Quran by Heart

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Islam for Idiots

I just did these all together

Islam for Idiots 

Chapter Two

Chapter two explains that Muslims have surrendered to Allah and that Islam means to surrender yourself to Allah. Humans were the only species to choose to have free will, while every other species has already submitted to Allah but do not have the free will that humans do. Humans also have a trait called Fitrah, which is how we separate our human way of living from the animal way of life and instincts Also, Muhammad claims that every human is a Muslim, but we are brought up differently because of our parents or community in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions.

Chapter Three

 The focus of this chapter is the act and forgiveness of sin, and the afterlife of Muslims, as well as the spiritual develop of Muslims. Muslims believe that there are three stages of development in faith; seeking pleasure, seeking answers, and following God. In birth, no one is guilty of sin, unlike Christianity’s Original Sin, but the animal desires and influences of others lead Muslims away from their Fitrah, which was explained in Chapter Two. Muslims believe that they should have faith in God and be sincere when asking for forgiveness for sins, and they believe that a final Judgement Day will result in the forgiveness of sins and granting of entrance to Paradise, or the purging of the soul in Hell for a period of time. The only time a soul would need to be eternally damned to Hell is if they had a black/stained soul that was beyond recovery.

Chapter Four

Because we can’t comprehend Allah and his ways and knowing, we should not depict him. This also applies to the prophets that he has sent, as we can’t understand Allah’s motivations and do not know how Allah would want these prophets to be depicted. No one has ever seen Allah, although Moses was the closest prophet when he received the Ten Commandments. We have no form of Allah available to us that we, as mere humans, would understand, yet Muslims know that Allah is one with no divisions (like the Holy Trinity) and no other representatives. In all humans, there is a Shaytan that is attempting to draw us away from Allah. Allah is neither a male, or a female, despite constantly being referred to as “Him” or “He”. 

Rituals Assignment

What are the purposes of specific rituals?

Theme: Evaluate the spiritual importance that each has for the believer.


Muslims must surrender to the existence of God, and a follower of the Islamic faith must pray everyday to show dedication to God, a ritual known as Salet. Prayer is performed at particular times during the day and has many personal meanings for each person. This practice demonstrates their acknowledgement of the one true Allah, or God. A common form of prayer is asking for guidance or help from God in their life, and this brings the follower closer to God.

Followers can also grow in their faith by completing a pilgrimage to Mecca, known as following one of the 5 pillars. This pilgrimage is also called the Hajj, usually performed between the eight and twelfth days during Dhu al- Hijja-. The act of completing, or even attempting, a pilgrimage shows how they have faith in Iman, God, and as well as participation in the Muslim community knows as Umma.

http://www.whyislam.org/


Theme: How does prayer shape the daily life of Muslims?

Prayer


Muslims are required to pray at least 5 times a day towards Mecca, signifying reverence towards Mohammad, but many will often pray more than 5 to deepen their spiritual connection with Allah. The time of the required prayers are at dawn, noon, mid afternoon, sunset, and night. Islam followers pray to ask Allah for guidance in the hardships or predicaments that they face in life, named jihad,  as well as to reiterate their belief in the one true God, Allah. Rites of passage and prayer relate to each other because are often made when a Muslim asks for a child to be born and to bless a marriage with strength. Prayer is a major aspect of the Islamic faith to keep a strong relationship with Allah.

http://www.islamicity.com


Theme: What aspects of prayer are aimed at Allah and what aspects are aimed at Muhammad?


Mawlid al-Nabi

This ritual began as the writing of poems to honor Muhammad, beginning with the Arabs, who were known for their linguistic skills. The date that this ritual is performed is the Islam’s date of Muhammad’s birth. Although the actual date is unknown, this is similar to the Christian holiday Christmas. While his birthday is celebrated, this holiday also focuses on the revealing of the message of Allah to Muhammad, known as risalah. This ritual celebrates his life as a whole and the accomplishments and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

http://www.islamicity.com


How determines if a practice is a religious holiday or simply a community-specific way to worship?

Theme: Determine the difference among Sunni, Shi'a and Sufi rituals that are driven by both similar and differing doctrines.


Islam has two main denominations, the Shia and Sunni, that both base their faith on the Quran. However, these religions differ in the prayers that they recite and the rituals that they perform for worship. The prayer styles of these religions are different in that the Sunni are very strict in their prayer, adhering to the 5 times a day rule and are encouraged to pray more. The Shia do not follow this rule strictly, and believe that prayer should be on your own time and self-motivated in order to gain further strength in one’s personal relationship with Allah.

http://www.islamicity.com


How does a community form/change around rituals?

Theme: How are specific rituals linked to a foundational figure?

Ramadan

The ritual of Ramadan is celebrated each year in the religion of Islam for approximately one month between June and July. During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day, also known as sawm, from sunrise to sunset. This mimics the story in the Quran that Muhammad would take his family into the countryside to meditate and fast during Ramadan. Now, the ritual is meant to serve as a way to become closer to Allah through sacrifice of earthly needs and desires in honor of Allah and Muhammad.

www.islamicity.com

Are rituals based on the foundational figures or are they based on the higher power of a religion?

Muhammad/Islam Timeline

Timeline of Islam and Muhammad 

570 C.E. Muhammad is born in Mecca into a noble family. He earns the reputation of being an honest and reliable person

610  According to Muslim belief, at the age of 40, Muhammad is visited by the angel Gabriel while on retreat in a cave near Mecca. The angel recites to him the first revelations of the Quran and informs him that he is God's prophet. Later, Muhammad is told to call his people to the worship of the one God, but they react with hostility and begin to persecute him and his followers.

622 After enduring persecution in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers move to Medina, which at the time was known as Yathrib. The people here accept the Islamic faith, signifying the "hijrah" or "emigration," and the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad establishes an Islamic state based on the Quran and the guidance of God. Eventually he begins to invite other tribes and nations to Islam.

630 Muhammad returns to Mecca with a large number of his followers. He manages to enter the city and eventually he and Islam are accepted. Muhammad clears out the Kaaba and rededicates it to the worship of God.

633 Muhammad dies after a prolonged illness. The Muslim community elects his father-in-law and close associate, Abu Bakr, as caliph, or successor.

638 Muslims enter the area north of Arabia, known as "Sham," including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

641 Muslims enter Egypt and destroy Byzantine army, freeing those who were under oppressive ruling, similar to the Hebrews and Egypt and the story of Moses in the Old Testament. 

655 Islam begins to spread throughout North Africa.

661 Imam Ali is killed, bringing to an end the rule of the four "righteous caliphs": Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. This also marks the beginning of the Umayyad rule.

711 Muslims enter Spain in the west and India in the east, bringing almost all of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic rule. 

732 Charles Martel defeats the Muslims in France. 

750 The Abbasids take over rule from the Umayyads, shifting the seat of power to Baghdad.

1000 Islam continues its spread across the world to Africa. 

1099 European/Christian Crusaders take Jerusalem from the Muslims, but the Muslims regain control of Jerusalem later on. 

1120. Islam spreads to Asia through Malaysian traders with the Muslims. 

In my opinion, the most important event in Islamic history comes after the death of Muhammad, and actually with the death of Iman Ali. After the Umayyad rule began, Islam became more aggressive with their expansion and began to reach across more continents and possess more of those continents. Without this change in mentality, Islam may still have been a minor religion today and not have gained the massive following by spreading its message throughout the Eastern Hemisphere.