Hum 130 Week 6 Checkpoint

Hum 130 Week 6 Checkpoint

The core beliefs of Islam are centered around God and in the power of God.   Their name for God is Allah, which simple means “the God”.   Islam is monotheistic, which means they believe in only one God.   The religion was founded by a prophet, names Muhammad.   He is known as the seal of the prophets, which are the messengers of God.   The prophets of Islam are shared with Judaism and Christianity.   At the center of the beliefs is the Qur'an.   This religious text is the message for all mankind that was delivered to Muhammad by God.   Mankind is thought to have been created from a clot of blood and that humans are the greatest creatures.   The object of life is to live a life that Allah will deem pleasing and will open the doors of paradise.   One's life and deeds will be used at the day of judgment, which will determine their ultimate fate.
There are five duties that are incumbent to every Muslim.   These are known as the Five Pillars of Islam.   The first pillar is the Shahadah, or the profession of faith.   This profession is done to Muhammad and in the unity of one god.   The core belief is “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God” (Fisher, 381, 2005). The second pillar is Salat, or prayer.   Five times a day, followers perform rituals using water while facing Mecca and reciting prayers and scripture from the Qur'an.   This is done at specific times of the day, and is seen as unifying all individual Muslims into one single world family.   The third pillar is Zakat, or the giving of alms.   At the end of the year all Muslims must give two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth of the year to other Muslims in need.   This serves the purpose of decreasing inequalities of wealth, as well as to prevent greed.   The fourth pillar is sawm or fasting.   Islam recommends frequent fastings to all Muslims, but the only fasting that is required occurs during the holy holiday of Ramadan.   This is done to unselfishly surrender to God's commandment and to...