Huston Smith part 1

Huston Smith part 1

Ch. 1

How did Islam begin?

Main ideas:

·         Islam begins with God, not Muhammad

·         Arabs and Jews consider themselves descendants from Shem

·         Abraham had two sons Ishmael and Isaac

·         Ishmael was banished, created Mecca and became Muslim

·         Isaac remained in Palestine and became Jewish

Thesis: The start of Islam can be traced back through the Quran to the very beginning. Islam runs parallel with Judaism and Christianity however has key differences

Summary: Islam was created by God not Muhammad. Arabs are descendants of Shem who conquered the Middle East. Islam spread with the rise of the Arab nation.

Ch. 2

What was the impact of Muhammad?

Main Ideas:

·         Muhammad is a descendant od Ishmael in Arabia

·         He is considered “The Seal of the Prophets” for he was the last valid prophit

·         The world was very ignorant and full of jinn at the time of Muhammad

·         Muhammad’s heart was filled with the light of God even in this dark time

·         By spreading the word of God, Muhammad gained many followers

Thesis: Muhammad had a huge impact on the start of Islam. He is not the founder however Islam would not have been created if it was not for him.

Summary: The world at that time was a mess. Everyone was ignorant and sin was ramped. Muhammad came along spreading the word of God and received great affection. Muhammad gained many followers and ended up creating what is known as Islam.

Ch. 3

Was there opposition against Muhammad?

Main Ideas:

·         The people of Mecca were against Muhammad

·         Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Yathrib

·         Muhammad turned from prophesizing to administration

·         Muhammad was able to capture Mecca through battle

·         Won the war with the help of God

Thesis: Muhammad was able to flee to Yathrib and gain followers and ultimately was able to conquer Mecca although being outnumbered. He believed he was able to win because he was fighting with God on his side. ““No we are three,” Muhammad answered “for God is with us.” The Koran agrees.”

Summary: Muhammad was able to capture Mecca with the Help of God. His followers had conquered Armenia, Persia, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, north Africa, and Spain all in a brief period of time. Muhammad is considered to be the most influential human of all time.

Quran by Heart

Quran by Heart

Considering the following: how their lives changed when it was decided they would compete; how they felt during the competition; their family and community’s reaction to their victory or loss

In The Quran by Heart there was a small man from Tajikistan who was 10 years old named Nabiollah. When Nabiollah found out he would be partaking in this competition, he was very relaxed, unlike his competitors. Although he was one of the youngest contestants he was very relaxed. He made the travel from Tajikistan to Egypt with his tutor which was very comforting. During the competition he had a lot of weight on his shoulders. He was seen as a glory child back home and was here to represent the best of Tajikistan. His family had to be financially stable if they were able to send him to a school to study Islam, so his absence probably did not affect them on an economical level, with that said the pride of the family was resting on his shoulders. Academics seemed like it had a high priority in Nabiollah’s household, all the more reason why this contest was so important. Before the contest Nabiollah applied for a small private school to learn and study Islam. He was denied. He was not admitted because he was illiterate in Arabic, the language of the Quran. However, because he scored so phenomenal in the competition he was permitted into the school. Nabiollah was even asked by the president of Egypt to do a recitation. His voice was that beautiful. He got all this even though he got third place for he messed up his Tajweed. All in all his family and community was very proud and happy.  

Rituals assignment

Rituals Assignment

1.       What are the purposes of specific rituals?

Explore the relationship between the Five Pillars of Islam and the key concepts.

Iman- faith in God

Islam- submission to the will of Allah
Tawhid- oneness of Allah

Jihad- Suffering

Umma- Community

Hajj- Journey to Mecca

Iman , Islam and Tawhid all relate to the first pillar of Islam, Shahadah which is confirming ones belief in God as one and all powerful. The second pillar, prayer, relates to the key concept of Ibadah, which is worship. Lastly, Jihad is struggle, and relates to the pillar of alms giving, in which Muslims help those in need in their community.

 

2.       How does ritual shape daily life?

      Rituals are very important to the life of a Muslim. Prayer is a daily action in a Muslims life that occurs around five times a day; This helps to submit to the will of Allah (Islam). Daily prayer allows you to ask for hope and forgiveness and help to get through your struggles in life (jihad). Prayer can be related to anything in relation to Islam, for example people can pray to Allah to get help in getting a job or having a child or getting married. Prayer is considered to be a major way of connecting oneself with Allah

3.       To what extent do rituals shape communal identity?

The pilgrimage to Mecca brings the Muslim community (umma) together. This being one of the pillars of Islam shows that there is major importance in interacting and surrounding yourself with Muslims throughout life. The Hajj seeks to bring Muslims from all around the world together to allow them to have interactions with the global community of Islam. In the past the road to Mecca was dangerous and there was safety  from the dangerous if you traveled in numbers. This strengthened the relationships within the Muslim community as well. In addition to this, the Hajj has become so fundamentally important that it is a journey that is required to be done throughout one’s lifetime. In order to be a Muslim you must partake in the Hajj, this shoes how significant it is in showing your identity.

