Huston Smith Part 3

Chapter 6-The Five Pillars

Question: What is the impact of the five pillars on a Muslims life?

Main Ideas:

1. Islam teaches people to walk the right path

2.  Islam believes the path is direct and explicit

3. The five pillars are principals that regulate Muslims' lives in their dealings with Allah.

4. Prayer is daily, around 5 times a day

5. Purpose of pilgrimage to Mecca is to improve a follower’s devotion to God

Thesis Statement: The five pillars help Muslims to make wise decisions based on what will keep them on a straight path.

Summary: The five pillars are a central aspect of Islam. The goal is to help Muslims find God and stay on the straight and just path. The first of the five pillars is that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is His Prophet. The second pillar states that a follower’s faithfulness must be constant. The third pillar of Islam is charity, the fourth is the observance of Ramadan, and the fifth Islam pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. All of these pillars help Muslims make the right decisions to lead them on the right path.

 

 

Chapter 7- Social Teachings

Question: What concepts within social teachings are taught in Islam?

Main Ideas:

1. Love your family

3. Society needs everyone to follow and nurture it for it to grow and develop

4. Family is a good foundation for society

5. Interracial marriages is a form of equality

Thesis Statement: Islam focuses on social teachings through race, sexual status, and economy.

Summary: Social Teachings in Islam are very important, as they display the importance of family love. Using the Quran as a spiritual guide, it becomes clear that family is key, as well as economy, the positive status of women, equality in race, and positive use of force in society. Family love is very important in society. The Quran states that family love is very important and the Quran can be seen as a spiritual guide. Also, for society to succeed there must be equality. Equality among gender and equality among race.