Huston Smith Part 3

Chapter 6-The Five Pillars

Question: How are a Muslims decision guided by the Five Pillars?

Main Ideas:

1. Islam teaches people to walk in the straight path

2. The path is direct and explicit

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

4. Prayer must happen 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 principals that help Muslims to walk in a straight 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. Inner family love is very important

2. The Quran is spiritual guide/teacher

3. Society's health requires nourishment and feeding

4. Family is a good foundation for society

5. Equality is seen in interracial marriages

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.

Huston Smith Part 2

Chapter 4: The Standing Miracle

Question: The Quran is said to be the standing miracle why is that?

Main Ideas:

1. The Quran is the most recited book in the world

2. "Blessings and peace be upon him"

3. 23 years of teachings by Muhammad is what formed into the Quran

4. "This is the scripture whereof there is no doubt"

5. Quran regulates evaluation of every event in a Muslims life

Thesis Statement: The Quran is said to be a standing miracle because even with all of its comparisons, it continues to be of great importance for the faithful, as well as a daily reminder for right actions.

Summary: Muhammad spoke the word of God for many years and over the course of about 23 years, his words were written down in what later became known as the Quran. The Quran is known as the most recited book of the world, being recited and memorized by young children of all ages. This religious book of Muhammad's teachings continues to remind Muslims daily of the right thing to do and is a faithful reminder for many. It provides definitions and is guide for good will. By reading the Quran, Muslims are able to meditate on different ideas and thoughts in private and deepen their understanding of Allah.

Chapter 5: Basic Theological Concepts

Question: What are the basic ideals of Islam?

Main Ideas:

1. Judaism and Christianity have very similar concepts to Islam

2. Everything relates back to God

3. Muslims do not approve of portraying images of God in anyway

4. Muslims have a fear for Allah

5. The Koran abounds in lyrical descriptions of the natural world

Thesis Statement: God, creation, the human self, and the Day of Judgment are known as the mane ideals of the Quran's teachings and Islam.

Summary: The religion of Islam is very similar to other religions when it comes to basic ideals of theology. Muslims fear Allah, but in a good way as it stresses to them to always do the right thing. With this, everything in the world relates back to God, or Allah. The Quran is all about the lyrical descriptions of the natural world and implies that it is bad to portray images of God in any way. Muslims must surrender their wrong doings and live a life of love and friendship. Muslims also face the responsibility of being the best person that they can be in order to please Allah. This is also displayed in the Quran as it is promotes good actions rather than good thoughts.

Huston Smith Part 1

Chapter 1: Islamic Background

What event helped fuel the developent Islam?


Main Ideas:


·      It only took only a century for Islam to expand from the Atlantic to China.

·      Islam followers developed their own culture and denied any of the large empires around.

·      The creation of Islam is a combination of the message of god and socioeconomic conditions.

·      Muslims believe that God created the first man, Adam.

·      Muhammad's son, Ishmael was banished and may have spread Islam.

Thesis Statement: 

·      The condition of the world at this time was influential in the creation of Islam because it was beneficial for Islam to spread at his time, allowing the religion to grow.

Summary:

·      Islam saw success almost immediately in its spread due to the conditions of the world at this time in history. This led to the creation of a new people whose beliefs incorporated some of those of Christianity and Judaism, but differed in many aspects.

Chapter 2: The Seal of the Prophets


How was Muhammad able to become the Prophet?

Main Ideas:

·      There were prophets before Muhammad but he was the last one, which is why he is called "The Seal of the Prophets". No valid prophets will follow him

·      Mecca desperately needed a deliverer because it was a very chaotic place and they had a lot of internal issues. This is because the world is full of ignorance.

·      Muhammad understood human suffering from an early age because he experienced death at a young age.

·      Muhammad's revelation came to him in Mount Hira. He shared just as the angel had shared to him and that began his life spreading the word of God that had been revealed to him. 

·      While he did gain many followers, there were also people who wanted him out because he threatened their polytheistic way of life. These people tried everything to drive Muhammad and his followers out of the city.

Thesis Statement: 

·      Muhammad was the final prophet of God this made him the seal of the prophets, because no other prophets came after him.

Summary:

·      Muhammad's life started out with tragedy, but this only helped fuel him to understanding how humans suffer. Living in a world full of ignorance caused him to enjoy being alone and this led to his revelation on Mount Hira. This is what started his life as a prophet and gave him the name "The Seal of the Prophets"

Chapter 3: The Migration that Led to Victory


How has migration remained important in Islam?


