Comparison between Confucianism and Islam in terms of Knowledge of the Sacred

Résumé du document

Confucianism, the second major religion in China, is a religion that really caught my attention among all the religions studied in the comparative religion class. It is exceptional for the reason that it emphasizes on a single man, Confucius, who actually created a religious belief from Chinese values and practices. Actually, Confucianism is not a prophetic religion, and that is why I would like to compare it with my own religion, Islam. Islam, compared to Confucianism, is a very young and prophetic religion. Indeed, these two religions could be very interesting to compare. In this paper, I would like to examine how these two religions identify the knowledge of the Sacred. Let us begin by having a clear and concise idea about these religions before analyzing their perceptions of the knowledge of the sacred. First, Confucianism is the second major religion in China after Daoism, as stated before. It has emerged in about five hundred years BC. One can say that it characterizes the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. It was centered on Confucius, a holly man who was recognized as a moral teacher more than as an original thinker. "His teachings and writings dealt with individual morality and ethics, and the proper use of political power" . He emphasized on important values, such as love, honesty, loyalty and benevolence. The fact is that he had absolutely no idea about religion and the Sacred, and this is the reason why he was so famous for the way he interpreted what the Chinese believed.

Extraits

[...] To conclude, one can say that these two religions are opposed in terms of reaching the Sacred. Confucianism is a non-prophetic religion, transmitted mainly by teachings, where rites and rituals are important to believe and follow. Islam, on the other hand, originated from Prophet Mohammed, and its base is considered as the direct words of God. In fact, Mohammed, unlike Confucius, had the duty to spread this religion. Regarding similarities, as mentioned earlier, both religions have the same concerns about respect and love among people. [...]

[...] Comparison between Confucianism and Islam in terms of Knowledge of the Sacred Confucianism, the second major religion in China, is a religion that really caught my attention among all the religions studied in the comparative religion class. It is exceptional for the reason that it emphasizes on a single man, Confucius, who actually created a religious belief from Chinese values and practices. Actually, Confucianism is not a prophetic religion, and that is why I would like to compare it with my own religion, Islam. [...]

[...] Among the other features, as stated before, further principles concerning self-serenity are: “love among family members, [ ] righteousness, [ ] honesty and trustworthiness”[5], and so on. Moreover, the principle of Shu, which is included in the principle of Jen and represents the Golden rule in the negative, states: not do unto others what you do not want others do unto All of these illustrate the significance given to the relationships in general, and to the right way to behave in order to reach the divine. Actually, there is no direct proof telling Confucians what to do exactly to reach the Sacred. [...]

[...] In opposition to Confucianism, Islam has arisen from Mohammed, the last prophet. He received his prophetic message, at the age of forty, while he was in a cave mediating. Actually, this message was transmitted to him by Angel Gabriel, who asked him to read it. This is what has latter been the first Surat of the Holy book, the Koran. “Confucianism is not a religion in the sense of man worshiping a god or gods, but is mainly an ethical system dealing with getting along with one's fellow Meaning that there is no God in Confucianism, and that it is more a code of conduct than anything else. [...]

[...] An example could be Surat Al- Ikhlass, which can be considered as a summary of what/who God is. In this latter, it is said: Say: He is Allah, The One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteh not, Nor is He begotten And there is none Like unto Him. (Surat Al-Ikhlass) In this Surat, the uniqueness of God is clearly affirmed. God is absolute and eternal. It has not been born and has not given birth. Moreover, no one can be similar to Him. [...]