Communication Between Cultures

Islamic culture’s attitude toward women. Although you might find it strange for

women to cover their hair with thehijab, Muslim women might have a difficult time

understanding why so many women in the United States use dye to alter the natural

color of their hair. Second, broad generalizations regarding gender often overlook

regional differences. For example, the life of a village woman residing in rural Afgha-

nistan is very different from the life of a well-educated Palestinian who is socially and

politically active within her community.

Ethics and Islam

In many ways we introduced the topic of Islamic ethics when we wrote the phrase

“Islam is a complete way of life.”Since Islam addresses every aspect of life, all that is

contained in the Koran is a type of ethical outline. This means that“The ethical

dimensions of the Islamic life are spread evenly throughout the Qur’an, as one

would expect for a religion that calls itself‘submission”to God’s way.”^164 Besides

this overarching principle driving Islamic ethics and morality, there are, sprinkled

throughout the teachings, some special behaviors that get called out. Islamic ethics,

as reflected in the Koran, forbids gambling, the consumption of alcohol, lying, extra-

marital sex, and stealing and condemns homosexuality.^165

Islamic Notions About Death

The idea of death and an afterlife are crucial elements of the Islamic religion. We

highlighted some of those elements when we discussed the Islamic view of

“judgment.”It is important that we return to that topic, particularly due to its current

relevance. This issue has been the subject of countless news reports due to the promi-

nence of suicide bombers. Part of the present interest stems from attempts to compre-

hend the motivation behind bombings that take the lives of women and children as

well as that of the bomber. Looking at the concepts of the“final judgment”and after-

life offers some clues to this complex question.

The theology of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, with some variation, all include

the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection), when all people will be resurrected

for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds. The Koran (45:26) makes it

clear that Muslims are to view death as a new beginning:“It is God who gives life,

then, causes you to die, and then He gathers you all to the Day of Resurrection of

which there is no doubt, though most people do not comprehend.”This concept of

a moral code and living a life that God wants from the individual is the most funda-

mental and crucial element of Islamic doctrine and helps determine if the person will

gain entry into heaven or hell. Muslims believe that

God will judge people by how they submitted to God’s will. Saying that one is a follower of

Islam won’t save anyone at the judgment; living in an obedient way is the important thing.

In fact, the Qur’an states that severe punishments are in store for hypocrites who claim to

be Muslims, but haven’t lived by Islam.^166

Unlike most Western traditions, Islam provides graphic details of the punishments

and“paradise”that come after death:“Paradise is a pleasant oasis where a man’s every

desire, according to popular tradition, is satisfied either by his wife or by beautiful

Islamic Notions About Death 137

Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).