Islam for Idiots...

Islam Readings: 

A note on each of the chapters: Whether or not you answer these, you should know each of the following ideas or concepts. You can do it in note form, writing a chapter summary, writing an essay or by answering the questions... the choice is yours. Just show you know / understand the concepts. You will be graded on completion and eventually you will be tested on the materials.

**You can find the pdf on my blackboard site. Simply read / analyze a chapter for each week. So complete chapter 2 for the week of January 19th. Chapter 3 for the next week. Chapter 4 for the last.

Chapter 2: Food for the Soul

1. What is the purpose of the Ayatul Kursi: "Verse of the Throne"
2. What, according to Muslims what are the four areas that prove the existence of God / Allah
3. What does it mean to "surrender to Allah"?
4. What is the role of free will in Islam and following God's will -
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?
6. In your own words explain Fitrah

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?
2. What are the purposes of the 3 levels of self development in Islam?
3. How does Islam both accept other religious ideas but is the "last installment of God's 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?
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"
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."
7. Revisit / expand on the concept of the Fitrah

Chapter 4: All About Allah

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.
2. How in some ways is the God of Islam similar to the Hindu concept of Bramha
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?)
4. Why can't Muslims blame anyone or anything (such as Shaytan) at the time of their judgment?
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?
6. If Muslims are forbidden from depicting God in any way, how do they then conceptualize Allah?
7. Why is "He" used to describe Allah if you cannot attribute physical traits to God?
8. Look at the last paragraph of the chapter - This is a great overview of the chapter. Understand this and you understand the chapter.