Islam "Food for the Soul" Reading Notes

The Seven Core Beliefs of Islam:

1. Belief in God
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

We All Have the Same God:

• Allah means the one and only God - same God as Christian and Jew God
• God is the one true reality, nothing is permanent except God
• Proof for God's existence in 4 areas -
  

1. complexity and beauty of natural world - must be designed by intelligent mind
2. human abilities/capacities for thought, belief, invention, creativity, & moral choice
3. Prophets, Holy Books, flashes of insight - all revelations of God's guidance and existence of religion
4. inner feelings - seek meaning in things, harmony with nature/universe/higher power, desire to answer "why?"

The Universe is Muslim!:

• There is God and everything else besides him
• Two categories of non-God: whatever is surrendered to God's will and whatever is resisting his will
• Qur'an states that the entire universe is Muslim

Aladdin Rubbed the Wrong Lamp:

• Jinns - genies that exist for their own sake that cause supernatural phenomena & paranormal events - can be good or evil
• haunt houses, possess people spook animals, give predictions to physics, and cause inexplicable phenomena

Touched by an Angel:

• Angels - made of light energy and can materialize into any form they need to in the physical world, have no free will and exist only to serce Allah
• 4 top angels -

1. Jibra'il (Gabriel) - brings revelations to prophets
2. Azra'il - angel of death (Malikul Mawt)
3. Mika'il (Michael) - controls the weather
4. Israfil - blow the horn signaling the end of the universe

Accepting the Burden:

• God offered the gift of self-awareness/free will to every living and non-living thing in the universe - all deny except humans - with this power comes great responsibility (SPIDERMAN)

Was God Right to Make Us?:

• God created humans and jinns for the sole purpose of serving HIm and surrendering to his will
• Our most basic needs are fulfuilled on the ultimate level when we achieve union with God's goodwill

Soul Soup:

• ruh = spirit in Arabic
• Humans get - free will, self-awareness, intelligence, reason, and a moral compass (fitrah)/natural inclination to help guide through life

Our Compass Points Inward:

• All have inherent weakness - desire personal pleasure and fulfillment of our animal urges
• Reason alone cannot guide us to right actions because of animal urges
• Choice of surrendering ourselves to Allah or of rejecting Him

Can You Stand on One Leg?

• Our purpose - come to the realization that God is real and that we must surrender our will to His
• By surrendering to Allah, we live a stress-free life in harmony with all things around us
  

Muhammad and the Founding of Islam Reading

Arabia Prior to Islam -

• 2 lifestyles: earn living from agriculture/trading or nomadic life following animals from one grazing area to the next
  
• Tribes popular - provide support, protection, and a sense of identity
• No central government - feuds settled on tribe to tribe basis
• Poets believed to be possessed be jinn (spirits of the natural world) and have supernatural powers - called on to defeat enemies
• Religion = regional beliefs, Allah believed in as creator of the universe, but had little involvement in the daily life of people

The Town of Mecca -

• Commercial and religious center - surrounding area considered sacred - no animal could be killed and tribesmen in trouble could claim refuge
• Growth of materialism and individual wealth/power - undermine traditional values
• Gap between rich and poor widen and resentment of less fortunate intensify

Muhammad's Early Life -

• Early life - camel driver, came into contact with monotheistic ideas, never learned to read or write
• 595 - impress Khadijah, she propose and he accept
• 15 years of prosperous life - only found passing satisfaction with the comforts of prosperity - sensitive to the grievances of the less fortunate

The Coming of Revelation -

• Angel Gabriel appear to Muhammad and order him to recite words - didn't believe him, only realized after the experiences continued and Khadijah encouraged him
• Accept that God expected him to serve as his divine messenger
• 613 - assume the title of Prophet of God and begin to preach openly in the streets
• Muhammad's message: only one god, Allah; power of God; day of judgment to come; and to worship other deities was to violate God

The Opposition to Muhammad -

• 619 - Muhammad and followers leave Mecca to Ta'if, but kicked out back to Mecca - Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib die
• Gabriel visit Muhammad during sleep and take him to Jerusalem then to heaven - meet with Abraham, Jesus, Moses, and other prophets and stood before God
• 620 - men from Medina ask for Muhammad's help to restore peace between tribes - slowly convert groups to Islam
• 622 - death threat to Muhammad, hide in cave - once safe, journey from Mecca to Medina (Hijrah) - mark the beginning of the Islamic calendar

Muhammad: Politics and Prophethood -

• Offered lodging by both tribes in Medina - refuse both wisely
• Initial problems: tribal feuds dividing the town, work and shelter for the Meccans who came to Medina, counter opposition to the teachings of Islam, and Meccan merchant clans determined to destroy him
• Make a series of agreements to forge links between Meccans and Medinans - mounting distrust from Jewish tribes
• 624 - God tell Muhammad to instruct followers to pray in the direction of Mecca - break from the Jewish tribes (2 of 3 leave Medina)
• Muhammad instruct Meccan followers to raid for supplies (weren't farmers)

The Clash of Arms -

• 624 - large caravan Meccans fight Muslims (outnumber 3 to 1) but Muslims win
• Muhammad vision - defeat represented as a test for the true believer, those who still believed would find reward from God
• Meccans march on Medina and lose, Muhammad turn against last of Jewish tribes, men slaughtered and women and children sold as slaves
• Meccans turn over Mecca to Muhammad - agreement represent recognition of Muhammad's leadership and strength of Muslim community
• Muhammad secure hold over the peninsula - bring an end to the cult of the three goddesses

Victory and the Final Pilgrimage -

• 630 - Muhammad leave Mecca after establishing Muslim control over the town and winning support of the Meccan population
• 632 - rule that only Muslims could worship at the Ka'bah in Mecca