Archive for category: Samples

The Constitution Amendments

Name

Institution

The Constitution Amendments

A constitutional amendment is usually an added correction or formal change mainly in the current written constitutions text of a state or nation. The constitution text itself is sometimes altered in some jurisdictions while others don’t change but the recommended effects change with the amendments.

It is with the above understanding that a formal amendment can then be described as change in the constitutions language in relation with the outlined procedures stipulated in the article v document. Its procedures description is stated as requiring a majority vote of two-thirds in both the Senate and the house, after which the proposal that is approved by the congress is sent for ratification by the state.

The process of amending or changing the constitution can be said was made challenging intentionally by the founders since their initial goal was to make the constitution more stable in order to serve even the coming generations. They took into account that once a new government is entrenched it would sideline or ignore laws that would reduce its hold on power and in this account they intentionally included in article V, a separate amendment process that would keep in check the president, congress and the Supreme Court (Antonin Scalia.et, al, 1998).

The informal amendment process indicates to changes in the application or interpretation of the constitution. This would extend to refer to expansion in the rights within the constitution like voting, to even previously excluded groups, or rights curtailing, that mainly depend on the previously held congress or court justice constitutional beliefs. Such changes usually happen due to the effects caused by the decisions made by the judiciary, usually by the congressional legislation or Supreme Court that are not considered as unconstitutional. It is however vital to note that the constitution is not affected in any way by the informal amendment process, just by its application and understanding, that is in a constant influx state due to the devolving or evolving sociopolitical conditions.

Strict constitution constructions refer to the strict application of the initial laws written by law or in the constitutions text. Subsequently, loose construction implies to the flexibility to do whatever an individual wants as long as they are not stated as illegal within the constitution. The two divergent perspectives aligns with formal versus informal methods of change due to their application in that the informal application tends to have more strict construction characteristics, while the informal method tends to align more with the loose construction which dictates the federal government to go against the usual stipulated laws within the constitution(Kenneth Dautrich.et,al,2012).

I particularly favor the loose construction method since its application allows for flexibility and this gives it a more humane and dynamic aspect in that like humans it is susceptible to changes. This freedom in the application is in contrast to the strict constructionism which is too rigid in its application and requires a strict application of particular judicial and legal philosophy interpretations that restrict and limit the implementation of the judicial and does not allow for any divergence once chosen.

The main reasons to support the loose constructionism or living constitution is in the constitutions concept that implies that the constitutional interpretation application is silent in itself, the elements of the living constitution indicate that the founders, most of who were legal theorists and lawyers, were already aware of the underlying issues, which means that they knew beforehand the implications and confusion that would have arose due to the lack of clear interpretation of the constitution. In addition this implies that if the founders intended the constitution to be interpreted differently by future generations they would have indicated it, and the lack of such clause indicate clearly that there was no such intention and there was never intended to be a fixed method of interpreting the constitution.

In relation to the above pragmatic argument, it is evident that if judges were not allowed to participate in the constitutional rights interpretation, the current modern society values would not have been reflected more, and this would have necessitated a recurrent amendment to incorporate the changes which has never happened.

Another reason for the preference would be on the aspect of not viewing the living constitution as the governing society’s foundational concept and not simply as just a law. This is in the understanding that laws in order to be followed have to be clear and fixed, and if the constitution can be looked at as more than a set of laws can provide the foundation for the laws since they will act as guidance and in this way the benefits and costs of such fixed concept and meanings will be different.

Reference

Antonin Scalia and Amy Gutmann, (1998) A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 36–41

Kenneth Dautrich, David A. Yalof (2012) The Enduring Democracy, engage Learning. Print

Unfinished Business

Name:

Institution:

Date:

The concept of unfinished business is also known as the Zeigarnik effect. Unfinished business is described as the unexpressed feelings that are mostly associated with distinct memories and fantasies (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). These feelings include anger, resentment, hatred, rage, anxiety, pain, grief, abandonment and guilt. The feelings are not entirely expressed in the awareness, linger in the background, and they are carried to the present life. They cause compulsive behaviors, preoccupations, wariness and other self-defeating behaviors (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). Unfinished business persists until the affected person deals with these alienated and denied feelings.

