DOCSLIB.ORG

Islam Beliefs and Practices Qualities of Allah

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Islam Beliefs and Practices Qualities of Allah Student name: Teacher: Islam Beliefs and Practices Self evaluation: Before you start this unit, tick the box you think is most relevant to you: I don’t much anything about Islam yet I know a little about Islam I know a lot about Islam Lesson 1: Qualities of Allah LO: To describe qualities of Allah and explain why they are important to Muslims Qualities of Allah Everyday Muslims hear and say the words ‘Allahu Akbar’, which means ‘God is the greatest’. Muslims, like Christians, are monotheistic, which means they only believe in one God. Muslims believe that God, or Allah, is so great he is beyond human understanding, and greater than anything humans can imagine. In Islam, there are 99 names of God in the Qur’an (the holy book of Islam) and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), which can help a Muslim to understand something of God’s nature. Each name describes a quality that God has revealed about himself. In the table below, read the different qualities and draw an emoji or symbol to help you remember the quality. The first one has been done for you. Symbol/Emoji Key term Definition Omnipotent All powerful Immanent The idea God is present and involved with life on earth and in the universe Transcendent The idea God is beyond and outside life on earth and the universe Omnibenevolent All loving and all kind Merciful Shows compassion or forgiveness to humans Fairness The idea that God treats people fairly and impartially without favour or discrimination 1 Student name: Teacher: Many Muslims memorise the names of God and recite them when they are praying privately. Each name can help them feel God’s presence. Prophethood Lesson 2: Prophet Muhammad LO: To examine the timeline of key events in the life of Prophet Muhammad Muslims believe that Allah (God) revealed himself to people through prophets, for example the Prophet Muhammad, and the holy books (such as the Qur’an). Prophets are humans specially chosen by Allah to tell people how they should live and behave. Muslims believe there have been 124,000 prophets and the last one was the Prophet Muhammad. The Life of Prophet Muhammad Watch: https://www.truetube.co.uk/film/how-islam-began-ten-minutes Answer the following questions from watching the video: 1. Where was Muhammad born? 2. What was Makkah like to grow up in? 3. Which God did Muhammad believe in? 4. What was the Night of Power? 5. What was Muhammad? 6. What does Islam mean? 7. What does Muslim mean? 8. What is the Night Journey? 2 Student name: Teacher: Below read all about the Prophet Muhammad’s life. D 3 Student name: Teacher: Read all the text about Muhammad’s life. Muhammad was born in Makkah in about 570CE. He was poor because both of his parents had died by the time he was 6. He went to live with his uncle who was a trader and eventually became a trader too. Muhammad became known as a reliable man. When he was 25, he married his employer; a rich 40 year old widow called Khadija. He could have led a very easy life but he was upset with conditions in Makkah. He hated the way that women & the poor were treated badly, plus drunkenness and gambling. Also some people worshipped idols. Muhammad was very thoughtful and would often spend nights in prayer. One night he was praying in a cave when he heard an angel. This was the angel Jibril. This is known as the Night of Power. The angel told Muhammad to recite something. Muhammad could not read but the angel said that he was Allah’s messenger. These words became the words of the Quran. For the next 12 years Muhammad began to preach about the word of Allah. He said that Allah was the only one God, and live a purer life. Muhammad said Allah was the creator and he would one day judge them. Some people believed Muhammad, but many said he was either lying or mad. But he never gave up. After many battles, Muhammad returned in 630 CE to Makkah and set up the Ka’aba as the centre of worship for Allah. It is still a very important town and all Muslims try to visit it at least once in their lifetime. Using the information above, plot the key moments of Muhammad’s life onto the timeline below 570 CE 635 CE Muhammad is Muhammad born 4 dies Student name: Teacher: Muhammad’s Importance Belief in prophets is a key belief for Muslims. Muslims believe that Allah sent 124,000 prophets in all, starting with Adam. Other prophets include Noah, Abraham, Jesus and, of course, Muhammad. Muhammad was the last of the