Prophecy and Return (week 7) Flashcards
What are the key concepts of prophecy and return?
The Trust
The Covenant of Alast
The innate human nature (fitra)
Heedlessness
Iblis
Remembrance (dhikr)
Signs of God
What is the trust?
We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it and were afraid of it. And the human being carried it. Surely he is very ignorant, a great wrongdoer (Q 33:72).
God first offered trust not to humans but to the skies above the Earth - human beings were entrusted instead. Human beings are arrogant though because they abuse the trust
what is the covenant of alast?
When your Lord took their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam and made them bear witness concerning themselves—‘Am I not your Lord?’—they said, ‘Yes, we bear witness!’ lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘As for us, we were heedless of this’ (Q 7:172-173).
This event is a reminder that all human beings have an innate awareness of the existence of God - the purpose of this covenant is to help prevent humans from denying their knowledge of God and it emphasises the accountability of individuals for their beliefs and actions.
What is the innate human nature (fitra) described as?
Can forget but we need to remember and rediscover the innate human nature. The message that Mohammad was taught to convey to his followers had a remembrance function.
What is meant by heedlessness?
And We made covenant with Adam before but he forgot, and We found in him no constancy (Q 20:115).
Reminder of the forgetfulness of humans and how they can lapse in their commitment to Allah’s commands. The purpose of highlighting the forgetfulness is to not criticise but to rather illustrate a broader point about human nature and how despite the covenant we can become heedless and this is a weakness of human nature. This verse is a lesson encouraging a steadfast commitment to the covenant.
Give an example of Quranic reference to different messengers
Every nation has its messenger (Q. 10:47)
Give some examples of the numerous prophets and provide the difference between prophets and messengers?
Adam, Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, Muhammad
Messengers are a specific category of prophets - people given revelations from God. prophets would have some sort of divine knowledge
does Islam relate to any other religions?
yes
In the Qur’an what is mentioned about Jesus?
And when Jesus son of Mary said, ‘Children of Israel, I am indeed God’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah that has gone before me…’ (Q 61:6).
The God is the one - Jesus was the prophet sent by God rather than the son of God here
How are Jews and Christians viewed as part of Islam?
moses: the Torah (al-tawrat)Jesus: the Gospels (al-injil)
Jews and Christians are referred to as ‘people of the book’
In the Qur’an how are the ‘people of the book’ described?
Some of the People of the Book are a wholesome nation. They recite God’s signs in the watches of the night, prostrating themselves, having faith in God and the Last Day, bidding to honour and forbidding dishonour and vying with one another in good deeds. They are among the wholesome. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied its reward (Q 3:113-115).
What is return and eschatology referred to as within Islam?
ma’ad
- origin and return:
To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and all things are taken back to Him (Q 3:109)
What is the process of return?
This world and the next world = this life and the after death
Garden and Fire, Paradise and Hell - (note such terminology)
God’s mercy and wrath