Unfinished business is an important concept in the gestalt therapy. Bluma Zeigarnik was a great gestalt psychologist who observed that incomplete tasks are easy to remember than complete tasks (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). This observation is caused by the fact that human needs to invest more energy in holding details of incomplete tasks in the short-term memory. In contrast, complete tasks require less energy as they are stored in the long-term memory, thus, can be easily forgotten. Imagine someone spinning plates on sticks; each of them is an incomplete task that requires a lot of energy to keep the plates spinning (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). Psychologist Buffington explained the Zeigarnik effect by stating that people tend to recall negative experiences and feelings better than positive ones ( Baumeister & Bushman, 2008).

Psychological research about incomplete business dates back from the late 1920s. Zeigarnik did a study where he gave 138 children easy tasks to do like puzzles and arithmetic. She interrupted one-half in the mid-task and allowed the other half to complete the tasks. An hour later, only one out of ten (12%) recalled the completed tasks while 8% remembered the same number of each. However, 80% recalled the interrupted tasks. Repeated experiments continue to confirm that people remember uncompleted tasks far better than the completed ones (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). The founders of gestalt therapy applied this concept in clinical practice. Suppose someone grows up with parents who are hostile and uncaring; the need for the warmth of parental love will be an important unfinished situation for that person (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). An important aspect of focusing on the here and now is that it helps us actively seek to complete our unfinished business.

One of the pitfalls of unfinished business in counseling is that the client may not pay enough attention to the counselor’s advice because of the constant disturbance by the unexpressed feelings. These unexpressed feelings keep on lingering at the back of the mind of the client, and unless they are addressed, the client may not benefit from the therapy (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). The therapist must also possess a high level of personal development if the therapy is to be effective. He must be in a position to recognize the uncompleted tasks in each client so that he can apply the right intervention to help the client complete those tasks. In this case, the rapist should engage in regular in-service training so as to keep themselves abreast with the current changes in their field of experience (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008).

This therapy also tends to concentrate much on here and now or else with the present (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). Lack of emphasis on the past experiences presents a major pitfall of this therapy during the counseling process. Another disadvantage of this treatment is that it lacks a strong theoretical base to support its application. There is no enough literature in this field to support evidence-based health care provision. The therapists can also harm the client when they displace their unfinished business to them. The harm to the client is especially high in therapist who lacks self-awareness (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002).

Most people have unfinished business in their life, and the difference is brought by the coping mechanisms an individual employs (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). Incomplete tasks therapist face challenges when some of these suppressed feelings are brought into awareness by the behaviors of the clients. A client who expresses anger and hatred may remind the therapist of the suppressed feeling of hatred towards some people in the past who wronged them (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). Many of the therapist’s repressed feelings of rage, abandonment, hatred or betrayal may be brought into awareness. The therapist can become a victim of these feelings. When this happens, his ability to help the client is hampered.

We were abandoned by our dad

when I was young. I grew up in a single-parent family, and this has created a significant challenge in my life. The hatred for my father is one of my major unfinished businesses. With time I have always tried to suppress this feeling of abandonment, but to no avail. It keeps on lingering in my mind. The more I attempt to suppress it the more it expresses itself. I have tried to consult many of my colleagues over the same, but the result is just the same. This feeling has affected my work with the client in a major way. I displace this feeling to most of my male clients which destroy a good therapeutic relationship. The quality of the healthcare am supposed to offer to my client is affected adversely.

Individuals c

an control their surrounding when they are self-aware (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). Counselor’s self-awareness is also a primary ethical consideration because it prevents him from inflicting harm to his clients. This moral consideration can prevent counselors from displacing their unfinished business to their clients that destroy a therapeutic environment. It also helps the therapist to understand their personal history. Thus, the past has less control over them, and they don’t look for other people to satisfy its deficits (Greenberg & Malcolm, 2002). Understanding yourself is the best way to begin learning about the development of others. Self-awareness assists counselors to offer high-quality services to their clients.

References

Baumeister, R.F., & Bushman, B.J., (2008). Social Psychology and Human Nature. Thompson Wadsworth: United States.

Greenberg, L. S., & Malcolm, W. (2002). Resolving unfinished business: Relating process to outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(2), 406.

Course

The Rituals of the Islamic Religion

Student’s name

University

Instructor

Due Date

The Concept of Worship, Prayer, & Rituals In The Islamic Religion

The religion Muslim is important to understand through a business perspective. A brief summary of the history of Islam will be discussed as well as explaining the important elements for Muslims, which included but is not limited to the Qur’an, The Five Pillars and Ramadan. The different types of branches of Islam include Sunni, Shiite, and Sufi in which all have significant differences and similarities. The importance on the study of Muslim is important due to the world revolving around religion, however news media proves to escalate the problems when in fact Muslims are traditional humans who take their religion serious in both heart and in their beliefs, such as believing in Allah (God) and Muhammad.

