Key terms:

omni-benevolent - All loving

omnipotent - all powerful

omniscient - all knowing

omnipresent - everywhere, all the time

transcendent - outside of time, above all

immanent - within time and everything

CHRISTIAN BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS:

The attributes of God:

• creatio ex nihilo - the doctrine that matter is not eternal but had to be created by some divine act

• immanent - he is present and able to act in people’s personal lives

• eternal - lasting or forever existing, without end.

• transc

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD:

The Arguments:

The Teleological (design) argument - William Paley [protestant]

1. order and purpose only exist when an intelligent agent has been at work.

2. the world shows signs of order and purpose

3. therefore the world must have been designed by an intelligent agent.

4. therefore, God exists

Arguments against the teleological argument:

Darwin - the theory of natural selection: this is the theory that animals can adapt to live with the most valuable qualities that help them survive.

John Stuart Mill - Evil and Suffering: if there was a God, there would not be evil and suffering in the world otherwise that God is unworthy of being worshipped because he would be cruel.

Richard Dawkins - The Blind Watchmaker: instead of God as a designer, everything just manages to be in the right place, without planning or any view of the future. The world didn’t need a logical plan, just an idea.

The Cosmological argument - Aristotle + Sir Thomas Aquinas [catholic]

1. everything that exists must have a cause

2. the universe exists

3. therefore the universe must have a cause

4. the only cause powerful enough to create the universe is God

The Moral Argument - Cardinal Newman [catholic]

If God doesn’t exist, then objective moral values and duties don’t exist; objective morals do exist, so therefore, God exists.

Cardinal Newman says that our sense of guilt at wrongdoing is God speaking to us through our conscience. God enables each person to know right from wrong.

The Euthyphro Dilemma - Is something good because God wills it or does God will it because it is good?

The Soul Making argument - John Hick [pluralist]

1. humans have the freewill to make moral decisions

2. suffering and evil are opportunities for humans to act how God would want us to so we can become more perfect

the parable of the sheep and goats:

if you do good for others and build your soul, then you’ll be rewarded in heaven- like the sheep who are put on the right side of the Father.

God- His Goodness, and his relationship with Humanity:

God describes everything he makes as “good” in Genesis 1: 1-4, like the light and the dark. Christians believe that God is the source of all goodness and everything he does and commands is good.

Many debate God’s goodness by arguing that a “good God” would not let suffering and evil exist in his world. This leads on to the problem of evil and what J.L Mackie calls “The Inconsistent Triad”.

“If God is all-powerful, he must be ABLE to prevent suffering/evil, and if he is all-loving, he must WANT to prevent suffering and evil, and yet suffering and evil still exists. This is inconsistent. “

The goodness of God in the working out of God’s plan of salvation. Salvation is the idea that humans have to be saved from punishment for their sins and this is done through the sacrifice of Jesus, His sacrifice ATONES for all of humanity’s sins and the fact that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins shows his goodness.

Evil:

Evil as a result of human sin: Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree which was the original sin. This destroyed the perfect relationship between God and Humanity. Therefore, humans are responsible for evil as a result of making wrong choices.

Evil as a lesson: The Irenaean Theodicy suggests that the world was perfect but man was not created as perfect, but as immature and needing to grow so they could develop perfection. Some Christians believe that evil is necessary to understand goodness or we would be unaware of justice. The existence of evil teaches us lessons.

Evil as a test: [1 Corinthians 10:13] The Story of Job. Other Christians believe suffering is a test of faith for believers and a punishment for the wicked. Job, a good man, when remained faithful to God all his life, was sent evil and suffering by the devil to see whether his faithfulness would remain through hardship, which he did. As a reward, God then gave Job double what he had before.

EXPERIENCING GOD:

God reveals himself to humans through:

• the Bible

• worship

• Jesus

• the Sacraments

• Religious experiences

• and miracles

The Bible:

Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The Bible is the word of God, and it contains the stories of the Jewish people, including Noah’s ark, Abraham, Issac and Moses- the Prince of Egypt. The New Testament tells the of the life and works of Jesus as well as early accounts of what Jesus’ followers did next. Some see the Bible as the literal word of God and interpret every story literally, which is known as a fundamentalist view of the Bible.

