Allah has masterfully woven a chapter in the Qur’an rendering four stories regarding trials of human lust and mistakes and how to overcome these obstacles. The stories deal with staying true to your faith, shown by the people of the Cave; being thankful to Allah, illustrated by two gardeners; learning form your mistakes, depicted by Musa (PBUH) and Khidr (PBUH); and helping people while spreading righteousness, portrayed by Dhul-Qarnain. The four main lessons that can be understood from those stories are the following: Allah will help you if requested; be appreciative to God for giving you what you have; none can ever be as perfect in their intellect as Allah; and lastly, to have good virtues to spread nearby. Many aspects of Allah, otherwise known as His ninety-nine names, are shown throughout this chapter in all of the stories, and there are many life-changing lessons to learn from the assessments gone through by these figures in this segment of the Qur’an.
One of the many tests Allah has faced humanity with is the loyalty toward one’s faith, in which He vividly depicts in the story of the people of the Cave. As the two young men escaped the town full of disbelievers, they sought solace with Allah, after which He, “covered up their sense of hearing causing them, to go in deep sleep in the Cave for a number of years” (Verse 11). One of Allah’s many names, Ar-Rahim (the Merciful), is illustrated while He is helping these two loyal believers of Islam. The Muslims hiding in the cave hopefully wish for their village of nonbelievers to turn to the true God: Allah. When Allah has seen fit to make His decision to awaken them “from their long deep sleep” (Verse 19), for a period of time that only “Allah knows best how long they stayed” (...
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...rse also expresses the incomparable might of Allah, Al-Aziz (the Almighty), who can accomplish anything. Dhul-Qurnain was an outstanding Muslim, passing Allah’s test of power by being sincere and looking to God; he spread influence throughout the countryside and helped people in need with favor from Allah.
Many of Allah’s ninety-nine varied characteristics play key roles in helping the individuals of each story learn their lessons, which impact their lives greatly. Values of the Islamic tradition are strongly upheld and supported in Surat Al-Kahf, where the reader can learn many lessons from the writing Allah had provided us with. The transfiguring lessons we can discover from this masterpiece of a chapter in the Qur’an are greatly significant, and we can find many ways to utilize them in our everyday lives and they might be metamorphic in the way of our lifestyles.
Ansary, Mir Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Print.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Understanding Islam gives a broad outline which could help to erase American misconceptions about this religion, and could be helpful in easing global racial tensions. The book is not top of the line scholarship about Islam; it is for the uninformed or otherwise unaware beginner. After reading this book the reader has a basic understanding of Islam, devoid of many American or western misconceptions. However, Lippman explains that the holy book is not spelled "Koran," but rather "Qur-an," though he uses the first spelling throughout the book (56). The real version is written in arabic, but I would have rather him used the more authentic spelling. In this way I see that this book was beneficial, but not the final word. It is a good book because it lays a positive foundation for Americans, and hopes to inspire them to continue their study of a fascinating religion.
People who practice the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam collectively comprise over one half of the world’s population, and while disparities between these three religions are widely spread and politicized, the similarities between their religious texts outweigh their differences. A crucial similarity between these three religions is their view on Abraham as their spiritual patriarch (lecture). The Koran makes use of both the Tanakh and the New Testament, and while minor differences exist between these texts, the perspectives they share are far more significant. The Koran retains many of the core ideas found in the Tanakh and the New Testament, specifically in regards to the perception of Abraham, the status of God, and the role of women. Any religious text can be interpreted in any number of ways, and while it is easy to pull apart texts of different faiths and dissect the differences, finding common ground and similarities is arguably more important.
"The Noble Qur'an - القرآن الكريم." The Noble Qur'an - القرآن الكريم. The Noble Qur'an, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
T. C. Boyle's "Carnal Knowledge" is a very funny, and at the same time truthful portrayal of some of the things which are going on in the world today. His description of the narrator and the way he thinks, as well as his portrayal of Alena Jorgensen, leaves the reader wondering if they have ever believed so strongly in something or acted the same way to help reach their goal. What makes this story so unique and is that takes place in our world, in a world were some people are "fond of Kentucky Fried Chicken or Chicken McNuggets" (245) and others "don't eat meat or fish or milk or cheese or eggs, and they didn't wear wool or leather or fur" (248). T. C. Boyle uses his sarcastic, yet at the same time believable, style to make the reader feel as if he was in the main character's shoes. The author guides the reader through the different stages of the character's evolution and shows how different aspects of society influence his thinking. In the end, the character concludes, just as I have, that no matter what people say "it's only meat" (257).
Religion, in many forms, has had the most profound influence on human society throughout history. It’s been the basis for many human traditions, value systems, and conflict throughout the history of human civilization. Understanding religious traditions, relationships, and foundational beliefs enables humans to understand their differences and better prepare themselves to make decisions regarding religious interactions in the appropriate context. Religions are considered to be reliable and important in answering the most profound questions of human existence; where do we come from? What should we do while we are here? Since religion is so important so are the holy texts, because they put into words/ writing of guideline of what that religion is all about. In this essay I will attempt to explore and discuss a passage from Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 “The Good Samaritan” and “Surah Ar Rahman” from 55th Sura of the Qur'an and their relation to that particular religion.
In the early 6th century, Muhammad introduced Islam into the Arab world, and asserted that there was only one true God. Islam demanded that believers obey God’s will and laws (Islamic Law, web). By introducing Isla...
Al Ghazali a significant person in Islam has helped shape Islam to be what it is today - a living religious tradition for the lives of its adherents. His contribution to Islam though his theories, knowledge and works have left a positive impact upon the Islamic world that continues into the present. An everlasting impact upon the faith, Muslims and the expansion of Islam to be one of the most popular religious traditions in the present world for the lives of its adherents is seen as Al Ghazali’s
I have been somewhat critical of the author at times, but this is only because he opens the door for the reader to think. I would not be able to formulate opinions if he hadn’t questioned whether Muhammad was being a fair and effective leader. After all, he greatly changed the course of history as we know it. Cook’s objective way of looking at Muhammad’s life allows one to attain a clear view of just how deep of an impact he made.
which he who has them revealed to him will discover the sweetness of faith: that he cherishes God and His messenger {the Prophet Muhammad} over everything other than them” (Gordon 140). These principles creates a central governance system for the Islamic community as members were able to have a set guideline for living. It also provided Muslims with how to deal with different situations and all aspects that they encounter with in life. “I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead… I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you...
Ibrahim, I. A.. A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam . 2nd ed. Houston: Darussalam, 1997.
Religion is an important factor in many lives in today’s society. A particular western religion that is taken very seriously by many is known as Islam. Essentially, Islam means “submission”, or in other words a person is to abide by God and peace will follow. In order to comprehend the Islamic religion, it is consequential to view the major themes associated with this religion. By going through the central themes of Islam it could help others comprehend what is involved with this specific religion.
...etween Islam and western civilization. The differences in the belief, rituals, and the culture. Islam has some common features with western civilization. Throughout this paper, the most surprising fact that I found out was the contribution of Islam to the modern world, which were geometry, algebra, geography, physics, science, trigonometry, sine, tangent, and co-tangent. The lesson that I learned from this paper would be about the five pillars. Even though, every single pillar doesn’t apply to me the second pillar which represents prayer was a great lesson to be learned. It also revealed to me how important is the role of prayer in Islam society. Overall, it was a great experience learning about the Muhammad life, Quran, Hijrah, core beliefs of Muslim, contributions of Islam to the modern world, and this research helped me to understand more in depth about islam.
This introductory book in the teaching of Islam and Islamic way of life by Esposito can be categorized in three different sections with various sub-tittles.