Interviews Commentary

Audio Clip #1 and 2: Our interviewee gave us a very basic answer, but it makes sense. If someone is going through a rough time in their life or living in poverty, then they may look towards religion as a sign of hope that things will get better. It tends to make them feel better about their situation and let God have a plan for them. To follow up that statement, religion is not really a necessity if someone is going through hard times. It all basically depends on the person. If they want to find a sense of religion to help them through their life and praise God, that is up to them.

Audio Clip #3 and 4: When someone comes from a multicultural family with one religion that they follow or if they aren't poor or going through hard times, religion wouldn't really have that great of an affect on someone's life. In some regions of the world, religion is an integral part of their customs and traditions, because following a certain faith is what some cultures recognize and is a practical concept to their people. In other parts of the world, views on religion are a little more divided. Some say they are part of a certain faith, but aren't very religious people and don't go to services. Others are very involved with their religion and go to church services and are involved in other activities in their religious community. Another question asked was; "is a religion known solely based on the religion itself?" For the Islamic faith, to some they aren't really known for their religion, but for acts committed by certain groups of that religion. Terrorists are mainly part of the Muslim population and because of horrible events like 9/11 that they caused, everyone views Islam as an enemy religion full of bad people.

Audio Clip #5 and 6: Religion can have a great impact on someone's life spiritually because religion can have a big influence on someone's life socially, politically and culturally. It can also cause an increase of a person's understanding of who they really are. Some religions are a one-way process and stronger in another way. That strength differs in certain religions. Some religions can cause a person to have a stronger understanding of themselves better than others,

Audio Clip #7 and 8: In an opposite view, the three circumstances stated in the original question all shape one's religion in each one of them goes into it significantly. Every bit of it goes into one's religion. That is how someone identifies a certain religion. A religion can be based on someone's culture, political views and social experience. It's not a one way process at all. One part of a religion can be mainly dominated politically and help people make decisions in the religion based on their political views.

Vocab Quiz Part 2

No one was willing to explore the peaceful side of Islam when asked about and just came up with negative thoughts and connotations of them.

*In response to Bradley's commentary*

Why is this the case?

Because the media only portrays Islam in a negative way because of past tragic events that they have been the cause of and negative stories about them sell more to the general public. It's also easier to alienate a group and sway their opinion when talking negatively about them.

Why talk negatively about Islam rather than other religions?

It has been made easy to view Muslims as a common enemy group because of 9/11 and past history of violence. No one is willing to give it thought, they just assume that all Muslims are dangerous because of their horrific attacks and opinions they have on America.

How come it's easier to sell a negative story about something than a positive one?

It's seems easier and more fun to pray on someone negatively for the wrong actions they have committed and listen to the negative stories and assumptions the media feeds us, rather than looking more into it and trying to view them in a positive way.

Why is it easier to pray on someone negatively?

Even in a positive article, the controversy presented in the article seems to be more convincing than the article itself.

Conclusion

People tend to have more of a negative perspective on Islam more than a positive because of past tragic events that Muslim groups have been involved. We seem to have a negative general consensus of a worldwide religion consisting of millions of followers based on what a few of them did. The media mainly influences our opinions by only writing the bad stuff about a particular group because it is more convincing for the reader and it gets more attention.

Interview Audio Clips

Audio Clip #1

Audio Clip #2

Audio Clip #3

Audio Clip #4

Audio Clip #5

Audio Clip #6

Audio Clip #7

My Commentary provided on the blog post above for each clip*

Islam for Idiots Chapter 4

All About Allah

1. Muslims are only allowed to honor God through prayer and are not allowed to create any statues or idols after him. This could negatively affect the image of Allah and prevent any changes socially.
2. Both figures are prayed to and worshiped as single Gods or monotheism.
3. The phrase basically means that there is no other God to worship other than the one God. Islam is a religion where they only worship one God and having visual idol to represent Allah is considered a sin. This could switch someone's view into not believing in the actual God and worshiping a visual God instead.
4. Judgment day is a day where Islamic followers cannot put the blame on anyone else for their sinful actions. They must face up to Allah and only put the blame for their wrongful actions on themselves. That is what "Judgment Day" is all about.
5. According to Muslims, the role of Jesus is to beat the Anti-Christ after rising from the Earth. Jesus allowed God to torture and abuse him as a sacrifice to his people and did not ask for any forgiveness at all. So Muslims consider him the "redeemer of the sin."
6. Muslims are told to worship and imagine him for his character and nature in writing.
7. In the Islamic language, all pronouns are to be used in the masculine form and Allah is always referred to as "He."
8. God is the almighty and awesome one. 

Islam for Idiots Chapter 3

Looking At Life the Islamic Way

1. Islam also has the concept of a evil enemy, a devil that prays upon our hearts and minds. This being however only has a limited amount of power over us and we have been given the ability by God to fight him. God judges conduct in this great struggle after our death and resurrection on the Day of Judgement and determines whether we should be punished or rewarded as a consequence.

2. These are the stages attained when someone is struggling to come to the realization that God is real and it's important to move closer to Him. The Animal self is basic instincts and desires, Accusing Self is questioning of the purpose, and Restful self is transcending worldliness as a focus. 

