Key Beliefs 2 - Risalah

Where does this information come from? How do you know this? What do you know? Work in pairs/threes to mind-map/model-map what you know about Muhammad. You have four minutes to write down anything and everything you know about Muhammad/his life. Muhammad Challenge: Where does this information come from? How do you know this?

Muhammad Mortal man, no different to any previous prophets – simply a messenger of Allah He was well-known to be an honest and honourable man – someone the people would trust He did not seek personal gain or glory for himself He was illiterate and was told by the angels to ‘recite’ – meaning he was repeating the words of Allah, not telling the people his own message

Muhammad Muhammad did not perform any miracles He lived and died as a normal man What makes him important to Muslims is the message he was given from Allah – the Qur’an Described as the ‘seal’ of the prophets – meaning that Allah will not need to send any further prophets. Muhammad restored Islam to what it was supposed to be by bringing the Qur’an

The changes Muhammad brought The true concept of Allah was lost Ignorance and darkness Barbarism and ruthlessness Sexual slavery and the persecution of women Exploitation Fear and terror Class and colour discrimination The true concept of Allah was restored Knowledge and light Kindness and mercy Women’s status and rights Justice and fairness Peace and security Love and brotherhood

The Qur’an The Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad, who memorised the passages and then had scribes write them down. He then checked the information to make sure it was exactly as Allah had said. Some Muslims believe that all of the Qur’an was passed from Allah to Jibril then to Muhammad; others teach that some was passed from Jibril and other parts were directly from Allah to Muhammad.

The Qur’an Counteracts previous corruption Guidance from Allah for humans Counteracts previous corruption Written and to be understood in the original Arabic Laws and values from Allah, not people For the entire world The Qur’an Addresses all aspects of life Way of life Permanent (not temporary) For all people (irrespective of background/race/wealth etc) Word of Allah

The Qur’an Using Watton, make notes on: The origins of the Qur’an The compilation of the Qur’an The authority of the Qur’an Muslim attitudes to the Qur’an Why do Muslims believe the Qur’an is the Word of God? The contents of the Qur’an

Progress Check Plenary What have you learnt this lesson? Facts – e.g Ideas/viewpoints Similarities/differences - diversity Key words/concepts Examples of how religion affects the world around us – e.g. culture What contribution to your learning did you make? Contributed to class discussion Worked in a pair/group Organised my time well Found out information for myself Answered thoroughly and thoughtfully Completed extension task Monitored my progress Peer/ self assessed work How did you learn it? Research work Discussion Questioning Pairs/ group work - collaborative Independent learning Using technology e.g video/ internet What do you need to do in order to make further progress? Do further research Background reading Develop my writing technique Contribute more in class Proof read my work Give examples to back up my ideas Make connections between different beliefs and faiths