Main Ideas:


·      Mecca faced internal rivalries


·      God told Muhammad to travel to Yathrib


·      Yathrib became known as "The City of the Prophet"


·      Muhammad’s reputation spread and everyone wanted to see the man who wrought the miracle of civilizing tribes within a city facing internal issues


·      Muhammad died with all Arab nations under his control


Thesis Statement: 

·      Migration caused Muhammad's words and teachings to spread all over Arab nations, causing people to listen and believe in what he said and the miracles he performed. 


Summary: 

·      Mecca was facing multiple internal rivalries when Muhammad got a message from God to travel to Yathrub. Muhammad went and Yathrib became known as "The City of the Prophet". Muhammad's reputation began to spread all over Arab nations and people came to see the man that civilized tribes within a city. This was seen as a miracle. After three years, eight years after his migration from Mecca, Muhammad returned as a conqueror. He died with all of Arabia under his control.  

Part Two Vocab Quiz

Statement: Having to pray 5 times a day is very influential in how you live your life, especially in an Islamic Country where you have the call to prayer.
Question 1
Why is the call to prayer helpful for influencing a Muslims life in an Islamic country?
Response
The call to prayer will create a community within an Islamic country to strengthen the faith of the individuals. When all individuals are participating in the same activity, it unifies the group and also serves as a reminder of their faith constantly.
Question 2
How does a community benefit a specific follower if there is no focus on them, but just the community?
Response
The community benefits a individual by providing a source for the individual to consult when they have questions or concerns about their faith. Also, this allows for the individual to voice their opinion within the community to help the community progress and adapt to the individuals, so the community and the individual can mutually benefit from each other.
Question 3
Are the community, and the call to prayer, along with the four other pillars, a beneficial or detrimental influence on your life?
Response
The call to prayer and the other four pillars have not had a beneficial influence on my life due the fact that I am not Muslim. You specifically asked about my life (see, "your") and I have never been Muslim or tied to the Islamic faith.

Doctrines and Beliefs HW

Khalifah: religious or civil leader; representative of Allah on earth

Imam: faith in god; also a religious leader

Ulama: group of Muslim leaders

1. All of the above terms symbolize the different levels of leadership in the Islam faith. These leaders gather Muslims to show their devotion to Allah and help lead Muslims to heaven, through ritual and practice. 

2. Muslims practice the ritual or prayer everyday, which is known as Salah. During Salah they are asking Allah forgiveness for their sins. It is a Muslims belief that by constantly praying to Allah and showing their faith, they will ultimately reach the final paradise which is their goal of their religion.

3.Certain rituals like Ramadan for example, which is fasting between dawn and dusks, give Muslims the opportunity become more spiritually connected with their God, by showing their devotion for God through the fasting that they are doing. In fasting, Muslims cleanse their body of a worldly distraction of food, so they are able to devote themselves more spiritually to the God they love. This absence of food gives a Muslims to have deep concentration while connecting to Allah, thus making their faith stronger. Another example of a ritual that contributes to a Muslims submission to Allah is the practice of a pilgrimage to Mecca. By making the pilgrimage they are going to honor the prophet Abraham at the first house of worship of God. By doing this they are showing the devotion to the Will of Allah in hopes to reach the final paradise of life.

Qur'an by Heart Documentary

As the Character Nabiollah

My name is Nabiollah and I am a ten year old boy from Tajikistan. I was selected as one of the few to attend the international competition to recite the Qur'an by memory. I was ecstatic when i received the news that I would be competing, but i was nervous at the same time because i knew i would be younger than most of the other competitors. I had been studying the Qur'an for almost my entire life, and I began to study even harder in the months prior to the competition. Sadly a few days before I was scheduled to leave for Cairo my school where I studied the Qur'an was shut down by the government trying to crack down on Islamic extremism in my area. I was very upset when I received this news because I knew it was going to be difficult for me to get into another school, because I was not very skilled in reading or writing, almost to the point of being illiterate. I had an interview with one school before I had left, but they said we would talk more when I got back from my competition. It was competition time and I was super nervous. In my first round recitation I scored a 95% and was congratulated after my turn by all the judges, one even in tears because it was so beautiful. I remember receiving the attention of many spectators after my turn, and this really overwhelmed me. In the final round I did really well again, ultimately receiving third place for the whole competition. At the awards ceremony I was graced with the honor of reciting the Qur'an the only competitor of the top three to do this. It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in my life. When I got back to Tajikistan I had another interview with the same school. They were so pleased with how well I represented the country and got honored at the awards ceremony, that they accepted me into the school, with a full scholarship including room and board. Here I will learn how to read and write, thus changing my life forever.

