Key Beliefs 1 - Tawhid

Homework - review Feedback – what did you find out about the 6 Articles of Faith/key beliefs of Islam? Discuss with your partner, then with the rest of the class.

Tawhid The Oneness of God The Arabic word for God is Allah – it is not God’s name or the name of some other divine being. The word Allah cannot be pluralised – what is this teaching Muslims about Allah?

Tawhid The Oneness of God Write down the quote you’ll see on the next slide. Make sure you leave space, because we’re going to analyse the different parts and annotate (make notes around it) to understand the full meaning of it for Muslims.

Sura 112 ‘In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful say “He is God the One and Only, God the Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not nor is He begotten; and there is none like Him.”’

Shirk According to Islamic teachings, there is only one unforgivable sin – shirk. Shirk is associating other beings (including oneself) with Allah. Anyone who commits shirk can no longer consider themselves a Muslim. Why do you think shirk is unforgivable for a Muslim?

In pairs/threes Using Watton pages 12-17 (and your own knowledge/homework information): Read through information on your given topic and make notes of key information. Be prepared to feedback and peer-teach what you have learned back to the rest of the class.

In pairs/threes Implications of God’s Oneness in Muslim Life The Creativity of God The Power of God The Mercy and Compassion of God The Ninety-nine Names of God General Beliefs about God’s Nature

In pairs/threes 6) General Beliefs about God’s Nature Allah created everything, but is Himself created out of nothing (“nor is He begotten”) Beyond human comprehension and understanding (transcendent) 99 names and descriptions relate to non-material characteristics e.g. Allah sees everything – this does not mean he has physical eyes Faithful Muslims will come face to face with Allah on the Last Day Descriptions and characteristics are supposed to help Muslims understand the nature of Allah further; they are not included to cause disagreement about logicistics

Allah’s Immanence Although Tawhid teaches Muslims that Allah is transcendent (greater than us, beyond our understanding, far from us); Islam also teaches Muslims that Allah is close to us and cares for us. Note down the three quotes from the top of page 15 and give a brief explanation of each.

The three aspects of Tawhid As you’re watching the video clip, make notes of key information. The video goes into more detail and uses more key terminology than you will need, but feel free to write it down if it helps you.

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

Homework Create a model-map detailing all the information you’ve learned during this lesson. You will obviously need to use the notes you’ve made today, but remember that you should be doing extra reading/research for all lessons – so add in further detail while doing this.