When examining the concept of worship and prayer in the Islam, it is noticed that the religion takes the concept of worshipping and praising a higher power very passionately, and this is a very important aspect of an individual’s faith. It has always been the central practice of bringing all faiths together and serving as a common ground for all believers since the beginning of time. No matter what sect of a religion you believe in and practise, worship is something that stays evident and consistent throughout all sects of a religion. The Islamic faith emphasizes both public and private forms of worship. For believers, they each serve a different function, and each has a different meaning and purpose behind it. Private worshipping across these different faiths share many similarities that will be discussed later on, as well as examining public worshipping across these different faiths, while looking at the many similarities as well as differences that they all share together.

Ibada an umbrella term for religious devotion (Worship & Ritual chapter 12, p. 191). Muslim worship is referred to as “ibada,” or service to God, and involves praising and confessing sins to one’s lord. Salat is the Muslim term for prayer, and it is one of Islam’s pillars. Islam requires that certain actions be taken before a Muslim can pray their daily salat. Before a person prays, they must maintain and demonstrate their purity. Purity is extremely important in Islam with a famous hadith quoting “Purity is half the faith” (Worship & Ritual chapter 12, p. 191). Islamic prayer requires that a person attain this “purity” that the religion so reveres. Muslims must perform an action prior to their salat called “wudu”. Water is required when performing wudu, and if water isn’t accessible one must perform an action called “tayammum”. Tayammum substitutes water with elements of the earth such as sand or clay to purify oneself. Showing the multiple ways Muslims can purify themselves before prayer represents how important purity is when it comes to worship in Islam. Now that we have discussed what has to be done before worship, it is time to discuss how Muslims worship privately and publicly.

The history of the Muslim religion started with a vision that Muhammad had when he was in a cave by Allah. Allah is the God to the Muslim Religion. As Muhammad was born in the town Mecca many events lead to the forming of the religion. Mecca had fame due to having black meteorites representing to the people as falling rocks from Heaven. The people in Mecca built a shrine over the black Meteorites known as Kabah. The Kabah is a very sacred area to the Muslim religion as it is Private to the world. In accordance to Molloy, “Islamic religion basically translates to “submission” and “giving in fully” implying total submission to God’s will”, (Ch.10). The Islamic religion is a serious deal especially when talking about Muhammad and Allah. The Qur’an is represented as a bible to the Muslim Religion. The stepping­stones of the religion and history as well as Religion laws are set in the Qur’an. Although Islam prohibits images artist have to record everything in sacred words to be able to describe the writings.

Each and every day, Muslims are obligated to fulfill five prayers in praise of Allah (SWT)., when it comes to private prayer in Islam. These five prayers, which focus on one’s relationship with God, can be done in private throughout the day. These five daily prayers, on the other hand, can be said in public. When it is time to pray, “a chanted call to prayer in Arabic called adhan” (Worship & Ritual chapter 12, p. 192) is performed to alert everyone that it is time to stop and pray. Private worship in Islam is typically performed at home and can include acts of worship such as reading the Quran, praying, and reciting other holy scriptures (Bellah & Rappaport, 1999). Fasting is another form of worship in Islam, and Muslims must fast for one month during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Fasting is another form of private worship that is valued in Islam.

Now that we’ve covered the private aspect of worship, let’s turn our attention to the public aspect of prayer in Islam. As long as the person is praying to the Ka’aba shrine in Mecca, public and private worship can take place anywhere. Private prayers are typically performed alone, whereas public prayers are typically performed in groups. When a group prays publicly together, “this requires a leader in the congregation who stands at the front and sets the tone with his or her voice and body language” (Worship & Ritual chapter 12, p. 193). Furthermore, for the salat to be acceptable in public group prayers, the prayer leader must be a male. Finally, in order for the prayer to be accepted in both private and public worship in Islam, the individual(s) must perform a “niyya, meaning intention” right before the prayer begins (Worship & Ritual chapter 12, p.193). The “mosque” is Islam’s holiest place of worship, and it is where the majority of public worship takes place. Friday prayers are an important part of public worship in Islam, and it is recommended that all Muslims go to the mosque to worship God as a group on Friday. As part of public worship in Islam, sermons and lectures are also held inside the mosque.

