Islam Timed-Writing Exercise

Transcription

1 Islam Timed-Writing Exercise DIRECTIONS: This assessment requires you to: Examine a series of documents from a culture. Determine some of the values of that culture. Use several documents to write an essay explaining the culture s values. STEP ONE: EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE Examine the following documents about Islam. Carefully read the following sources, including the introductory information for each source. We suggest spending no more than 25 minutes on the documents so you have enough time to write a thorough essay response. Analyze the historical context of Islam, the definitions of the Five Pillars, and Islamic art and architecture. Use evidence from several documents Explain the values of cultural identity of Muslim individuals Historical Context: Root of Islam The root slm in Arabic means "to be in peace, to be an integral whole." From this root comes islām, meaning "to surrender to God's law and thus to be an integral whole," and Muslim, a person who so surrenders. It is important to note that two other key terms used in the Qurʾān with high frequency have similar root meanings: īmān (from amn), "to be safe and at peace with oneself," and taqwā (from wqy), "to protect or save." These definitions give us an insight into the most fundamental religious attitude of Islam: to maintain wholeness and proper order, as the opposite of disintegration, by accepting God's law. Rahman, Fazlur. "Islam: An Overview [First Edition]." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 7. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, World History in Context. Web. 8 May 2015.

2 DOCUMENT A Testimony: Shahadah is a term used in Islam to denote the all-important confession or affirmation of the unity of God and the apostleship of Muḥammad. It derives from the Arabic root shahida, meaning "to attest," "to give decisive word," hence "to acknowledge as true," and is used in referring to eyewitness testimony or other dependable evidence. For Muslims, the term shahādah means giving open, verbal evidence of what is incontestably true. "I bear witness," the phrase runs, "that there is no god but God, and Muḥammad is the messenger of God." Cragg, Kenneth. "Shahādah." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 12. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, World History in Context. Web. 10 May DOCUMENT B Prayer Although the ṣalāt may be performed individually, there are numerous ḥadīth stressing the excellence of communal prayer. A famous ḥadīth says: "Prayer which a man performs in congregation is worth twenty-five times the prayer performed at home or the market place." Several Qurʾanic verses provide scriptural basis for communal prayer service held on Friday. For instance: "O ye who believe When the call to prayer is proclaimed on the day of assembly, hasten to remember God and cease your business. This is best for you if you understand" (62 9). Siddiqi, Muzammil H., and Tazim R. Kassam. "Ṣalāt." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 12. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, World History in Context. Web. 10 May DOCUMENT C Charity: The zakat (alms tax) is one of the five pillars of Islam. The verb zaka in Arabic means "to increase" or "to augment," and also "to be pure" or "to become pure." In the opinion of the Koran commentators, alms are calledzakat either because they increase a man's store by drawing down a blessing upon him, or because they purify the remaining part of one's property from pollution and the soul from avarice. The obligation to pay zakat is mentioned frequently in the Koran, often in connection with the duty of prayer (for instance, 2:43, 2:83, 2:110, 2:177, 2:277). The payment of zakat, which symbolizes the solidarity of the Muslim community, is thought to pave the way for salvation Powers, David S. "Alms Tax, Islamic." Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Ed. Joseph R. Strayer. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, World History in Context. Web. 10 May 2015.

3 DOCUMENT D Fasting: Fasting (Arabic: siyam, sawm) is frequently practiced in the Islamic religion and constitutes one of its fundamental acts of worship. The fast of Ramadan--the most important Islamic fast-- is, according to Islamic belief, one of the "five pillars" of the religion and the only fast that is obligatory on the Muslim community as a whole. Islamic fasting, whether obligatory or voluntary, is always performed in the same general manner with the same broad stipulations and requirements. It begins before the break of dawn- -generally about an hour and a half or two hours before sunrise--and ends once the sun has completely set. One fasts by abstaining from all food and drink, from smoking, and from conjugal relations, except at night--all things are allowed during the nights of a fast that are customarily permissible to a Muslim not fasting. Abd-Allah, Umar F. "Fasting, Islamic." Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Ed. Joseph R. Strayer. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, World History in Context. Web. 10 May DOCUMENT E Pilgrimage: The annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca, in west-central Arabia, is known by the term hajj. As a religious duty that is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam, the hajj is an obligation for all Muslims to perform once in their adult lives, provided they be of sound mind and health and financially able at the time. A pilgrim's separation from familiar social and cultural surroundings constitutes a moment of prayerful anxiety and joyful celebration for all concerned. On the eve of departure, it is traditional for family and friends to gather for prayers, Qur'an recitation, food, and perhaps poetry and singing about the hajj. Martin, Richard C. "Pilgrimage: Muslim Pilgrimage." World Religions. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, Macmillan Compendium. World History in Context. Web. 10 May 2015.

4 DOCUMENT F The Prophet Muhammad and His Companions Traveling to the Fair, from a copy of the 14th-century Siyar-i Nabi (Life of the Prophet) of al-zarir, Istanbul, Turkey Pigments and gold on paper, 10 ⅝ x 15 (27 x 38 cm). New York Public Library, New York Spencer Collection. The faces of Abu Bakr and Ali are shown, that of Muhammad, in keeping with the Islamic injunction against idolatry and the making of idols, is not. The degree of representation permitted in Islamic art varied from place to place and from period to period depending in part on the strictness with which the injunction against idol making was interpreted and the purpose a work of art was to serve. This example suggests what the Ottoman court at the end of the sixteenth century considered acceptable for an illustration of its type. Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Print.

5 DOCUMENT G Writing in Islamic Art Writing pervades Islamic art. In addition to manuscripts. decorative writing is prominent in architecture and on smaller-scale objects made of glass, cloth, ceramic, and wood [Calligraphers training was long and arduous, and their work usually anonymous. Not until the later Islamic centuries did it become common for calligraphers to sign their work, and even then only the most accomplished were allowed this privilege. Koran frontispiece (right half of two-page spread), from Cairo, Egypt. c Ink, pigments, and gold on paper, 24 x 18 (61 x 45.7 cm). National Library, Cairo. Ms. 7 Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Print.

6 DOCUMENT H Prayer hall, Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain. Begun , extension 987 Cordoba. Cordoba Province Spain Interior of La Mezquita, The Great Mosque. Photo. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 11 May

7 DOCUMENT I Mecca, Arabic Makkah, ancient Bakkah, city, western Saudi Arabia, located in the Ṣirāt Mountains, inland from the Red Sea coast. It is the holiest of Muslim cities. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, and it is toward this religious centre that Muslims turn five times daily in prayer. All devout Muslims attempt a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Because it is sacred, only Muslims are allowed to enter the city. "Mecca." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., Web. 11 May < Mecca. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 11 May

8 STEP TWO: ESSAY Now that you have analyzed the evidence about Islam, synthesize your ideas into a coherent, well-written essay that addresses the prompt. PROMPT: How do the Five Pillars, Islam s history, and examples of Islamic art and architecture demonstrate the values of those who practice Islam? Your discussion should outline the ideals of Islam and draw on the information you learned in the documents. A thorough response will include several aspects of cultural identity supported with evidence from multiple documents. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the sources as Document A, Document B, etc., or by using the source title. For example, In the Fasting it is clear that or Document D demonstrates Remember, a complete response will: Be clear, concise, and well-structured. Include a strong thesis statement/main idea supported by evidence from the documents. Include insightful analysis that connects the evidence back to the main idea.

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