Religious experiences:

miracles: Jesus curing a leper. Matthew 8:2-3 - “A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him (Jesus) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched the man… immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”

Conversions: Saul to St Paul- Saul used to terrorise Christians and the Church. Jesus blinded Saul on the way to Damascus with the light and Jesus said to him, “You persecuted me.” Jesus then told him to go to the city and someone would tell him what to do. Saul was blinded for three days until he reached the town till he found Ananias, who he told to go and restore Saul’s sight. He does so, then baptises Saul as St Paul.

Mystical experiences: an overwhelming sense of the presence of God. St Teresa of Avila, at 14, devoted herself to the Virgin Mary after the death of her mother. She suffered much illness and during these times she would spend time meditating and reflecting. She claimed she rose through a series of experiences and she was convinced that Jesus presented himself to her but he was invisible despite being in bodily form.

Visions: Julian of Norwich reported that she experienced heaven opening to her. She saw Christ, Christ’s mother and the meaning and power of Jesus’ suffering. She asked why there was sin in the world but Jesus replied “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

Inspirational people:

Mother Teresa - Catholic Christian:

• born in Macedonia of Albanian descent

• joined a convent in Dublin and began teaching in Calcutta, India

• set up the Missionaries of Charity in 1950

• opened leper-houses, hospices and more charities

• 1979, won the Nobel Peace Prize and donated her winnings to the people in Calcutta

George Cadbury, founder of Cadbury’s Chocolate - Quaker Christian:

• Built Bournville village for his workers to live there

• no public houses/ betting shops were allowed

• built a Quaker meeting house for people to worship in

• built spaces for workers to relax and exercise, including football pitches.

Miracles:

Jesus- healed lepers, raised the dead, cured the paralysed, changed water into wine.

Matthew 8: 2-3 - “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Lourdes: Bernadette Soubirous claimed to see the Virgin Mary and had spoken to her. Mary told her that a church should be built where the visions took place and a spring of water was found there. The water is said to be blessed and since that day, pilgrims flock to Lourdes and over 6500 people have been claimed to have been miraculously healed at Lourdes. The Catholic Church has recognised 67 of these as miracles.

The Holy Spirit:

Pentecostalists, a form of Protestant Christians, put emphasis on the events of Pentecost and the continuing role of the Holy Spirit in the world. They believe that when they worship, they are immersed in God’s spirit and they will begin to speak different languages that only God can understand. This is called glossolalia, speaking in tongues.

This is known as an ecstatic/charismatic experience, in which the believer has an emotionally intense experience of God. Pentecostalists also claim to be' ‘Slain in Spirit’, which means to be overcome in complete religious ecstasy, causing them to fall and shake.

Ephesians 5:18 - “Be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Catholics disagree, as they reject the idea of being ‘topped up’ with the Holy Spirit.

Sacraments:

Sacrament - an outward act and a sign of an inner and invisible grace. Through a sacrament, Christ acts in the believer and makes them holy.

Protestant Sacraments: Baptism and Communion.

Catholic Sacraments: Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy orders and Anointing the Sick.

Communion:

Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe in transubstantiation, the belief that the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. “This is my body… this is my blood.”

Protestants believe in consubstantiation, in which Jesus is present at the Eucharist but the substance of the bread and wine remains unchanged.

Baptist Christians believe that the Eucharist is symbolic. The first celebration of the Eucharist was before his death, so the bread and wine is purely symbolic.

Penance, or Reconciliation:

Catholics believe that the priest provides absolution/forgiveness on behalf of God during Reconciliation. “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God.”

Protestants don’t view this as a sacrament and do not think people need to confess their sins to a priest, because they believe they can confess their sins to God, directly.

Example questions:

3 MARKS-

1. Name three types of religious experiences.

Ans: mystical, visions and ecstatic

2. State three ways in which God reveals Himself to Christians.

Ans: The Bible, Jesus, The Sacraments.