The Qur’an is a written symbol that represents Islam’s people’s religion. Praying, fasting, and living according to the Qur’an on a daily basis are among the rituals that take place. According to Molloy, “the Qur’an has 114 chapters, or Suras” (Ch.10). Each Sura or chapter of the Qur’an is given a name, such as the elephant, thunder, Light, and moon. The Suras are arranged in length order, shortest to longest. The final chapters of the Qur’an are brief. Because the order in the Qur’an is reversed, the chapters, like those of other religions, are not always in chronological order. Abu Bakr caliphate, according to Hooker, is where the Qur’an was written down after Muhammad’s death. Bakr was important to Muhammad.

Bakr was recognized as the first Caliph. After Muhammad’s death, the Caliph is in charge. Although the Qur’an is a guide for all Muslims and the people of Islam, the Five Pillars are also important in guiding the religion.

The five Pillars are, according to Molloy, ” Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), Fasting During Ramadan (Sawm), Charity to the Poor (Zakat), Prayer (Salat), and Creed (Shahadah).” (Ch.10). An Islamic creed, or shahadah, is depicted as a whisper into a newborn’s ears. Muslims believe there is only one god, Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. The message is brief, but it contains foundational words. Salat is another piller in which devout Muslims pray five times a day, at dawn, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and night. Zakat is a religious donation in the form of a fixed monetary amount. The estimated percentage is 2.5 percent of total money generated. Sawm represents religious fasting in order to establish religious discipline and respect. The Hajj is a symbol of people attempting to find Mecca at least once in their lives. Another important Islamic topic is Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting during which no food, drink, or sexual activity is permitted. This long tradition, which lasts 29­30 days, is known all over the world. An opportunity for spiritual reflection and growth, as well as service to others and time spent with loved ones, are all part of a Muslim holiday season. As Muslims, we strive to grow spiritually and become closer to Allah and those we love. Between sunrise and sunset, they abstain from daily luxuries like smoking, drinking, and having sex with others. Additionally, In Ramadan, Muslims devote themselves to spiritual reflection and unity by reciting the Quran, praying, fasting, doing charitable acts, and spending time with loved ones while avoiding lying, gossiping and fighting.

Islamic prayer is either an act of supplication or an act of worship. Because supplication is among the most essential aspects. Almighty Allah’s glory is its primary objective. Maintaining contact with one’s religious beliefs is the most critical duty of a Muslim. Every Muslim adult, male or female, is required to pray on a personal level. In order to cultivate the habit of prayer in a child, it is expected that he begin at the age of seven. The punishment will be severe if he refuses to do it by the age of 10. Additional to this, they pray to receive a message from God or Allah in addition to the other requirements