prophets – called the ‘Seal of the Prophets’. Allah told Muhammad that no more prophets or books would be sent to humans, so people needed to listen to Muhammad’s warnings and guidance. The religion he founded – Islam- has kept to the words of the Qur’an, because it is the word of God (Allah). Since Muhammad was the one to receive and explain these words of God, and since the Qur’an remains unchanged, Muhammad must be the most important prophet. Muhammad is also very significant to Muslims since he is a role model because he set the perfect example. He was a perfect Muslim because: of the way he lived his life; he was a true family man; and a very good leader in both religious and non-religious matters. What Muhammad said and did helps Muslims know how to live as good Muslims but also keep the Five Pillars of Islam. Answer the following questions in full sentences, using the text above. 1) What is a key belief for Muslims? 2) Which religion did Muhammad found? 3) Provide three reasons why Muhammad is so significant to Muslims QUICK! LEARNING QUIZ! 1) Name three qualities of God 1)) 2) How many names does Allah have? 3) Why are the names of Allah important to Muslims? 4) What is a prophet? 5) Why is Muhammad important? 5 Student name: Teacher: Complete the word search I M T R L H M P C K F O I P Q H S X R T A R I A O M K M R U F V L I A O E A L N Z T M O R P P D A P N B S I S L Y A P A I A S H M A S P Y U U K N H N H D E G X Z O C F X K M E E G T T O B Q T S I E P H H N T D E G T N E I C S I N M O T H A U X W N Y R D W N Z D I J O M Q V T V E C I T S U J E T O M S P X M F A I R N E S S N D A O M N I B E N E V O L E N T H M M H R M A K K A H A L L A U Z P E Q K L O W U L K I P Q M L R Q T O Y E I L A E X F C O ALLAH FAIRNESS HADITH IMMANENT ISLAM JUSTICE KAABA MAKKAH MERCIFUL MOSQUE MUHAMMAD MUSLIM OMNIBENEVOLENT OMNIPOTENT OMNISCIENT PROPHET PROPHETHOOD QURAN SEAL TRANSCENDENT 6 Student name: Teacher: The Qur’an Lesson 3: The Qur’an LO: To explain why the Quran is important to Muslims. The Qur’an is believed to be the literal word of God, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel. “The revelation of The Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.” Qur’an 39:1 The Qur’an is considered to be guidance for mankind and provides the distinction between right and wrong. It provides direction and guidance to help God’s creation to judge and choose between right and wrong. The Qur’an is the final scripture revealed by Allah. Anyone who handles or touches the Qur’an has to follow certain rules. They must be clean and wash in special ways called ablutions. Watch: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zbjqhyc Answer the following questions from watching the video: 1) What is the Qur’an? 2) What is the Arabic word for God? 3) What is a follower of Islam called? 4) Which language is the Qur’an in? 5) What is the main teaching of the Qur’an? 6) In the Qur’an, what does Allah tell Muslims? 7 Student name: Teacher: The message of the Qur’an The Qur’an has five key messages: 1. Allah is good and powerful 2. There will be a Judgement Day at the end of time 3. We have to Allah because of his goodness and power worship 4. We should be generous to others, because Allah is generous to us 5. Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah and tells us how to live in the way Allah told us to in the Qur’an Other holy books in Islam As the Qur’an is difficult to understand, Prophet Muhammad’s sayings and actions were also recorded in the Sunnah and Hadith. These help Muslims to understand how to do what God tells them they must do in the Qur’an.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Understanding the Concept of Islamic Sufism
    Journal of Education & Social Policy Vol. 1 No. 1; June 2014 Understanding the Concept of Islamic Sufism Shahida Bilqies Research Scholar, Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006 Jammu and Kashmir, India. Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the Islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby Tawhid is achieved. All Muslims believe in Unity as expressed in the most Universal sense possible by the Shahadah, la ilaha ill’Allah. The Sufi has realized the mysteries of Tawhid, who knows what this assertion means. It is only he who sees God everywhere.1 Sufism can also be explained from the perspective of the three basic religious attitudes mentioned in the Qur’an. These are the attitudes of Islam, Iman and Ihsan.There is a Hadith of the Prophet (saw) which describes the three attitudes separately as components of Din (religion), while several other traditions in the Kitab-ul-Iman of Sahih Bukhari discuss Islam and Iman as distinct attitudes varying in religious significance. These are also mentioned as having various degrees of intensity and varieties in themselves. The attitude of Islam, which has given its name to the Islamic religion, means Submission to the Will of Allah. This is the minimum qualification for being a Muslim. Technically, it implies an acceptance, even if only formal, of the teachings contained in the Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet (saw). Iman is a more advanced stage in the field of religion than Islam. It designates a further penetration into the heart of religion and a firm faith in its teachings.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Ethics in Australian Muslim Everyday Life: a Shi’Ite Perspective Mohamad Younes
    Islamic Ethics in Australian Muslim Everyday Life: A Shi’ite Perspective Mohamad Younes Master’s Thesis in Sociology Spring Term 2017 Humanities and Communication Arts Western Sydney University 1 17481784 Mohamad Younes 2 17481784 Mohamad Younes ABSTRACT Despite the strong emphasis on ethics within the Islamic tradition, Islamic ethics itself is scarcely represented as a discipline within academic scholarship (Ansari 1989). Even within this area, Islamic ethics have predominantly been studied from Sunni perspectives, with little attention being paid to Shi’ite or other minority understandings. This thesis will, therefore, use qualitative data collection methods of semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups, to sociologically study the perceptions, understandings, and applications of Islamic ethics in Australian Shi’ite Muslim everyday living. It will investigate the overarching understanding of Islamic ethics and its specific application in Australian Shi’ite Muslim context. The project's objective, therefore, is twofold: one to strengthen Islamic ethics as an independent discipline; and two to address the scant attention Shi’ite Islamic ethics has received in Islamic ethics scholarship generally. Conceptually, this project will contribute to the understanding of Islamic ethics through a particular analysis of Shi’ite Islamic ethics in an Australian Shi’ite context. This is significant as specific understandings of Islamic ethics in certain contexts help to explain how minority groups such as Shi’ite Muslims develop their own ethical standards to shape social relations in society. In addition, this thesis argues for Shi’ite Islamic ethics to be highly Imamate based; that is, very reliant on the actions and sayings of 12 divinely guided Imams (leaders).
    [Show full text]
  • A Study on the Theory of God's Science of Maturidi School Cunping
    Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 328 4th International Conference on Humanities Science and Society Development (ICHSSD 2019) A Study On the Theory of God's Science of Maturidi School Cunping Yun School of Foreign Language, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China, 730050 [email protected] Keywords: Islamic theology, The science of God, Maturidi school Abstract: Maturidi school is one of the two pillars of Sunni sect in Islamic theology. In the heated debate on Islamic dogmatics, Maturidi school unswervingly protected the authority of the Book and the reason and became the one of the founders of the Sunni theology. Maturidi school successfully applied dialectical principles to ensure the supremacy of the Scriptures and at the same time upheld the role of the reason. They maintained a more rational and tolerant attitude toward many issues, and it is called "Moderatism"by the Sunni scholars. The thought of Maturidi school spread all over Central Asian countries, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Rome, Persian, Turkey, Egypt and China ,etc.. In today's globalized and diversified international situation, it is of great significance to enhance the study of Maturidi school's theological thought, especially it's theory of God's Science in order to promote ideological and cultural exchanges between our country and Muslim world and to enhance the mutual understanding. 1. Introduction Muslims began to argue about the fundamental principles of Islamic belief after the Prophet passed away. And some muslim scholars even touched upon the theological questions like the essence, attributes of Allah and the relationship between human and the universe in the influence of foreign cultures of Greece, Persia and Syria, and then ＂Ilm El-Kalam＂(Islamic theology) came into being.
