9781422281116

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I slam is the youngest of the major world religions, but it is also the fastest growing: in many areas of the world, including Europe and the United States, the number of Muslims is increas- ing rapidly. In this global context, Muslims exhibit as many differ- ences among themselves as do Christians. Different groups of Muslims express and practice their beliefs in different ways. Muslims do, however, hold some common beliefs and consider themselves a worldwide community ( umma ) unified in devotion to Allah. (Allah is the Arabic word for God.) Regardless of where they live, Muslims share a faith in a single God and revere their holy text, the Qur’an. They also take very seriously both their moral responsi- bility and their accountability before God, and they believe their faith should inform all areas of life. The belief that religion cannot be separated from any other part of life was an important part of the teachings of the prophet Defining Islamic Fundamentalism Opposite: Broadly speaking, Islamic fundamentalists advocate a return to their religion’s seventh-century roots, and they want Islam to be the organizing principle for all aspects of life, including politics, law, and social relations. Beyond these and a few other shared goals, however, the character of Islamic fundamentalism tends to vary by region and culture.

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