Christians in North America are often confused by the relationship between the religion of Islam and the ethnic identity of Muslims. This confusion comes in two forms. The first concerns the relationship between the religious Muslim and Arab ethnic components. The second concerns the depth to which religious Muslim identity has penetrated the ethnic identities of all Muslim groups of people.
If Christians want to understand their Muslim neighbors (locally and globally), love them as Christ commanded, and effectively spread the Gospel to them, then we need to be aware of how they understand themselves.
"Arab" and "Muslim"
The concepts “Arab” and “Muslim” are not synonymous. Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam. Arabs are an ethnic-linguistic group of people, most of whom are Muslims in religion, but there are also many who do not profess Islam. Their roots are in the Arabian Peninsula, but in the 7th and 8th centuries they burst into the world around them with impressive conquests that followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD. Over the course of 100 years, they moved west through North Africa and Spain, and reached the south of France. To the east, the Arabs conquered the Persian Empire and entered what is now Pakistan and Central Asia. They did this as followers of Islam, but also ethnically, linguistically and culturally as Arabs. From the beginning, these Muslim Arabs lived as a ruling minority throughout much of their empire. Most of the people they conquered spoke other languages (such as Aramaic, Coptic, Berber and Persian) and practiced other religions (Christianity in the west and Zoroastrianism in the east).
After some time, however, the dual processes of Islamization and Arabization began, which occurred in different regions in different ways and unevenly. Egypt, North Africa and the Aramaic-speaking Middle East became virtually entirely Arabic in language and Muslim in religion. In places like Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, significant minorities have clung to their historical Christian identities. Thus, today in each of these countries there are communities of people who are regarded ethnically and linguistically as Arabs, but are adherents of ancient Christian communities: the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in Palestine , Eastern and Syriac Orthodox Churches in Syria and Chaldean Catholic and Assyrian Orthodox Churches in Iraq. These groups found themselves caught between two fires in the clashes that plagued these countries in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Chaoyue PAN – Coptic Good Friday Mass
The historical Christian population in the Middle East has declined sharply in the past few decades as Christians have been killed or forced to flee. For example, a large proportion of the population of Palestine was historically Christian in the early 20th century, but Israel does not separate them from Palestinian Muslims, and many have fled their homelands. Likewise, the Assyrian and Chaldean believers of Iraq fled en masse from Saddam Hussein's regime. But since the regime was overthrown, they have again become a target, now for various Islamic groups, and many have had to flee. A significant percentage of the Arab population in the United States belongs to one of the ancient Eastern churches (hence they are not Muslims), and the Patriarch of the Assyrian Orthodox Church currently lives in Chicago.
On the other hand, many other peoples under Islamic rule became Muslims but never became Arabs. In the Middle East itself, the Persians (Iranians), Kurds and Turks are, for the most part, Muslims. But they do not consider themselves Arabs and do not speak Arabic. Moreover, most of the world's Muslim population lives in countries where Arabic is not spoken: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, among several others.
The majority of Muslims in the world are not linguistically or ethnically Arab.
Arab Center
And yet, the influence of Arabs on these non-Arab Muslims is enormous. The Koran was written in Arabic and only the Koran in its original language is regarded by true Muslims. The prayers that Muslims recite five times a day are recited in Arabic, and it does not matter whether the person praying understands this language or not. Hadith and all authoritative documents of Islamic law were written in Arabic. Muslims in Southeast Asia who do not know Arabic still give their children Arabic names. It is true that most of the communities living in the neighborhood of the Arab world (Turks, Persians, Kurds and Berbers) have something of a mixed love-hate feeling towards the Arabs, often expressing their superiority or hostility towards them. Until now, this influence is very strong, and the Muslim world is inextricably linked with the Arab world.
And here the second, widespread but erroneous idea plays a role. Residents of North America tend to regard religious identity as private and personal. It is true that we still think in stereotypes: Poles and Italians are typical Catholics, residents of the southern states of the United States are Protestants. Jewish families will sometimes abandon children who convert to Christianity. However, in general, religion is seen as a matter of choice, and this issue is kept away from public opinion. A person can have no religious identity and still be an American. In much of the Muslim world, however, the exact opposite view is considered correct. Islam is part of their ethnic identity. To be Turkish, Persian or Malaysian or a member of another Muslim group of people is to be a Muslim. You can try to stop being a Turk or a Persian, but not a former Muslim, from an Islamic point of view. As a Muslim, you don't even have to follow all the rules of your religion exactly, but you cannot leave Islam.
