Chapter 4: All About
Allah
Pg 37-46
1)
What is intriguing /
interesting / insightful about the benefits of Islam forbidding the use of any
representations of Allah?
a)
I think that this is interesting
because it makes sure that people don’t start to consider God as human or as
human like. Also it leaves what the true image of Allah is open to interpretation.
It allows people to view him differently based on the relationship and beliefs
that they have.
2)
How in some ways is
the God of Islam similar to the Hindu concept of Brahma
a)
Allah is similar to
the Hindu concept of Brahma because Allah is said to be unchanging. In Islam
God is considered the same now and forever and that he will never change.
Brahma, like Allah, is considered beyond the world and cannot be exactly
defined.
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?)
a)
“La ilaha ill Allah”
means “there is no god other than God”. This is implying that any other gods
other than the God (Allah) is not real. It means that no other gods should be
worshiped accept Allah. It also means that no other god shares the power with
Allah.
4)
Why can't Muslims
blame anyone or anything (such as Shaytan) at the time of their
judgment?
a)
Muslims can’t blame
anyone or anything because no sin is passed on to ones descendants. We are to
be judged based on what we did in our life time and not on those that we can’t
control.
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?
a)
Since Muslims believe
there is no god but Allah then Jesus can’t share the power that Allah has.
According to Muslims Jesus was considered to be a prophet. His role is like
Adam because like Jesus lacked a worldly father so did Adam and they are both
to be examples of Allah’s power.
6)
If Muslims are
forbidden from depicting God in any way, how do they then conceptualize Allah?
a)
Muslims focus on the
qualities of God instead of a physical depiction of him.
7)
Why is "He"
used to describe Allah if you cannot attribute physical traits to God?
a)
He is used to describe
Allah because it is not specific. Like in other languages where words are considered
to have a gender when being general the masculine pronoun is used, so the
masculine pronoun “He” is used to describe Allah.
8)
Look at the last
paragraph of the chapter - This is a great overview of the chapter. Understand
this and you understand the chapter.
a)
Allah rules by himself
alone and has no gender. He has no beginning or end and no human can is strong
enough to see his full power so he doesn't show himself to men. He has no form
that we can understand and we know what he is like only through the names he
has in the Qu’ran. He doesn't pass sins on from one generation to the next.
Idols are false. Allah is not distant from humans he is considered as close as
the veins that run through the body. He is active in the lives of humans and is
testing us in life to give us the chance to choose to surrender to him.
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