What Is Islam? A Harkness Discussion

 (Mecca 2015)

(Paris, France 2011) 

                                                                                                                                                        

ISLAM HARKNESS DISCUSSION

As a whole class, today, you will draw from Frederick M. Denny's book Islam and the Muslim Community to create a conceptual and spiritual understanding of Islam.  The following questions use particular words and phrases from the text in order to help you construct a more thorough understanding, accessing all parts of the assigned text (7-76). 

• How and why did Islam emerge and spread as a religion outward from Mecca and Medina?

• What makes Islam unique from other Abrahamic traditions? 

• How shall Muslims live in accord with the "Straight Path?"

• How do Muslims define a "successful life?" 

• What are the duties of Muslims in daily life?  

• What do Muslims believe happens to them when they die? 

• How does Denny define the "Muslim community" spiritually and practically speaking? 

• To what extent does the existence of different sub-communities of Islam such as Shi'ites and Sunnis impact the cohesiveness of this "Muslim community?"  What about Sufism?