World

WEEK 8

ISLAM

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

The Quran states that Allah created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days. The Quran further states that Allah created the sun, the moon, and the planets, each with their own individual courses or orbits.

Nature of God/Creator

Islam teaches that Allah, the one god, has 99 names. Although we can understand some of His attributes, His essence cannot be comprehended by a human's limited mental capacity. Allah has created mankind primarily so that they may know their creator through his creations.

View of Human Nature

The Quran and Islam teaches that human beings have a nature that is disposed toward the knowledge of Divine, we mean to say that every human being's nature and disposition is so constituted that it is naturally disposed to acquire Divine gnosis or knowledge.

View of Good & Evil

In Islam, God created good things and bad things and made them known to man through successive revelations, but He left it for human free will to use its power of choice to make its way between the two paths, and be responsible for the choice. At the day of judgment day everyone will be questioned and treated the way of their deeds. Every sin will be punished in that way.

View of Salvation

Islam teaches that salvation is attainable through the worship of God alone. A person must believe in God and follow his commandment. They also teach that human beings are born without sin and are naturally inclined towards worshiping God alone. For one to retain this state of sinless human beings must only follow Gods commandment and strive to live a righteous life. When a person sins, he’s required to sincerely repent followed seeking God’s forgiveness.

View of After Life

According to Islam the earthly life span of every individual is determined by God. After death each must wait until the Day of Judgment, which is known only to God, for resurrection. After the judgment the righteous goes to heaven while the wicked are burnt in hell, but every Muslim after being punished will be granted heaven at end.

Practices and Rituals

There are five major pillars or practices in Islam which include; Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Ramadan, Hajj. The rituals include; Prayers, Fasting, Pilgrimage, Charity, Purification and animal sacrifice.

Celebrations & Festivals

There are two main Islamic festivals; Eid al-Fitr which is a feast for breaking the fast which marks the end of Ramadan, the next is Eid al-Adha known as the feast of the sacrifice is the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. Other important days are the day of Ashura, the day of Arafa.