly.

In addition to their unique status as rulers in a world of patriarchy, Nubian granted their queens another role denied to Classical women in other civilizations: priest. Pictures often showed Queens giving birth to the children of gods and playing an active role in immortal events.

The cult surrounding the goddess Isis is a main reason behind the queens' power. Isis was the Egyptian queen of all gods and goddesses, and one of a trinity formed with Osiris and Set. Nubia worshiped Isis more than Egypt did, and she often adorns their royal crowns. Pictures often associate this magic and powerful goddess with the queens of the kingdom, something not usually seen in other cultures of the time.

Because of the importance of the queen mother and goddess Isis to Nubian culture, Nubian women were incredibly powerful compared to women of other civilizations of the period. Nubian cultures today reflect their history of powerful women in their matriarchal structure.

Source: Role of Women in Nubia by Tara L. Kneller

The History of the Olympic Games

The first written records of the Olympic games date back to 776 BC, though it is believed the games had been going on for many years already. The legend says the Olympic Games were founded by Heracles, a son of Zeus. The games were dedicated to the Olympian Gods; Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, and Aphrodite, to name a few. According to a fifth century BC sophist, Hippias of Elis, the first athletic contest was the foot race, and it was held at Olympia in honor of the Olympian god Zeus. The Olympic Games became one of the largest and most famous festivals, and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years.

Unfortunately, in 393 BC, A Roman emperor named Theodosius I abolished the games.  The reason for his decision was based on the fact that he was a Christian and did not like the religious aspect of the games; dedicating them to the Olympian Gods. About 1500 years later, a man named Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman, began the revival of the games. In 1890, he organized and founded a sports organization, despite the unenthusiastic interest from France. For a few years, he talked about his idea to bring the Olympic Games back, but gained no interest from the people. Eventually, after being persistent, he sparked interest at a meeting he organized with 79 delegates who represented 9 countries. The delegates fully agreed with Coubertin’s idea to revive the Games. They had him construct an international committee to organize the Games, which is known today as the International Olympic Committee. The chosen revival location was Athens.

Even though the Olympic games were the most famous, and are still taking place today, they were not the first athletic events to take place in the Mediterranean area. The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians carved athletic scenes on the tombs of kings, showing a long tradition of athletic activities. Unlike the Olympic games, these athletic activities were not regular organized festivals.

 The history of the Olympic Games is incredible, especially how early these Games started in 776 BC. I had no idea that there was a period of time where the games didn’t take place because of their abolishment, and 1500 years later, the games were revived again. It is amazing to know something that burnt out for so many years was brought back by the persistence of one man, and still takes place today. The Olympic Games are just one of the amazing aspects of life that we adopted from the ancient Greeks.

 http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/1022

http://history1900s.about.com/od/fadsfashion/a/olympicshistory.htm