There are almost two billion Muslims worldwide, as Islam is the world’s second most widespread religion after Christianity. Scientists date its emergence back to the 7th century. It all started in Mecca during the life years of Muhammad. Muslims believe he was the last prophet from God who came to reveal Islam to humanity.
This selection of Islamic topics for assignment features the best debatable issues and trending problems related to Islam. You will find something exciting to discuss in class or write in your paper.
Table of Contents
❗ Top 15 Islamic Topics for Discussion
- What is Islam for you?
- Which Muslim philosopher do you consider the most influential?
- Can we consider Islamic studies a social science?
- Why is the prophet Muhammad the central figure in Islam?
- Explore the concept of marriage in Islam.
- How is a Mosque different from a Christian church?
- What is the symbolism of pilgrimage in Islam?
- How did Islam spread around the world?
- Which role does calligraphy play in Islam?
- Is there any difference between a first and second wife?
- Is Islam a law or a religion?
- Compare and contrast Sunnis and Shiites.
- How do the five pillars of Islam benefit the Islamic community?
- Why are non-Muslim people afraid of Islam, and are they wrong?
- Are there any touching points between Judaism and Islam?
🔑 Islam: The Key Issues to Cover in a Paper
Foundations and History
The fundamental idea of Islam is that the believer surrenders to the will of Allah. People learned about this will from the sacred scriptures of the Koran (or Quran). The book retells Allah’s revelations to Muhammad, his prophet and messenger.
After the death of Muhammad in 632 AD, it took a century to create a new Arab Muslim empire. Religion spread by military invasion, but many people accepted it peacefully. The empire era (8th to 13th centuries AD) is now called the Islamic Golden Age. It was marked with high interest in education and research. Philosophy and humanities prospered. Besides, we can read Aristotle’s works today thanks to Arabic translators.
Islamic Symbols
As Islam is a multinational religion, no single symbol could be universally accepted. The crescent moon and star (the most widespread symbol of Islam) pre-dates Muhammad. Initially, it used to be the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. A red crescent shows that Muslims are respected in the given place. Green is believed to be Muhammad’s favorite color. That’s why it is often associated with Islam and appears on most flags of Muslim countries.
Key Concepts
- Sharia Law is the legal system of Islamic communities. This code of conduct is based on faith and Koran. In particular, it requires modest dressing for men and women, gives marriage guidelines, and instructs about social order.
- Muslim prayer is read in the ample open space of a mosque. A mihrab (decoration or niche) indicates the direction to Mecca, i.e., the approach one should face while praying. Muslims should pray five times a day.
- Ramadan is a holy month of introspection, praying, and fasting. During this month, Muhammad is believed to receive the first revelations of the Koran. Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset, avoid bad behavior, and suppress impure thoughts.
🕌 Islamic Essay Topics: History of Islam
- Islam as the Main Abrahamic Monotheistic Religion.
- The Importance of the Quran in Islamic Religion.
- The Islamic Following in the World.
- The Basis of Islamic Teachings.
- The Role of Prophets in Islam.
- The Role of Revealed Scriptures in Islam.
- The Role of Natural Signs in Islam.
- Islamic Teachings and Practices other than Quran.
- The Representation of Allah in the Quran.
- Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as the Prophets of the Primordial Faith.
- Judaism and Christianity as Spiritual Predecessor Faiths in Islam.
- The Concept of Final Judgment on Islam.
- Five Pillars of Islamic Religion.
- The Importance of Islamic Law Sharia.
- What Does Sharia Say about the Role of Women?
- Sharia about the Banking and Finance.
- What Does Sharia Say about the Environment?
- Three Holiest Sites in Islam.
- The Significance of Masjid al-Haram as the Holy Place.
- The Significance of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi as the Holy Place.
- The Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque as the Holy Place.
- The History of Islamic Religion.
- The Role of Muhammad ibn Abdullah in Islam.
- The Role of Muhammad ibn Abdullah in the Spread of Islam.
- The Role of Muhammad as the Main Islamic Prophet.
- The Spread of Islam in Various States and Caliphates.
- Islamic Missionary Activities after the 7th century.
- The Islamic Conquests and Its Results.
- The Essence of Sunni Islam as an Islamic Denomination.
- The Essence of Shia Islam as an Islamic Denomination.
- The Difference between God in Islam and Christianity.
