Research Paper on:
Arguing Against Islamic Beliefs

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
were granted to him by God via the archangel Gabriel as an intermediary. Due to these revelations, Muhammad repudiated the polytheistic paganism of his fellow Arabs and began a system  of religious belief that is known today as Islam. From its birthplace in Arabia, this new religion spread across the Byzantine and Persian Empires, across North African and into Europe,  where Muslims ruled Spain and a great deal of the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages (Esposito 12). While Islam was a considerable improvement, both morally and culturally, over the belief  systems that it usurped in Arab cultures of the Middle East and Northern Africa, an examination of modern Islamic beliefs demonstrates that this religion has failed to progress from many  of the concepts that fitted well with the thinking during the twelfth century, but have failed to evolve to meet the paradigms held by the modern societies. This point can  be seen by looking specifically at several representative Islamic beliefs. A deeply held Islamic belief is the Hajj, which refers to an obligatory pilgrimage to the Mohammeds home city  of Mecca (Lampman 18). The pilgrimage only has to be completed one time, but it is not optional. All Muslims are expected to make this pilgrimage at least once in  their lifetime. Presumably this requirement is for the spiritual edification of the Islamic adherent. During the ten days of rites that accompany the Hajj, pilgrims wear the same simple garments  to symbolize that all people are equal before God (Lampman 18). This suggests that the Hajj is a purely spiritual experience. Yet, many would argue that a spiritual experience  cannot be mandated. To experience something on a spiritual level requires that pilgrims not only journey physically, but also embark on an inward journey. Spiritual enlightenment is not something