University of Phoenix Material

Islam Worksheet

When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism.

Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam.

1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam.
In Arabic, the word “Islam” means submission. This word was derived from the root word “salam”. From this root words you can derive the words safety and peace. Many religions have a concept of surrender to God. The word does not represent a one-sided relationship, where the believer is enslaved to Allah. Rather, the word Islam indicates a covenant between Allah and his followers, where a Muslim surrenders his or her will to Allah in return for peace or safety.

2.Explain the basic concepts of Islam. Islam is a religion and people who follow are called Moslems. Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone himself.

3.Describe the practices of Islam. The practices of Islam is to believe that Allah is The only Creator, Provider, and The Commander, To believe that Allah is the only God who should be worshipped, and obeyed as Allah prescribed, To believe that Allah Is Perfect and His Names and Attributes are Perfect according to what Allah tells us about Himself in the Quran, believing that those Names and Attributes, in their perfection, belong only to Allah. Muslims do not believe that human beings are created in the image of Allah, and Muslims believe that there is no intermediary who will take any one nearer to Allah or plead on anyone's behalf. They believe that any individual can directly supplicate to Allah and ask for anything he/she wants.

4. Describe the goals of Islam. The goals of Islam are the following: Preservation of the religion of Islam, Preservation of life, Preservation of wealth, Preservation of mind, Preservation of the lineage, and Preservation of honor. These are fundamental goals.

5.Describe the view of authority in Islam. In brief, authority is a responsibility not an honour. When a person holds an authority he has to be qualified, honest & sincere in serving people, never be arrogant as a result of this authority given to him.

The Qur’an serves as the primary source of information and authority for Muslims, much as the Bible does for Christians. With this in mind, evaluate Islam’s historical influences on law, philosophy, and the arts in the Muslim world. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following questions. Provide examples to illustrate your thinking.

1. What is the legal