- The Demography of Islamic Religion.
- The etymology of the Name of Islamic.
- The Six Main Articles of Islam.
- God as the Part of the Islamic Creed.
- Angels as the Part of the Islamic Creed.
- The Importance of Books as Islamic Creed.
- The Role of Prophets in the Islamic Creed.
- The Day of Resurrection as the Articles of Islam.
- The Central Concept of Oneness of God in Islam.
- The Concept of God in Islam.
- The Names of God in Islam and their Origins.
- The Purpose of Human Existence in Islam.
- The Practice of Taqwa in Islamic Faith.
- The Difference between Allāh and ʾilāh.
- The Functions of Angels in Islam.
- The Images of Angels in Islam.
- The Origin of the Quran Verses.
- The Main Components of the Quran.
- The Period of Islamic Golden Age.
- The Influence of Quran on Arabic Literature.
- The Influence of the Quran on the Arabic Language.
- Hadith as the Record of Muhammad’s Words and Actions.
- Methodologies to Classify the Authenticity of Hadiths.
- The Reports of Sunni Islam in the Kutub al-Sittah.
- The Four Books as the Source of Hadiths.
- Quran as the Primary Book of Islam.
- The Day of Resurrection in Islamic Faith.
- The Concepts of Paradise (Jannah) and Hell (Jahannam) in Islam.
- The Five Obligatory Actions of Worship.
- The Rules of Fasting during Ramadan.
- The Place and Importance of Prayers in Islam.
- Charity as an Essential Part of Islamic Religion.
- Obligatory Pilgrimage as the Vital Ritual of Muslims Life.
- The History of Muhammad in the Creation of Islam.
- The Classical Era of Islamic Faith.
- The Impact of Pre-Modern Era in Islam.
- The Contribution of Modern Era of Islamic Religion.
- The Features of the Contemporary Era of Islam.
- Differences between Islam and Christianity.
➡️ Islam Essay Topics: Branches of Islam
- The Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence.
- The Schools of Islamic Theology.
- The Islamic Sections of Denomination.
- The Tariqa or Orders within Sufism.
- The Tariqa or Orders within Sunni Islam.
- Political and Religious Violence in Islam.
- The Informal Movements in Islam.
- Organized Groups in Islamic Religion.
- Sects as a Vital Part of the Religion.
- The Appearance of Sects in Islam.
- Neo-Traditionalism Movement of Islam.
- Concepts of Liberal Movement of Islam.
- Ideas of Progressivism Movement of Islam.
- Islamic Modernism as an Islamic Sect.
- Differences between Salafism and Wahhabism.
- Overview of the Branches of Islam.
- The Historical Formation of Islamic Branches.
- The Differences between Sunnī and Shīʿa Islam.
- Sunnī ‘s Main Schools of Jurisprudence.
- The Primary Sects of Shīʿa Islam.
- The Zaydī School of Thought.
- The Concepts of Kharijites Sect.
- The New Schools of Islam.
- Main Branches of Islamic Denomination.
- Sunnī Islam as the largest Denomination of Islam.
- The Main Beliefs of Sunnī Islam.
- The Differences between Classical and Liberalist Sunnī Schools.
- Shīʿa Islam as the Second-Largest Denomination of Islam.
- The Demography of the Islamic Branches.
- The Main Beliefs of Shīʿa Islam.
- The Twelvers as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- Ismāʿīlīsm as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- The Zaydīs as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- The Alawites as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- The Druze as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- The Baháʼí Faith as the Sub-Denomination of Islam.
- The Essence of Ghulat Movements.
- The Extinct Islamic Sect Kharijite.
- The Place of Sufris in Kharijite.
- Ibadism as a sub-sect of Kharijite.
- The Political Ideologies of Islamism.
- The Overview of Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence.
- Quran, Hadīth Literature and Sunnah-Sources for Islamic Methodology.
- Sunnism Schools of Thought.
- Sunnism Schools of Theology.
- The Concepts of the Salafi Movement.
- Jaʿfari or Imāmī School of Jurisprudence.
- The Overview of Islamic Schools Theology.
- Major Themes of Islamic Theological Controversies.
- The role of dialectical reasoning in Islam.
- The Three Main Schools of Sunni.
- The Traditionalist Islamic Theology.
