Slavery in Antebellum America. Specifically, Term Paper

They are also very active in translating the Qur'an into many other languages, and creating community support including hospitals, and even institutions of higher learning.

The Sunnis also have a problem with the Ahmadi belief that Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the religion, was the prophet that Muhammad said would could back to Earth to lead his people. Ahmad declared himself the prophet, and the Sunnis feel this is another negative aspect of the Ahmadi sect, because they do not believe the prophet has returned, yet. Perhaps even more telling are some Ahmadi customs that ban their women from marrying Sunnis, and ban them from worship when a Sunni is leading the prayers. This drives a wedge between both sects and keeps them apart in ideals and in faith. Ahmadis believe they are totally within the bounds of Islam, while Sunnis think they are not.

There is another way Ahmadis have had an important impact on the faith, especially here in America. They do not believe in jihad, and they are vocal about his belief. Authors Haddad and Smith continue, "One of the ways in which Ahmadis have felt that their movement provided a reform for an Islam gone astray is in their rejection of jihad in its most aggressive interpretation, that of holy war" (Haddad and Smith 58). Many other sects condone and even encourage jihad against "infidels" such as the United States. The Ahmadis preach a more positive gospel, and those who support jihad do not agree with their beliefs.

The Ahmadis may be more responsible for spreading the Muslim religion in America than any other sect. They actively recruit new members, and many black Americans joined the movement.Haddad and Smith state, "The Ahmadis remained the Muslim group most appealing to African-Americans until the rise of the Nation of Islam in the 1930s" (Haddad and Smith 62). Today, there are thousands of Ahmadis in America, and they continue to try to add converts to their religion. They have an impact on America because they show a positive side of the Muslim faith that many people simply did not know existed. Ahmadis encourage their wives and daughters to gain an education, they believe in sharing the Muslim faith with others, and they positively affect their communities by provided social services such as schools and hospitals. They also preach tolerance among all the world's religions. They are a positive and interesting representative of the Muslim faith, and studying their beliefs is both uplifting and enlightening.

In conclusion, many slaves in the South practiced the Muslim religion even after they were brought to America, and they suffered because of it. Their lives were harder and many had to face diet difficulties and persecution from their masters. They also had to face constant pressure to convert to Christianity from their masters and from Christian slaves, who were a majority in the area. However, they survived, and the Muslim religion grew and prospered in America, as it does today.

References

Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, and Lane Idleman Smith. Mission to America: Five Islamic Sectarian Communities in North America. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1993.

Owens, Leslie Howard. This Species of Property: Slave Life and Culture in the Old South. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Smith, Jane I. Islam in America. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

Waugh, Earle H., Baha….....