To join another religion is to commit ethnic and cultural treason, and it is to cut yourself off from the ties to your family and community that form the basis of your identity. This is one of the greatest challenges facing Christians who share the gospel with Muslims. Islam does not divide religion, culture and politics into different spheres, but views them as an indivisible whole. For this reason, evangelism and ministry to Muslims is regarded as a political and cultural provocation, as well as a religious threat.
Our answer
What should Christians do with this knowledge?
(1) Do not mistake every Arab you meet for a Muslim. They may be, but they may also be members of one of the ancient Middle Eastern Christian churches.
(2) Do not mistake every Muslim you meet for an Arab. Most Muslims are not Arabs and they will appreciate that you know and understand the difference.
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(3) Understand that for many Muslims, Islam is a religion that they practice using a language they do not know. And their commitment to it is based more on ethnic identity, cultural practices and family ties than on theological understanding.
(4) Realize the price Muslims must pay to follow Jesus. Not only do they face a high likelihood of external persecution, they also face feelings of familial, cultural and ethnic betrayal from those closest to them, causing a dramatic upheaval in their understanding of their own identity. Jesus must be exalted as something in highest degree valuable, for the price that is worth paying for it.
There are hundreds of peoples all over the world. They are all of different numbers, they all have their own special traditions, their own mentality. Many live in some kind of separate territory, such as, for example, the peoples of Russia or Africa. And what is the name of the country where the Arabs live?
Arab League
This people has a long history that dates back tens of centuries ago. Their ancestors lived in the Middle East and North Africa. Currently, nothing much has changed. The Arabs still live on their territory. There is a League of Arab States, which includes not one country where Arabs live, but several located exactly on this territory. The largest of them:
- Saudi Arabia.
- Egypt.
- Algeria.
- Libya.
- Sudan.
- Morocco.
This organization includes twenty-two states where Arabs live, whose total population exceeds 425 million people! By comparison, the population of the European Union is approximately 810 million. Not a very big gap, is it? Especially when you consider that Europe is home to a mixed population: different peoples and nationalities. And the Arabs are one people.
Ancient world
Arabs live not only in Africa and the Middle East. More precisely, the first ancestors of this group of peoples (and the Arabs are precisely a group of peoples) settled on
And the first Arab states began to appear in the second half of the second millennium BC. Moreover, even then it was believed that where the Arabs live, in what country, is not so important, the state will be one of the most developed. Before them Ancient Rome and the new Europe of dark times was still very far away.
Modernity
Now, in the twenty-first century, huge amount Representatives of this people are settled all over the world. For example, in South America In total, about 15 million 100 thousand people live. Specifically:
- in Brazil - 9 million people;
- in Argentina - 4.5 million people;
- in Venezuela - 1.5 million people.
In the aforementioned Europe, where Arabs live, there are more than six and a half million representatives of this nation. Most of them are in France: almost six million. Even in Asia there are a huge number of ethnic Arabs who are spread throughout the region.
Islam and Arabs
And, in general, this is not surprising. After all, around the beginning of the seventh century AD, the man who would later be called Prophet Muhammad by all Muslims began preaching the religion of Islam. On this basis, the state of the Caliphate was created.
100 years after its founding, it has already spread its borders from the shores of Spain to South-West Asia. The titular nation, to use modern terminology, of this state was Arab. Arabic was the official language and Islam was the predominant religion.
It was as a result of such political and religious transformations that Arabs appeared in Asia. But what is interesting: it is the Arab nation that makes up the majority of the population of such Asian countries where Arabs live, such as:
- Bahrain.
- Jordan and Iraq.
- Yemen.
- Qatar and
- Syria.
- Lebanon.
- Yemen.
The main religion of the Arabs is still Islam. In Syria, Egypt and Libya there are a considerable number of supporters of the Christian religion. But Islam is not a single religion. Its followers are divided into at least two directions: followers of the Islamic religion of the Sunni and Shiite persuasion.
The culture of this group of peoples is also quite interesting to study. It can be said that arab culture- almost one of the most ancient in the world. When the Crusades began to gather in Europe, the first thing they did was go to where the Arab peoples lived. They were already one of the developed countries then.
But the world does not stand still. There are constantly some kind of micro-resettlements of small peoples and nationalities. In addition, according to many authoritative scientists, humanity is now experiencing almost another So, who knows, perhaps in a couple of centuries the main place of residence of Arabs will not be the Middle East and as it is now, but Australia, Europe or North America. Who knows, anything can happen.
