Chapter 3: Looking at life the Islamic Way
Pg 27-36
1)
According to Islam, we
are all born "good" - how does it then explain the "bad"
that exists?
a)
Born with natural
weakness due to our physical nature
i)
This is our desire for
pleasure and aversion of pain
ii)
Devil preys on hearts
and minds with limited power
iii)
God provides tools to combat the devil
2)
What are the purposes
of the 3 levels of self development in Islam?
a)
The Animal Self: basic
instinct and desires
i)
Basic desires of food,
sex, creature comforts, and wealth guide life choices
ii)
People stuck here live
life seeking their own pleasures and desire self-satisfaction
iii)
Satan (Shaytan) and his other jinns make getting out of this
stage difficult
b)
The Accusing Self:
higher-order questioning of our purpose
i)
Starts when one begins
to listen to fitrah
ii)
Now individuals are
able to seek god
iii)
Realization in our
heart and mind that we need god
iv)
daily regimen of
prayer, reflection, fasting, and study, and a consciousness of morality, our heart
becomes more and more at ease.
a)
The Restful Self:
Tansending worldliness as a focus
i)
Starts with
realization that everyone must die and return to god and that life is a test
ii)
Awaiting meeting with
the creator
iii)
The individual no
longer seeks desire and understands the higher purpose of life
3)
How does Islam both
accept other religious ideas but is the "last installment of God's
will"
a)
The original Torah,
Gospel, scrolls of Abraham, Psalms of David, and countless other religiously
inspired texts detail how to achieve such a goal.
i)
Islam accepts the validity of them all, though
the Qur’an points out that no previous revelation from God has survived without
alteration or editingby human hand
b)
Qur’an, which is
considered the last installment of divine guidance to the world, declares
itself the culmination of all of God’s previous revelations to us
i)
is the source for how
to live a Godly lifestyle
ii)
The Qur’an, says it is the one book that God won’t allow people
to change.
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?
a)
Tawba is a way to make
one actually think of the wrong they have done and learn from it
b)
Twaba follows a 4 step
process:
i)
Feel remorseful about
the sin.
ii)
Repent of your action
to God by saying, My Lord forgive me.”
iii)
Make restitution for
the sin if possible.
iv)
Resolve never to do
the sin again. God has promised to forgive our sins if we seek His forgiveness
sincerely
c)
This causes the individual to actually think of the sins they
committ on a daily basis
d)
Very similar to the
process of receiving forgiveness in Christianity
e)
The other religions we
have studied you don’t really ask for
forgiveness what you have done just stay with you and affects your next life
(Karma)
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"
a)
Islam isn’t a faith of
good deeds because the ultimate way to reach heaven is by surrendering to the
will of God and just because one does a good deed doesn’t mean they are surrendering
to his will.
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."
a)
You have to obviously
accept God before your death and you have to live the way that he instructs you
to live.
7)
Revisit / expand on
the concept of the Fitrah
a)
Fitrah seeks to keep us sinless as we are
believed to be born in the Islamic faith. It helps to stay on the right path of
good, so that when we get to heaven we can receive as many rewards from God as
possible due to the good deeds we have done.
·
Islam teaches we are
born sinless and free of sin but we are drawn to the pleasures of the world
around us
·
The aim of our fitrah,
or inner nature, is to countermand this trend and elevate our minds to seek God
·
The major sins in
Islam are:
o
Committing idolatry.
o
Stealing from an
orphan.
o
Committing adultery or
fornication.
o
Disobeying parents.
o
Collecting interest on
investments.
o
Accusing a chaste
woman falsely.
o
Giving false
testimony.
o
Committing murder or
suicide.
o
Committing
infanticide.
o
Enslaving a free
person.
o
Engaging in slander
and gossip.
·
The virtuous deeds in
Islam are:
o
Speaking the truth.
o
Being kind to family.
o
Honoring parents.
o
Giving in charity.
o
Feeding the poor.
o
Fighting against
injustice.
o
Freeing slaves.
o
Returning borrowed property.
o
Studying and learning.
o
Being kind to animals.
·
surrendering to God
means
o
to believe in Him
o
to follow lifestyle
that promotes harmony on Earth and among people
o follow a personal code of morality that can
lead to an ever higher understanding of God’s nature
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