socilogy

1. THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION
Chapter Eight
Lecturer : Khalid . M. Abdullah
MPH ,BMS,

2. Learning Objectives
After completing this topic, students will be able to
• Define religion
• Describe the religious diversities that exist in the world;
• Appreciate the role and functions of religion in society; and
• Appreciate the relation between religion and health.
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3. What is the Anthropology of Religion?
The anthropology of religion is a specialized field of study within social/ cultural anthropology.
From the very beginning, one of the main subject areas for anthropology has been religious
beliefs, practices, and institution of the non-western world. Like kinship, religion is a very
dominant organizing principle of human society; and it is inextricably linked to, and affects,
Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology 149 economy, politics, kinship, family, marriage,
language, medicine, etc.
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4. Definition of Religion
• Anthropologists and sociologists have attempted to define religion in
various ways. Generally, religion is defined as that aspect of culture
which relates man with the sacral and the supernatural
• Religion is a socio-cultural system of particular behaviors and
practices, morals, worldviews, texts, sacred places, prophecies, or
organizations, linking humanity to the superstitious elements of
nature,
3

5. Types and Functions of Religion
Anthropologists generally classify religion into two categories.
These are :
1. the ''world'' or global religions
2. the religions of pre-literate or traditional societies
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6. The classification is based on, among
other things
• Number of adherents;
• Presence or absence of “holy”, sacred texts;
• Organized structure and finer teaching of theology;
• Attempt in spreading faith to others, either in the
form of proselytizing or other mechanisms; and
• The positive and negative impact the religions have
had in the history, economy, politics, art, science,
and technology, including medicine; in short, the
religion's global impacts.
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7. The four roles of religion
• Religion provides explanation about our world and the universe
• Religion serves as an expression of collective life
• Religion serves as a means of validating society and its norms
• Religion serves as a force for protest and sociocultural change
6

8. Islam religious
Religion is the strong pillar and refuge for man from the
worries and difficulties of life. It gives comfort, tranquility and
happiness
7
The word “Islam” means peace and submission to the will of Allah