- The Peculiarities of Islamic Sufism.
- The Most Notable Sufi Orders.
- The History of African American Islamic Movement.
- The History of the Black Muslim Movement.
- The Impact of the Black Muslim Movement.
- The History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam.
- Beliefs and Teachings of Ahmadis.
- Groups of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam.
- The Impact of September 11, 2001, Catastrophe.
- Overview of the Islamist Organizations.
- The Postulates of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- Quranism as the Protestant Branch of Islam.
- The History of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- The Concepts of Liberal and Progressive Islam.
- Non-Denomination Islam and Its place in the Religion.
- The Basis of Salafiyya Movement.
- The History and Concepts of the Wahhabi Movement.
- The Population of the Islamic Branches.
🖐️ Interesting Islamic Topics for Presentation
Prophets in Islam
- Prophets not mentioned in Quran: role in modern Islam culture.
- The transition of Jewish and Christian prophets to Islam.
- How did Judaism and Christianity influence the Islamic depiction of prophets?
- Linguistic analysis of the names of the prophets: what factors cause the change of the original names to Arabic?
- Modern western perception of the prophet of Islam.
- Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy through the lens of Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations.
- Tensions between the depiction of prophets in Islam and western values of free speech.
- Core values and beliefs of Islamic prophets.
- Trace of Islamic prophets in the New and Old Testament.
- The role of prophets in Islamic Rituals.
- Prophets in Islam as exemplars of ordinary humans.
- Differences in perception of prophets in Shia and Sunni Islam.
- The phenomenon of age in the representation of Islamic prophets in the Quran.
- Debates among Muslim theologians on Mary’s prophethood.
- Why is the gender of prophets a sensitive issue for Islamic theologians?
- What are the grounds on which theologists decide whether someone is a prophet?
- The Monotheism of Abraham in different Islamic interpretations.
- Miracles and miraculous events in prophets’ actions.
- Representations of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic painting.
- Typology of Islamic prophets.
- Prophet Muhammad’s Thoughts on Death.
- The nature of revelation in Islam.
- The importance of obedience to prophets.
- Representation of Prophet Muhammad: Identical conflicts between the French Muslim community and European journalism.
- How does the Quran explain the prophets’ protection from sin and failure?
- Perception of prophets in Wahhabism.
- The role of prophets in the punishment of non-believers.
- Is there a hierarchy between different prophets in Islamic culture?
- Alternative perception of prophethood in Ahmadiyya and Baháism.
- Pre-Muhammad prophets in Muslim tradition.
Islamic Holy Books
- How is the Quran related to the sacred texts of other religions?
- Why do Muslims believe that the Torah has suffered corruption?
- Relevance of the Book of Psalms (Zabur) for modern Islam.
- Do Islamic holy books allow for a transition to Western political values?
- Renewal of Ijtihad (free-thinking in religious matters) in the Modern Era.
- Does the over-reliance on Islamic holy books lead to chronic economic backwardness?
- Satan in the Holy Quran.
- Adam and Eve in Quran and Bible.
- Other holy books of Islam besides the Quran.
- How do Muslim fundamentalists interpret critical passages of the Quran?
- Qur’an in Wahhabism.
- What is the structure of the Quran text?
- What happened to the Quran after the death of Muhammad?
- Variant readings of the Quran except for Uthmanic codex.
- Medina in Quran.
- The difference in the narrative of world history in the Quran and academic historical science.
- Is it possible to make Islamic holy texts compatible with Western democracy?
- Why do many believers often rely on the commentaries of theologians to the Quran than on the original text?
- The role of science in the text of the Quran.
- Interpretation of the Quran between Shiites and Sunnis.
- How do theologians of other religions criticize the text of the Quran?
- Translation of the Quran into English.
- Bible vs. Quran.
- What skills and knowledge should Quran teachers have?
- What is the connection between Zabur and Psalms?
- Noah in Islam and Christianity.
- How is the text of the Quran used to create Islamic law?
- What role did the prophet’s companions play in disseminating the Quran?
- Why was the Quran written in the Arabic language?
- Women in Quran: implications for the modern understanding of Muslin culture.
Family Life in Islam
- The role of rituals in the daily life of Muslim families.
- Daily eating practices in Islam: the notions of Haram and Halal.
- Why does the Islamic faith require so many restrictions in everyday family life?