3. People generally look for what is familiar whether it's their religion or not. Thus, you can see people become fervent practitioners of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and more. Islam preaches that as a sincere seeker tries to fully satisfy their spiritual hunger, the seeker will eventually move on from those previously revealed religions and adapt to the Islamic way of life.

4. The Tawba is a four step process in order for a person to be forgiven by God for a sin they have committed. The steps are:

• Feel remorseful about the sin.
• Repent your action to God by saying "Lord forgive me." 
• Make restitution for the sin if possible.
• Resolve never to do the sin again.

5. Good deeds are considered the hallmark of true faith. Every time a good or bad deed is done, it is recorded with God and will be a part of person's personal record come Judgement Day. However, Islam does not teach that, you earn your way to heaven, as some Christian theologians tell. Salvation in Islam is found on believing in and surrendering your will to God and nothing more. 

6. The quote means that the deliverance of sins and its consequences in Islam come from believing in Allah while alive and follow the way of life he has established. 

Islam for Idiots Chapter 2

Food for the Soul

1. It is one of the most memorized passages of the Qur'an and it gives a good introduction to the way in which Muslims view God. 

2. The four things that prove the existence of god according to Islam are;

• The natural world with all its complexity and beauty.
• Our human abilities and capacities for thought, belief, invention, creativity, and moral choices. 
• The revelation of God's guidance and the existence of religion.
• Our inner feelings.

3. "Surrendering to Allah" in Islam means to accept the rulings and teachings of Allah without questioning the wisdom behind them. To make Allah a number one priority in life and to care about pleasing him and not pleasing other people. It also means to submit yourself to him, to humble ourselves, seeking his forgiveness, and saying prayers all the time. Just the word "Islam" itself means to "surrender to Allah."

4. Free will plays a complex role in Islam tradition and it can be hard to understand. There are four premises in Islam; Allah is omniscient, nothing happens except by Allah's will, Allah himself has free will, and Allah cannot make a mistake.  Because nothing happens except by Allah’s will, all human beings are created only according to Allah’s will. Allah is omniscient, Allah knows the eventual fate of every person even before the moment of their creation. Because Allah has free will, he has the free will to create or not create any human being he chooses.

5. When humans appeared as physical creatures on Earth, they would be earned free will, self-awareness, intelligence, reason and moral compass called "Fitrah." Fitrah means natural inclination and its role is to basically help guide humans through life. Reason alone cannot guide our actions that our animal urges plague us. We need a nudge from inside of us to counterbalance the animal within. That is where Fitrah comes in to play. That nudge is our Fitrah, or natural inclination to seek God.

6. The term fitrah literally means, creation; the causing a thing to exist for the first time; and the natural constitution with which a child is created in his mother’s womb. It is for this reason that Muslims prefer to refer to those who embrace Islam as reverts rather than converts, as it is believed they are returning to a perceived pure state.

Rituals Assignment

What are the purposes of specific rituals?

A ritual is defined as a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. There are many rituals in Islam that take place and they are all connected to each other in some way and serve a specific purpose:

Tawhid- This is the concept in Islam meaning the "oneness of God" saying that there is one and only one God. There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet. It further refers to God that he is a unity, not composed, and no extra parts. He is simple and uncompounded. Tawhid is a very simple, yet important concept to understand. In order to be engaged with Islam, you must be one with God or else there is no purpose to being a follower.
Risalah- "Risalah" means message in the Arabic language. It holds the Islamic message from God that is told through the prophet Muhammad. It is also known as the book written by an Islamic scholar that describes all of the detailed rules of life according to Islam. It is an obligation by Islams to follow this guide.
Hadith- a collection of traditions containing sayings from the prophet Muhammad with accounts of his daily practices called the Sunna. 
Ibadah- The obedience, submission, and devotion to Allah along with the ultimate love for Him. Muslims believe that is the reason of existence for all humanity.
Iman- Denotes an Islamic believer's faith in the Six Pillars of Islam. It is a concept that every Muslim must follow.
Jihad- a struggle within oneself against sin.'
Shirk- Avoiding a duty or responsibility; a serious sin against God.

All of these rituals, customs and traditions serve the purpose of honoring the God of Allah and fulfilling all duties and responsibilities. Without any rituals, no one will understand the true purpose of why they practice the religion and rituals give the religion meaning. Following these make someone a good Muslim. 

How are specific rituals and doctrines linked? 

A doctrine is a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group. So, doctrines and rituals are very similar terms in a way that a religion must follow a specific set of rules in order to achieve happiness from God and not have any sins. There are three specific groups in Islam that are different in meaning but similar in terms of being driven by specific doctrines:

Sunni- The orthodox branch of Islams and differs from Shia in its understanding of the Sunna and its acceptance of the first four Caliphs. Based on the belief that the Prophet Muhammad died without appointing a successor to lead the Muslim community. 

Shi'a- Rejects the first three Sunni caliphs and regards Ali, the fourth caliph, as Muhammad's first successor. 