Chapter 4 Questions

1. Islam on the contrary to many other religions that have exclusions against statues and pictures that portray God, has succeeded on a high level that this concept is unidentifiable. What Islam lacks in artwork pertaining to God they make up for it with their strong spiritual and intellectual beliefs and ideals.
2. 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. In Islam there is the belief that there is no god other than God. This shows that islam would disagree with the Jewish notion that God as a covenant with humans and a unique relationship that divides the world by race. The notion of a world divided by race by God is not accepted in Islam. Muslims are taught that God is not specific to one race or ethnic group.
4. Muslims can not blame anyone or anything at their time of judgement because if they do they will be judged poorly and said to not be a true Muslim, not having the realization that there is only one God, Allah. Muslims know that laying blame is bad because the Qur'an states that the blame has to be put on our shoulders.
5.Islam believes that Jesus was also a prophet of God, a miracle from God being born by the Virgin Mary.  Although they recognize Jesus as a prophet they do not view him as god like just because he was birthed by a virgin, and his father being "God". The Qur'an supports this notion by summarizing Jesus' birth as Jesus being created from dust and then God said be and he was.
6.We can build a personal and private connection with Allah because he has access to all of our thought and he knows how we are feeling.
7. In Arabic there is not a word for it, so the usage of the pronoun he is used in reference to God, with an understanding from followers that Allah is not a male.

IA Sources

IA sources

"Confirmation in Christianity." Confirmation. Ed. Religious Facts. Religion Facts, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/practices/confirmation.htm>.

This website is useful in my IA because it provides general background information on the sacrament in confirmation in not just Catholicism, but other Christian denominations as well. Through this general information behind the sacrament I can incorporate a description of the sacrament within my rationale and IA to help a reader understand the sacrament if they do not have prior knowledge about it.

"What Does the Bible Say about Christian Confirmation?" What Does the Bible Say about Christian Confirmation. GotQuestions.org, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://www.gotquestions.org/confirmation.html>.

This website breaks down what the bible has to say about the sacrament of confirmation. This is important because the bible is the sacred text of all Christian denominations, but is highly important in the Catholic denomination. By using this source I can interpret the importance of the sacrament of confirmation from the bibles point of view and see if that importance is similar to the point of view of a recent confirmation recipient.

"Sacrament of Confirmation." BBC News. BBC, 23 June 2009. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/ritesrituals/confirmation_1.shtml>.

This website gets more in depth into the sacrament of confirmation which is valuable to my research. This website breaks down the preparation needed for a follower to participate in this sacrament, as well as where the sacrament take place, along with a breakdown of confirmation specifically in the Catholic faith. This is beneficial because it will allow for stronger interpretive commentary on confirmation and its importance throughout the internal assessment.

"A Christian Presence in Every Community." What Happens during the Confirmation Service? Archbishops' Council 2015, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/confirmation/what-happens-during-the-service.aspx>.

This source is very beneficial to the creation of the interview for my internal assessment. This source discusses the parts of the confirmation service and what happens in those parts. This is important because I can ask my interviewee questions about there confirmation service and how that affected their view on the confirmation sacrament and the importance of it on the faith of a Catholic.

"Confirmation in the Catholic Church." Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Ed. Louis J. Putz. Beginningcatholic.com, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://www.beginningcatholic.com/confirmation.html>.

This website is a tad bit more helpful then the others that break down the sacrament of confirmation, because this website specifically breaks down the sacrament of confirmation, pertaining to the catholic faith. The catholic faith being the denomination of Christianity I am focusing on the importance of confirmation in. The information in this site will also help in the forming of questions for my interview, as well as offer the opportunity for further interpretive commentary on confirmation in the internal assessment itself.

Bunting, Joe. "Six Ways to Ask Better Questions in Interviews - The Write Practice." The Write Practice RSS. Thewritepractice.com, 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://thewritepractice.com/six-ways-to-ask-better-questions-in-interviews/>.

This is going to be the most beneficial source for my internal assessment because I have no prior knowledge on the formation of interview questions, but I do on the catholic faith and the sacrament of confirmation. So this will help me formulate good questions to really evoke the emotion of my interviewee on their experience to really have strong responses for my interview script, which will make the argument of my internal assessment stronger.