Intro to Islam (feat. Dr. Hussein Rashid)

Islam is a complicated topic and a politically charged topic here in the 21st century. But it is important that we learn about the world's 2nd largest religion. In this video, we will discuss Islam from a nonsectarian perspective, exploring its internal diversity, how the religion changed over time, and how it is embedded in different areas of culture around the world.
Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry
Facebook: religionforbreakfast
Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
Special thanks to Dr. Hussein Rashid for help researching, writing, and co-hosting this episode. Follow him on Twitter at:
@islamoyankee
/ islamoyankee
www.husseinrashid.com/
This video was made for the online classes offered by the Religious Freedom Center. A nonsectarian, nonpartisan organization in Washington DC committed to improving religious literacy and religious liberty. Follow them at: @NewseumReligion
www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/
Educators, consider checking out their professional development modules. Short, self-paced, interactive courses focused on boosting your religious literacy education in the classroom: constitution2classroom.org/
This video is brought to you in part by our supporters on Patreon. Thank you everyone for supporting this channel!: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: amazon.com/shop/religionforbre...
Further Reading:
Alexander Knysh, "Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism."
Edward Curtis, "The Practice of Islam in America: An Introduction."
Malise Ruthven, "Islam: A Very Short Introduction."
Reports on Sufi shrine and Islamic cultural heritage destruction:
www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/world/a...
time.com/3584585/saudi-arabia-...
www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp...
Farhad Daftary, The Isma’ilis: Their History and Doctrines books.google.com/books?id=cSO...
Carl Ernst, Tasawwuf, article for Encyclopedia of Islam, www.unc.edu/~cernst/pdf/tasaw...
Kecia Ali: www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2014/...
Kecia Ali: feminismandreligion.com/2014/...
Jerusha Lamptey: time.com/92534/boko-haram-not-...
Rise in Islamic Financial Institutions: www.cnbc.com/2016/12/02/under-...
Music by Kevin MacLeod: incompetech.com/

[@gavinmccormick3658]

The comments on this video are so civil, and I think I know why: because the people likely to leave terrible comments dont watch unbiased educational videos on Islam lol

[@kevinmunger1842]

I don't condone any cult. I give you: Every time I roll a pencil on a table it falls off the edge even though I have prayed in truth for God to stop the pencil so we can begin a relationship. A relationship with God implies a shared concourse of ideas. It is false.

[@hallaisback]

Big facts

[@lukeneely389]

They're probably too busy ranting on other religions.

[@lilyliao9521]

@darkwing dook cry

[@hasanmuttaqin464]

@@kevinmunger1842 the true relationship with god is not a shared concourse, but like a gacha gamer relationship with thei waifu, it,... Hurts

[@chickenman2048]

I am proud that majority of the comments are civilized and intellectual responses

[@abuafak846]

Ras Ya, why is that? Because none are critical of Islam or because no one has used vulgarities and cuss words? Do you sincerely believe Islam doesn't deserve criticism?

[@timjansen7694]

This was an informative video that had few opinions but was more just basically expressing information. If there was something said such as "this is why Islam is true" or "the miracles in the Quran prove it is the word of Allah", then there would be comments challenging that which was said. Unfortunately there would be a number of those that would be more rude and insulting than disputing in a civil manner.

[@basilofgoodwishes4138]

No Abu it's the opposite, the entire world is overcritical towards islam to the point, where people call for the extinction of all Muslim lives. You and your idiots aren't critical,since most of your criticism is unproven and with no context or nuance in order to be considered Criticism.

[@PraiseTheFSMonster]

FCK THESE CRAZY RELIGIOUS NUTS AND THEIR BULLSHT PROPOGANDA. Islam is horribly abusive to women, it deserves NO respect or civility. Christianity as well (read the bible if you dont believe me), but its not nearly as DISGUSTING as Islam.

[@jacobseeley9674]

me to m8

[@TreespeakerOfTheLand]

This is a summary of about 80% -85% of my uni's Religious Studies course on Islam, I'm very impressed. I think you gave a good summary of the variety of Islam and still gave some ways to understand it as a coherent structure. I'll be sure to send this to my prof :)

[@alfonso201]

Solace The Satanist Girl i am guessing you are into jinns

[@ReformMsia]

Solace The Satanist Girl You study religion but you uses satanist nick name... Puzzle here

[@varana]

There's a video on this very channel what "Religious Studies" is about, and that it's not only for followers of a certain religion. ;) I can be Christian, or Hindu, or Muslim, or Atheist, or generally have no idea what I am, and still learn about other religions, or religion in general.

[@silverfangmoonhunter]

ReformMsia Satanism is actually it's own religion and/or personal philosophy. Though a lot of satanist symbolism looks scary (and for some satanists that's the point), satanism actually holds a nuanced worldview that I think is very interesting. Though not a satanist myself, I would invite you to learn a bit more as to better understand these people's beliefs. After all, that's why I'm here watching this video.

[@ReformMsia]

Silver Fang Hi 👋 Thank You for your thought and sharing What puzzles me is people who know about satan would know that satan has a creator Why would you worship a creation rather than The Creator Himself ! And most satanist i know were ex-christians

[@mohammadabdelrahman786]

9:30 just one thing missing, the Pilgrimage is stated "those who CAN do Pilgrimage are required to do it only ONCE and it's okay to do it more than once" Those who can't do Pilgrimage, are not required. In the Quran there's the most important verse: "God does not burden any soul (person) beyond its (their) scope (capacity)"

[@brandonmaddox4862]

I always wondered that as a non Muslim person, thank you for the explanation

[@ramentaco9179]

My family homeschools, and I’m the older sister to two younger brothers who are still being homeschooled. I do lessons with them about things that I think are important that they don’t learn anywhere else, and I include your videos in a lot of our lessons. We were raised evangelical so I think it’s important for them to get a broader view of other religions. Thank you for making these videos and sharing knowledge ❤️

[@joshuagies4900]

Love this!

