Islamic Studies 15-5: Islamic Beliefs

Islamic Studies 15-5: Islamic Beliefs

• Islam is about submission to God's will.
• Prophet Muhammad's actions are evaluated by their intentions.
• Actions are judged by their intentions.
• The goal of the lesson is to understand the difference between facts and personal preferences and to understand what it means for Islam to be true.

Lesson Goal

• Learn to differentiate facts from preferences.
• Understand the meaning of Islam.
• Learn how Islam can be proven true.

What Do You Think?

• Sam Harris believes the faith of religion is based on insufficient evidence.
• Richard Dawkins says faith is belief without evidence and defines it as delusion.

Faith or Evidence?

• A dialogue between Adrian and John explores the concepts of faith and evidence in religion.
• John believes religion is based on faith, not evidence.
• Adrian believes in religion through evidence.

Faith or Evidence? (continued)

• John bases beliefs on personal preference.
• Adrian bases beliefs on factual evidence, but his conclusion isn't correctly based on evidence.
• The current course will show Islam to be true through different kinds of evidence.

Facts or Preferences

• Preferences are personal likes and dislikes, varying between individuals.
• Facts are independently true and do not change.
• Facts are supported by evidence.

Facts or Preferences (continued)

• Examples of facts and preferences are given, illustrating the difference. (e.g., it rained yesterday, someone preferring a certain type of food is a fact)

Islam is True

• The central message of the Quran is grounded in evidence-based belief.
• The Prophet Muhammad presented evidence for Islam.
• God emphasizes the truth of Islam in the Quran.
• God's words evoke emotional responses upon hearing them (tears).

Islam is True (continued)

• Muslims should choose their beliefs based on the truthfulness of Islam rather than family traditions.
• The lesson emphasizes evaluating the reasons behind beliefs.

What Do You Mean?

• The importance of clear communication to avoid misunderstandings.
• Misinterpretations of words lead to confusion.
• Important to clearly define words and concepts when communicating.

Defining Islam

• Islam is peace and submission to the will of God.
• Islam is a collection of pillars including faith, prayer, donations, fasting and pilgrimage.
• Islam encompasses perfection and totality of all revealed religions.
• None of the examples are necessarily fully accurate to define the scope of Islam in a concise way within one religion.

What is Islam?

• God created the universe and everything in it.
• God sent Muhammad to teach the purpose of worship and obedience.
• God will judge humans after their death.
• The message can be supported with proofs.

Discussion Questions

• Can something be a fact and a preference?
• What if Islam was just a preference?
• Give examples of evidence from the Prophet Muhammad's life that prove Islam is a fact.

Explore the core beliefs of Islam and the significance of intentions behind actions as taught in Islamic Studies Chapter 15-5. This quiz encourages critical thinking regarding the distinction between personal preferences and factual truths in understanding Islam. Engage with contrasting views on faith and evidence presented by notable thinkers.