The Prophet Muhammad & The Qur'an

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Muhammad and the Qur'an

The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims. It was revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad.

Muhammad

Muhammad lived in Arabia and was born in Mecca in 570.
He was descended from Quraish tribal leaders.
- Both his parents died whilst he was still a child.
- He was raised by his grandfather and his uncle, Abu Talib.
He lived a life typical of his time and country, as a shepherd and then later as a trader.
His first wife was Khadija, a wealthy businesswoman.
- The marriage was a very happy one, so eventually, Muhammad settled down to family life.

Muhammad's revelation

Muhammad began to go away each year to a place called Hira, where he was able to pray alone in a cave.
- This was when he was about 40 years old.
Muslim belief teaches that once, whilst Muhammad was praying, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him.

The revelation of the Qur'an

The Angel Gabriel instructed Muhammad to recite verses that appeared before him.
- Muhammad was illiterate (could not read) but found he was able to recite the verses.
- Muhammad was frightened by this experience, and fearful that people would think he was mad.
The revelations continued for over 20 years.
- The verses that he recited became known as the Qur’an, which is the holy book of Muslims.
- The word Qur'an literally means ‘the recitation’.

The Qur'an

At first, the Qur’an was part of an oral tradition.
- This means the words were not written down but passed on by being learnt by heart (something many Muslims do to this day).
- The verses were later collected into a book.

The Qur'an's teaching

The Qur'an contains many important teachings for Muslims:
- The importance of worshipping the one true God (Allah).
- The importance of obeying the commands of Allah.
- The attributes of Allah.
- And how Muslims should behave towards each other.
The Qur'an also refers to prophets from Jewish and Christian traditions, including Moses and Jesus.
- But, The Qur'an says that Muhammad is the final prophet. And, the Qur’an is the final revelation - the pure, unaltered teaching of Allah.

The reception of the Qur'an

The Qur’an is critical of idol worship and the behaviour of the Arab tribes.
- Muhammad tried to teach this new law, and the worship of Allah alone.
There were some early converts of Muhammad's teachings.
But, most of the locals, including his own tribe, rejected the teaching.
- These tribes persecuted Muhammad and his early followers.

1Year 7

1.1Origins of Abrahamic Faith

1.2Judaism

1.2.1The Nature of God

1.2.2Creation

1.2.3What Do Jews Believe?

1.2.4Moses

1.2.5Abraham & Moses

1.2.6Tenakh & Talmud

1.2.7Rabbis & Rabbinic Literature

1.2.8The Jewish Scriptures - The Written Law

1.2.9The Jewish Scriptures - The Oral Law

1.2.10The Tradition of Discussion & Debate

1.2.11Orthodox Judaism

1.2.12Reform Judaism

1.2.13The Daily Practices of Orthodox & Reform Jews

1.2.14Morality & Living a Good Life

1.2.15Ethical Duties of Jews

1.2.16Prayer & Acts of Worship

1.2.17Written & Oral Jewish Law

1.2.18Afterlife

1.2.19The First Temple

1.2.20The Tabernacle's Journey & End

1.2.21Orthodox & Reform Synagogues

1.2.22The Daily Service

1.2.23What is Shabbat?

1.2.24Traditional Rituals for Shabbat

1.2.25What is Pesach?

1.2.26What is Yom Kippur?

1.2.27How Have Jews Been Persecuted?

1.2.28The Persecution of the Jews Throughout History

1.2.29The Black Death

1.2.30Antisemitism in Nazi Germany

1.2.31Antisemitism in Nazi Germany 2

1.2.32The Holocaust

1.2.33Genocide

1.2.34How the Holocaust has Impacted the Jewish Identity

1.2.35Holocaust Memorial

1.2.36Global Diversity of Jews

1.2.37Jewish Practices

1.2.38Jewish Celebrations & Rituals

1.3Christianity

1.4Buddhism

1.4.1Religion in India

1.4.2The Caste System

1.4.3Meditation

1.4.4Caste & Religion

1.4.5Puja

1.4.6Karma & the Cycle of Rebirth

1.4.7The Four Noble Truths - Dukkha and Samudaya

1.4.8The Four Noble Truths - Nirhoda and Magga

1.4.9The Three Marks of Existence

1.4.10The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

1.4.11How do Buddhists Live?