4.       To what extent are rituals affected by social, cultural, and political contexts?

Sharia is Islamic law, which dictates legal and moral code. Sharia is the moral code that tells people whether something is socially acceptable or not. This provides restrictions within social, political, and cultural contexts. 

Sharia is the main source of legislation Sudan. Sudan continues to use the criminal, civil and personal legal codes, and punishments derived from Sharia.

This law takes effect in Zanzibar as well. It gives power to the court to apply Islamic law to matters of succession. What is unique in Zanzibar is that Sharia is specific to the court

5.       What gender issues might be raised by the way rituals are preformed?

The roles of the different genders in rituals were seen as unchangeable. The problem with this is as time changes so does the social normality. For example, not along ago it was acceptable to treat women differently from men and that can be seen by their participation in Islamic prayers. Now a days, it is not acceptable to treat women as lesser, at least in the United States. This brings up the issue on whether the way rituals are performed should be changed in order to fit the contemporary social norms or whether they should be performed in their original fashion. Based on the world’s progression, as the world continues to become more aware that the unequal mistreatment of women is wrong, steps will continue to be made to allow women more opportunity to participate in these rituals.

 

Timeline refelction

Timeline reflection:

                During Muhammad’s life he had many events that really shaped who he was. In my opinion, there were three events in particular that had the biggest impact on his life. The first was by 575 ad, both his parents had already passed away. This is significant because it allowed Muhammad to become closer with his community. Also it gave him validity because he was preaching the word of God and he himself had an ambiguity on his beginnings, it makes him seem more convincing. Second, in 610 ad, when he had his first revelation. This was a huge event in Muhammad’s life because this is when he was first visited by a divine power, it was at this moment when he gained spiritual significance and it would shape the rest of his life. Lastly, in 630 when he marched into Mecca without any bloodshed. This event holds significance because it really solidifies Islam has a powerful religion. Muhammad was able to gain a lot of followers and they were so respected that they were able to walk into Mecca without any bloodshed. This is a true example of his power.    

ch. 4 islam for idiots

Ch. 4 Islam for idiots

1.What is intriguing / interesting / insightful about the benefits of Islam forbidding the use of any representations of Allah? More about this later as well.

Islam like many other religions that have exclusions against portraying God. What Islam lacks in artwork pertaining to God they make up for it with their strong spiritual and intellectual beliefs and ideals.

2.How in some ways is the God of Islam similar to the Hindu concept of Bramha

Islam believes that there is only one God and he is the creator of all. This remind me of the view Christians have on God. Islam believes that there is only one God and he is the creator of all. This remind me of the view Christians have on God

3.What is the meaning of the phrase "La ilaha ill Allah" and what are some of the implications of this phrase? (What reasons do Muslims give for this steadfast belief?)

 It means: “There is no god other than God.” Muslims are also taught that He is not the God of a chosen people. This contradicts the Christian Trinity and the Jewish belief that God is sympathetic only to Jews. 

4. Why can't Muslims blame anyone or anything (such as Shaytan) at the time of their judgment? Muslims believe that all wrong-doing is their fault, therefore no one else can be blamed other than themselves. Shaytan although compared to the devil, has no real power but only the ability to make suggestions.

5. What, according Muslim beliefs, is the role of Jesus and how is he much like Adam? What then are the reasons they do not accept Jesus as the son of God or redeemer of sin?

Since Muslims believe there is no god but Allah then Jesus can’t share the power that Allah has. According to Muslims Jesus was considered to be a prophet similar to muhammed and Adam. His role is like Adam because both lacked a worldly father so both are considered to be examples of Allah’s power.

6.If Muslims are forbidden from depicting God in any way, how do they then conceptualize Allah?  Muslims focus on the spiritual qualities of God instead of a physical depiction of him

7.Why is "He" used to describe Allah if you cannot attribute physical traits to God?

He is used to describe Allah because it is not specific. ”He” is a very general masculine pronoun that has a lot of meanings.

8.Look at the last paragraph of the chapter - This is a great overview of the chapter. Understand this and you understand the chapter

Allah rules by himself alone and has no gender; And no human can is strong enough to see his full power that is why he doesn't show himself to men. We know what he is like only through the names he has in the Qu’ran. He doesn't pass sins on from one generation to the next. Allah is not distant from humans he is active in the lives of humans and is testing us in life to give us the chance to choose to surrender to him.

Chapter 3 Islam for dummies

Chapter 3: Looking at life the Islamic Way

1. According to Islam, we are all born "good" - how does it then explain the "bad" that exists? In Islam, it is believed that we are all born good however the bad comes along due to our physical nature. This is different from Christianity where we are all born with sin.