3. Describe ecstatic experiences.

Ecstatic experiences are when a believer is said to have an emotionally intense experience with God. This results often in them falling to the ground and beginning to shake. This is mostly experienced by Pentecostalists.

4. Outline Christian views on God’s relationship with Humanity.

Christians would say that their relationship with God is personal. This is shown by Protestants, who believe they can confess their sins directly to God, unlike Catholics who believe they must do it through a high priest.

6 MARKS:

Question: Describe God’s Goodness.

God is considered good by all Christians. They would argue that everything he does and commands is Good. An example of this would be in Genesis 1:3-4 - “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good.” God shows his goodness when Jesus, God the Son, dies for our sins. The evidence for this is in the Bible, in Romans 5:8 where it says “Christ died for us”. A final example of this would be miracles. God shows his goodness through the miracles he performs, such as healing a man with leprosy.

Question: Explain how God reveals Himself to Christians.

One way God reveals Himself to humans is through visions. An example would be the vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. This shows His omnipotence by his ability to show us these visions.

Another way he reveals Himself is Jesus. He sent Jesus to die for our sins. This shows God’s omni-benevolence because Jesus was his only son. A final way he reveals himself is through religious experiences, through the sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus himself said, “This is my body, which will be broken and given out to you.” This shows Jesus as God the Son, revealing himself to the disciples.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES:

worship - Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from scripture, prayers of various sorts a sermon, and various holy ceremonies (sacraments) such as the Eucharist.

the purpose of Worship is to highlight the communication between the believer and God. Another purpose is to come together as a community.

it can make the believer have some thoughts about worship and can strengthen your faith and relationship with God.

The types of worship:

Communal: a Christian community coming together to worship. The majority of Christians will worship in this way. “For when two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.”

Individual: worshipping privately, including prayer and Bible study [commonly done by Protestants and Quakers] “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father.”

Liturgical: Worship that is very formal, ordered and traditional. There are set prayers, reading and Eucharist. This is often done by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, where the priest leads the worship. “The Lord’s prayer”

Non-liturgical: Other churches , e.g. the Baptist Church, may worship this way, there is no set structure; usually a minister will lead the worship but anyone in the congregation might be invited to pray in their own way, choose a hymn or preach.

Charismatic: An informal style of worship.There is no set structure and the worship often involves lots of singing, free prayer, speaking in tongues and members of the congregation are encouraged to speak freely during the worship. “For those who are led by the spirit of God are the children of God.”

Different denominations of Christianity’s worship:

Anglican Worship (CoE):

anglican churches choose to worship liturgically, by using the Book of Common prayer or common worship books for congregational worship. service hymns are sung along with canticles [a hymn, psalm or song of praise]. they also receive communion before they leave a service, to follow the example of Jesus Christ

Catholic worship:

Catholics also worship liturgically; the congregation are welcome and the Priest asks for forgiveness for everyone’s sins. The readings of that mass are read and once the Gospel reading is over, the Priest will explain the Bible reading [known as the Homily]. the people also read the apostles’ creed together and prayers are said.

Quaker Worship:

Quakers choose to worship non-liturgically. they worship in silence to allow self reflection. people may choose to speak, pray or read aloud. a book called ‘advice and queries’ is given out, which contains insight and questions that are answered.

Greek Orthodox:

People that follow the teachings of the Greek Orthodox church worship liturgically. ‘The Liturgy of the Word’ consists of hymns, prayers and a reading from the Bible. The Liturgy of the Faithful - the Nicene creed is said, hymns are sung and the Lord’s prayer is said, as well as the bread and wine being consecrated [to declare something sacred]. bread is soaked in the wine and is distributed to to believers on a spoon.

Methodists:

Methodists can worship both liturgically and non-liturgically. hymn books are published by the church themselves. anyone in the congregation might be invited to pray in their own way, choose a hymn or reading, or to preach the sermon (non-liturgical practice). they practice open communion, where everyone is welcome to participate- they use grape juice and wafers to show resistance against alcohol abuse.

The Eucharist: a service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine.

Some Catholics argue that divorced Catholics shouldn’t receive communion using this quote to back it up: “What God has joined together, let no man separate.”

