Unit 9 Project: Religious And Social Dimensions Of Religion

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Unit 9 Project
Name
Institution

Unit 9 Project. The term religion is derived from Latin word religio which means awe or fear in the presence of a supernatural being or God. In Indo European language, the root word lig, or leg in the term religion means “to be concerned”. This root has a connection with the Greek word alegein which means “to pay homage”. Religion has therefore to do with concern and paying heed to. (Mugambi, 2010). According to the New Webster’s concise Dictionary, Religion is a belief in a divine or superhuman power or principle, the manifestation of such a belief in worship and ritual, any system of religious faith or practice, the religious life and a bond which binds the visible and invisible worlds.
Religion
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The social shape for a religion is determined by the religious and ethical ideas that it harbors. The social dimension can also be described as the mode in which religion is institutionalized whereby through its institutions and teachings, it affects the community in which it finds itself. How a religion is represented in tangible form through rock painting, sculpture, shrines, buildings and so on explains the material dimension of religion. The material expression of religion is important to the believers in their approach to divine.
The group I visited practices the Islam religion. Islam as a religion is monotheistic and was started to clean and purify the Arabian religious heritage which practiced polytheism and human sacrifices. Islam religion qualifies to be a religion as it possesses the various dimensions and elements of religion. The core beliefs of Islam are Belief in Allah, belief in Prophets, belief in angels, belief in judgment day and belief in holy books. Muslims believe there is only one Almighty God, Allah. This belief is known as the Tawhid’. A follower’s relationship with Allah is a servant. They also believe in the existence of angels. Angels were created by Allah as His servants and are His messengers as they take His revelation to the prophets. Angels obey Allah because of their nature. (Islam Beliefs and
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Ethics can also be defined as a branch of study that deals with what is proper cause of action for any man or woman. Ethics in Islam are fundamental. According to the Muslims, whatever benefits an individual or leads to the welfare of the society at large is morally good while anything that brings harm to the individual or society is morally bad. Islam encourages morality and does not allow corruption and other immoral things. Muslims are encouraged to be humble with God and fellow human beings. Muslims apply their ethics in their everyday life from greetings to how they conduct themselves. Muslims should not only stay away from evil and vice but should also forbid them. They should always let morality reign over selfish desires, bad habits and vanity. Muslims must be morally healthy and also play a part in ensuring the moral health of the society. (Latif,

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