Sufi- a member of a Muslim group of people who try to experience God directly by meditating or praying,

Sunni's believe in all four caliphs of Islam but the Shi'a only believe in one. As for the Sufi, they don't follow any of that. They are mainly an independent group of Islams that only pray and meditate to feel closer to God. One important theory to point out is that many Muslim groups believe differently that Muhammad did or did not have a successor when he died. It's all based off the beliefs of specific groups and there is no clear answer as to what is the "truth." 

How are specific rituals linked to a foundational figure? 

In Islam, meditation is one of the main forms of prayer and the practical way to be closer to Allah. Unlike many religions, Islam has different groups of people who believe something different about Islam. As stated before, the Sunni branch of Islam believes that Muhammad did not have a successor after his death, but the Shi'a branch believes he did. The Islamic religion is unique because they are all based off of the same rituals, but different beliefs within certain groups. They all have one thing in common, they all believe in one and only God and that is Allah.

To what extent do rituals shape community?

Ummah is the whole Muslim community bound together by the ties of religion. Having those connections and tights bonds are very important because Islam is a worldwide community of believers from different backgrounds, races and cultures. This term unites all Muslims together despite their age, sex, color, culture, or ethnicity. Having a worldwide community sharing the same beliefs reflects the oneness of Allah. Ummah also gives strength to individuals. 

How does ritual shape daily life?

Islam has many type of rituals that they all must fulfill to ultimately achieve enlightenment. In Islam, Muslims must pray at least five times a day. The Muslim prayer is a combination of physical actions, verbal sayings, and an internal feeling in the heart. Muslims are required to be in a state of calmness, serenity and humbleness while performing their prayers. Once the prayer is started, a series of sayings and actions are performed. The sayings include reciting parts of the holy Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, as well as other sayings glorifying God and thanking Him for all of His blessings upon us. It also gives Muslims the opportunity to ask God for anything they desire. This could include asking for help in getting a job, passing an exam, having a child, asking God for forgiveness of sins or anything else. Fasting is also a main ritual of Islam where Muslims refrain from having different kinds of food, drink and having sexual intercourse from sunset to dawn. Ramadan is a whole month of practicing this ritual. It is viewed as a way to cleanse the soul of all worldly desires and devout oneself completely to the obedience of God. It is also an opportunity for wealthy Muslims to experience life without food and drink for a day, which is meant to remind them of the poor and encourage them to have sympathy and to be generous in donating to help the poor and the needy. A very important aspect of Islam is giving charity to the poor. Muslims are required to give certain percentages of any type of wealth that they have accumulated. 

Doctrines and Beliefs Interview Questions

How is the way in which one knows their own religion impacted by their circumstance?

Life of Muhammad

570 C.E. Muhammad is born in Mecca

595 C.E. Muhammad marries Khadija, who later becomes the first

Muslim

610 C.E. Muhammad receives what he comes to believe is his first visitation

from the angel Gabriel and revelation from Allah

613 C.E. Muhammad begins preaching Islam publicly in Mecca

615 C.E. Friction with the Quraysh causes some Muslims to leave Arabia

for Abyssinia

619 C.E.  Khadija dies

620 C.E. The Night Journey Prophet Muhammad  is  carried from Mecca to Jerusalem and then travels to the heavens and meets the previous prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc). 

622 C.E. The Hijra: Muhammad and the Muslims flee from Mecca to Medina

624 C.E. The Nakhla raid. These raids were not solely designed to exact revenge from the people who had rejected the Prophet who had arisen among them. They served a key economic purpose, keeping the Muslim movement solvent.

624 C.E.  The Battle of Badr: the Muslims overcome great odds to defeat the pagan Meccans

624 C.E.  Muhammad and the Muslims besiege the Jewish Qaynuqa

tribe and exile them from Medina

625 C.E.  The Battle of Uhud: the pagan Meccans defeat the Muslims

625 C.E.  Siege and exile from Medina of the Jewish Nadir tribe

627 C.E. The Battle of the Trench: the Jewish Qurayzah tribe betrays

Muhammad

627 C.E. The Execution the males of the Qurayzah tribe and

enslaves the women and children by Sa’d Ibn Mutab

628 C.E.  Muhammad concludes the Treaty of Hudaybiyya with the

pagan Meccans

628 C.E.  Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims besiege the Khaybar oasis and

exile the Jews from it. 

630 C.E.  Muhammad and the Muslims conquer Mecca

630 C.E.  The Muslims prevail in the Battle of Hunayn and conquer

Ta'if; Muhammad becomes the ruler of Arabia

631 C.E.  The Arabian tribes remaining outside Islamic rule accept

Islam

631 C.E. the expedition to Tabuk

632 C.E.  Muhammad dies in Medina on June 8, 632 CE

Reflection:

Muhammad's life influenced a worldwide phenomenon which is known today as the religion of Islam. Some of the most important events began at the beginning of his life when he married his cousin and his cousin became his first follower, which eventually spread and Muhammad's practices gained him more followers. Him preaching Islam for the first time at a Mecca was also an important event because it began his legacy and established rules and rituals of the religion. All of the battle victories that Muhammad took part in give him a name as a hero and a warrior. This allowed his followers to view him as a God who can do anything for them.