Huston Smith 2

The Standing Miracle

(Aka Koran)

· In every role played, Mohammad was exemplary.

· He is not an object of worship nor the center of the faith, the Koran is.

· even though Mohammad was illiterate, he wrote the Koran without an error.

· Koran is read literally not symbolically or otherwise.

· There is the Divine Reality of the Uncreated Koran and the earthly reality of the created Koran.

· He reported words assaulted him as if they were solid and heavy

· Followers recorded these words.

· Testaments has two defects that the Koran does not have:

1. they record only portions of the truth

2. they were partially corrupted in transmission

· The Koran is directly doctrinal and indirectly historical

· The Bibles seem more distant from God for placing religious meaning in reports of events instead of God’s direct pronouncements.

· Its as if God in order to express a thousand truths, had but a dozen words at his command

Basic Theological Concepts

· With a few exceptions the basic theological concepts of Islam are virtually identical with those of Judaism and Christianity:

1. God:

· Immaterial therefore invisible.

· Muslims see monotheism as Islam’s contribution to religion, rid of idols

· Koranic depiction of God’s nature: powerful, terrifying and merciful

2. Creation:

· Deliberate act of God’s will- creation is both real and important, also good

3. Fitra:

· Koranic word for human nature

· Obligations:

1. Gratitude for the life that has been created

2. Surrender to God

4. The Day of Judgment

· Koran puts stress on the individual and individual responsibility

· Fate or freedom? Tis a mystery

· Each soul will be held accountable for their own actions