Berbers
Interestingly, the Berbers are a people related to the Arabs. This is a people whose representatives profess predominantly the Islamic religion. The approximate number of Berbers, if we take into account the whole world, is approximately 25 million people, the bulk of whom live in Algeria and Morocco: a total of about 20 million people - 10.7 million in Algeria and 9.2 million in Morocco. This people can be called one of the largest in the territory North Africa.
In the northern part of Morocco, where Arabs and Berbers live, the Amazirgs were founded, in the southern part - the Shillou, the Algerian Berbers - Kabyles, Tuaregs and Chaouyas. Tuaregs live in the territories of such countries as:
- Niger.
- Burkina Faso.
- Mali.
The Berbers themselves do not call themselves that. This name was given to them by Europeans when they heard their strange language. One can immediately draw an analogy with the barbarians, who faced approximately the same situation.
Where do the Berbers live?
Berbers speak both their national language, Arabic, and French. The question arises: how do Berbers know French? The answer is simple: Algeria and part of Morocco were until recently colonial possessions of France, and the country itself is home to more than 1.2 million representatives of the Berber people. And the Berber language itself is divided into many dialects spoken in different parts Sveta.
A considerable number of Berbers live in the Canary Islands (900 thousand) and in Libya (260 thousand). What is most surprising is that representatives of this people even live in Canada. About 10 thousand Berbers live in the United Kingdom.
Despite their kinship with the Arabs, the Berbers adhere to a different culture, which in some aspects is fundamentally different from the Arab one. But there are also a number of similarities. In general, the Berbers hold hospitality in high esteem. And the law of hospitality, as you know, is the main law of the East.
These people have different ideas about material values than Europeans. Berbers consider gold to be a devilish metal, unlike silver. Camels are valued much higher than gold. Yes, yes, camels. They are considered a sign of wealth and prosperity in the family.
A people is a group of people united by certain characteristics; there are more than 300 of them on Earth. There are numerous ones, for example the Chinese, and there are also small ones, for example, the Ginukh people, whose representation does not even reach 450 people.
The Arab people are the second largest group of people in the world, approximately 400 million people. Inhabited by the states of the Middle East and North Africa, but also in lately they actively emigrate to Europe due to wars and political conflicts. So what kind of people are they, what is their history, and are there countries where Arabs live?
Where did the Arab people come from?
The predecessors of the Arabs are the wild tribes of Africa and the Middle East. In general, the first mentions of them were found in various Babylonian writings. More specific instructions are found in the Bible. It is in it that in the 14th century BC. e. in Transjordan, and then in Palestine, the first pastoral tribes from the Arabian oases appeared. Of course, this is a rather controversial version, but in any case, scientists agree that it was in Arabia that this people originated, and from there the history of the Arabs began.
The vast majority of Arabs are Muslim (90%), and the remainder are Christian. In the 7th century, a previously unknown merchant Muhammad began to preach a new religion. After several years, the prophet created a community, and later a state - the Caliphate. This country began to rapidly expand its borders, and literally a hundred years later it stretched from Spain through North Africa and southwest Asia to the borders of India. Due to the fact that the Caliphate had a huge territory, the state language was actively spreading in the lands under its control, due to which the local population transferred to the culture and customs of the Arabs.
The widespread spread of Islam allowed the Caliphates to establish close contact with Christians, Jews, etc., which contributed to the formation of one of the greatest civilizations in the world. During its existence, many great works of art were created, and there was a rapid rise in science, including astronomy, medicine, geography and mathematics. But in the 10th century, the fall of the Caliphate (the state of the Arabs) began due to wars with the Mongols and Turks.
By the 16th century, Turkish subjects had conquered the entire Arab world, and this continued until the 19th century, when the British and French already dominated North Africa. It was only after World War II that all people, except the Palestinians, gained independence. They received freedom only towards the end of the 20th century.
We will look later at where the Arabs live today, but for now it is worth dwelling on the linguistic and cultural characteristics of this people.
Language and culture
Arabic, the official language of all countries in which this group of people lives, belongs to the Afroasiatic family. About 250 million people speak it, and another 50 million people use it as a second language. The writing is based on the Arabic alphabet, which has changed slightly over its long history. The language was constantly transformed. Arabic is now written from right to left and has no capital letters.
Along with the development of the people, culture also developed. It reached its peak during the Caliphate period. It is noteworthy that the Arabs based their culture on the basis of Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and others, and in general these people took a big step in the development of universal civilization. Studying the language and heritage will help you understand who the Arabs are and what their values are.
Science and literature
Arab science developed on the basis of ancient Greek, mostly in military affairs, since vast territories could not be captured and defended only with the help of human resources. At the same time, various schools were opened. There are also scientific centers thanks to the development of natural sciences. Great strides have been made in historical and geographical areas of research. Mathematics, medicine and astronomy received a big leap in development in the Caliphate.