    [Show full text]
  • SUFISM AS the CORE of ISLAM: a Review of Imam Junayd Al-Baghdadi's Concept of Tasawwuf
    Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2020, pp. 171-192 e-ISSN: 2540-8186; p-ISSN: 2302-8017 DOI: 10.21580/tos.v9i2.6170 SUFISM AS THE CORE OF ISLAM: A Review of Imam Junayd Al-Baghdadi’s Concept of Tasawwuf Cucu Setiawan UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung [email protected] Maulani UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung [email protected] Busro UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung [email protected] Abstract: This paper studies the thoughts of Abu ‘l-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhamad ibn Al-Junayd al-Khazzaz al-Qawariri Nihawandi al-Baghdadi, one of the prominent figures during the early development of Sufism, or also known in Arabic as tasawwuf. This study attempts to find a confluence between tasawwuf and Islam, on the basis that Islamic teachings are going through degradation in meanings and tasawwuf is often considered as a bid’ah (heresy) in Islamic studies. This research used a library research method and Junayd al-Baghdadi’s treatise, Rasail Junaid, as the primary data source. This study concludes that tasawwuf is not only an aspect or a segment of Islamic teachings, but it is the core of Islam itself as a religion. There are three central theories of tasawwuf by Junayd al-Baghdadi: mitsaq (covenant), fana (annihilation of self), and tawhid (unification). Based on these three theories, we can conclude that Junayd al- Baghdadi succeeded in conciliating the debate among tasawwuf and fiqh scholars. He also managed to knock down the stigma of tasawwuf as a heresy. His thoughts redefine tasawwuf into a simple and acceptable teaching for Muslims.
    [Show full text]
  • Inside the Jihadi Mind Understanding Ideology and Propaganda
    Inside the Jihadi Mind Understanding Ideology and Propaganda EMMA EL-BADAWY MILO COMERFORD PETER WELBY 1 2 Contents Executive Summary 5 Policy Recommendations 9 Introduction 13 Framework for Analysis Values 23 Objectives 35 Conduct 45 Group Identity 53 Scripture and Scholarship How Jihadi Groups Use the Quran and Hadith 63 How Jihadi Groups Make Use of / Reject Scholarship 67 Appendices Methodology 70 Glossary 74 Acknowledgements 76 Note This report was first published in October 2015. The research was carried by the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics. The work of the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics is now carried out by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 3 4 1.0 Executive Summary This report identifies what ideology is shared by ISIS, Jabhat al- Nusra, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninusla, as revealed in their propaganda, in order to inform effective counter-narratives. The ideology of global extremism can only be countered if it is first understood. This combination of theology and political objectives needs to be uprooted through rigorous scrutiny, and sustained intellectual confrontation. After the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden’s al- Qaeda had approximately 300 militants. ISIS alone has, at a low estimate, 31,000 fighters across Syria 55 and Iraq. Understanding how ideology has driven this Salafi-jihadism is a vital motivating force for extremist phenomenon is essential to containing and defeating violence, and therefore must be countered in order to violent extremism. curb the threat. But violent ideologies do not operate in a vacuum. AIM OF THE REPORT SUMMARY EXECUTIVE A fire requires oxygen to grow.
    [Show full text]
  • 95 the Concept of Tawhid in Islam
    95 THE CONCEPT OF TAWHID IN ISLAM: IN THE LIGHT OF PERSPECTIVES OF PROMINENT MUSLIM SCHOLARS Asma Kounsar Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Abstract The concept of tawhid excludes man’s commitment to anyone other than Allah (SWT). Also a rejection of all sources of value other than will of Allah (SWT), all authority but His, and a refusal to accept any idea, command, or injunction from anyone, as man does from Allah (SWT), on the basis of its having not come from Him. Love or reverence, worship or submission, and a sense of obligation, all are directed towards Allah (SWT) alone and no one else deserves them in the ultimate, full sense of these attitudes. In the human context it means emancipation and restoration of man’s essential freedom from all human bondages before the commitment to Allah (SWT). Man is under no obligation to submit to any authority or commit to anyone’s will. He owes nothing to any being other than Allah (SWT). He has no superiors except Him. A lot has been written on the topic of tawhid by different scholars but a concise paper which would analyze different perspectives of different scholars on the issue of tawhid has been long awaited. To fill the gap this paper attempts to provide the reader with such information; highlightens the richness in thought and contents with respect to the concept of tawhid and the distinctive views on the same by some prominent Muslim scholars both from the classical and modern era.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Article (PDF)
