Title: MPW 1153 Week 9: Islam and Sikhism Strengths Comprehensive
1MPW 1153
2Introduction
3Islam
41. Islam and Human Development
- Life begins at inception
- 120 days after fertilization God will send an
angel to place a roh in the embryo - The roh (spirit) will determine the babys
- Livelihood
- Deeds in life
- Death
- Suffering or happiness
- Human beings originate from Adam
51. Islam and Human Development (cont)
- After death, the roh of a person lives on until
Judgment Day - Priority is placed on the developmt of behavior,
individuality, character and rship w God - Obj and direction of human growth education,
character training and in building a harmonius
rship w God - Final obj for a virtuous Muslim is to goto Heaven
- The human body and roh have separate needs
food, shelter moral achievements - Three factors that influence human development
- Natural factor determined by Character
- Environment
- Human ability
62. Human Beings from an Islamic Perspective
- Man does not emerge from a material process but
is made by Allah and possesses two elements (roh
and body). Man is a spiritual and physical
creatures - Man is created to serve Allah and be faithful
towards Him - Entrusted w the duties of a Calph to administer
the world according to the law of Allah - Man is subject to two opposing tendencies- one
which leans towards the angel and the other to
the devil. - Because man possesses freewill, his fate is in
his hands
73. Man as a Caliph
- Man is more noble than all other creatures,
including angels - Man is representative of Allah in upholding truth
and peace and eliminating disobedience and
distractions to achieve al-falah - As a caliph, man should display his natural
attributes within him, thru knowing and believing
in Allah - This faith in Allah will be ingrained in man,
making him truly a caliph and subsequently
developing values of truth, goodness, beauty, and
justice in all his actions.
84. Islamic Holy Books
- The Koran
- Contains messages revealed by Allah to Prophet
Muhammad in the Arabic language by Angel Gabriel - The Prophet memorized each verse
- Revelation was a gradual process which lasted 23
years - The Hadis (Hadith)
- Record of words, actions, behavior, and character
of the Prophet - Important elements
95. Aspects of Islamic Teaching
- Encompasses
- Aqidah (Faith)
- Allahs power is absolute
- Man must believe and worship Allah
- Ibadah (devotion)
- Limited to those practicing the 5 pillars
- Wider view than just 5 pillars, including society
- Any action that reflects the feeling of
self-submission and obedience to and worship of
Allah - Akhlak (morals)
- A persons faith, confidence, trust
- Actions that are customary, does not require much
thought
105. Aspects of Islamic Teaching
116. The Concept of Ibadah (Devotion)
- Encompasses understanding of the ONENESS or UNITY
of Allah (Tauhid) - Originated from aqidah (Faith)
- Which believes in
- Allah
- Qadak and Qadar (Taqdeer)
- Holy Books
- The Prophets
- The Hereafter
- Angels
126. The Concept of Ibadah (Devotion) (cont)
137. Islamic Moral Values (akhlak)
- Only the Koran must be yardstick to gauge Islamic
moral values (only source) - Mission of the Prophet is to guide mankind
towards laudable moral values - And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of
character. Surah al-Qalam 684 - Belief in qada and qadar, sin and merit (pahala),
rewards and punishment in the hereafter. - The kind of behavior recommended is faithful,
God-fearing, virtuous, sincere, patient,
trustworthy, holy, just, helpful, forgiving,
generous.
148. Examples of Islamic Morals
159. Important Terms in Islamic Behavior
16Strengths
- Comprehensive system of Law that covers all
aspects of life (jurisprudence). A way of life
not merely a set of beliefs - Encourages worship of ONE GOD
- Combines intellectual and spiritual aspects of
humanity - Encourages learning and scholarship
17Weaknesses
- Does not tolerate criticism/dissent
- The Prophet married a girl under 16
- Yet held as a supreme moral example
- Mohammad said do not teach women writing, teach
them spinning and the sura al-nur.
Discrimination against women - Set of laws to obey, not well known for its mercy
(only justice)
18Sikhism
19Background to the Sikh Religion
- Founded by Guru Nanak I (1469-1539)
- Succeeded by a group of 10 Teachers
- Teachings put together in a Holy Book called
- Guru Granth Sahib Ji
- There is only one God who is absolute
- Life in this world has no beginning and no end
(Hinduism), no limit or boundary, cannot be
analysed by ordinary human thoughts - Formation was influenced by Islam and Hinduism,
practiced in Northern India
20Basic Teachings
- Sikh Teachers stressed that all mankind are Gods
creation and ought to be faithful to their
respective ways of life - A child at birth is not yet a Khalsa, even though
parents are Sikhs, only after understanding rules
and regulations - And receives sugar water (Amrit)
- Understand and conform to the laws of the Sikh
religion
21Laws of the Sikh Religion
- There is only one Almighty God. There are ten
Teachers, from Guru Nanak to Gobind Singh - Always read or listen to the words of Guru Granth
Sahib Ji to perform religious service - Abolish feelings about castes, stop worshipping
idols and other practices opposed to Sikhism - Respect all creatures without questioning
religion, race or a persons skin colour - Train to control yourself and promise to wear the
FIVE SYMBOLS of the Sikhs which all bear the
letter K
22The Five Ks
- Kesh (uncut hair)
- Kanggha (comb)
- Kashehra (white shorts)
- Kirpan (Sword/dagger)
- Kara (Steel bangle won on the waist)
- Once a person has practised the discipline of the
Khalsa community he should apply to receive the
Amrit from the Five Religious Members (Panj Piare)
23The Ten Teachers
- Guru Nanak 1 (Nanak Dev)
- Was sent to the mosque to learn abt Islam
- Later learnt abt Hinduism
- Felt dissatisfied w the followers of these
religions because they did not practise what they
ought to - Claimed the ppl professed the respective
religions physically, but spiritually they
deviated from the teachings - Became a wanderer and befriended a Muslim named
Mardana. Befriended a Hindu called Bala.