[@joby2174]

That's absolutely wonderful, you're a legend my friend :)

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

to me as an Muslim Myself, what i learn from my Religion is you must keep and Always Improving yourself to be Better and More then before. From are Iman, Salah, and are Good Deeds plus How you Life you must keep Learning,Evolve, and Changing to go Beyond yourself

[@HolldollMcG]

I grew up in Utah in the Mormin religion, and now as an adult i love learning about other religions and cultures around the world and how deeply and vastly steeped in history so many of them are. Fascinating. Thank you for taking the time to explain things to us in a way we can understand!

[@erlinggaratun6726]

If there is anything I believe in, it's education. This was way educational. Keep it up :) I like your open minded, scholarly approach to these subjects. I'm sure my old professors would have recommended your videos if they existed 20 yrs ago. Any chance you will be doing some vids on new religious movements in the foreseeable future?

[@tommckellen342]

Islam is a Satanic moon God cult for simple, unquestioning people who want to move backwards in mental and spiritual evolution.

[@SkiesToInfinity]

This is a great intro. I am a Christian and have explored a lot of religious paths before I became Christian. I did not know much about Islam, so this was very helpful. Thank you

[@DynamiteProd]

You explored a lot of religions before becoming a Christian but chose to skip one of the most popular religions in the world?? Interesting exploration technique.

[@SkiesToInfinity]

@@DynamiteProd I didn't base my explorations on how popular a religion was. I was drawn to Buddhism and Taoism mostly until becoming Christian. I still try to learn from all religious teachings, though.

[@merromerro1618]

it just somehow agrees with Christianity in some ways apart from Jesus divinity and the trinity in other words we worship only the father

[@tokasaab2879]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX3Eo2qwjNuFmMU سلام

[@robroy6072]

This account is extremely whitewashed

[@SithMirth]

Thank you for posting! This is the clearest and most illuminating introduction to Islam I've ever seen or read. Most appreciated is the focus on the internal diversity which is so often ignored in discussion of Islam.

[@liaarfianti2999]

I learned more in this video than my 21 years living as a Muslim in a Muslim-majority country.

[@cindylou3524]

Westerners are the best teachers

[@liaarfianti2999]

@@MultiTatanya yeah but as a kid who knows nothing, I was raised to think that everyone older than me knows better than me. i haven't known better back then.

[@sameekhan7239]

The best way to learn is on your own😅 Also the story of me in school

[@jimmywest8684]

Isn’t it that bit of a problem? That presumably a lot of people in Muslim majority countries don’t actually know about their religion.

[@BeOtterMyFriend]

Not too surprising and probably the same for Christians living in predominantly Christian countries. Especially as this teaches about diversity and your religious community usually just teaches your own variety. I would say I know more about (the) Islam(s) than most of my Muslim students. And I know just a tiny portion of what there is to know.

[@bkstudio1990]

People forget that the middle east used to be the intellectual center of the world. Algebra is an arabic word.

[@QlueDuPlessis]

A lot of science started from Muslim scientists. Unfortunately, a lot of pseudoscience also comes from these same Muslim scientists. Muslim science gave us vision correcting lenses but it also gave us alchemy. (Fortunately, alchemy evolved into chemistry and the old pseudoscience mumbo-jumbo only lives on in legend)

[@lh384]

@@QlueDuPlessis Pseudeoscience exists in all cultures - it arises from a folk traditions and folk medicine. I would say it's just Muslim scientists.

[@banks3388]

I wonder why that is no longer the case today?

[@XingAoShen]

@@banks3388 alot of fundamentalists use religion now as a weapon to keep people ignorant. It’s really sad, there’s alot of discouragement from so called “religious leaders”, where they cultivate herd mentality and unquestioning obedience over the ancient islamic world that encouraged curiosity and knowledge-seeking as a holy and religious task almost. It’s kind of complicated but that’s kind of the atmosphere in certain places as of modern.

[@esquizz0]

Waiting for the next part with excitement. I've receantly moved to Morocco and I'm attempting my first ramadan as a personal experience and as a way to better understand the community I'm now part of. Thank you for this video.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Very cool. I'm living in East Jerusalem currently, so it is cool to see all the locals walking to Al-Aqsa every Friday. The next video in this series will be on the Dome of the Rock.

[@gabrielleangelica1977]

Thank you for being open minded, educating and not spreading hate... THAT is godly.

[@wade8960]

This is fascinating. I never knew how interesting religion could be looking into it from the perspective of just wanting to learn.

[@tommckellen342]

Islam is a Satanic moon God cult for simple, unquestioning people who want to move backwards in mental and spiritual evolution.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

I wish you could also talk about when/how Christianity and Islam split apart. They were not completely separate in the beginning. Similar to how Judaism and Christianity were not entirely split at first. This fact is strictly ignored - esp. here in America.

[@merromerro1618]

search "trinity" and you'd know where they split ways

[@eho6380]

There aren't sources which state that Islam was partly Christian. Most of the earliest Muslims were Pagan.

[@adrianblake8876]

Islam was always it's own distinct religion, different from both judaism and christianity. Sure, it was inspired by those religions, but it was always distinguished from them.

[@2dayb4u87]

@@adrianblake8876 ....living in a fool paradise...ha ha ha...

[@adrianblake8876]

@@2dayb4u87 Educate me, then...

[@elfarlaur]

Thank you for this video. As someone who has taken courses on Islamic studies out of curiosity, especially with all of the attention it has been getting, it makes me so happy to hear you clear up so much of the stuff which people just don't understand or take for granted. This is especially in regards to the discussion on Shariah. I can't even count how many times I've tried to explain that it isn't just a solid, unchanging code of things you have to do. I wish more people would take an interest in finding the truth rather than taking rumour at face value.