1.4.12The Four Sights

1.4.13The Buddha

1.4.14The Middle Way & Enlightenment

1.5Disciplinary Knowledge

1.5.1Scripture and Religious Authority

1.5.2Interpreting Data

1.5.3Forms of Expression

1.5.4Shaping and Being Shaped by Wider Society

2Year 8

2.1Islam

2.1.1Pre-Islamic Arabia

2.1.2The Prophet Muhammad & The Qur'an

2.1.3The Hijrah & The Conquest of Mecca

2.1.4The Prophet Muhammad: The Final Sermon

2.1.5The Sunni/Shia Split

2.1.6Islamic Caliphates

2.1.7The Five Pillars of Islam

2.1.8Origins of Hajj

2.1.9Hajj Rituals

2.1.10Jihad

2.1.11Islam Today

2.2Hinduism

2.2.1The Prehistoric Roots of Hinduism

2.2.2Key Ideas in Hinduism

2.2.3The Caste System

2.2.4The Vedic Period

2.2.5The Upanishads

2.2.6Alexander the Great & The Mauryan Empire

2.2.7Revelation & The Sharing of Knowledge

2.2.8Understanding the Self

2.2.9Karma, Yoga & the Self

2.2.10The Divine Presence

2.2.11Hindu Statues and Icons

2.2.12British Colonialism & Gandhi

2.3Atheism

2.3.1Where Did Atheism Come From?

2.3.2The Impact of Scientific Developments

2.3.3Plato's Cave

2.3.4Challenging the Bible

2.3.5The Enlightenment

2.3.6Evolution

2.3.7Evolution & Religion

2.3.8Morality & God

2.3.9Morality Without God

2.3.10Frederick Nietzsche - How to Live Without Religion

2.3.11Militant Atheism

2.3.12Humanism

2.3.13The Future of Atheism

2.4Philosophy of Religion

2.4.1Who is God?

2.4.2Theists, Atheists & Agnostics

2.4.3Faith & Empiricism

2.4.4The Design Argument

2.4.5Is The Design Argument Convincing?

2.4.6The Cosmological Argument

2.4.7Criticisms of The Cosmological Argument

2.4.8The Problem of Evil

2.4.9Free Will Theodicy

2.4.10Soul-Making Theodicy

2.4.11Religious Experience

2.4.12Types of Religious Experience

2.4.13Criticisms of Religious Experience

3Year 9

3.1Life & Death

3.1.1What is the Right Thing To Do?

3.1.2Thomas Aquinas - Natural Law

3.1.3Building a Moral Code

3.1.4Criticisms of Natural Law

3.1.5Joseph Fletcher - Situation Ethics

3.1.6Understanding Situation Ethics

3.1.7Criticisms of Situation Ethics

3.1.8Sanctity of Life

3.1.9Quality of Life

3.1.10Abortion

3.1.11Moral Questions About Abortion

3.1.12Euthanasia

3.1.13Moral Questions About Euthanasia

3.1.14Capital Punishment

3.1.15Arguments Against Captial Punishment

3.1.16Animal Rights

3.1.17Alternative Views on Animal Rights

3.2Extremism

3.3Equality

3.3.1Introduction to Equality

3.3.2Is the UK an Equal Society?

3.3.3Religion & Equality

3.3.4Interpreting the Scripture

3.3.5Racism & Scripture

3.3.6Scripture Against Racism

3.3.7The Fight for Racial Equality

3.3.8Gender Equality & Scripture

3.3.9Gender Equality; Women in Worship

3.3.10LGBTQ+ Matters

3.3.11The Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality

3.3.12Disability Matters

3.3.13The Fight for Disability Equality

4Additional Concepts

4.1Non-Religious People in the UK

4.1.1Statistics & Reasons

4.1.2Main Tenets on Non-Religious People

4.1.3Allegations Against Religious People

4.2Believing in God Oustide of Religion

4.2.1Non-Religious Believers & New Age

4.2.2Stay-At-Home Christians

4.2.3Agnosticism

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