The Qur’an
Words in action
Different traditions
There are over a billion Muslims in the world and they live in every corner of the globe. Although they share Islamic beliefs, their lives, cultures and traditions are very varied.
- In some Muslim societies, women’s lives are restricted and segregated from the mainstream; in others women become political leaders.
- Some countries practise executions by stoning, hanging or beheading; in other countries these punishments have not been used for centuries.
- Some Muslims believe the martyr Imam Ali intercedes with God on their behalf; others see this as saint worship and therefore blasphemous.
- In some mosques, men and women worship side by side; in others women are completely excluded.
- In some places, women go out in public without scarves or veils; in others they are covered from head to toe, with even their faces covered.
The Qur’an is written in classical Arabic, which is hard even for Arabic speakers to understand. Because of this most Muslims rely on a preacher to convey the message of the text, which they interpret with the help of the Hadith. But this need for interpretation gives imams and other preachers the power to put their own spin on the words.