[@arefinkamal7654]

Hope to see a video on various schools of theology in Islam. You could talk about Asharis, Maturidis, Atharis and Mutazilites among Sunni theological schools for starters. You could also elaborate on the 4 law schools and talk about the highly important concept of Ijma (consensus).

[@1BASITSHAH]

4 school of laws are almost exactly the same with a very few and minor differences.

[@forgetfulstranger]

I feel like that's too high level for non-muslims to be interested tbh. It will also misguide people into thinking that all these splinter groups are still part of the theology of Islam, which they are not. Eg. The Mu'tazila were seen as heretics by majority of the scholar

[@TheGodlessGuitarist]

Non-Muslim Muslim lover here :o) Just want Muslim folks to know that there is love for them in the Western world.

[@Allyell]

Thank you so much! Lot of us appreciate it.

[@blaineleavitt3600]

I can’t get enough of this stuff. Love this channel.

[@ralphbaier7793]

This video is an important one for Islam. I am Christian and have always felt attracted by Islam, esp. the prayer practice. I don't know whether I will one day technically convert, but I don't think it is even necessary. At the moment, I am receiving my inspiration from quran and bible alike, and I can't see anything wrong with that. One day, all temple will be torn down, and the warm wind of God's eternal grace will blow unobstructedly again over the surface of an earth of dignity, compassion and love, and a creation shall see it an happily move towards its completion. ان الله يبارك فينا بالمساء اليوم و بالمساء الحياة و بالمساء المالم.

[@jessica-tv6ep]

Hi Ralph! If you are interested to learn about Islam or the Abrahamic faith (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), I think you should visit Blogging Theology channel. That channel discussing comparative religion and other stuff by Paul Williams. Since I also love to learn theology, so I recommend you to visit it. It's so interesting!

[@ralphbaier7793]

@@jessica-tv6ep Thank you dear. I am in fact drawn to religion. My intellect tells me there is no God, but I can hear my heart and soul laughing at the same time. The wonder never becomes stale.

[@ralphbaier7793]

Thank you Jessica. Likewise in all regards💓

[@maryalex1401]

@@ralphbaier7793 i suggest you watch Christian Prince on YT. You ll learn everything you need to know about Islam.

[@hannadavis6867]

​@@ralphbaier7793Hi! I'm obviously late. But, I think you should learn deeper about both Christianity and Islam. I'm pretty sure, God willing, that you will find the obvious truth. It becomes very clear when you read BOTH the Bible and the Quran. But, most importantly, reading just the translation of the Quran is insufficient. You won't get the context.

[@fahmiizzuddinhalim5273]

Wow I learnt so much from this video. Plus, the formality in the presentation is marvelous. Keep it up. 👏🏻

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

[@irajayrosen4792]

Excellent - looking forward to the next part.

[@AstonPYKwok]

This is a very well done and informative video. Really love your work as a communicator and as a researcher.

[@levinb1]

Really informative and interesting video! Lots of good discussion on the distinctions within the religion.

[@vineshgujral686]

"Or the social justice advocacy of the Nation of Islam" Uh.

[@aaanawaleh]

The Nation of Islam is a political black supremacist group. Its absolutely disgusting and I don't know why Religion4Breakfast called them social justice advocates. Whats very telling about the organisation is that Malcolm X used to be a follower and a prominent figure in the organisation. But when he went to Mecca for the pilgrimage (hajj) his views on black supremacy changed. He went from thinking they were the supreme race to believing that all races are equal which is what Islam truly teaches. I'm still a bit disgusted by the way this channel referred to this organisation which is just as bad as white supremacist organisations.

[@eagle3676]

@@aaanawaleh You do not understand 4he history and transformation of the nation of Islam do you?

[@eagle3676]

@@aaanawaleh The nation of Islam currently is a very different one from the one Malcolm X was a part of. It changed after the death of Elijah Muhammad

[@aaanawaleh]

@@eagle3676 How so? How is the current Nation of Islam different to the one of the 60s?

[@vineshgujral686]

@@aaanawaleh Farrakhan went off the rails when he took charge and got super antisemitic, threw in some UFO mysticism, linked up with the Church of Scientology to some degree, has started claiming that Elijah Muhammed is alive and physically present in his life, and that we can/should exhume his body and compare it with his dental records to prove that he's not dead. He also basically admitted to having Malcolm X killed for leaving the organization.

[@nominuranbat6481]

Thanks for making this video. It was very helpful :)

[@stevenpowers546]

Thanks for producing this video. Actually learned quite a bit. Very informative.

[@BNSFGuy4723]

It's true. The Islam I was raised with is different than the Islam my imam preaches. My mom literally tells me to just go to the mosque, pray, and don't bother listening to the Imam. The Islam I practice is a more mystic form of islam and we're from Ohrid, Macedonia. My imam is a Jordanian... Tbh I thought my version was orthodoxy lol For example, I was raised to believe that everyone who believes in God goes to heaven. My imam preaches that only muslims go to heaven. It varies. Another ones is what happens after you die. In the one I was raised in, there are restless spirits and ghosts. My imam teaches that you sleep in the grave until the final resurrection so there are no ghosts. It's interesting

[@IssamHalabi]

Gheorghe Kipcak Your Imam ks correct. Sadly, the Balkans, Central Europe, and other lands on the peripheries were deprived of religious education due to occupation.

[@iconiclust]

But if the Islam your practice is different from the Islam of the Sahaba (the first Muslims), wouldn't that mean that Muhammad would have you beheaded for apostacy? And if not, why?