Muslim culture or spirituality places a high value on fasting and prayer ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1007/s13668-018-0233-2″,”ISSN”:”21613311″,”abstract”:”Purpose of review: Since the early development of human societies, religious beliefs, and practices has been integral to their identity, culture, and social structure, traditions are influenced by the area, era, and culture wherein they developed. Some religions offer advice on behavioral and diet modifications as strategies to fortify the body, purify the spirit, and elevate consciousness. This review is an attempt to compare different practices, describe the health benefits and risks of fasting, and reconcile these age-old recommendations with practical modern life. Recent findings: Research to clarify and quantify the impact of these dietary modifications is challenging due to the variability in recommendations among various religions and in day-to-day practices. Summary: Most religions share common goals of well-being, body-mind integration, and spiritual attainment. Historically, the transformational power of fasting periods has been appreciated, but there is still much to discover about the underlying beneficial physiologic mechanisms of fasting in preventing and treating metabolic diseases.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Venegas-Borsellino”,”given”:”Carla”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sonikpreet”,”given”:””,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Martindale”,”given”:”Robert G.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Current Nutrition Reports”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”3″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2018″,”9″,”1″]]},”page”:”131-138″,”publisher”:”Current Science Inc.”,”title”:”From Religion to Secularism: the Benefits of Fasting”,”type”:”article”,”volume”:”7″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=594bbbd1-e649-3338-981c-f852e8fc82b9″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Venegas-Borsellino et al., 2018)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Venegas-Borsellino et al., 2018)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Venegas-Borsellino et al., 2018)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Venegas-Borsellino et al., 2018). Fasting is yet another distinguishing feature of Islam in terms of morality and spirituality. Basically, fasting means abstaining from all food, drink, sex, and tobacco use for an entire day. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, mandates that all of this must be completed between the hours of sunrise and sunset. It is the goal of this pillar to help Muslims better understand what it means to have a positive attitude toward humanity ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1080/1369118X.2017.1340970″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Johnson”,”given”:”Mark R.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Information, Communication & Society”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”12″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2017″,”12″,”2″]]},”page”:”1844-1847″,”publisher”:”Informa UK Limited”,”title”:”Gods in and of the machine: morality, divination and meaning in digital religion and games”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”20″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=5db95eb1-c0f0-3b52-9721-a6dab0cc4359″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Johnson, 2017)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Johnson, 2017)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Johnson, 2017)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Johnson, 2017). Salah, the final of Islam’s five pillars of prayer, requires that all Muslims walk in prayer in a regular and orderly fashion every day. Observed and performed at predetermined times five times a day, it is a physical, mental and spiritual expression of worship. During this time, they are required to pray facing Mecca. Muslims must first stand, bow, abject themselves, and then sit on the ground, effectively ending the prayer (2013, April 19). Islamic prayer involves reciting or reading special verses and prayers at various points in the year. For the most part, salah, or prayer, serves as a means of communication with God and a way to keep God in mind. Muslim lives are influenced greatly by this Pillar because it defines their relationship and allegiance to Allah, making it a high priority for Muslims.

It’s an excellent time to focus on one’s religious beliefs and grow closer to Allah, while also developing patience and compassion ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.5144/0256-4947.2002.186″,”ISSN”:”02564947″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Azizi”,”given”:”Fereidoun”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Annals of Saudi Medicine”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”3-4″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2002″]]},”page”:”186-191″,”publisher”:”King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre”,”title”:”Research in Islamic fasting and health”,”type”:”article”,”volume”:”22″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=63c6d10c-7f98-37fd-ba3a-3a9acf5b5ef4″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Azizi, 2002)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Azizi, 2002)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Azizi, 2002). It’s about taking care of both your mind and body. First and foremost, the qualities adopted during fasting are the qualities we should exhibit as Muslims. The month serves as a constant reminder of how we should behave in general, not just during this month. The month reminds us to strive for purity and discipline ourselves to perform these acts in order to secure it in our daily lives, becoming accustomed to purifying our beliefs as well as our bodies, minds, and souls ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”2345-2587″,”abstract”:”Introduction: Nearly one billion adult Muslims across the world refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn until dusk during the holy month of Ramadan. The duration of Islamic fasting varies depending on the coinciding season and geographical location. The present study aimed to review the health benefits of Islamic fasting. Methods: This review was carried out after searching in several databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Medline, PMC, Google Scholar and also the related articles. Results: Islamic fasting is along with many health benefits such as the reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and cancer. Although, some health problems have mentioned during Islamic fasting like dehydration, headaches. Conclusion: According to the results of this review, religious fasting positively influences the body weight and lipid and glucose levels, while exerting antioxidative effects, increasing longevity, and improving the renal and immune function. The health benefits of fasting could be reinforced through the balanced intake of various nutrients, such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, cereals, and grains, as well as beverages such as water and milk, during Ramadan.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Massoud”,”given”:”Ramona”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sharifan”,”given”:”Anoosheh”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Massoud”,”given”:”Armita”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Nutrition,Fasting and Health”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”17-22″,”title”:”Religious Fasting; the Purgation of Soul and Body”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”8″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=e45c9f55-b642-3929-b293-b615ecf0936b”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Massoud et al., 2020)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Massoud et al., 2020)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Massoud et al., 2020)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Massoud et al., 2020). Increasing our closeness to Allah SWT and instilling fear of our Lord – it is critical to remember who our Creator is, why we were placed here, and what our goals are in this material world; to remember that this world is merely a stop-gap (albeit a very brief one) on our journey to the Hereafter. We should strive for taqwa and to be as close to Allah as possible.

