Existence and Nature of God 1 Islam Unit 1: Nature of God Teacher’s note: You may wish to point out to students that in the photo of the inscription the part that looks like a ‘wl’ is Arabic for Allah. Photo: © markjhandel. This image is reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons License. A copy of the license can be read at this address: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Flash activity (these activities are not editable) Teacher’s notes included in the Notes page Sound

Learning objectives What we will learn in this presentation: What Islam teaches about Allah What these beliefs might mean to a Muslim How Allah’s existence has been shown in Islam Learning objectives

The Shahadah Muslims believe that ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.’ These words are known as the Shahadah. Do you know what this is? The Shahadah is the first of the five Pillars of Islam and it is a declaration of the main belief of Islam. Teacher’s note: You may wish to explain to students that the picture depicts the Turkish flag using the Arabic words of the Shahadah to form the symbols of the moon and star. Audio: © iSurrender. This audio clip is reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons License. A copy of the license can be read at this address: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shahadah.ogg. Photo: © (¯`·.¸¸.¤*¨¨*¤.๑۩۩۩๑ Zeyneep!. This image is reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons License. A copy of the license can be read at this address: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ These words constantly remind Muslims of their belief in Allah and responsibility to worship Him.

Allah Allah is the Arabic word for God. It is used by Muslims throughout the world, even by those that do not speak Arabic. Muslims never try to represent Allah with any type of picture, because they believe it is wrong to create any image of Him. I can’t picture what Allah looks like because He is beyond my understanding. Other religions use images of their God, but there is a risk that people might start worshipping the picture and not the God.

Tawhid The most important Islamic belief about God is tawhid, or the concept of ‘oneness’. Islam is a monotheistic religion; Muslims believe that Allah is alone and there is no other thing like Him. Muslims believe that this oneness means that Allah: is the source and creator of everything Photo: © procsilas. This image is reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons License. A copy of the license can be read at this address: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ was not born, nor is anyone born from Him. To be a Muslim, the tawhid is the first belief that a person must accept.

What other effects might it have on their lives? Influence on life The concept of tawhid has a large impact on a Muslim’s life. Muslims believe they should worship Allah alone and not put anything, such as money, before Allah in their lives. To do so is considered a great sin and it is called shirk. Tawhid also makes Muslims: view Allah as the most important guide in their lives believe everything happens due to the will of Allah Teacher’s notes: Other ways in which the tawhid might influence the lives of Muslims could include causing increased respect for others and the world around them, because everything was created by Allah and the idea that you should live your whole life for Allah. Some students may raise the point that a belief in one God may lead Muslims to believe that all other religions are wrong. The term ‘ummah’ refers to the community of Islam. You may wish to ask students to take a closer look at the photo used above. Ask them if they can identify the representations of the Shahadah, Allah and Muhammad. You may wish to ask them the significance of their positioning. Photo: © Bianda Ahmad Hisham, shutterstock.com believe they are all one in Allah and therefore united in their religion: ummah. What other effects might it have on their lives?

The Beautiful Names of Allah Muslims believe that Allah has 99 names, which can help them understand Him and His role in their lives. These names are known as the Beautiful Names of Allah. Instead of creating pictures of Allah, these names are often used to create beautiful works of art. Muslims will often repeat these names to themselves and reflect upon their meaning. Examples of these names are: The All-Aware, The Merciful and The Ever Living. Teacher’s notes: Students may suggest that the above three examples imply that Allah is all-knowing, kind and forgiving of those who repent, and eternal, without beginning or end. More names of Allah and their meanings are discussed on the next slide. What do these examples imply about Allah’s nature?

What do the Beautiful Names mean? Image: © Mike McDonald, shutterstock.com

What do Muslims think Allah is like? Image: © Kozhadub Sergei, shutterstock.com