[@tigerheaddude]

Shawn Masters well something not known to many is that the Islam followed by the sahaba had different interpretations and they would act very differently from one another, to an extent where some of them went to war against the others (mind you they were all sahaba who were alive during Muhammad's life time). after Uthman (the third caliph) was killed, they disagreed vehemently on how to approach the matter, some saying that they should go after those who killed him and some saying to not do that so it won't get bigger. In summary the sahaba had vastly different opinions and different ideologies but were all considered Muslim

[@MohammedHassan-tv3vr]

Emre Yavuzoğlu I know I’m a bit late but I think that ghosts were mentioned in the Quran. Just a fact. 😉

[@strikemaster1]

Emre... Islam has some good points, but unfortunately the bad ones cover them up. On the grave issue... no, when you are finished with this body, you sleep a little while to rest, then you get another body. If you reach rock bottom, and still prefer to stay there, then thats where you will stay.( This calls for understanding) This process will continue until you are perfected. For Muslims, that means a very long time sorry to say. The sooner you oppose bloodshed, the better it is for you. Your Mom seems to have more spiritual advancement than your Imam or anyone else here. Please send her my best wishes. Listen to her before anyone here friend. May you find the peace you seek.

[@warrantinvestigatorknight5423]

Thank you. I'm a Christian and I have shared this to my Facebook account in hopes that more Americans take the time to learn more of this peaceful religion and to quit pre-judging people within the Muslim faith. 9/11 has really twisted this country into a frayed knot of hatred and ignorance.

[@binyamina8850]

God will defend the believers; God does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful. Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged- God has the power to help them- those who have been driven unjustly from their homes only for saying, ‘Our Lord is God.’ If God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God’s name is much invoked, would have been destroyed. God is sure to help those who help His cause- God is strong and mighty- -Sura Al-Hajj, Ayah 38- 40

[@yaelifriqiya5818]

Warrant Investigator Knight peaceful lol. Allah commands muslims fight you until you are humiliated and subdued or dead.

[@tatumfanclub8295]

Ha

[@infiniteboredom9642]

The commentary on diversity in Islam is rather eye opening. Coming from the perspective of someone who grew up catholic (since rejected said religious identity, rather vehemently) and also one half of relatives being Syrian, Pakistani and Lebanese individuals with generationally recent immigration to the USA stating a rather closed minded animosity towards Islamic ideologies and identities. After watching this all I can think of is the diversity among the Christian religions some being equally totalitarian and radical in their beliefs and ideologies, but they are “accepted” or overlooked because they align closer with the western social order or can simply be perceived as inconsequential fanatics with no real influence in society.

[@user-gt2un8kh7c]

Please expand series like this one. In the era of increasing globalisation, unprecendented amount of contact between cultures and rapidly developing communication technology, people need to be educated in religious literacy in order to avoid conflict.

[@ludicrousfunone5705]

Even though I am pagan myself. If It weren't for Islam the west would have never have had the Renaissance to begin with!!! They preserves Greek and Roman culture in their libraries. And obviously once Marco Polo got back from China. Things really started kicking off!!!! So thanks Islam for preserving some our western culture so we could rediscover it centuries later!!!!

[@ohamatchhams]

They actually did it, I'm really glad you made this and what you do is actually more important than what you might thought to be

[@dbzdanman]

Wow this is a helpful video. Thanks for good information.

[@Ernireg3]

Thank you very much. You make it easier to understand many different religions. This was very informative.

[@a.ivarouqa7017]

Just a little clarification: for the vast majority of everyday Muslims, the only significant/relevant divide is between Sunni(85%), Shia(15%). (think of it as Protestant vs catholic). so, most do classify themselves as either Sunni or shia, but if you ask an ordinary Muslim :"what type of sunni/shia are you?" he might not even have an answer for that.

[@burningphoneix]

Correct. The four Madhabs all recognize each other as legitimate as well.

[@zxera9702]

Actually protestants are more wahabis then all of sunnis(wahabies are a subsect in sunni Islam)

[@PKNproductions]

I would say, even for those who claim sunni/shia identity, the details of their belief may be personally unique. For example, from my personal experience, some Sunni Muslims (the ones who I know, as a South Asian Muslim) don't pay much attention to the Hadiths, even though they would never actually call themselves pure Quranists, or deny their identity as Sunni Muslims, despite ignoring some of the more detailed teachings of Sunni scholarship. I personally make no judgement to those people, considering I make videos where I play an instrument, lol

[@merromerro1618]

and for a sunni we actually take from each of the 4 scholars acc. to their ideas because they are just "scholars" that help us with their science nothing more

[@atiharshdr8698]

Dr hussein rasheed is biased..he took un equal side towards shia islam against sunni islam..plz choose someone who is unbiased for expertise..

[@treewalker1070]

Particularly appreciated the part about Shariah, and wish you would do a longer video exploring just Shariah in more depth. The timeliness of that subject and the paucity of info on it elsewhere on KZbin could get your channel much more (well-deserved) attention.

[@isomtrix]

eventhough there are lots of diversity in islam...everybody belives in same text which quran..which is not changed till now..thats make islam united..god bless you all and open your hearts....peace❤️

[@charleslord2433]

This is by far the best explanation of Islam that I have ever seen. Thank you so much Andrew and Dr. Hashid!

[@MrMohammedAlmulla]

This video is painfully well done. Thank you for your hard work.

[@inqelaabee]

Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatulahi Wa Barakaatu, FYI The famous poet "Mevlana Jalaludin Rumi" is NOT from Turkey but from Afghanistan. He was born in Balkh Afghanistan. We call him Mevlana Jalaludin Rumi Balkhi.

[@thetooginator153]

I think you’re right. Apparently, Rumi died in Turkey, so, maybe that’s the source of the confusion.

[@jennieohk6911]

Wow, this is a great basic education! I want to know more!!!! Please do more!!!! Perhaps you already have ...I will look immediately after the video finishes!!

[@noname123412]

thank you for this awesome presentation

[@Journeyman107]

Thank you, your videos are an invaluable resource here on the Tube

[@AB-uv9kg]

This is the most civilised comment section I've encountered on a video dealing with islam on a channel that discusses religion. Well done guys it's nice to see there's still some hope.