- What specifics and requirements exist in the personal hygiene of men and women?
- Islamic marriage as an essential component of Muslim culture.
- The practice of polygyny in the Muslim world: a cross-country analysis.
- The hijab ban in France in public places: the differences between the Muslim and European views on lifestyle.
- Understanding death and the afterlife in the Islamic faith.
- How does the Islamic faith require raising children? The role of a mother and father in every step of childhood.
- How is the penetration of the state into family life perceived in the Muslim community?
- Traditional family life in Islam as a cornerstone of Muslim living.
- A critical glance at gender segregation in Islam: May the West improve women’s lives?
- Perception of sex education among the Muslim community.
- Is it possible to combine the secular lifestyle of women and Religion?
- The history of attitudes toward abortion in Islam in the 21st century.
- Can a Muslim family obey Muslim customs and rules in cosmopolitan countries like the USA or Canada?
- Why do some European citizens have a negative attitude towards the Muslim lifestyle of families?
- How much are women involved in decision-making in Islamic families?
- Ceremonies of sacrifice in Islamic families.
- What are the differences in family life between Shiite and Sunni branches?
- Funerals and funeral prayers in Islam.
- What do the Quran and other holy texts of Islam say about divorce?
- The basic principles of family life in Islam.
- How does the traditional Islamic family feel about progress and new technologies?
- Joint and Separate Family System: similarities and differences.
- Three stages of life in Islamic tradition.
- Rights of parents according to the Quran: How does the Holy text influence daily life?
- Islamic family in an Islamic state (Iran) and democratic country (Canada).
- The notion of responsibility of men and women in Islam.
- Building a house according to Islamic traditions.
Concept of God in Islam
- The value and central belief of monotheism in Islam.
- Differences between God in Islam and other major religions.
- Roles and messages of Allah in Islam, as interpreted to be directly from Allah.
- Concept of Allah according to messengers of faith in the Quran.
- The role and expectations of the believer in Islam about Allah.
- Allah’s guidelines and rules inform the Islamic faith and followers’ behavior.
- Modern interpretations and traditions concerning Allah.
- Allah’s role as a creator, sustainer, and nourisher.
- Allah as a concept not associated with other beings or deities.
- Importance of Allah’s unique and transcendent qualities.
- Concepts of ‘Tawhid’ and ‘Tanzih’ concerning Allah.
- The importance of ‘oneness’ about Allah in Islam.
- The rejection of the Christian Trinity (i.e., God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit) in Islam.
- How does the ‘proof from hypothetical mutual prevention’ support the argument against two or more gods in Islam?
- How does Islam explain the dependence between Allah and his creations?
- According to the Quran, how do believers depend on Allah? Are there variations among different followers?
- The mercy of Allah as the sole reason for creation and circumstances that allow for life.
- The importance of Allah as an omniscient God.
- Allah’s role in creation and perception by followers of his role.
- The Islamic faith’s primary motivator is the purpose of Allah and the importance of followers’ worship of God.
- Variations of Allah’s image and perception among different Islamic schools of thought.
- Differences regarding Allah among Sunni followers: Atharis, Sufis, Ash’aris, and Maturidi.
- Five Pillars as elements of Muslim worship practice.
- The importance of Shahada, the testimony of Allah.
- Charity in Islam to Allah.
- Fasting, Pilgrimages, and other Islamic traditions concerning Allah.
- History of introducing Islam to polytheistic populations.
- The importance of interpreting the descendants of Muhammad by Shia Muslims.
- Sharia and religious law as elements of Allah.
- Religion and the state in modern Islam.
Morality & Ethics in Islam
- Role and place of the biblical prophets in Islamic Religion.
- Vision and understanding of God in Islam: Differences from other religions.
- The ethical significance of the Quran: Personal moral norms and goals prescribed by the Quran.
- The history of the emergence, compilation, and preservation of the Quran.
- The Quran as an inspiration for Islamic art: Principles and traditions that influenced visual arts.
- Muhammad’s teachings and practice as a constitutional model for followers of Islam.
- People of the Book: Islam’s vision of Judaism and Christianity.
- The Five Pillars of Islam as a fundamental religious practice: Differences in individual participation in religious traditions and rituals among Muslims.
- Sharia as religious law: Its sources, influence, and regulation of various spheres of Muslim people’s lives.
