Qur'an

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RESPONSE:

1. Description and explanation of the sacred texts used in the Qur'an.

The sacred texts of the Qur'an contain the guidance necessary for Muslims ON practically all aspects of life, which this response summaries in point form below

1. About Allah:

?First and foremost, the Qur'an is concerned with the ultimate nature of reality, or God (Allah); Muslims believe that the Qur'an's exposition of this reality is the most complete possible.

?The Qur'an emphasizes the oneness of God, or the doctrine of tawḥ¨©d, in verses such as "Allah, there is no god but He?(2:255?:2).

?God is both completely transcendent and completely imminent; his closeness to humans is asserted in the verse, "We are nearer to him than his jugular vein?(50:16).

?Although the supreme name of God is Allah, he has many other names, which humans are invited to use: "To God belong the Most Beautiful Names. Call Him by them?(7:180). Religion is considered to be inseparable from human existence, and indeed it is ingrained in humanity's primordial nature (al-fiṭrah).

2. Relationship between Allah and People:

?The Qur'an asserts a direct relation between God and humans, without any priestly intermediary; each man and woman is seen as God's "vicegerent?on earth.

?Despite this direct relationship, humans are portrayed as forgetful beings and are therefore commanded to obey God's laws.

?Submission to God's will is of primary importance-the name of the religion, al-isl¨¡m, is derived from the root slm, meaning "surrender?or "peace.?

3. Prayer, Worship, Respect for Nature and Rightful Living:

?Men and women are expected to be virtuous, to pray, and to perform their duties to family, to society, and indeed to creation as a whole.

?The Qur'an contains specific laws and legal principles for governing Islamic society, such as laws of inheritance; Islamic law in its systematized form is known as Shar¨©ʿah.

?Rights are treated as secondary to the individual's obligations to God and to creation. Throughout the Qurʾ¨¡n a balance is created between the rights and obligations of the individual and the community, in light of God's laws and commandments, as well as between man's duties toward God and his duties toward society and the world of nature.

?For example, human beings are given freedom by God, and they are obligated to pray to God. They have the right to own property but not what is of a public nature. Society must in turn protect the property of its members. Human beings also can make use of various creatures in nature but must also protect animals and plants and not squander natural resources.

?The Qur'an also deals extensively with the cosmos and the world of nature. No sacred scripture, with the possible exception of the Chinese Daodejing, speaks as often about nature as the Qurʾ¨¡n does.

?The phenomena of nature are called ¨¡y¨¡ts, or signs of God, which are similar to the vestigia Dei of Christian thought. Islamic thinkers from the 9th and 10th centuries onward ...