[@danielpaun9651]

This is an outstanding video... Great work !!!

[@pachamama8586]

Thank you very much and all the best!

[@dapplerosegrey260]

Very informative! Some of the info I knew but also learned some new stuff too. Will you be doing similar videos for other religions? Thanks :)

[@jelumbard]

It would have been nice to see more distinctions made between fiqh and shariah, seeing as this is where many misunderstandings arise. Nonetheless, an important contribution given all of the misinformation regarding Islam, and horrendous polemics, that can be found on youtube.

[@isaacmathews4693]

What are some "distinctions made between fiqh and shariah, seeing as this is where many misunderstandings arise." you would hope people understood? Thanks!

[@jelumbard]

Shariah, broadly speaking, is considered to be the immutable decrees (aḥkām) given by God. But these cannot be applied directly, since we live under so many different circumstances in this world. For example, one can't just take the command to pray and begin praying, one needs to know everything necessary to fulfill the practice. There are many discussions of how to pray and these have been handed down from one generation to another. Fiqh, is the process of deriving rulings that are applicable in the real world from the aḥkām. So when we speak of "schools of law" in Islam, what we mean are the schools of fiqh.

[@isaacmathews4693]

I appreciate your sharing!

[@agmsmith4079]

As they said in the video, Sharia means “a path to water”. It’s a means not an end... The closest modern contextual reference I have found is the similarity between the word Sharia and the word “Constitutional”. Constitutional law is similar to Sharia. Constitutional law is not a thing, but a process, just like Sharia is not a thing, but s process. In constitutional law, a scholar studies the constitution to derive laws from the original text that can apply to modern life (cars, the internet, crypto-currency, abortion, discrimination, etc). The laws that come out of this study are an interpretation that are subject to change. We incorporate these interpretations into our US Code of Law but we never alter the constitution. Sharia is the same process where a scholar studies the Quran and Hadith to derive laws from the original texts that can apply to modern life (the internet, crypto-currency, cars, planes, etc). The laws that come out of this are subject to change. The codifying and writing down of these interpretations becomes a book of Fiqh. So as the video states, there is no “book of sharia laws” just like there is no “book of constitutional laws”. Things that we consider constitutional laws like Roe v Wade are not set in stone laws but were interpretations of the constitution as applied to modern life and can be overturned in the future. Same with Fiqh... and that is why there are so many sects or “madhabs” within Islam. I think there are over 70 “versions” of Islam, each with its own Figh that has been derived using Sharia. So it’s best to think of the word Sharia as a verb instead of noun, and that will help someone new to Islam better understand what it really is.

[@agmsmith4079]

Oh, also about sharia that differs from constitutional law... in constitutional law it is mainly only studied by scholars of law and the constitution (we call them lawyers and judges). While sharia is studied by scholars of the Quran and Hadith (Mufti is the equivalent to an Islamic lawyer, Qadi is an Islamic judge, and Fuqaha are like theoretical law experts and are the ones who usually have written a Fiqh and have a Madhab named after them). But in Islam everyone is encouraged to study the Quran so they can also have their own informed opinion on most matters. A fatwa, or legal opinion, issued by a Mufti is to be judged by the people and then either disregarded or accepted on an individual, person by person basis... no different than a lawyer giving you legal advice. You can say the lawyer is a quack and you can seek a second opinion or you can accept the advice and act on it. It’s not as cut and dry as non Muslims tend to think it is. It’s much more fluid, hence the name “a path to water” or Sharia

[@claudettes9697]

This is awesome! Packed full of info, thank you. I'm going to have to watch it four more times. Wow!

[@binyamina8850]

God will defend the believers; God does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful. Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged- God has the power to help them- those who have been driven unjustly from their homes only for saying, ‘Our Lord is God.’ If God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God’s name is much invoked, would have been destroyed. God is sure to help those who help His cause- God is strong and mighty- -Sura Al-Hajj, Ayah 38- 40

[@Jay_Hendrix]

Glad to finally see an informative video on Islam.

[@justarandomgal2683]

I was actually talking to my dad the other day and we both agreed that we have no problem with going to majority Muslim countries as long as they are countries that are like, "Yeah, you may not be Muslim, but we will leave you alone." That is why I probably will never go to Saudi Arabia. I don't like it when religious beliefs are imposed upon me. This is a problem I have with certain groups of Christians in the U.S. as well.

[@michaelevans6216]

that comparison has never been more apt than today.

[@jessica-tv6ep]

Ah, you really have to go to Saudi Arabia, especially Madina/Mecca. Th people there are very good even with non-Muslims. You can also watch documentaries from Western who went there. It always feels scary until you experience it.

[@justarandomgal2683]

@@jessica-tv6ep I'm still not comfortable because I'm an atheist. Irreligion in Saudi Arabia is difficult to measure as it is illegal to leave the Islamic faith in the country.[1][2][3] Most atheists in Saudi Arabia communicate with each other via the internet.[4][5] According to a 2012 poll by WIN-Gallup International, 19% of 502 Saudi Arabians surveyed stated they were "not religious", and 5% that they were "convinced atheists".[6][7][8] In March 2014, the Saudi interior ministry issued a royal decree branding all atheists as terrorists, which defines terrorism as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based."[9] Apostasy is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.[10]

[@winasariardini1725]

Oh. in that case, I think you'll love Indonesia . Most of us are Muslim but we're usually chill with non-muslims

[@jackpullen3820]

Still a long ways to go Andrew, thank you for putting it out there for all to learn some basics of Islamic faith which has such diverse cultures throughout the world!

[@RicCdelP]

This was brilliant. Thanks!

[@FreddyBNL]

Very well done, informative but neutral and with that respectful to all.

