Sub Work (Theme 4)

Source 1’s link did not work.

Source 2

1.    Sufi Muslims emphasize that seeking of direct spiritual union with God.
2.    Whirling Dervishes are a dance done by Sufi Muslims as a “spiritual offering”.
3.    The spiritual purpose of whirling is to reach a unity between God and man.

Source 3

1.     The author chose to perform the hajj early because he did not know what the future would hold for him and his wife. They were also hoping that by performing the hajj and praying to God, that he would bless them with a child.
2.     Hajj is not as much about the ritual, but about teaching patience, tolerance, and focus.
3.     At Hajj, the author learned about patience to deal with waiting, the tolerance to deal with specific living conditions, and how to stay focused to complete the rigorous adoption process.
4.       I believe that the hajj is considered a religious experience because it brings you closer to God. You learn different things along the way that are good life lessons and things that God would see as important.

Source 4

1.       The gist of religious experience in Islam is the interiorization of the profession of faith: that there is no deity save God and that Muhammad is his messenger.
2.       The prophet of God, Muhammad, was sent to act as a perfect model for the community and to display his submission to God, which is the true meaning of Islam.

Huston Smith Part 4

Chapter 8- Sufism
Question: How did Sufism come to be and what is it?
Main Ideas:
1. Those within the Islamic Community after Muhammad's death were known as Sufis
2. Every message in the Koran is important
3. Sufis wanted to encounter God directly
4. Esoteric- only understood by few
5. Symbolism is a principle method
Thesis Statement: Sufism came to be after the death of Muhammad and is the mystical dimension of Islam.
Summary: Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam and is practiced by some of the Muslim community. Symbols are very important to Sufis, as it gives them something to worship God with and give emphasis to a specific idea or concept. Sufis believe that the Koran is very sacred and that every message told in it should be practiced as often and accurately as possible. Sufis also wanted to encounter God directly in their everyday lives. Because of this, Sufism is esoteric, or only understood by a few people.

Chapter 9- Whither Islam
Question: How has the whither, or degree of following Muhammad's words, changed in the religion?
Main Ideas:
1. Practice of Islam is replaced by "mere profession"
2. Muslims have wandered from the words of Muhammad
3. Faithful prayer is very important
4. God is amazing and great
5. There is only one God in the world, Allah
Thesis Statement: Muhammad is still very important in the religion of Islam, but his words have slightly different meaning now and Muslim's interpret them differently because of "mere profession".
Summary: Islam over the years has slightly changed due to the "mere professions" of Muhammad's words and the prophet's words are interpreted differently today than they were many years ago. Some things have stayed the same and that includes one faithful prayer that reads, "God is most great, God is most great. I testify that their is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is the prophet of God. Arise and pray. God is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God".

Huston Smith Part 3

Chapter 6-The Five Pillars
Question: How do the five pillars guide a Muslim in decision making?
Main Ideas:
1. Islam teaches people to walk in the straight path
2. Straight path is direct and explicit

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

4. Prayer must occur 5 times a day

5. Purpose of pilgrimage is to heighten devotion to God

Thesis Statement: The five pillars help Muslims to make wise decisions based on what they know will keep them on the 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 ones; faithfulness must be constant. The third pillar of Islam is charity, the fourth is the observance of Ramadan, and the fifth Islam pillar is pilgrimage. All of these things help Muslims make the right decisions to lead them in the right, or "straight" path.

 

Chapter 7- Social Teachings

Question: What key concepts does Islam teach us when it relates to social teachings?

Main Ideas:

1. Brotherly and sisterly love is very important

2. Koran is spiritual guide, or teacher

3. Society's health requires "nourishment and feeding"

4. Family is a good foundation for society

5. Test for equality is interracial marriages

Thesis Statement: Islam focuses on social teachings through economy, women's status, race relations, and the use of force.

Summary: Social Teachings in Islam are very important, as they display the importance of brotherly and sisterly love. Using the Koran as a spiritual guide, it becomes clear that family is key, as well as economy, the good status of women, quality in race, and positive use of force.

 

 

Huston Smith Part 2

Chapter 4: The Standing Miracle
Question: Why is the Koran said to be a "standing miracle"?
Main Ideas:
1. "Blessings and peace be upon him"
2. The Koran is the most recited book in the world
3. 23 years of teachings by Muhammad is what formed into the Koran
4. "This is the scripture whereof there is no doubt"
5. Koran regulates evaluation of every event
Thesis Statement: The Koran is said to be a standing miracle because even with all of its comparisons, it continues to be a memorandum for the faithful, as well as a daily reminder for right doings.
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 Koran". The Koran 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 memorandum for many. It provides definitions, as well as guarantees, and is "a road map" for good will. By reading the Koran, Muslims are able to meditate on different ideas and thoughts in private and deepen their understanding for the sense of divine glory.