Main literary work Arab world is the Koran. It is written in prose and serves as the basis of the religion of Islam. However, even before the appearance of this religious book, great written masterpieces were created. Mostly Arabs composed poetry. The themes varied, such as self-praise, love, and depiction of nature. Such world works were written in the Caliphate that were popular until today, these are: “A Thousand and One Nights”, “Maqamat”, “The Message of Forgiveness” and “The Book of Misers”.
Arabic architecture
Many pieces of art were created by the Arabs. On initial stage The influence of Roman and Byzantine traditions was felt, but over time their architecture takes on its own unique look. By the 10th century, a unique type of columnar mosque was created with a rectangular courtyard in the center, surrounded by numerous halls and galleries with graceful arcades. TO this type include the Amir Mosque in Cairo, where Arabs have lived for many hundreds of years.
From the 12th century, various letter and floral patterns began to gain popularity, which were used to decorate buildings both outside and inside. From the 13th century domes appeared. In the 15th century, the basis for the decoration of buildings was the Moorish style, an example of this direction is the Alhambra Castle in Granada. After the Turks conquered the Arab Caliphate, the architecture acquired Byzantine features, which affected the Mohammed Mosque in Cairo.
The status of women and religion in the Arab world
It is impossible to answer the question: who are the Arabs without studying the position of women in their world. Up until the mid-20th century, girls were at the lowest level in society. They did not have the right to vote, one might say, they were not considered people, but what is interesting is that the attitude towards mothers was always respectful. Now, especially in major cities, attitudes towards women have changed. Now they can attend schools, higher education educational institutions and even occupy high political and government positions. Polygamy, which is permitted in Islam, is not rapidly disappearing. It is rare now to meet a man who has more than two wives.
As for religion, of course, mostly Arabs profess Islam, about 90 percent. Also a small part are adherents of Christianity, most of them Protestants and a small part of Orthodox Christians. In ancient times, this people, like most ancient tribes, worshiped the stars, the sun and the sky. They revered and paid tribute to the most famous and influential ancestors. Only in the 7th century, when Muhammad began to preach, did the Arabs actively begin to convert to Islam, and are now generally considered Muslims.
Countries of the Arab world
There's enough in the world large number states where the Arab people live. Countries in which the overwhelming majority of the population are of this nationality can be considered their original ones. For them, their place of residence is mostly in Asian countries. The largest Arab representation is in the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia. Of course, Arabs still live in Africa and European countries.
Arab emigration
Throughout history, this nationality has moved throughout the world, much of it associated with the great civilization of the Caliphate. Now there is a much more active emigration of Arabs from Africa and the Middle East to Europe and America due to the unstable and threatening situation that has arisen as a result of military and political conflicts. Currently, Arab immigrants are common in the following territories: France, USA, Germany, Italy, Austria, etc. In Russia, at the moment Home to about 10 thousand migrants, this is one of the smallest representative offices.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE is a famous, influential and successful Arab state. This is a country in the Middle East, which is divided, in turn, into 7 emirates. The UAE is one of the most modern, advanced and rich countries in the world and is considered a leading oil exporter. It is thanks to this natural reserve that the Emirates is developing so quickly. Only in the 1970s did the country gain independence, and for this short time reached great heights. The most famous cities in the UAE are Abu Dhabi, the capital of the country, and Dubai.
Tourism in Dubai
Now United United Arab Emirates attract tourists from all over the world, but, of course, the center of attraction is Dubai.
This city has everything: any vacationer can satisfy their desires, even ski lovers will find a place here. Best beaches, shops and entertainment centers. The most famous object not only in Dubai, but throughout the UAE, is the Burj Khalifa. This is the tallest building in the world, reaching a height of 830 meters. Inside this massive structure are retail spaces, offices, apartments, hotels and much more.
The largest water park in the world is also located in Dubai. Thousands of different specimens of animals and fish live here. Entering the aquarium, you are immersed in the world of a fairy tale, you feel like an inhabitant of the sea world.
In this city, everything is always the biggest and biggest. The largest and most beautiful artificial archipelago “Mir” is located here. The outlines of the island copy the contours of our planet. The views from the top are magnificent, so it's worth taking a helicopter tour.
Thus, the Arab world is a fascinating history, culture and modern way of life. Everyone should get acquainted with the peculiarities of this people, go to the states where Arabs live for recreation and entertainment, because this is an amazing and unique phenomenon on planet Earth.