9. The definition of the Islamic religion idiomatically contains
four basic
1) First the source, which is God
(
‫ا‬ً‫ج‬ َ‫و‬ِ‫ع‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬‫ج‬َ‫ي‬ ‫م‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫تاب‬ِ‫ك‬‫ال‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫د‬‫ب‬َ‫ع‬ ‫لى‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫ل‬ َ‫نز‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ذي‬َّ‫ال‬ ِ‫ه‬‫ـ‬َّ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ ُ‫د‬‫م‬َ‫ح‬‫ال‬
)
2) Secondly, revelation
(
ْ‫س‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫يم‬ِ‫ه‬‫ا‬ َ‫ْر‬‫ب‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫و‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫د‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ب‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ِّين‬ِ‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬َّ‫ن‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ ٍ‫وح‬ُ‫ن‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫ك‬ َ‫ْك‬‫ي‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
َ‫م‬
‫ي‬ِ‫ع‬‫ا‬
ْ‫ي‬َ‫ل‬ُ‫س‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫َار‬‫ه‬ َ‫و‬ َ
‫س‬ُ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ُّوب‬‫ي‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ى‬َ‫س‬‫ي‬ِ‫ع‬ َ‫و‬ ِ‫اط‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫س‬َ ْ
‫اْل‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫وب‬ُ‫ق‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ي‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫اق‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫س‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ل‬
َ‫د‬‫و‬ ُ‫او‬َ‫د‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ت‬‫آ‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ان‬َ‫م‬
‫ا‬ً‫ور‬ُ‫ب‬ َ‫ز‬
)
3) Third inspired Holy Qura’an
(
‫ا‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫ن‬َ‫م‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ى‬ َ‫ر‬ُ‫ق‬ْ‫ال‬ َّ‫م‬ُ‫أ‬ َ‫ِر‬‫ذ‬‫ن‬ُ‫ت‬ِِّ‫ل‬ ‫ًّا‬‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬َ‫ع‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ن‬‫آ‬ ْ‫ر‬ُ‫ق‬ َ‫ْك‬‫ي‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ك‬
)
4) prophet Muhammad
ْ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ِ‫ب‬ َ‫ي‬ ِ‫وح‬ُ‫ي‬َ‫ف‬ ً
‫وَّل‬ُ‫س‬ َ‫ر‬ َ‫ل‬ِ‫س‬ ْ‫ر‬ُ‫ي‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ٍ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫ج‬ ِ‫ح‬ ِ‫اء‬ َ‫ر‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ي‬ْ‫ح‬ َ‫و‬ َّ
‫َّل‬ِ‫إ‬ ُ‫ه‬‫ـ‬َّ‫الل‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫م‬ِِّ‫ل‬َ‫ك‬ُ‫ي‬ ‫ن‬َ‫أ‬ ٍ
‫َر‬‫ش‬َ‫ب‬ِ‫ل‬ َ‫ان‬َ‫ك‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ َ‫و‬
ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ن‬
َ‫م‬
‫يم‬ِ‫ك‬َ‫ح‬ ٌّ‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ُ‫ه‬َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ُ‫ء‬‫َا‬‫ش‬َ‫ي‬ ‫ا‬
*
ِ
‫ر‬ْ‫م‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫ن‬ِِّ‫م‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ح‬‫و‬ُ‫ر‬ َ‫ْك‬‫ي‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ك‬ َ‫و‬
‫ي‬ ِ
‫ر‬ْ‫د‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫نت‬ُ‫ك‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬
ِ‫إ‬ ‫ِي‬‫د‬ْ‫ه‬َ‫ت‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ِ‫د‬‫ا‬َ‫ب‬ِ‫ع‬ ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ُ‫ء‬‫َا‬‫ش‬َّ‫ن‬ ‫ن‬َ‫م‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ب‬ ‫ِي‬‫د‬ْ‫ه‬َّ‫ن‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ور‬ُ‫ن‬ ُ‫ه‬‫َا‬‫ن‬ْ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ج‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫ك‬‫ـ‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫و‬ ُ‫ان‬َ‫م‬‫ي‬ِ ْ
‫اْل‬ َ
‫َّل‬ َ‫و‬ ُ‫اب‬َ‫ت‬ِ‫ك‬ْ‫ال‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬
َ‫ل‬
ِ
‫ص‬ ‫ى‬
ٍ‫يم‬ِ‫ق‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫س‬ُّ‫م‬ ٍ‫اط‬ َ‫ر‬
*
َ ْ
‫ال‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ َ‫و‬ ِ‫ت‬‫ا‬ َ‫او‬َ‫م‬َّ‫س‬‫ال‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ِي‬‫ذ‬َّ‫ال‬ ِ‫ه‬‫ـ‬َّ‫الل‬ ِ‫اط‬ َ‫ر‬ ِ
‫ص‬
َ
‫َّل‬َ‫أ‬ ِ
‫ض‬ ْ‫ر‬
ُ‫ور‬ُ‫م‬ُ ْ
‫ال‬ ُ‫ير‬ ِ
‫ص‬َ‫ت‬ ِ‫ه‬‫ـ‬َّ‫الل‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬
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10. The Qur’an. The Qur’an advises Muslims on their religious duties, including the Five Pillars of Islam, or
religious obligations, including confession of faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.
Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad as an exemplar and they try to emulate his deeds in their own lives
by following his traditions and the Qur’anic instructions. Such teachings have historically influenced attitudes
and practices toward different aspects of life including birth, illness, and death and dying, as well as the
development of political, social and economic structures. These factors often impact policies on health care
and shape Muslim sub-communities’ attitudes about receiving medical treatment from the larger non-Muslim
society.
Cont.….
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11. Pre-Modern Medicine in Islamic Experience
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There are no specific codes for medical treatment of physical illnesses in the Qur’an. In Islamic tradition the
difference between health and illness was, and still is, perceived as balance and imbalance or the Humoral
Theory. Muslims have historically sought the Qur’an as a healing source in times of psychological and spiritual
distress. When experiencing physical illness, Muslims have also been open to the rituals and medicinal
practices of different traditions, including those of non-Muslims. The following sayings of the Prophet are used
to encourage patients to seek proper treatments in time of illness:
“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its remedy.” Volume 7, Book
71, Number 58

12. Modern Period
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One of the most significant changes in Islamic history occurred toward the end of the Ottoman period. During this
transition the previously united Islamic world was fragmented into many newly independent Muslim countries due
to the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the expansion of Western colonialism.
While European medical practices were strong influences in early modern Muslim societies, it should also be noted
that the sciences in Europe did not arise in a vacuum. Rather, they were historically based upon the Greco-Arabic
medicinal sciences.