[@Zanimater]

It is interesting to point out though some Muslims actually believe the Quran was eternal and is part of god by being property of his existence so in a sense it has always existed.

[@ShahsawarM]

Mohid Syed No all of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah consider the Quran to be eternal and only the Mutazilites (Rationalist) which are almost extinct today consider it to be transient

[@ShahsawarM]

Hani S Yes it is a stupid debate but it was started by the mutazilites and ahlus sunna had to respond because of the doubts they were spreading as the companions never asked a question of the nature of the Quran. I never knew the muslim in the video was a shia but he made some disappointing claims

[@wouldyouliketomeetkenbamba9495]

*Do syncretism and mystification Modernists and Reformers : So you've chosen Ｂｉｄ 'ａｈ

[@moch.farisdzulfiqar6123]

Oh yeah, with that notions we would learn more about Indonesian muslim, especially the Javanese which known for mysticism practice (kejawen), and lesser known Sundanese spirituality and its ancestor religion (Sunda Wiwitan) that have been believed to shared similarities with traditional Islamic doctrin.

[@1BASITSHAH]

anything not done by prophet or sahaba is innovation (bid'ah) in islam, and its told by prophet himself.

[@johnconnah4569]

@@1BASITSHAH silence salafi

[@claudiotavares9580]

@@1BASITSHAH This is what the hadiths say, needless to say that most of them are just legalistic and moralist texts made up by caliphs and temporal authorities to control lower social classes through fear of punishment in the afterlife and to maintain the social status quo. There is physically impossible for someone to remember more than 15.000 phrases that the prophet (saws) said 200 years after his death and whitout even know him in the first place. Just think about it, use your rationality and logic, most of the hadith just tell about punishment if you defy authorities or social constructs for a reason.

[@marktwain368]

It is more important than ever to see Islam as a true religion and a true path to righteousness and holiness. This chat helps dispel the ignorance and prejudice that frequently accompanies any discussion of Muslims. We are all children of God. Let's start with that!

[@ricklarson392]

An excellent overview. Thanks

[@albashirmasud3808]

First of all, I'd I appreciate how unbiased and civilized you are, I just found out after watching quite a few of your videos, that you know a great deal about Shia but your knowledge of sunni is more or less in the name "sunni" I do enjoy your work, it's great and amazing, but for a topic like this, I believe it's a little unbalanced to portray one side and vaguely mention the other, Also, just a little correction, Shia are not "the first community to come together historically" in fact after the prophet passed away, although some people favored Ali ra to be the first caliph, Ali ra himself gave the position up to Abu Bakr, and therefore there were still one community, a short time after that, a group broke out known as "khawarij" but that's beside the point, the Shia only became separated after the death of Ali, and the community they separated from are what we now call "the sunni" Basically what I'm saying is that even though they were people against Abubakr, Umar and Uthman being caliphs, they weren't separated from the main body of Muslims and as such there weren't any "Shia" at the time

[@rafaelbrgnr]

Great video! A light in the darkness of misinformation.

[@alankent]

Thank you for this video. I find it difficult to find information on the diversity of Islam. Being that I am interested in belief systems, old and new, I am frustrated as to how little I can find on the different "denominations." (Forgive the protestant referencing please) This video has provided a great starting point on today's Islamic diversity.

[@rollinwithunclepete824]

very good Video, Thank you Dr Rashid & Andrew! Not enough of this kind of information out there.

[@GargamelGold]

Henry and DR. Rashid, Great job with the video. Very informative.

[@matthewmclaughlin4609]

Very interesting.

[@kenlenoir3714]

Mind opening. Thank you

[@vocabularydynamics5943]

Very insightful thank you

[@michaelkelly6583]

Brilliant presentation. I thank you both.

[@changer1285]

Thank you for this. I consider myself a "Liberal" Catholic (from the Old Catholic tradition, not the current political schism in American Catholicism). Its really valuable to see the diversity of belief, especially that there are Muslims who visit tombs etc. One irrational human fear I still have is the zealous destruction of ancient religious artifacts.

[@pearspeedruns]

I don’t feel like it’s irrational to be upset about damage to historical artifacts.

[@dynamic9016]

Really love this channel.

[@jacobborgmann7762]

The word Iqta has come up in my mind. I understand that to be a variety of Islamic law, I wonder if you and Dr Rashid could collaborate again to describe examples of how Islam inspires other real world laws. On that note I don't really know what iqta is. But I'm keen to learn!

[@oreste8570]

Sufism is like a kind of Muslim Kabbalah. Mystical and esoteric.

[@LangThoughts]

Not so much in practice. Among Orthodox Jews there are no modern schools that reject Kabbalah; all treat it as a valid part of the religion. The main arguments are over who can study it, and how much it should impact the wider religious practices of its students.Many of my Coreligionists insist that only a married man over 40 can be a student, and then only with a Rabbi's permission. Note that one of the last major Rabbis opposed to Kabbalah as a whole actually saw Sufiism as leading to a positive development in Muslim-Jewish relations. It In theory, that is, belief of how the system is tied with the wider theological system, however, they are very similar.

[@joshuahall7677]

@@LangThoughts some Jews do reject the legitimacy/divinity of the Zohar and by extension almost all of Qabala

[@LangThoughts]

@@joshuahall7677 I'm talking about from the view of Orthodox Judaism, which has more of a common base that all of Islams that was talked about in the video, when compared to other Jewish movements. Note that this isn't a no true Scotsman argument, I'm not saying that Conservatives or Reforms aren't Jewish, but rather only Orthodox Judaism can fit into the paradigm Dr. Rashid talked about.

[@mxyellowo]

Kabbalah is more like Hurufi Islam rather than Sufism

[@oreste8570]

@@LangThoughts yemeni Orthodox Jews reject kabbalah if I'm not mistaken

[@kuroazrem5376]

Please cover minority sects in Islam, such as Ibadis or Quranists, which tend to be ignored.

