Is Islam a Universalizing Religion? Exploring its Global Reach and Influence

Universalizing religions are belief systems that aspire to be relevant and applicable to all people, irrespective of their cultural background or geographical location. These religions actively promote the spread of their faith, focusing on universal principles that resonate across diverse societies. Islam, alongside Christianity and Buddhism, is considered a universalizing religion due to its global reach, missionary efforts, and adaptable nature.

Defining Universalizing Religions

Universalizing religions share several key characteristics. They actively seek new members, welcoming individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds who wish to adopt their belief system. These religions often employ missionaries to spread their beliefs and practices to new areas and cultures. A central religious text or doctrine outlines their beliefs and teachings, providing a framework for followers to adhere to. Universalizing religions can adapt to local customs while maintaining core beliefs, allowing them to resonate with diverse populations. They often emphasize a sense of community and belonging among their followers, fostering loyalty and growth. The spread of universalizing religions has significantly influenced cultural landscapes worldwide, shaping societies, values, and social norms.

In contrast to universalizing religions, ethnic religions are typically confined to specific ethnic groups and do not actively seek converts. Ethnic religions often act like a folk culture, expanding via relocation diffusion and increasing through birth rates. They relate closely to culture, ethnic heritage, and the physical geography of a particular place, appealing only to one group, perhaps in one locale or within one ethnicity.

Islam: A Universal Faith

Islam, meaning "submission to the will of God" in Arabic, is the second-largest universalizing religion with over 1.5 billion adherents. Muslims, "one who surrenders to God," believe in the oneness and uniqueness of God (Allah) and that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith revealed through earlier prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Islam traces its story through Abraham’s second wife and son, Hagar and Ishmael. The Quran, considered the verbatim word of God and the unaltered, final revelation, serves as the pre-eminent holy text. Alongside the Quran, Muslims also believe in previous revelations, such as the Tawrat (the Torah), the Zabur (Psalms), and the Injil (Gospel). Muhammad is considered the main and final of God's prophets, through whom the religion was completed. The teachings and normative examples of Muhammad, called the Sunnah, documented in accounts called the hadith, provide a constitutional model for Muslims.

The core beliefs of Islam include belief in an afterlife (akhirah) with the Last Judgment-wherein the righteous will be rewarded in paradise (jannah) and the unrighteous will be punished in hell (jahannam). The Five Pillars, considered obligatory acts of worship, are the Islamic oath and creed (shahada), daily prayers (salah), almsgiving (zakat), fasting (sawm) in the month of Ramadan, and a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca. Islamic law, sharia, touches on virtually every aspect of life, from banking and finance and welfare to men's and women's roles and the environment. The two main religious festivals are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Read also: A Guide to Understanding Islam

Origins and Expansion

The religion of Islam originated in Mecca c. 610 CE, when Muslims believe Muhammad received his first revelation. By the time of his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. Muslim rule expanded outside Arabia under the Rashidun Caliphate and the subsequent Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from the Iberian Peninsula to the Indus Valley. During the Islamic Golden Age, specifically during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Muslim world experienced a scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing.

Sunni and Shia Islam

The two main Islamic branches are Sunni Islam (85-90%) and Shia Islam (10-15%). The Shia-Sunni divide initially arose from disagreements over the succession to Muhammad, but grew to cover a broader dimension, both theologically and juridically. The Sunni canonical hadith collection consists of the six books, while the Shia canonical hadith collection consists of the four books.

Global Distribution

Muslims make up a majority of the population in 53 countries. Approximately 12% of the world's Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia; 20% live in the Middle East-North Africa; and 15% live in sub-Saharan Africa. Muslim communities are also present in the Americas, China, and Europe. Muslims are the world's fastest-growing major religious group, according to Pew Research.

The Universal Appeal of Islam

Several factors contribute to Islam's universal appeal:

Core Principles

Islam emphasizes the oneness of God, compassion, justice, and the importance of family and community. These principles resonate across cultures and provide a framework for ethical living that appeals to people from diverse backgrounds. The universality of Islam is evident in the six articles of faith. Allah mentioned in the first article of faith is the Creator of Universe and is understood to be a “non-denominational” God. He has created everything and under his attributes of Most Gracious, provides resources for every creature without asking and before they were created. Under His attribute of Most Merciful, he rewards every creature for their efforts. These attributes are applicable even to people who don’t believe in Him. The fact that a Muslim believes in all the prophets of Allah provides a basis of universality. Such a belief leads to understanding other people’s spirituality, it creates respect for founder of other’s faiths and thus it helps to create a respect and honor for all prophets. Similarly, belief in all his previously revealed books is another powerful tool of spirituality.

Adaptability

Islam has demonstrated the ability to adapt to local customs and traditions while maintaining its core beliefs. This adaptability has allowed Islam to spread and thrive in diverse cultural contexts, from Southeast Asia to Africa to Europe.

Missionary Efforts

From the time of Muhammad, Islam has been spread through both expansion and relocation diffusion. The Noble Prophet (S) had dispatched several letters to Persian, Byzantine, Roman, Egyptian, and Abyssinian rulers as well as to several other tribal leaders, in order to invite them towards the Divine religion. Muslim traders, scholars, and missionaries have played a crucial role in spreading the faith to new regions, often integrating Islamic practices into existing social structures.

Emphasis on Education and Knowledge

Islam places a strong emphasis on education and the pursuit of knowledge. This has led to the establishment of educational institutions and centers of learning throughout the Muslim world, attracting scholars and students from diverse backgrounds.

Social Justice

Islam promotes social justice, equality, and the welfare of the poor and needy. The concept of Zakat, a mandatory form of almsgiving, helps to redistribute wealth and provide support for those in need.

The Quran and Universal Guidance

Throughout the Qur’an mankind has been addressed as:’ O people, or as: O children of Adam’ and has referred to the guidance of all human beings (nas and ‘alamin). The Qur’an also indicates the universality of the Prophet of Islam (S) for all men and invites all who are aware of him to follow his way. From another standpoint, the followers of other religions are regarded and addressed as the People of the Book, and the prophecy of the Prophet of Islam is also proven to them. Moreover, the purpose of the dissension of the Noble Qur’an upon the Prophet is considered as the victory and mastery of Islam upon other religions. The mentioned verses through the utilization of common phrases establish the universality of Islam. Furthermore, it proves the seal of prophecy upon the Prophet of Islam (which will be discussed independently in our future lessons), and nullifies any possibility of the abrogation of Islam through any other Prophet or sacred law. Furthermore verse 69 of chapter al-Mai’dah, in the Holy Qur’an, after characterizing the Jews, Christians and the people of the Sabbath, regards righteous acts as the criterion for felicity and not the acceptance of Islam.

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Diffusion of Islam

Religions spread over time through a process called diffusion. There are two methods of diffusion: expansion and relocation. In expansion diffusion, beliefs of a religion transmit by direct contact between believers and nonbelievers. This contact causes the number of believers to increase over time either by direct contact between believers and nonbelievers (contagious diffusion) or by conversion of nonbelievers by missionaries (hierarchical diffusion). Relocation diffusion happens when a group of believers moves to a new location, where they then spread the teachings of a religion that are often not yet widely known or practiced in the region.

Islam spread mostly through contagious diffusion by military conquest into North Africa and Western Europe and through Arab traders traveling to Indonesia.

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