2. What are the purposes of the 3 levels of self-development in Islam?

Animal self- basic instincts and desires; accusing self- higher order questioning of our purpose; restful self- transcending worldliness as a focus  

3.How does Islam both accept other religious ideas but is the "last installment of God's will" Islam tries to accept other religions, it understands where certain differences are and voices its own perception with that said Islam believes it is the “last installment of Gods will”

4. What do you think is the role of the Tawba? How does this play a role in the daily responsibility of individuals? How is this different (or similar) compared to other religions? Tawba is the 4 step program of repentance to relieve yourself from sin. This plays a role daily because everyone sins at the moral level not necessarily at the physical level, so tawba is used to repay those sins. It is similar to other religions because you are supposed to feel bad morally when wrongful actions have been committed, in other religions other courses of repaying the sins may be taken for example in Christianity, you have to go to confession.

5.Why is Islam not a faith of "good deeds" even if it superficially may seem to be - or as claimed in the reading, it is a form of "religious capitalism" Because it is ones sins that our held against them on judgement day if those sins are not repented for

6. What is meant in the sentence: "Salvation in Islam comes from making the choice while alive to accept Allah and mold like according to the way of life He has established." This sentence means that during your lifetime you must accept Allah as God and do what is right on his name and also do not sin. That is how you reach heaven

7.Revisit / expand on the concept of the Fitrah Fitrah is basically our morals and conscience we are all born with a clean sinless conscience but as our life goes on we sin and dirty our fitrah

ch. 2 islam for dummies

Chapter 2: Food for the Soul

1. What is the purpose of the Ayatul Kursi: "Verse of the Throne" it is a good introduction to how Muslims view God.
2. What, according to Muslims what are the four areas that prove the existence of God / Allah 1. The natural world with all its beauty 2. Our human qualities that are far superior than animals and plants
3. What does it mean to "surrender to Allah"? it means that you are following God. You are either following God or not; it’s a two way path
4. What is the role of free will in Islam and following God's will – It says before man followed God we were already promised free will and free intentions. This promises was not just for humans but for nature and animals as well.
5. Fitrah: Why is it important to have this in addition to free will? According to Islam, how is it that all of us have Fitrah, even if we are not Muslim? In addition to have free will, we must have trust. Fitrah is “the little voice of God in your head” that tells us to do the right thing.

In your own words explain Fitrah To me fitrah is ones voice of reason. It is perceived to be God however I see it more as ones ethics and morals

Vocab/ Doctrines quiz

Interview of Gillian

Statement:
What aspects of the rules of are similar to the rules of Islam

• The moral code in Religion is similar to the moral code in school. For example, in school there is the student code of conduct which is don't cheat, don't fight, etc.

1. Should there be an overlap between religion and school?

•  There should be no overlap between religion and school. Religion can have negative consequences on school if it is taught a certain way to make it "correct." reference to Scope v. Monkey trial. Both school and religion should have similar ideals such as working to a common goal

2.  In regards to religion, to what extent should religious laws such as the Ten Commandments or The Five Pillars be enforced

• Laws should not be enforced, a sufficient punishment should be the moral consequences and the remorseful feelings. In addition, religions should not try and punish other religions.

3. Is it right to separate people based on religion in order to resolve a conflict

•  It is not right to separate based on religion. We are all human so we should not discriminate. Also, the world works best in harmony if everyone works together and it prevents religious tyranny.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the rules of religion are very similar to the rules of society. Even though it is not right to mix school with religion different parts of religion are very similar to aspects of school. This shows that although we all may have different views, it is in our human nature to have a common goal.  

Timeline of Muhammad

570 ~ Mohammed is born in 570 AD. He was born in Mecca I mountain town in western Arabia. Arabic was the main language at that time so Mohammed was able to learn the purest form of Arabic.

575~ Mohammed’s parents pass away, leaving him as an orphan

585~ Mohammed in his teen years spent his time as a Shepard to help his poor uncle. During his time as a Sheppard he earned the respect of elder merchants and they gave him the nickname El- Amin, the one you can trust.

595~ Khadija a widow and a trader whom Mohammed had helped with business had proposed marriage. The two had a pleasant a prosperous marriage.

610~ Mohammed is said to have received his first revelation, it is said that he was contacted by a divine power this had a huge Impact on Mohammed and changed his life to come.

613~ Mohammed after he continued to be visited by the define power, he finally shared his experiences with the people in his tribe, these writings were written down as the first writings of the Quran

628~ Mohammed had been gaining followers since he shared his experiences of God. Muslims are officially seen as a force in Arabia.

630~ Muhammad marches into Mecca without any bloodshed, the Meccans gave in without conflict because they had seen that Muhammad had gained a lot of power

632~ Muhammad passes away. He died in the Arabian peninsula and had successfully spread the word of God to start the religion of Islam.