Concluded that all religions are good it was
only followers who did not conform - Based teaching on LOVE if you want God to love
you, you must first love one another. To be near
God, Guru Nanak taught followers to recite or
sing praises to God so that they gradually learnt
to be humble - Did not encourage the people to embrace his
religion
24(No Transcript)
25The Ten Teachers (cont)
- Whether a person is good or bad is not caused by
factors like race, religion, skin colour or body
size, but by what that person does. - Guru Nanak was a man of gentle disposition.
- Taught that laziness and begging for alms were
degrading ways of life - During the time of the tenth Teacher Guru Gobind
Singh, Khalsa Community came into being
26Sikh Identity
- Sikh means learner or follower in Punjabi
27Important Matters in Sikh Religion
- The God that is worshipped
- Name Wahiguru (God the Amazing)
- Opposed worship of idols
- Anti animism
- Only our hearts need to be made special for
religion. - No to predetermined fate, but believes in karma
and reincarnation - Simran (constantly remembering Gods name-
Wahiguru) and good behaviour can a person leave
the cycle of reincarnation - Spend much time reading and singing the words of
the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and reciting the name of
Wahiguru to cleanse their thoughts and hearts
28Important Matters (cont)
- 2. Status of the Teacher in Sikhism
- Their Teacher guides guide them along the right
path - After their deaths, the Holy Book and the Khalsa
community took over - The ten Sikh teachers are not regarded as
descended from God - The Holy Book is not worshipped, Sikhs only
worship God - Their priests are not given high status in the
religion or community, but only respected for
their knowledge - Task of making decisions relating to their
religion or community is delegated to a
five-member Khalsa committee called Panj Piare.
29- 3. The Holy Book
- Contains all sayings of the first five Teachers,
the ninth as well as some Islamic and Hindu
scholars - Placed on a table in the Gurdwara. When
approaching the Holy Book, a person must show
respect by prostrating on the floor.
30- 4. Gurdwara- House of worship
- The word means teachers archway. Holy Book is
kept here - A centre of Sikh religion and community
- Always open to the public without regard to rank
or religious affiliation - Anyone wishing to enter the Gurdwara must take
off their shoes and cover their head
31- 5. Sikh religious festivals
- Most important Vasakhi Day (13 April each year)
- Commemorates establishment of the Khalsa
community by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699 - Birthday of Guru Nanak, Katak Puranmashi day is
also celebrated
32- 6. Society
- Society has a special status and there is no
place for the CASTE SYSTEM - All members of the Sikh community are advised to
follow all societal rules and regulations
33- 7. Peaceful and Aggressive Ways
- Places more importance on peaceful than on
aggressive ways - Sikhs are also taught to be brave
- When all means have been attempted, it is valid
to seek the truth with the sword. Guru Nanak 10.
a Sikh is required to be prepared to defend his
religion and his homeland
34Teaching of Sikhism based on the Holy Book
- In the real world, thinking of human beings is
always narrow and limited (houmai or egoistic) - Morally, man should open up his mind so that he
can adapt himself to conditions around him This
will make him think more widely and wisely - And then can act more JUSTLY and MODERATELY
(sachiara) - It is important and moral for an individual to
distance himself from houmai and try to acquire
sachiara
35How to attain Sachiara
- Dharam Khand be prepared to bring change and
progress to oneself through sacrifice and social
duties - Gian khand Look for knowledge by equipping
oneself with wisdom - Saram khand Look for harmony and tranquility in
oneself, appreciate the beauty of nature, and of
self - Karam khand Become altruistic, ie. Improve
yourself internally, reject houmai and move
towards sachiara level which ignores
self-importance, but always fulfils social and
moral obligations - Sach khand Strive to attain the highest level-
unite wisdom and self-virtue (karkar), value
consciousness (vekhe) and internal happiness
(nihala) in oneself
36- These areas help an individual abandon houmai for
sachiara - Training in these aspects aims at building
individuals who are well-balanced spiritually,
physically and emotionally - Reject five negative aspects
- Kam Desire
- Lobh Greed or covetousness
- Moh Believe in or worship something that is
false - Krodh Anger
- Ahankar Arrogance, conceit
37Strengths
- Worship of the ONE GOD
- Against discrimination of Caste System
- Does not overvalue role of the Priest/Teacher
- Emphasis on identity and community
- Attempt at addressing the Human Condition in the
pursuit of Sachiara but through human effort
38Weaknesses
- Those who do not go through amrit are excluded
from the Khalsa community and its benefits? - Why is there still the possibility of violence in
the religion? - The way to Sachiara is dependant on the self. Can
mankind really save itself? - Not well received by some cultures (have to grow
beard gt.lt)
39Conclusion
- Islam is a religion of justice and seeks to
incorporate religious teachings into all aspects
of life. But certain actions of its leader are
questionable - Sikhism celebrates the book and the community,
but is closely linked with a race, therefore can
only provide an alternative to the quest to
resolve the Human Condition - Justice in its extreme form (deontological
ethics) can be too rigid and uncompromising.