Author: hgreene

Although not defined as a religion itself, Sufism is considered to be a branch or subdivision of Islam. It can be defined as a mystical tradition that emphasizes to search for God inside oneself and to oppose materialism, the idea that possessions and objects are more important than spiritual values. Rumi was a poet who… Continue reading Sufism, Rumi’s Poetry, and Layla and Majnun

Today we met as a group at Ling’s Oriental Martial Arts up in Noblesville to learn self-defense techniques and Tai Chi. When we first walked in, we were required to takeoff our shoes and put them in a bin next to the door. Master Ling didn’t explain to us the importance of being barefoot, but… Continue reading 11/04 ICR Reflection – Master Ling’s Oriental Martial Arts

The Hadith is comprised of passages of Muhammad’s own beliefs and thoughts that are not found in the Qur’an. The Qur’an itself is God’s word spoken through Muhammad, but the Hadith is Muhammad’s own words. My favorite verse from the reading was, “Every good deed is charity, and it is a good deed that thou… Continue reading The Hadith and Fiqh Akbar

In Islam, there are five pillars that Muslims are to follow. The five pillars are declaration of faith (Shahadah), prayer (salah), alms-giving or charity (zakah), fasting (sawn), and pilgrimage (Hajj). Muslims’ declaration of faith is that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Every day, five times a day, Muslims… Continue reading The 5 Pillars of Islam and the Hajj Documentary

Today we met with Kwan at Lucky Lou’s Seafood and Dimsum for a nice evening to learn more about the different types of Chinese food and to try some ourselves. According to Kwan, he believes Lucky Lou’s has the most authentic Cantonese cuisine in the Indianapolis area. Tonight was the first time I had sampled… Continue reading 10/28 ICR Reflection – Dinner at Lucky Lou’s

As we continue to read suras from the Qur’an, I notice more similarities to other religions and even the mentioning of other religions. For example, the second sura refers to other religions by saying that those that believe in God and follow the righteous path will be rewarded in the end. The sixty-second sura reads,… Continue reading The Qur’an and Aslan’s “No God But God”

As I read the assigned suras, I was surprised to find so many parallels to Christianity’s holy text, the Bible. In the first sura, for example, it talks about how God is the Master of the Day of Judgement and asks that he keeps us on the right path and to not follow those who… Continue reading The Qur’an

Muhammad and the Believers’ Movement taught me a lot about the life of Muhammad and how he came to preach God’s word. According to the text, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah was born in west Arabi in a town called Mecca around 570AD. Around 610AD, he received revelations from God by the archangel Gabriel. These visions were… Continue reading Ibn Ishaq Excerpt and “Muhammad and the Believers’ Movement”

The documentary is a twenty-eight minute clip of Dennis Wholey interviewing Iman Hassan Qazwini. Coming into this section of the course, I had no previous knowledge over the religion of Islam. I even had to Google what it meant to be Muslim, which I now know refers to someone who follows or practices Islam. The term… Continue reading Islam Documentary Clip and The Cairo House (pp. 1-26)

Today we met Kwan, and was later joined by Benny, at the Indianapolis Global Village Welcome Center over on Lafayette Road. After some technology issues, Kwan finally got his laptop hooked up to a bigger monitor so that he could teach us about the Lion Dance. After about a forty-five minute to an hour presentation,… Continue reading 10/18 ICR Reflection – The Lion Dance