[@Katholikos78]

Kuro Azrem or us in the Muslim Reform Movement.

[@kuroazrem5376]

@@Katholikos78 yes of course

[@johnelliott9823]

refreshing, I'll check out your patreon

[@mannyespinola]

Thank you for this video

[@AMAO13]

hmm.. focusing on setting Saudi Arabia as a bad example of an Islamic country and Iran as not as bad as you think!! let me guess before i google his name.. he's a Shia?

[@AMAO13]

surprise!! i was right. sorry but i don't think this video is a good and fair source to know about Islam. and the reason i mentioned above is the most obvious but not at all the only one.

[@Eng.mohammad]

Dr. Hussein is a Shei and it is obvious, please have another video with a Sunni scholar , Dd. Hussein also tend to politicize things

[@ustazi]

He was reasonably impartial on the subject

[@marcofrank2082]

Thank you. This was amazing

[@Carebearsied]

I've always wondered about the religion of Islam so I really appreciate this great breakdown

[@smooth2477]

Islam is the one and only true religion it breaks down to different sect but the only true Muslim is the one who follows the teachings of prophet which is called Sunnah and believes That God is only one and has no partners

[@silverfangmoonhunter]

I have to say that this is excellent. Less than twenty minutes and I'm coming out of this experience more informed about Islam and more hungry for more insight into it's complex and varied worldviews than I have ever been. I'm definitely looking forward to more entries on this topic and more collaboration with Dr. Rashid.

[@sudonfunkenflug6409]

Very interesting and informative video. Though I can’t imagine the comments under this one being exceptionally civil.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Yup, not looking forward to that.

[@daddyleon]

What about: comparatively to the rest of youtube?

[@kadh9941]

I am glad the comments section did not turn into the mess that follows every video the NoBullshit/Destiny/Battening KZbin group.

[@cherylhutchinson2206]

What you just said is manipulative. By saying this you have established for yourself the idea (for people who see your comment) that you are correct and everybody who disagrees with you is wrong or unreasonable. And like else where in America there are two extreme ideas about Islam with very few in the center. Nevertheless I am one of them and no I am not a Christian or republican and I didn't vote for Trump. This video was done well because it stuck to the basics of Islam from a secular perspective. But like many others it whitewashed the problems of extremism as if it were so rare in Islam it is barely worth mentioning. I remember in one of my religion classes I had on Islam, my professor brought in a man to talk to us who was his close friend. He was supposed to represent a rational modern Muslim who would show us that we didn't have to fear Islamic people as if they were all extreme. He said he would answer any question to dispell any fear we had about Muslims. At that time, (it was a few decades ago) a horrible honor killing happened in St Louis, I think. It disturbed me so much I had to ask this man if he believed there was any situation that would justify murdering your own daughter in cold blood. He hum hauled around and avoided the subject. SO I asked him in a different way. Instead of saying murder I said honor killing. He still wouldn't answer. So I said "Before Allah" please answer the question. So he said yes there were situations that would justify honor killings. So much for the modern reasonable Muslim. Those of you open minded enough should read: In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom. It's by Qanta Ahmed. If you are open minded enough. She gives her own Islamic experience of the many sides of Islam. Some beautiful some not so beautiful. None of it white-washed.

[@MuhammadZubair-js8og]

Cheryl hutchinson Honor killing is not allowed in Islam. But I agree it’s well known to have happened in Islamic world and the media is more concentrated on to Islam. From what I gather it’s more a human tendency who live in a uniform culture so as not to be an outcast they stoop to honor killings.

[@moonmeister3427]

basically what he means at 2:09 is that the quran is translated but never ever changed out of its language as it will be changed like many other books of god which makes the quran the only book of god that has never been changed. ps. im muslim so i know this stuff

[@johnnykhaw4139]

Wow great video - can you please do some videos on the Pistis Sophia book in the future?

[@jorithi]

Isn't the "you have to read the quran in Traditional arabic" part quite similar to the medival Christian importance of the Latin Bible?

[@thomasgeschke9553]

That's what I think. It's funny how Latin was the end all be all for so long considering most of the oldest texts are in some form of Aramaic, Ge'ez, etc., and especially Greek. But nah, church in Rome said Latin or bust.

[@samirasaid1649]

The difference is that the bible wasn't originally written in Latin.

[@Hashem541]

Also, Arabic is not a dead language, Quran translation is OK, but learning Arabic so you can read and understand it is better

[@robbalink]

Thank you for this vid. It is very informative in the proper context. I am a Christian and know (not just believes) that we all, as believers in the one true God, are commanded to love one another because God loves us. The only way to do that is to understand each other better. Thanks again for helping us to do that. Keep up the good work and God bless!

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Thank you! That's a great attitude to have. We need to find ways to live together despite our differences. I think education is one step toward that goal.

[@nolives]

If there is a good loving God He will save ALL people. This is why we love our enemies, because God will not make them as enemies forever.

[@dtownblastinsalvi62]

BadSportsLobby Tv but the thing about God is you cannot blame him for natural violence we are animals after all it’s easy to blame God for everything but it’s honestly our fault for justifying our horrible actions in the name of God. I’m not a religious person by any means but person with common sense and tolerance for people’s religious beliefs that’s all.

[@omarsalman1331]

I have the exact same feelings, but from a Muslim perspective. This channel has helped me learn a lot about Christianity and its history.

[@baronesselsavonfreytag-lor1134]

Great video, I wish everyone would watch it.

[@luciamorenovelo8345]

Thank you!

[@oreste8570]

I would like a more critical stand on Islamic history instead of just taking for granted the Muslim tradition. I mean, if we take a critical stand on Christianity, why the double standard of being non-critical to the Islamic tradition and just take it as a given?!

[@maxpayne3628]

Point is that the History just doesn't make sense if that happens.

