Islam for Idiots Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Food for the Soul

Pg 17-26

1)     What is the purpose of the Ayatul Kursi: "Verse of the Throne"

      i.        It tells the way that Muslims should view God. What Muslims believe about God (a-e interpretation from the verse):

a)     Only one god and he is above all others

b)    Everyone is dependent on him

c)     Never sleeps or rests and everything is his

d)    Knows everything about everyone and no one can understand without his consent

e)     He sits over everyone and protects them

f)     Only thing that is permanent

g)    Everything exist to do his will

h)he is eternal and uncreated

i)     Created will pass and return to him

2)     What, according to Muslims what are the four areas that prove the existence of God / Allah

a)     The natural world

i)      Sign of intelligence in universe b/c only a designing mind could have created it

b)    Human abilities and capacities for thought, belief, invention, creativity, and moral choices

c)     Revelation of God’s guidance and existence of religion

i)      Show right and wrong ways to live

ii)     Prophets, Holly Books, flashes of incite show guidance is real and purposefully directed

d)    Our inner feelings

i)      Lead us to seek meaning

ii)     Show we have souls in harmony with nature, the universe, and the high power

3)     What does it mean to "surrender to Allah"?

a)     To follow Allah’s way and do what you were created to do

4)     What is the role of free will in Islam and following God's will?

a)     We have free will but can be influenced by jinns (somewhat like genies)

b)    Jinns can influence us to not follow 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?

a)     Fitrah is like our conscious it helps us to separate right from wrong.

b)    Since we are all human beings and our souls came from the same place and we collectively decided that we wanted free will we were all given Fitrah as a guide even if we are not Muslim  (like a natural instinct)

6)     In your own words explain Fitrah

a)     Fitrah is like our moral compass, conscious or natural inclination to guide us through life.

b)    Its almost like a natural instinct

·         Goal/penalty: The reward for such a lifestyle is eternity in Heaven. The penalty for self-indulgence is a stint in Hell.

·         How do we get there: The Muslim lifestyle is based on faith in God, leading a morally upright life, following a set of daily rituals to remind one’s self of his or her allegiance to God, and doing good works to improve the lives of all living things

·         Islam means to surrender to the will of Allah

·         Muslim means surrendered one

·         The seven core beliefs :

1.     Belief in God. (Muslims must call Allah)

§  Qur’an states that this is the same God of Christians and Jews

2.      Belief in the angels.

3.     Belief in the revealed Books of God.

4.      Belief in God’s many prophets.

5.     Accepting that there will be a Last Day.

6.     Belief in the divine measurement of human affairs.

7.     Belief in a life after death.