Connecting with our Lord is critical for remembering why we’re here in the first place; otherwise, we’ll get lost in this realm, which is exactly what we’re here to avoid. In our materialistic world, we frequently fail to recognize how dependent we are on Allah SWT. As a result, the practice of remaining humble at all times; a simple act such as fasting simply demonstrates how dependent we are on our Lord and His creation ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“abstract”:”The main purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical justification about how important the fasting is for the humankind. In fact, it is a theoretical paper which motivates regarding the issues of benefits that we can achieve from fasting. The results of the paper disclose some significant reasons that fasting can be considered as a well being program to acquire patience, strong will, righteousness, sincerity, good manners, discipline, better sense of prestige, better dieting habits, and many other physical and spiritual benefits of human being in order to establish peace, prosperity and sustainable development of the society. However, the limitation of the paper was it could not consider any numerical examples in favour of the main message of the study because of lack of data availability. Nevertheless, the paper shows its originality in substance and makes a unique contribution to the literature on one of the most important pillars of Islam”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Hossain”,”given”:”Mohammad Zakir”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”3″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2012″]]},”page”:”184-190″,”title”:”Fasting in Islam : Its Excellence, Benefits and Use for Sustainable Development of the Society”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”3″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=6406567c-9d97-3565-9253-1e5e148fbf20″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Hossain, 2012)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Hossain, 2012)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Hossain, 2012)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Hossain, 2012). Ramadan reminds us to be humble and selfless while also having empathy and compassion for others.

Ramadan, like many other Islamic attributes, serves to remind us that we are all equal in this world, regardless of skin color, race, religion, gender, or social status. We’ll all end up in the same place, wearing the same clothes, carrying only our amaal and leaving behind all worldly possessions. That is when we will truly understand how those we helped in this world contribute to what we bring into the next.

Despite the fact that Islamic ideals are generally peaceful, many Muslims are vehemently opposed to another religion coexisting with Islam and feel compelled to kill the infidel. This suggests that this group is going through a difficult time. Because of this conflict, it may be easier for this group to connect with Muslims by bridging the gap and participating in some of their religious and cultural traditions ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.2307/1387619″,”ISSN”:”00218294″,”abstract”:”This book argues that religion can and must be reconciled with science. Combining adaptive and cognitive approaches, it is a comprehensive analysis of religion’s evolutionary significance, and its inextricable interdependence with language. It is also a detailed study of religion’s main component, ritual, which constructs the conceptions that we take to be religious and therefore central in the making of humanity’s adaptation. The text amounts to a manual for effective ritual, illustrated by examples drawn from a range of disciplines.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Bellah”,”given”:”Robert N.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Rappaport”,”given”:”Roy A.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”4″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“1999″]]},”page”:”569″,”title”:”Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”38″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=fd26613c-c1bf-3fa4-8aaa-b92dfc0993ca”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Bellah & Rappaport, 1999)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Bellah & Rappaport, 1999)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Bellah & Rappaport, 1999)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Bellah & Rappaport, 1999). Almsgiving is a central tenet of Islam, and I believe that connecting with it would be beneficial for these people ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.4172/2161-0711.1000178″,”abstract”:”A review of research articles on Ramadan fasting indicates that fasting can serve as an excellent research model for Psycho-social behaviour and health studies. The purpose of fasting for Muslims is to learn self-restraint from indulgence in everyday pleasures, for self-discipline, to develop God-consciousness, to develop self-control, to purify the body, and to empathize with the poor and hungry. Muslims describe a feeling of inner peace and tranquillity. This involves restraining anger, doing good deeds, exercising personal discipline, and preparing one to serve as a good Muslim and a good person. One of the greatest advantages of fasting is that its true observance inculcates in a person a habit of speaking the truth. Fasting is a powerful therapeutic process that can help people recover from mild to severe health conditions.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”S”,”given”:”Ahmad”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”K”,”given”:”Goel”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”KA”,”given”:”Maroof”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”P”,”given”:”Goel”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”09″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2012″]]},”title”:”Psycho-Social Behaviour and Health Benefits of Islamic Fasting During the Month of Ramadan”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”02″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=263b0784-0acd-37de-b1c8-2304b5bd7e1f”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(S et al., 2012)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(S et al., 2012)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(S et al., 2012)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(S et al., 2012). For this reason, I believe Christians and Muslims can find a common ground on giving to the poor in the Bible, which will make it easier to develop connections and spread the message.