- Shia Islam and Sunni Islam: Differences between two key Islamic branches.
- The role of five-time prayer in the life of a Muslim: Unity with God, support for discipline, and spiritual dimensionality.
- Different interpretations of the concept of jihad: Understanding greater and lesser jihad.
- The goals and significance of tafsir as the sciences of the Quran interpretation.
- Importance of the Sunnah in the interpretation of the Quran.
- The concepts of death and the afterlife in the Islamic Religion.
- The idea of the soul and its salvation developed in Islam.
- Differences in views on sinfulness, paradise, and hell in Islam and Christianity.
- Correlation between free will and divine decree in Islam: Reconciliation between predetermined destiny and personal responsibility.
- Salah: Features and challenges of prayer for Muslims in the modern world in various settings.
- Fasting in Islam as a way of developing God-consciousness.
- Path, rituals, and goals of Muslim people’s pilgrimage.
- The struggle of Muhammad and his companions for the formation of the Islamic Religion.
- The succession problem to Muhammad and its consequences: Division of Muslim community.
- Muslim women’s perception of the traditional gender division of roles in the Islamic Religion.
- Ulama and traditions of transmitting religious knowledge and teachings in Islam.
- The interweaving of Religion and jurisprudence in Islam: Faith as a way of moral and responsible existence.
- Islamic cooking traditions and related teachings: Possibilities of compliance with regulations in various regions.
- The concept of Haya in Islam and its impact on the daily lives of Muslim people.
- Religious traditions related to marriage and family creation in the Islamic Religion.
- Zakat, sadaqah, and waqf: Influence of traditions of compulsory and voluntary charity on the welfare of the Muslim people.
⚡ Controversial Islamic Topics for Discussion
Humanism
- Quran perspective on women’s position.
- Apostasy as a political phenomenon for the citizens’ control.
- Apostasy and fundamental human rights.
- Inconsistency of the Quran with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- The controversy between Western and Islamic views on human rights.
- Sexual minority rights in Islam.
- Nikāḥ al-Mut’ah: Short-term marriages to cover up prostitution.
- The morality of contractual marriages – Nikah Misyar.
- The problem of the lack of protection for women in the case of domestic violence in Islam.
- The welfare of children born from contractual and short-term marriages in Islam.
- Does Islam encourage violence against women?
- Gender discrimination in sharia.
- Discriminatory practices in Islam.
- The attitude of Muslim women to traditional clothes.
- Mothers’ rights in Islam.
- The position of women of other religions who married Muslims.
- Islam’s response to criticism about the oppression of women.
Cruelty and Terrorism
- Are Islamic scriptures the source of the ideology of terrorism?
- Views of non-believers in Islam as a source of cruelty.
- The Quran’s literal interpretation and the manifestation of extremism.
- A vision of war and peace in Islam.
- Understanding jihad as a call to war.
- Quran scriptures about striking terror.
- Execution problem in the Islamic Religion.
- Prerequisites for the development of Islamophobia.
- The problem of Islam imposition as a prerequisite for intolerance.
- Islam’s intolerance of other religions.
- The immigration crisis of 2015 and its impact on public opinion about Muslims.
- The reluctance of Muslim immigrants to assimilate into new communities.
- The problem of combining multiculturalism’s values and adopting Islamic norms in society.
- Muslim perception of Western values.
- History of hostility towards Islamic Religion.
- Influence of Islamic Religion on scientific and technical development.
- Criticism of Islam and freedom of speech.
- Islam as the basis of Arab imperialism in world history.
- Is it possible to change the sharia law?
- Causes and prerequisites of terrorism.
- Concept of blasphemy in Islam.
Criticism of Fundamental Beliefs
- Contradictions and doubts about the morality of the prophet Muhammad’s life.
- The problem of the authenticity of the Quran.
- Understanding slavery in the Islamic Religion
- Islam’s influence on slavery in world history.
- Is Islam the original Religion or unites earlier Christianity, Judaism, and paganism?
- Proof of human rather than the divine origin of the Quran.
- Hadith’s controversial position in Islam.
- The potential pagan origin of the sacred site of Kaaba.
- The problem of faith sincerity in the Islamic Religion, where apostasy is severely punished.
- Refutation of the Quran’s impeccability.
- Contradictions in Quran’s verses.