2 OPVLs and notes for each

OPVL 1

Abdalati, Hammudah. Islam in Focus. Indiana: American Trust Publications, 1975.

Origin: This book was written by a Muslim mainly to help educate Muslims in the western hemisphere about Islam.

Purpose: The author states in the foreword that many Muslims become lost and do not appreciate their own Islamic heritage. He would like to educate Muslims of the new world and keep the religion alive. Therefore, the purpose of this book is to provide information about the five pillars of Islam, and to demonstrate how to apply Islam to one’s daily life.

Value: Because this book is written by a Muslim himself, therefore the information it contains must be based mainly off of experience and personal knowledge. This book is directed to a Muslim audience which is important because the information is not censored or simplified to benefit a non-Muslim audience.

Limitations: There was never a central force which unified Muslim belief such as the church in Christianity. That being the case, the author of this book could have slightly different beliefs and values then a person of different Islamic origin.

Notes:

· 7-The meaning of Islam: peace, purity, submission and obedience.

· 7-The meaning of Islam: submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

· 8-Concept of God: the most merciful and gracious, the most loving and the most concerned with the well-being of man.

· 8-his will if one of benevolence and goodness and whatever law he prescribes must be in the best interest of mankind.

· 9-Man alone is singled out as being endowed with intelligence and the power of making choices.

· 23-FAITH-faith in Islam is a state of happiness acquired by virtue of positive action and constructive conceptions as well as dynamic and effective measures.

· 53-“practive provides faith with nourishment, survival and effectiveness.

PRAYER

· 55-prayer is considered the foundation of religion

· 55-failing to observe ones prayers regularly and at their proper times is 55-committing a grave offense and a heinous sin.

· 55-“the best way to cultivate in man a sound personality and actualize his aspirations in a mature course of manner is the Islamic prayer”.

· 55-Prayer is for one’s own benefit not for the benefit of God

· 56-EXPLANATIONS FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER:

1. It strengthens the belief in the existence and goodness of God and transmits this belief into the innermost recess of man’s heart.

2. It enlivens this belief and makes it constructive in the practical course of life.

3. It helps man to realize his natural and instinctive aspirations to greatness and high mortality, to excellence and virtuous growth.

4. It purifies the heart and develops the mind, cultivates the conscience and comforts the soul.

5. It fosters the good and decent elements in man, and suppresses the evil and indecent inclinations.

OP

Ed. OPVL 2

Lewis, Bernard. Islam and the Arab World. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1976.

Origin: The editor of this book is Bernard Lewis, however many authors and editors contributed to the making of this book.

Purpose: The purpose of this book is to relay information about the history, faith, culture, places, and important people surrounding the religion of Islam. The main parts of this book that I will be using are those concerning, faith and the five pillars of Islam.

Value: The information in this book was compiled by several publishers and editors who gathered information from various authors. Therefore, it is less likely that the information in this book is biased or one sided. It is more probable that its contents are more accurate being compiled from multiple different sources.

Limitations: This book was copyrighted in 1976, therefore it could contain information that, more recently has been found to be false or different. In the foreword of this book it notes that some translations were made from Arabic words to English ones, consequently leaving the possibility for error in translation.

Notes:

· 25-The basic religious precepts of the Qur’an are: there is one God, omnipotent and omniscient, creator of all that exists; it is the duty of men to submit themselves completely to the will of God to guide them and who persist in there are punished both in this world and the next; that after death there is a heaven and a hell where the good are rewarded and the wicked chastised; at the end of time and the end of the world there will be a resurrection of bodies and a universal judgment.

· 26-Two kinds of prayer. 1. Personal, spontaneous prayer not bound by any rules or rituals (dua), 2. and ritual prayer prescribed words and motions five times a day at sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset, and evening. (salat)

· 26-The worshipper must be in a state of ritual purity, in a ritually clean place and facing in the direction of Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet.

· 26-The prayer itself consists of the profession of faith and some passages from the Qur’an.

· 26-Mosques are always open for meditation, study, and spontaneous prayer.