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Miola Gail Ocampo

History 134
Kimberly Lark
Religion, Morals, and Tradition
Throughout the course of the semester in History 134: Ancient World, I have learned a
great deal about a variety of civilizations throughout the earliest of eras. Through this course I
definitely agree that learning from the past helps provide definition to our present world
perspective, as well as how studying our ancestors contributes to the shaping of our own future.
Religion, morals, and traditions have shaped societies, caused wars, and brought people together.
Throughout this course we have talked about several civilizations, and what they have in
common is a belief of something bigger than themselves, someone or something higher than
their current ruler. To these societies tradition is just as important as their religion. Tradition
comes in the form of what their society believes in, their class systems, and in their militaries.
From learning about human evolution to the ancient Mesopotamia, to classical Greece, Persia,
Rome, Medieval Europe, India, China, and so much more the history of the world has a major
influence on our lives today.
One of my favorite modules from this course was learning about the Kaab in Module 13:
The Rise of Islam. I was unaware of the religious practices and history of other cultures until I
took a closer look at ones other than my own. In module 13, I got to recognize the practices and
antiquity of the Islamic culture. Hudas writing about The Kaaba taught be about the Kaab
and its significance in the Muslim culture. I learned the meaning of Kaab, being the cube. In
addition, I learned about the siginificance of the Kaab still being in existence today. I believe

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religion, morals, and tradition has played a significant role throughout history because in the
Islamic world, even to this day the Kaab maintains to be the place of worship and the place
every worshiper wishes to visit. According to my paper I wrote this semester, The Kaaba is a
square building, elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil. It is an ancient stone structure that was
originally built by the prophets as a house of worship. Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the
holiest shrine in Islam. According to Islamic belief, God appointed a place of worship here on
Earth to replicate heaven. Muslims believe Adam (the first man) was the first to build a place of
worship. The prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son built the Kaab. This piece of information
is significant because to this day, millions of people from around the world take the voyage to
this specific place on earth. According to the Five Pillars of Islam, every Muslim must perform
the Hajj pilgrimage and voyage to the Kaab at least once in their lifetime. This year alone Saudi
Arabia reported to have over 2.3 people make the journey to the Kaab from outside the country
as well as over 63,000 residents. Overall, the Kaab is an extremely important asset to the
Muslim culture and Islamic faith.
Another culture where Religion/Morals and Traditions have played a significant role in
our history while aiding the present and future is that of Imperial China. In Module 12, we went
deep into the Quin dynasty where we examined Legalism vs. Confucianism. While this module
and assignment focused a lot on philosophy, it does also relate torelgiong, morals, and traditions.
The philosophies that Quin and Kong Qiu set changed the way China would lead their futures.
In this module and learning materials Quin was a legalist who believed what his citizens
understood most was force. Qin didnt think man himself was capable of governing himself
because man is naturally greedy, jealous and needy. Kong Qiu however had a different outlook
on life. He was the founder of Confucianism during the Han Dynasty. Confucianism focuses on

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social, economic, and morals of an individuals rather than political contexts a way of life to the
Chinese. While some argue this as a religion, there are no beliefs of an afterlife so its really just
a philosophy. The Confucian tradition was instrumental in shaping Chinese social relationships
and moral thought. Today, china continues to be a very social, economic and morally accretive
culture.
Overall, throughout the course of the semester we have learned a significant amount
about a variety of religions, cultures and societies. During this course, my understanding about
the history of my ancient ancestors in the context of Religion/Morals and Tradition has
influenced my sense of responsibility and contributing role towards the betterment of society. As
we see again and again, religion, tradition, and morals drive nations forward. Through all of the
religions we have today, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or one of the
many others, thats what makes the world go round. I think if everybody took a class to learn
about the variety of religions that exist, mankind would have a better understanding over
everyones beliefs and moral code they choose to oblige by. Religion doesnt have to cause war
or anger but rather should provide hope and nourishment to all of those who believe no matter
what path and book they believe in.

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"Sacred Destinations." Kaaba. Sacred Destintions, n.d. Web. 18 June 2015.
<http://www.sacred-destinations.com/saudi-arabia/mecca-kaba>.
"The Ka'aba, The House Of Allah." Al-Islam.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2015.
<http://www.al-islam.org/story-of-the-holy-kaaba-and-its-people-shabbar/kaaba-house-allah>.
"Ten Things You Didn't Know About The Kaaba - MuslimMatters.org."
MuslimMattersorg. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2015. <http://muslimmatters.org/2012/11/15/tenthings-you-didnt-know-about-the-kaaba/>.
Huda. "The Ka'aba - Description, History, Role." The Ka'ba. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June
2015. <http://islam.about.com/od/mecca/p/kaaba.htm>.
"Library." Confucianism Origins, Confucianism History, Confucianism Beliefs. Patheos
Library. Web. 27 Jun. 2015.