Wednesday, February 26, 2020

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam Research Paper - 1

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam - Research Paper Example Unlike Islam as a set of beliefs Hinduism is a collection of different intellectual or idealistic points of view, as Gavin Flood says in this regard that it does not have "unified system of belief encoded in declaration of faith or a creed" (Flood 34). In spite of Hinduism’s numerous traditions and versions including Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Srauta, a common philosophy of Hinduism is founded on the concepts of â€Å"karma, dharma, and societal norms† (Georgis 62) The Islamic faith in the oneness of God fundamentally originates from the Holy book, Quran, which the Muslim believes to be direct revelation or guidance of God descended upon Prophet Muhammad. Etymological Roots of Islam and Hinduism The term â€Å"Islam† derives from the root ‘salaam’ or ‘s-l-m’, where the term â€Å"Hindu† has its root in the word ‘Sindhu’ a local Sanskrit appellation, of the Indus River. Indeed the word, â€Å"Hindu† was incorpora ted in English from the Arabic term â€Å"Al Hind† used to refer to the Indian Subcontinent and the people living in this area. Later the term â€Å"Al-Hind† gets changed into Persian articulation as ‘Hindu’. On the other hand, the etymological root of Islam literally means ‘wholeness and completion’. But a number of other Islamic scholars consent that Islam as a religion has a broader meaning, â€Å"submission to the will of God†. ... But drawing references to the textual evidences in the holy Quran, scholars claim that Islam begins from the birth of Adam, the first man and prophet of Islam. In this way, Abrahamic religions are supposed to be the ancient versions, of Islam, which God Himself annulled because the distortions of His message brought about man. (Nasr 45) But other scholars believe that since God has repealed other religions as well as other versions such as Christianity (the religion preached by Zesu, a prophet of high respect in Islam), Judaism (preached by Moses, another revered prophet) and other religions, the real Islam for modern people is to be considered the one that Muhammad founded in the Seventh Century in Arab peninsula. Unlike Islam’s self-acclamation about its origin in Adam’s the first man’s age, the religious texts o Hinduism do not verify its origin. Rather anthropological researches show that the origin of Hinduism in India dates back to a period between 5500BCE and 2600BCE, commonly known as the late Neolithic age (Thapar 77). Indeed from this period up 500BCE Hinduism prevails as a Vedic religion depending on the religious texts called Vedas. The Vedas is a collection of several versions, of which the Oldest is the Rig Veda. The Vedas advocates the worship of gods such as Agni, Indra, and Varuna. This Vedic religion had undergone lots of changes over the century before the modern Hinduism emerged after the Muslim conquest of India in the early seventh century. Along the protracted path of addition, inclusion and reduction, the early first century texts Ramayana and Mahabharata began to be influential in this religion. Beliefs in

Monday, February 10, 2020

Why the federal government should continue to fund NASA Essay

Why the federal government should continue to fund NASA - Essay Example The NASA is a scheme that encourages the growth of technology hence enhancing the creation of employment. Besides, NASA purchases heavy machinery from American and foreign manufacturers. Moreover, NASA motivates innovation in the economy (Haerens, 2012). Apart from the creation of employment, NASA prompts the growth of the private sector. After working with the technologies and materials invented by the association, many companies are registering success. For instance, the Tempur-Pedic mattresses obtained their production idea from the experiments of NASA scientists who were trying to create comfortable seats for the pilots. The company is currently a success in the private industry. Despite the arguments that the economy is under strain, such programs as NASA are advances that make the lives of human beings comfortable. With the assistance of NASA, many manmade satellites exist around the earth. The devices that many people use today, like the GPS systems, satellite televisions, cell phones, weather satellites, all require the man made satellites in order to perform (Showstack, 2015). These satellites require continuous servicing and upgrades, as more advanced systems come up to cope with the increased demand for technology in the current economic and social world. Consequently, reduced expenditure will hurt the efforts of this association in creating advanced systems, and hinder the tapping of important professionals in space science. As indirect as the contribution of NASA may seem, it also provides defense for the whole planet from threats that are extraterrestrial in natures. Such threats as asteroids can be devastating to human life, as previous scientists claim it destroyed dinosaurs leading to their extinction millions of years ago (Dance, 2012). Similar experiences have been in several parts of the world including in Siberia, where the asteroid demolished an entire city. Nevertheless, the detection satellites