Muslim perspectives: What happened?

The only reason that the Islamic empire rose was because everybody was devout to Allah. Once they lost their eman and became more interested in other things, God didn't help them anymore. Until today, God is not helping us Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan and Somalia because not everybody is devout.

What do we learn from that?

Well, as a first, we should put our cultural differences aside and we should refer to us ALL as Muslims. It shouldn't matter if I am Egyptian and you are Lebanese (example). Then, we should get our connections with Allah straight by following the five pillars. (Proclaimation, Prayer, Zakat, Ramadan, and Hajj). Finally, we should begin concentrating on our studies. Do you notice Arabic media? Arabic media is conveying dancing and singing while it should be conveying better programs like current things going on in the world like News, Science, math, etc. Then, I guarentee you that Islam will rise once again. =)

In my very basic philosophy class, this is what I have learned. Europe adapted the philosophy of the Greeks, Aristotle's analysis was most important to the advent of universities. As universities became more developed, better technology emerged because many people could go there and become cultivated and learned in lots of different fields. The Muslim world tried to encompass their Islamic tradition and Greek philosophy but they couldn't. They were unsuccessful in merging these two traditions unlike Europe, and from 1600+ Europe surpassed the Muslim world in terms of science and technology.

Islam in all its forms is a religion that cant and will not tolerate any idea that seems to go against their beliefs.

This intolerance has increased rather than decreased over the years.

Islam is at the point now that it either has to change very drasticaly if it wants to survive. Islomic factions are at war with each other. Muslims are killing muslims in large numbers. I think islam is its worst enemy and will bring it all down.

If islam does not make a drastic change then the rest of the world will have no other choice than to openly declare war on all muslims.

Like all major religions of the world Islam too has a rich and impressive cultural and intellectual background. It still has a large multitude of scholars and scientists who are contributing wonderfully to the comfortable lives that we all are leading. It is the point that even Bush and Blair are repeatedly trying to make - Terrorism has no religion and Terrorists are not ardent followers - they are lazy people who search for short-cuts in life and to God also. These people are misled by greedy and opportunistic half-baked religious leaders giving the religion a bad name.

Don't we all know very pleasant mannered, well-meaning, intellectual, and God fearing Muslims amongst our social circles and the society. We have one such for our President and we are very proud of him. It is We who should be reminded of the real face of Islam (what you already mention in your question as history and the point that I am trying to make) and NOT BELIEVE when someone says something has happened to the religion itself.

It think what happened was some liberal movements in Islam that eschew the practice of Islamic science, arguing that science should be considered separate from religion. (no Hadith)

The Islamic terrorists we know today are extremists who don't favor the words of Hadith.

Hadith contains all the best of the best

Easy question. Saddam happened in Iraq. He spread fear and isolationism in his country to control the money from the oil.

The Iraqis still cherish education, but during the Saddam times, no one was allowed to enter or leave Iraq.

We stopped following the Quran and hadith and sunna.

We need to do that again and we will be back better than ever in just a few years.

I guess they prefered to to blow up things than seek knoledge.