Understanding Complex Systems

Islamic Plan for Life

• A book about Islamic principles for living a life that aligns with Islamic teachings, authored by Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali.
• Aims to guide individuals on how to live an ethical life and develop good character.

Unit 1: Individual Ethics

• Self-knowledge: Essential preparation for self-improvement, focusing on fundamental questions about existence.
• Sacred questions and onward, soldiers!: Encourages introspection on personal identity and purpose.
• Hindrance to spiritual self-building: Heedlessness and lack of concern for spiritual growth are significant obstacles.
• Fruits of self-building: Spiritual benefits like the fear of sin, knowledge, and closeness to God result from self-development.
• Tips to start self-building: A method with three parts: making a pact to act properly each day, protecting oneself, and reviewing actions daily for needed corrections.
• Piety: Key concept of avoiding wrongdoing and seeking God's approval.
• Act of restraint: Piety can also involve abstaining from actions that are contrary to divine law.
• Meaning of God's remembrance: A key concept in Islam with three categories: remembrance of the heart, physical remembrance (avoiding disobeying God), and the verbal act of remembering through recitation.
• Effects of forgetting God: Leads to difficulties and setbacks including constriction in life.
• Obstacles to remembering God: Idleness, materialism, sinning, and the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.
• Repentance: A path to restoration of a relationship with God after sins.
• Immediate repentance: Crucial to avoid sins becoming habitual.
• Minor and major sins: Different types of sins with varying consequences.
• Effects of repentance: Purification of the heart, God's love, spiritual growth, gaining honor, provision.

Unit 2: Social Ethics

• Rights of people before the rights of God: Human rights are paramount, and violating them is a serious offense.
• Backbiting: Speaking negatively about someone behind their back is a significant social transgression.
• Desiring good for others: A crucial aspect of Islamic ethics.
• Helping others: Essential for the betterment of society.
• Self-sacrifice: Examples of self-sacrifice in Islamic history and its importance.
• Impediments to desiring good and helping others: Factors that prevent individuals from kindness and generosity, such as selfishness, greed, and enmity.

Unit 3: Individual Manners

• Age of religious responsibility/taklif: The point when a person becomes responsible for performing religious duties and obligations in Islam.
• Ritual prayers: The core of Islamic worship and their importance.
• Parts of the prayers: Different stages of prayers.
• Types of prayers: Obligatory (e.g., daily prayers), recommended (e.g., additional prayers), and others related to specific occasions.
• Zakat: A form of obligatory charity, emphasizing giving from one’s accumulated wealth to those in need within Islamic guidelines.
• Monetary rights in Islam: Zakat, Khums, and Nafqat.
• What is zakat paid on?: Specific items (e.g., livestock, precious metals) and types of wealth.
• The effects of paying zakat: Purification of wealth and increased blessings, eliminating poverty within the community.
• Cleanliness and beautification: Importance of physical cleanliness and piety.
• Fasting: A significant act of worship, involving abstaining from food and drink during specific periods.
• Types of fasting: Obligatory (e.g., Ramadan) and voluntary (nāfila).
• Effects and blessings of fasting: Spiritual and physical benefits, improved empathy with the poor, avoiding sins, and spiritual proximity to God.
• Food and drinks in Islamic Law: Guidelines for acceptable and forbidden foods and drinks.
• Alcohol and drugs: Harmful substance use is forbidden in Islam.
• Free time: Importance of proper use of leisure time and avoiding idleness.
• Profit, stagnation, loss, bankruptcy: Business metaphors for how one should use their time.

Unit 4: Social Manners

• Congregational prayers and the Friday prayers: Importance and benefits of congregational prayer.
• The leaders of the religious prayers: Role and significance of leadership in community.
• The mosque: The importance of the mosque in Islam.
• The Friday Prayers: Conditions and distinctions of performing Friday prayers.
• The Hajj: Ritual visit to Mecca and its significance.
• Social Relations in Islam: Guidance for relationships in society.
• Marriage: Regulations on marriage, and guidelines for family and social interactions.

This quiz explores the essential concepts of complex systems, including their characteristics and behaviors. Test your knowledge on feedback loops and the nature of complexity in various systems. Discover what drives unexpected outcomes in complex environments.