[@keiichiiownsu12]

Would love to hear a conversation between you guys and Zakir Naik XD

[@REDLifeTalks]

*Thank You Brother Share Your Opinion! Please Continuously Making Same Videos!*

[@Eris123451]

A fun and interesting presentation and kudos to the Muslim guy, (or so I assume although it doesn't necessarily matter,) for participating. I though the way that he tip-toed around the practice as opposed to the theory of Sharia Law was a wee bit slippery but OK at least he was encouraging people to at least give it some thought which can d no harm. A tricky topic in some ways; but one done some justice, nice one.

[@MrDweebToYou]

"The record of the Naqshbandiya, combining inner spirituality with an outward, political, posture ranging from acquiescence to militancy, according to circumstances, should warn us against characterizing Sufism as a purely mystical or quietist dimension of Islam." - Islam in the World, pg 280, Malise Ruthven What I take away from this video, is that in the society which has been formed through centuries by Islam, ie Arabia, Islam does exactly as it pleases. In countries where it could dominate, like historical India, it ruled with an iron hand, until it lost its hold on power. In countries like the US, which is not only culturally and politically strong, but which has not exactly had a large influx of Saudi muslims, Islam is on its very best behaviour.

[@PGraveDigger1]

All religions will try to dominate the region they're prevalent in.

[@1BASITSHAH]

@@TheBelovedRose. loool he's so dumb

[@matonmongo]

Excellent overview, thx! Would also be curious to know what Muhammad's 'pre-Gabriel' religion was like, since the Angel Gabriel is really a basic invention of Judaeo-Christian mythology to begin with.

[@mrbilter83]

Mekkans were polytheists before Islam but it was reported that Muhammed never prayed to any of their gods technically he was athiest but we like to say he was natively Muslim

[@matonmongo]

@@mrbilter83 ​ @Mr Bilter Interesting, thx. So from where do you think he _borrowed_ 'the Angel Gabriel'?

[@mrbilter83]

i don't know about *borrowing* but as muslims we believe the angel Gabriel (or Jibreel in arabic) appeared before him in his dreams teaching him about the word of God

[@matonmongo]

@@mrbilter83 Yes, I saw the video. But why did an 'atheist' and presumably non-Jew receive his vision via a Hebrew figure like Gabriel/JIbreel? Also don't muslims and jews share a lot of the same Old Testament 'mythology'

[@mrbilter83]

@@matonmongo basically in Islam both Christianity and Judaism are believed to be the words of God as well but they were corrupted so God had to make Islam to rectify what humans did so saying that Gabriel is a Judeo-Christian figure is to us the same as saying he's an Islamic figure

[@GrimSingmuf]

It would be great to see something more in-depth on the Bahai Faith, other than the video you have about the gardens in Israel. More in-depth about its history as well as the current state of the Bahai Faith. Of the Abrahamic religions, it is the youngest, so there is very little info on the internet that is not biased. Your platform is great and I don't think anyone else could break it down, explain the different sects and the time line. Thanks! Always looking forward to new videos!

[@Caritasaveritas]

Thank you for your video and this explanation of Islam. In order to better understand the effects certain philosophies have within a culture it is advantageous to learn its origins and beliefs. Please, explain the word jihad.

[@ericrotsinger9729]

I love hearing points of view that promote understanding. We are all one, our love of God should bring us closer not want us to murder.

[@irajayrosen4792]

SUGGESTION: I am struggling to find the words to explain my suggestion. In this excellent video (I sent the link to a friend studying at Harvard Divinity) you talk about confusing cultural religion with practice and belief. Most Christians in the Western World fail to see how deeply the "Chrisianities" (to borrow a term from your video) have shaped what they see as a totally secular culture. (Being a secularly educated American Jew with a string interest in history and comparative religion, I have developed that outsider perspective) These are the people who appear to be threatened the most by the idea of "Sharia Law being forced on us", while often ignoring or even advocating a fundamentalist Christian version of Sharia. American culture is so steeped in the Protestant culture that they often cannot realize this. These are the people who cannot understand that the laws they want on issues like abortion, LGBTI rights, civil rights and immigration are all based on a particularly 20th Century American twist on Puritan Protestant theocracy. These are the people who see "a war on Christmas" in acknowledging cultural diversity; who cannot understand the anger of many at the programming of a cable channel run by a corporation which chooses to run "Holiday Programs" from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve which only show Protestant celebrations of Christmas masked as "cultural" , usually by 95% white casts. They are totally unaware that their assumption that everyone in the world thinks and acts just like them hurts them, world peace and the democracy we live in. I guess I'm A: asking if you've covered this, since I just found your channel this morning. B: wondering how this idea can be introduced.

[@alhassani626]

I think there is an Alan Watts lecture on how the WASP culture is a direct result of the bourgeoisie Protestantism. I think you can find it on KZbin.

[@the13nthpartyboy]

It is the case that some Americans don't realize that our culture is a Protestant one (many of these arguments you bring up are argued using religion, and as such demonstrates that these people are aware that they are not being secular), and perhaps the history of Protestantism's shaping of the West would be interesting, but seeing as how you put it in a political tone I'll say this: Coming from a Protestant culture does not detract from culturally conservative arguments. The people you are talking about are cultural purists, to put it aggressively. Virtually none of these people have any interest in preventing Sharia in Muslim countries, and admit that if they were to voluntarily move to a different cultural region they ought to integrate into that new society. All that can be said on the political note is that conservatives want to conserve their own culture. I speak of Americans, but this likely would apply to the rest of the western world as well.

[@serenanorris6129]

Hi I would like to thank you for your channel I have had a interested in this exact knowledge to look at all religions in a educational material or scholarly research so again I thank you God bless

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@kadh9941]

I love this channel.

[@kadh9941]

This and Crash Course are my go to guides for learning about philosophy and religions and how they affect everyday life.