    Open Theology 2019; 5: 347–365 Phenomenology of Religious Experience III: Visuality, Imagination, and the Galym Zhussipbek*, Zhanar Nagayeva Lifeworld Epistemological Reform and Embracement of Human Rights. What Can be Inferred from Islamic Rationalistic Maturidite Theology? https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2019-0030 Received May 05, 2019; accepted August 07, 2019 Abstract: The authors argue that there is an epistemological crisis of conservative Islamic scholarship and Muslim mind, rooted in the centuries-old confinement of a role for reason within strict limits, and in the disappearance of rationalistic discursive theology (kalam) as a dynamic science. Moreover, epistemological crisis is exemplified by seriously insufficient level of protection of human rights under Sharia when judged by contemporary principles of human rights. This crisis demands a necessity of undertaking epistemological reform, which denotes the incorporation of international standards of human rights and justice into the epistemology and methodology of producing Islamic norms (usul al-fiqh). It is argued that the key epistemological premises of rationalistic Islam, such as acceptance that human reason can find goodness and badness independently from revelation and non-acceptance of ethical voluntarism, may offer a good ground to make epistemological reform, which would induce the Muslims to critically approach and reinterpret the pre-modern religious interpretations and to construct an Islamic legal and ethical system that is appropriate for the context of the 21th
    [Show full text]
  • An Islamic Perspective on Human Development Contents 1
    An Islamic perspective On human development Contents 1. Introduction 1 Introduction–3 2 Fundamental principles–4 This paper relies on the primary sources of knowledge Development science is a relatively new area of 2.1 The dignity of humankind–4 in Islam, the Qur’an and Sunnah (practice and sayings knowledge in the Muslim World and is not directly 2.2 Islamic holistic worldview (tawhid)–4 of prophet Muhammad: PBUH),* to identify the key referred to in the Qur’an or Sunnah. We gain an under- 2.3 Justice–5 principles and core values that underpin Islamic views standing of it through human interpretation which is 2.4 Freedom–6 on development, poverty reduction, human rights and subject to variation, through reference to the knowledge 2.5 Human rights–6 advocacy. It will attempt to define these concepts from of religious and jurisprudential ethics as well as several 2.6 Equality–7 an Islamic point of view and present an outline of some other areas of knowledge. This paper is based on desk 2.7 Social solidarity–8 of the tools and approaches that are provided by Islam research and consultations with Islamic scholars as well 2.8 Sustainability–10 to address them. as Islamic Relief’s internal and external stakeholders. We are exploring an approach, rooted in and validated 3 Islamic Relief’s core values–11 The central argument in the paper is that development by Islamic teachings, which is most suited to provide is primarily about safeguarding and enhancing the guidance to the policy and practice of a contemporary 4 Human development–12 dignity of human beings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Purpose and Content of Traditional Sufism
    Corporal Asceticism Mental Asceticism Introduction And Review Of Concepts To Date The rise of Institutional School of Asceticism Islamic Mysticism Judaism and Christianity had a notable presence in Persia pre•Islam Eastern Christian Mysticism was well known Buddhism flourished in Eastern Persia Hinduism had a strong presence in the Eastern posts close to India Zoroastrianism was know in Khorasan In 215 Mani attempted fusion of many faiths Zoro. Buddhism. and Christianity. Islam enters Persia in the 7th century The Sassanian Empire has diplomatic Origins relations with the Arabs before Islam Persia had heard about Mohamed By some accounts modern day Iran has a (SAWS) before Islam arrived to Persia vibrant and living Sufi tradition in its midst Iranian Sufism In Persia while Islam absorbed Greek today heritage and it did not do the same for Maarifa and Hikmah continue to me solid Zoroastrian heritage. institutions and science diligently taught South West: Sufism displayed traits like and passed from one generation to the Puritan, orthodox, asceticism, explicit, other Kufa, Arabic Could we possibly witness the emergence 2 Traits of mystical Islam developed North East: Mysticism showed traits like of a new dynamic between modern day Sufism And Modernity Fusion, reconciliation, antinomianism, Iran as an Islamic Republic and the esoteric, Balkh, Persian reinterpretation of Sufism outside its classical/medieval traditional setting? Could Iran set the path for a renewal of a The Safavid empire ruled over Persia metaphysical outlook? from 1501