Chapter 5: Basic Theological Concepts
Question: What are the basic concepts of Islam?
Main Ideas:
1. Basic theological concepts of Islam are surprisingly similar to Judaism and Christianity
2. Everything relates back to God
3. Muslims do not approve of portraying images of God in anyway
4. "Muslims fear 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 "chief theological pegs" of the Koran's teachings and Islam.
Summary: The religion of Islam is very similar to other religions when it comes to basic theological concepts. 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 Koran 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 (Islam meaning surrender) 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 "impress" Allah. This is also displayed in the Koran as it is "a book which emphasizes deed rather than idea".

Huston Smith Part 1

Chapter 1: Islamic Background
Question: What was one key event that helped to develop Islam?
Main Points:
1. Islam was a central part of the Arab rise
2. Islam begins with God (Allah), not Muhammad
3. God created world and then humans
4. Ismael, Son of Hager and Abraham, was banished by Sarah to Mecca
5. His descendants became Muslim
Thesis Statement: The banishment of Ishmael by Sarah was a key event in the development of Islam, as his descendants became Muslim.
Summary: Islam was a key part and central to the Arab rise and begins with God. There is only one God, "Allah". God created the world and following that, He created humans. Sarah and Abraham had not yet to conceive a child, so Abraham had a child with Hager. This child was Ishmael. Sarah then conceived a son named Isaac and the banished Ishmael to Mecca. In Mecca, his descendants became Muslim while Isaac's descendants became Jews.

Chapter 2: The Seal of the Prophets
Question: Who was the seal of the prophets and why?
Main Points:
1. There had been prophets of God before Muhammad, but he is known as "The Seal of the Prophets"
2. Muhammad had a childhood full of tragedy, but continued to prepare his ministry
3. An angel appeared to him and told him to teach others the word of God
4. Meccan leaders did not approve of his teachings
5. People began to acclaim him as God's spokesman
Thesis Statement: Muhammad was the seal of the prophets because he was the final prophet of God, with no one following him.
Summary: There have been many prophets of God, with the final being Muhammad. Muhammad was known as "The Seal of the Prophets" since he was the last one. His life was full of tragedy with the death of his parents, but he continued to prepare his ministry of Islam. During a hajj, an angel came to Muhammad and told him to teach others the word of God. While people eventually began to listen to him, Meccan leaders did not approve of his teachings. As people understood his word and teachings, people started to acclaim Muhammad as being God's spokesman.

Chapter 3: The Migration that Led to Victory
Question: What lasting effect did migration leave on Muslims?
Main Points:
1. Mecca facing internal rivalries
2. God told him to travel to Yathrib
3. Yathrib soon became known as "The City of the Prophet"
4. Reputation spread and everyone wanted to see the man who wrought the miracle of civilizing tribes within a city
5. Muhammad died with all of Arabia under his control
Thesis Statement: Migration caused Muhammad's words and teachings to spread all over Arabia, causing people to listen and believe in what he said and his miracles.

Summary: Mecca as a whole was facing multiple internal rivalries when Muhammad got a message from God to travel to Yathrub. Muhammad went and Yathrib later became known as "The City of the Prophet". Muhammad's reputation began to spread all over Arabia 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 in 632 with all of Arabia under his control.  

Quiz Part 2

Gillian's Statement: "At the beginning of each interview, we decided to omit the fact that we were inquiring specifically about Islam. The result was that people who connected their answer to religion generally connected their answer to their religion, predominantly Christianity."

Question: Why do you think that telling them that you were acquiring this information specifically for Islam would change their answers to your questions?

Response: I think that it allows them to answer creatively and tie in personal examples from their own religion.
 
Question: Do you believe that one would sensor their responses is they knew it was being tied back to Islam?

Response: I don't think people would sensor what they would say, but that they would go off assumptions they've made of the Islam religion.

Question: Why do we have assumptions for religions?

Response: It's human nature to make assumptions for anything and I feel that making assumptions for religions are extremely common whether they are true or false.

Question: Do assumptions ultimately effect how one view a religion?

Response/Conclusion: I think they do. We learn a lot about a religion through the things that we hear and some of those things are false. By leaving the information about it being for Islam out, we were able to get their honest answers without any false assumptions made.

Critical Commentary

1. Do you think it is acceptable to draw pictures or show images of God? and
    To what extent do you agree that God cannot be materialized into human standards?

Yes, because we believe that representations of God are something that helps people focus their worship and centralize their beliefs around something they can visualize. This helps create a common image for people to associate with God and their religion. I think it is up to the religious persons to represent their God in the way they would like. This also allows religious artwork to have religious meaning.

I believe that God is not something that can be broken down into our standards or human image. However, in representing him as a human man this allows practitioners to connect with God on a personal level and feel closer to him. I think most people believe or understand that God does not look the way we portray him, but this gives them an image to the name. I think images of God may be seen as more of a symbol than a picture, and this is something that is used on a personal level and differs greatly throughout different religions and practitioners themselves. God may not be materialized into a human, but he may be represented symbolically with art and images that happen to resemble the human figure.

