Click here (NatGeo) to view a brief video depicting the Hajj, Islam's holiest annual pilgrimage, which is spoken about in the Quran, and which (in another form) predates the religion of Muhammad...
Why do new religions so often 'borrow' from earlier traditions? What potential frictions can this cause, especially concerning the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
2 comments:
As we've seen in class, the Abrahamic religions share very similar stories. We can easily see how each is related and how the predating iterations may have inspired each successive narrative. But each religion interprets the similar narratives in different ways, which will invariably lead to accusations of misinterpretation by the other. Off topic, but I'm very curious how the Hajj and bowing towards the Kaaba is justified with regard to Islam's anti-idolatry strictures.
John
Good question, John. I wonder whether the key distinction made by Muslims is between creaturely images (anthropomorphic or otherwise) versus certain objects (such as the Ka'aba and Arabic calligraphy). Is 'shirk' a function of animacy? I wonder...
pdk
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