A Shiite is someone who believes in Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law. The Shiite sect was founded by a political movement that supported Ali. A Sunni is a follower of Muhammad’s way of life. Sunnis account for 80 percent of Muslims. Shitte are distinguished by their pure white or pure black headdress. Sunnis shave their mustaches and wear a smaller headband. Sufis and scholars regard a Sufi as Islam’s inner, mystical, or psycho­spiritual dimension. Sufis interpreted various Qur’anic concepts as mystical interpretations. Every type of follower has their own set of beliefs. Despite the fact that all of the movements spawned political movements, being able to identify each individual is critical because they do not get along.

Conclusion

In the Islamic religion, the passage of time is significant. Muslims are born with a strong sense of discipline, despite the fact that traditions are common among Muslims. The Qur’an and the Five Pillars are inextricably linked. The Qur’an is Islam’s fundamental prayer, law, and way of life. Ramadan is significant in business because it is necessary to respect a worker’s or business investor’s religion. It is essential to pray five times a day and to respect others. Sports, like many other aspects of life, teach restraint and discipline. Self-discipline practice allows you to separate from certain desires as well as constrain and detach yourself from your needs, allowing you to achieve true independence. Without the unnecessary burdens and indulgent wants and needs of daily life, such as status, material, money, stress, and possessions, one can achieve true contentment, freedom, and, most importantly, simplicity. Fasting helps to sharpen and direct the mind’s focus, allowing us to remember the reason for our existence and restore balance in our lives.

REFERENCES

ADDIN Mendeley Bibliography CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Azizi, F. (2002). Research in Islamic fasting and health. In Annals of Saudi Medicine (Vol. 22, Issues 3–4, pp. 186–191). King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2002.186

Bellah, R. N., & Rappaport, R. A. (1999). Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 38(4), 569. https://doi.org/10.2307/1387619

Hossain, M. Z. (2012). Fasting in Islam : Its Excellence, Benefits and Use for Sustainable Development of the Society. Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 3(3), 184–190. https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC132217

Johnson, M. R. (2017). Gods in and of the machine: morality, divination and meaning in digital religion and games. Information, Communication & Society, 20(12), 1844–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1340970

Massoud, R., Sharifan, A., & Massoud, A. (2020). Religious Fasting; the Purgation of Soul and Body. Journal of Nutrition,Fasting and Health, 8(1), 17–22. http://eprints.mums.ac.ir/18097/

S, A., K, G., KA, M., & P, G. (2012). Psycho-Social Behaviour and Health Benefits of Islamic Fasting During the Month of Ramadan. Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education, 02(09). https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0711.1000178

Venegas-Borsellino, C., Sonikpreet, & Martindale, R. G. (2018). From Religion to Secularism: the Benefits of Fasting. In Current Nutrition Reports (Vol. 7, Issue 3, pp. 131–138). Current Science Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-018-0233-2

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The Concept, Origin and Spread of the Order of Illuminati

One of the most vexed issues in the present international world order is Illuminati. The concept of illuminism is fraught in much controversy, with people holding different views in respect of different aspects thereto. At the very heart of the controversies is the basis of the Order of the Illuminati; whether it is real conspiracy or a fictional belief; what it essentially entails; and the implication of membership thereto, if any. Deriving from this, several questions have arisen, with many uncertain answers by scholars, philosophers, and researchers alike. In light of the foregoing, the paper succinctly critiques the article, ‘a primer on the Illuminati’ by William McIlhany.

The subject of illuminati is no doubt a significant concern to a majority of people today. A cursory perusal over written articles, movies or fictional books on this subject portrays somewhat fierce conspiratorial order. Suffice to say, many attribute illuminati with inhumane acts coupled with manifestation of supernatural powers. Elsewhere, other commentators hold the view that Illuminati arose as an order with the germane aim of defying the existing religious, social and political orders and replacing them with their desires, and subsequently exercising control over the same (McIlhany, 31).

Summary and Evaluation

The article by William McIlhany on the subject of Illuminati attempts to offer response to the above conflicted questions. With much precision, William McIlhany in his informative article has placed much emphasis on unveiling the root of Illuminati, its central theme, its spread, reprisal thereto and the current situation. At the very onset of the paper, McIlhany remarks that since time immemorial, there have emerged many secret and conspiratorial movements. In the author’s perspective, these movements have often been driven by certain motives, with the key goals being inter alia gain absolute authority over the universe, dismantle existing governance arrangements and at last destroy religious orders (McIlhany, 31). This is akin to the position highlighted in the introductory section of the paper.