2. Muslims do not believe in representing God with images or human figures. They use words and calligraphy to represent Allah. This is due to the belief that God can not be understood in the context of human standards. He is beyond what we can imagine or see on Earth. Artwork that gives Allah or Muhammad a face is considered extremely controversial.  This is shown by the extreme retaliation to the publication of a comic by Charlie Hebdo that shows an image of Muhammad. As a group, none of us are Muslims. This comic strip does not make any of us upset or offended, but we understand how it could offend some Muslims by bringing Muhammad, one of the prophets, down to their human level. We also find it interesting how Charlie Hebdo created this work of art with the knowledge that it would stir up a lot of controversy and we wonder if this controversy is the reason that his comic became popular.

3. The questions asked during student/teacher interviews were:

• Do you think it is acceptable to draw pictures or show images of God?
• To what extent do you agree that God cannot be materialized into human standards?

After interviewing 5 different people-2 teachers and 3 students,our group came to the consensus that these five people had similar opinions and viewpoints. In response to the first question, most people believed that it was acceptable to draw pictures and show images of God as a way of expressing themselves and it gives people something to look at or picture in their mind while worshipping their God. As a group, we agree with these interviewees and found it interesting that we all agree on this specific question. The response to the second question sparked multiple ideas and different thoughts. Some people agreed that God can be materialized into human standards just by the way one thinks of Him. Others expressed that they do not agree that God can be materialized into human standards and believe that God is not something that can be broken down into what we believe is a human image. Our group found it interesting that there were more than one major viewpoint expressed and we believe that God cannot be materialized to human standards, but in representing him as a human, it allows personal connection.

4. Showing images of God and attributing human traits to God are both strictly forbidden in the Islamic religion. Through our questions, we were trying to compare these Islamic ideas to the ideas present in the Millbrook community. Our community is mostly influenced by Christianity and Judaism rather than Islam. It was interesting to see how people that were more influenced by these religions would answer these questions since it is easy to hypothesize how a Muslim would answer them based on the beliefs of Islam.

Koran by Heart Reflection as Rifdha

When I was selected to be a part of the International Holy Koran Competition, I knew it was a special opportunity for me to share what I had memorized in the Koran. I wasn’t only excited to share this but I was also eager to share the message behind it. Being only 10 years old, I was one of the youngest competitors. While this was an honor, it also gave me butterflies in my stomach and I was quite nervous throughout the whole thing. I studied the Koran for hours and hours, repeating out loud to myself throughout the days as I prepared to leave. I missed my family and my normal food while I was in Cairo, Egypt.  My mom gave me confidence even though I missed her so much. When I arrived at the competition, there were 110 reciters from over 70 different countries ready to display what they knew about this guide to life. After having to wait for hours through the night, it was finally my turn. I made a few mistakes and just knew that I wouldn’t qualify to move on with a score as low as I was expecting. It turns out that I got a 97 during the first round! I was so ecstatic and I heard people talking about the “miracle of memorization” that the kids my age had. It was then time for the final round, which I didn’t even knew existed, and I was even more nervous because I had been messing around the days before since I thought the competition was over. I did pretty well during the final competition and ended up receiving 2^nd place! When I returned home, I was so excited to see my family and friends. They were all proud of me and I was proud of myself too. The International Holy Koran Competition was a stressful event, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to prove to myself how much I knew and to make my family and friends proud.

Chapter 4: All About Allah

1. It is interesting that although many other religions have exclusions against making pictures and statues portraying God, only Islam has succeeded so well that the concept is unidentified. What we lack in artwork about God we make up for in a convincing intellectual and spiritual ideology.
2. Islam’s believe that God is the creator and that there is only one God. This relates to the Hindu concept of Brahma.
3. There is no god other than God is translated to “La ilaha ill Allah”. With this, Islam would also disagree with the Jewish belief that God has an all-time covenant with them and a special relationship that divides the world by race. The idea that God divides the world into any kind of racial preference is shameful in Islam. Muslims are taught that He is not the God of a chosen people nor can any racial or ethnic community.
4. In desperation the idol-worshippers will even start to blame Shaytan, but he will signal off the blame, saying he only recommended it. He didn’t make them call on false gods. The Qur’an is very clear about blame being laid squarely upon our own shoulders.
5. “Islam considers Jesus to be a prophet of God, born of the Virgin Mary as a miracle from God. Muslims accept the Virgin birth but contemplate the lack of a father in Jesus’ creation as being on the same level as the lack of parents in Adam’s creation. Muslims do not take Jesus’ birth as a sign of godhood or as a sign that Jesus was the son of a god. The Qur’an states, “The likeness of Jesus in the sight of God is that of Adam. He created him from dust and said, ‘Be’ and he was.””
6. We can build a private connection with Allah because He can hear all our thoughts and because he knows our feelings.
7. In Arabic there is no word for “it,” so the pronoun “He” is used to refer to God, with the full understanding that Allah is not a male.