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Huda Abdulkadir
Professor Fielding
WRTC 103
28 January 2016
The Impact of Religion
Being a part of any group is something special. It gives people a chance to be
associated with other individuals who share a common interest. Group membership
allows a person to highly interact in their community in many positive ways. These ways
can include support, meeting new people, or developing into a respectful human being.
Out of the numerous groups that I have been a part of in my lifetime, the one that I value
the most is following the religion of Islam because it changed my perception on how I
view questionable concepts that occur in this world, such as the basic question of life
being meaningful or not.
By definition, Islam is a major world religion promulgated by the Prophet
Muhammad (Britannica Academic). The religion was taught by Prophet Muhammad to a
small group of followers and it spread rapidly through the Middle East to Africa, Europe,
India, and China. There are a few basic principles of this religion. The founding
principles of the religion are revolved around the belief of the Five Pillars of Islam.
There are five acts that are considered mandatory for believers to follow. These acts are
the foundation of the Muslim life. The founding principles of the religion are revolved
around the belief of the Five Pillars of Islam. These acts are the foundation of the

Muslim life. The five pillars of Islam are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving Zakat,
fasting the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca (Espito).
Although there are Five Main Pillars that a Muslim must follow, one should also
believe in other basic beliefs. To be a Muslim, one should: believe that the Quran is the
literal word of God, believe that the Judgment Day is true and will come, believe in the
prophets that God sent, and in His angels, accept Islam as his/her religion, not worship
anything nor anyone except God (Dawood). It is fairly easy to convert to this community.
The only requirement is saying a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Islam Religion).
After testifying, one should follow the Pillars of Islam and other basic requirements.
There are many reasons why I am a part of this group. The first one is that the
majority of my ancestors are Muslim. I grew up practicing this religion, which is why it
means a lot to me. Being Muslim has impacted my life in so many ways. It gives me a
close connection to god and helps me add meaning to my life. My close relation to god
through the religion of Islam has given me a broad perspective of why I am put onto this
world and how to live my life as a decent human being. Another reason why I am a part
of Islam is because I believe that we are put on this earth as a test. If I successfully pass
the test and follow the principles of Islam, I trust that I will make it to Heaven after I
pass away. From what I have learned about Heaven, it is worth following some basic
principles in order to have an extraordinary afterlife.
I have had numerous of wonderful experiences as a Muslim. However, I have also
faced a lot of struggles in my lifetime. A particular incident occurred when I was about
eight years old. With fasting being a part of the 5 basic pillars of Islam, my first

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experience with fasting was a memorable one. I started to fast when I was eight years old.
I was in third grade and Ramadan was during the school year. While I was at school, I
had to abstain myself from eating or drinking. At the same time, I proceeded to follow the
normal school day. It was hard to not eat or drink; especially when it was lunchtime and I
had to sit and watch the other kids eat their lunch. Some would ask, Why arent you
eating anything? I would sometimes lie and say that I was not hungry. As a child, I did
not fully understand the concept of fasting. I always wondered why it was important.
They only reason why I chose to do it was because my entire family did it. However,
after a couple years of fasting, I finally understood. It made me realize that I should not
take life for granted and that I am lucky for the life god gave me. There are many
individuals in this world that suffer from hunger while I have unlimited amounts of food
and a roof over my head. Fasting became easier each year, and I found ways to work
around my hunger while I continue my daily activities.
Even though I have faced many personal experiences with the religion, there are
many worldwide questionable elements that occur. There are many perceptions towards
the religion of Islam. The first one is the perception of Islam being oppressive toward
women (PBS). This is because many think that there are unreasonable restrictions
towards them, such as wearing a headscarf. The second one is the perception that Islam is
violent. There are many people who associate Islam with terrorism (PBS). This especially
occurred after the 9/11 incidents. The third perception is that Muslims are all foreigners
who cannot adapt to Western societies (PBS). There are about 6 million Muslims in the
United States and currently, Islam is the fastest growing religion. Many of them adapted
to the western cultures easily.

Being a part of such a peaceful religion has given me a sense of relief about this
struggled world. This religion has affected me in many different ways. I find that my
kindness has come from being Muslim. Although I am not perfect, I believe that overall, I
am a good person. Even though not everyone in this world is Muslim, being Muslim has
made me respect other religions. Islam ties with many religions such as Christianity and
Judaism. There are many beliefs that are the same. However, it is also different in many
ways. The only thing I can do is pray that the good human beings are guided towards the
right path. In the end, we are all the same and deserve to have a great afterlife if are good
people.

This is a selfie of my best friend and I. It

was taken on July 25, 2015 at 7:45 pm. We
are both wearing a hijab (the traditional
headscarf worn by Islamic women).

Works Cited
"Islam." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica Academic. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc
2016. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
Esposito, John L. "Islam." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. Ed. Thomas
Riggs. Vol. 1: Religions and Denominations. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 349-379. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
Dawood, Abu. "You Are Here: Islam Guide Home Chapter 3, General Information on
Islam What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?" Islam Guide: What Are the Five
Pillars of Islam? N.p., 2002. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
"Common Western Perceptions about Islam and the Middle East." PBS. PBS, 2002. Web.
31 Jan. 2016.
"How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim." The Religion of Islam.
Islamreligion.com, 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.