    [Show full text]
  • Al-Ash' Ari and His Concept of Tawhid
    Ors. H.M.A. TIHAMI, M.A. AL-ASH' ARI AND HIS CONCEPT OF TAWHID INTRODUCTION are as follows: Prophet Muhammad, peace be 1. Qur'an, 112: 1-5: upon him, appeared in the history Say! He is God. The One and Only. of human society w.ith a zeal of God, the Eternal, Absolute. He be­ an icon�last who taught and getteth not. Nor He is Begotten. 1 preached that there is only One And there is non Like unto Him . supreme and absolute power and 2. Qur'an, 2:163: his commitment to the one Su­ And your God Is One God, There is preme power found ex-pression in no God But He, Most Gracious, the first aspect of Shahadah: "la Most Merciful2 ilaha ilia Allah'' which means Ethimologically, tawhid is de· 'there is no god but Allah'. In this rived from the Arabic word ahadu witness we can see that there is or wahid which means that God first negation "la", the negation is one without a second, without of multiplicity of divinities and any other co-eternal entity, of com­ then follows the affirmation "illa" plete supremacy, unrivaled, unop­ that Allah is the only God who posed, unequaled, and unchal­ deserves to be worshipped and to lenged. In the context of Islamic whom man finally is destined to theology, it is used to express the return. unity or oneness of Godhead3. Allah himself reveals the na­ Similarly, Muhammad 'Abduh had ture of tawhid in many verses in said that "the original meaning the holy Qur'an severe! of which of tawhid is the believe that God Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Meaning of Glorious Qur'an: Text, Translation and Copmmentary, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • The Crucifixion in Shi'a Isma'ili Islam
    “They Killed Him Not” The Crucifixion in Shi‘a Isma‘ili Islam “They killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them.” - Holy Qur’an 4:157 “Think not of those who are slain in God’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.” - Holy Qur’an 3:169 Khalil Andani 2011 “They Killed Him Not”: The Crucifixion in Shi‘a Isma‘ili Islam By: Khalil Andani wa-mā qatalūhu wa-mā salabūhu wa-lākin shubbiha lahum “They killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them.” (Holy Qur’an 4:157) As observed by millions of Christians around the world, Good Friday marks the day when Jesus Christ was crucified. For Christians, this event is the climax of sacred history: the death of Christ on the Cross is believed to have redeemed and cleansed the sin of humanity. Indeed, the efficacy of the entire Christian doctrine – adhered to by the largest number of people in the world – depends upon the event of the Crucifixion. Interestingly, the faith of Islam, the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, seems to offer a completely different understanding of this event – it appears to deny the Crucifixion altogether. The only verse of the Holy Qur’an which speaks of the Crucifixion is 4:157 quoted above. Over the history of Islam, most Muslim commentators have come to deny that Jesus was ever crucified at all, with many holding that a substitute was crucified in his place 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Title of My Book
    THE PEOPLE OF JUSTICE AND MONOTHEISM: MUʿTAZILISM IN ISLAM AND JUDAISM* SABINE SCHMIDTKE Monotheism constitutes one of the central doctrines of Islam. The notion is again and again voiced in the Qurʾān; thus, for example, Sura 112 (entitled “Sincere Reli- gion”) reads, in the translation of Arthur Arberry, “Say: ‘He is God, One (aḥad). God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and equal to Him is not any one.” While initially it was apparently mostly a refutation of pre-Islamic polytheism in Arabia, the text was later on interpreted as primarily di- rected against the Christians. The (post-Qurʾānic) Arabic term for monotheism is tawḥīd. The frequent use of the root w-ḥ-d in the self-appellation of numerous Islamic groups throughout the centuries up until the modern period indicates the central position the concept oc- cupies in the self-perception of Muslim believers. Mention should be made of the movement of the Almohads—“Almohads” being the Latinized rendering of al- Muwaḥḥidūn, that is, those who professed the unconditional unity of God (tawḥīd)—a Berber dynasty that ruled a region extending from al-Andalus to Tunisia during most of the twelfth century and part of the thirteenth. The notion of tawḥīd is also central to the doctrinal thought of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (1703–1792), a Ḥanbalī scholar from central Arabia whose theological vision was put into practice as a result of his alliance with the central-Arabian amīr Muḥammad b. Saʿūd, the founder of the Wahhābī-Saʿūdī state that eventually resulted in the modern state of Saudi Arabia, a country that has been instrumental in spreading the ideas of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb far beyond its borders.
    [Show full text]