The central philosophy adopted by the author in respect to Illuminati is that it had originated as an association in the eighteenth century. As a consequence of destructive movements, McIlhany asserts that Illuminati arose in Bavaria, Germany, in pursuance of the instructions from Adam Weishaupt (McIlhany, 32). In this regard, the author holds that Weishaupt’s formation of the organizational structure of Illuminati was inspired by the desire to direct worldwide attack on religion and monarchy. Thus, on May 1, 1776 Weishaupt formally founded the order, in which it was referred to as ‘the Order of Illuminati’ (McIlhany, 32). Though the author gives the origin of the Order, the article does not however give a sound rationale behind the adoption of the name itself.

Following the formation of the Order of Illuminati, it is illustrated in the article it gained the membership of other persons, precisely clergymen and leaders of various institutions, inclusive of monarchs. With such membership, it became much easier to exercise authority and issue directives on how the Order of Illuminati was henceforth to be governed. Regarding its organization, McIlhany writes that its members were required to submit to the Order. In fact, McIlhany states that Weishaupt established spies wherein secret police would kill anyone who opted to reveal the secrets of the conspiracy (McIlhany, 34).

I am led to believe that the author has not fully brought out the issue regarding the membership of the Order of Illuminati satisfactorily. Precisely, it appears as though the membership was limited to clergymen and leaders. Even though it is reasonable to observe that such persons would have significantly contributed to the membership of the Order, other ordinary persons were as well included. Thus, the author should as well address their input in equal measure.

Critical to this critique, it is noted in the article that most loyal members of the Order enjoyed myriad sensual and material benefits. In the averments of the author, ‘the power of the Order must be turned to the advantages of its authors…money, services, honor, goods, and blood must be expected for the fully proved Brethren.’ Within the writings of the Order were included the system of operations. Some of the instructions included; fomenting hatred and bloodshed between the religious, racial and ethnic groups; entrenching hatred between children and parents; and instructions on the kind of buildings to be burned (p.34). Indeed the author remarks that with the above arrangement and benefits, the conspiratorial structure in Bavaria made great achievements. These pieces of information are indeed reliable, considering that the article provides specific dates when each material event took place.

The spread of the Order of Illuminati is traced to 1782 when its power and influence began to mushroom outside Bavaria (McIlhany, 34). Herein, it is indicated that Von Knigge was quite instrumental in persuading many German and French people to join the Order (McIlhany, 34). The upshot of this was that the whole of German freemansory become under the auspices of the Illuminati. Besides, as the French Revolution ensued, the Order of Illuminati had spread in France (McIlhany, 35). This trend spread to other parts of Europe and into the US. However, according to the author, the practice of the Order of Illuminati was met with much resistance. Its revival was nonetheless engineered by leaders such as Karl Bahrdt and Baron von Knigge (McIlhany, 36).

Response

While the preceding paragraphs sets out the summary and evaluation of the article in respect to the Order of Illuminati, it is important to observe that there are areas that I agree with the author. One of the aspects that I subscribe to is in respect to the roots of the Order of Illuminati. As the author puts it across, Illuminati emerged as an organizational conspiratorial structure established by Weishaupt. This position has been reaffirmed by several other scholars, philosophers and commentators (Gardiner, 167).

Even though it may not be said with highest degree of precision the concise chronological development of Illuminati, it suffices to attribute it to the conspiratorial movements evident during the eighteenth century. The writings of Adam Weishaupt were critical in designing appropriate instructions to oversee the management of the Order of Illuminati (Gardiner, 167). Thus, while one may loosely assert that Weishaupt might not have been the first developer of the conspiratorial, he was, however, very instrumental in its formation, growth and spread.

Conclusion

The study sought to determine the root origins of the conspiratorial of Illuminati. This is against the backdrop that Illuminati is one of the most vexed orders to understand in the present day. Thus, as highlighted in the preceding paragraphs, many people do not really understand the development, nature and spread of Illuminati. Nonetheless, the critical review has pointed out that Illuminati is a conspiratorial concept that emerged in the eighteenth century. The underlying rationale behind its formulation was the desire to challenge the existing orders by replacing them and exercising authority over the world.

Works Cited

Gardiner, Philip. Secret Societies: Gardiner’s Forbidden Knowledge: Revelations about the Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and the Serpent Cults. Red Wheel/Weiser, 2007.

McIlhany, William H. “A Primer on the Illuminati.” New American 25 (2009): 31-36.