The communion is important because:

• Jesus commanded us to do it

• we remember Jesus when it happens, and we feel close to him

• it is an act of commitment

The New Covenant: a promise between God and humanity that fixes the sins that the people have committed.

transubstantiation or consubstantiation?

transubstantiation - the belief that the bread and wine have transformed into the body and blood after being blessed

consubstantiation - the belief that the bread and wine are purely symbolic after being blessed.

Baptism:

symbolises a person’s entry into the Christian faith and Church

there are two types: infant baptism and believer’s baptism (when the person is old enough to decide whether they want to be baptised)

There are three key elements:

• promises (made by the individual or the infant’s parents)

• the signing of the cross; done with holy oil by the priest, parents and Godparents

• water; the water will be blessed and will be poured on the baby’s head three times

DIALOGUES - SHORT COURSE

How far is Britain still a Christian Country?

traditions that originated in Christianity:

nativity plays in primary schools → faith schools → weddings (traditional white dress)

no taxes on churches →monarchy - the head of the CoE is the King

holidays match Christian festivals → requirement to teach Christianity in schools

House of Lords reserves positions for Bishops → swearing on the Bible to take oaths

The teachings of Christianity and the Christian Church are deeply embedded in British traditions and culture, and elements can still be seen in everyday life, regardless of the religious beliefs of the individuals involved but it is clear that things are changing- London is becoming more diverse and there is now a huge variety of faith backgrounds, and none, in the UK.

SOWA - Census 2021

There is an increase in people with no religion, and a decrease in people who identify as Christians. There has been a diversity increase also, causing other faiths to have an increase in numbers.

The House of Lords:

The Bishops who sit in the House of Lords date back to the 14th Century. There have been many attempts to reform them, with the most recent successful one being in 1847, which limited the number of Bishops able to take their seats to 26, which remains the same to this day. as a percentage, bishops make up 3.3% of the people in the House of Lords

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of Durham, London and Winchester are all automatically given a seat and the. next 21 seats are reserved for the longest-serving bishops.

issues with this:

• the Bishops don’t even represent the spread of Christian opinions in the country - the 26 bishops all belong to the CoE, who can hardly provide spiritual insight representing Catholics, Jews, Sikhs, Rastafarians, Humanists or the many other beliefs in this country

• adds to the inequality of the Lords with regards to the UK - this group excludes the nations of Scotland (due to them not having traditional Bishops after 1689 to send) and Wales (the Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920)

• The House of Lords’ plan to reduce numbers will not include the Bishops or the Hereditary Peers- this will result in the Bishops making up a larger proportion of the chamber, increasing their power, at a time where Britain is becoming more secular and diverse.

The Monarch:

The Monarch is the Head of State of the UK and 15 other Commonwealth countries. Part of his official title includes ‘Defender of the Faith’ [Christianity]. This title was first given to King Henry VIII by the Pope, before the split from Rome and the Reformation, which means the ‘faith’ is now Church of England

The Monarch is both the Defender of the Faith [CoE] and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

He will be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will be asked: “Will you maintain and preserve the settlement of the Church of England, and the Doctrine, worship, discipline, and government therefore, as by law established in England?” to which then will reply: “All this I promise and do.”

The role of the Monarch:

• to approve the appointment of senior clergy

• open new sessions of the General Synod (the CoE’s governing body)

• keep the vow made at the coronation to maintain the church

“Christians don’t just talk about ‘loving thy neighbour’, they live it out. And it’s for these reasons that we should feel proud to say, ‘This is a Christian country.’ The Church is not just a collection of old buildings. It is a living, active force doing great works across our country. Yes we are a nation that embraces, welcomes and accepts all faiths and none, yet we are still a Christian country.”

- David Cameron, former UK Prime Minister

Humanism:

def. - a way of seeing and reacting to the world using science, logic and reason, rejecting religious ideas/beliefs.

key beliefs of humanism:

• there must be a focus on human complexity/potential

• personal belief is looked at more than a physical scripture- there is no such thing as the answers

• they reject the ideas of an after life

• there is an acceptance to changing opinions

“humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. it stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free enquiry through human capabilities. it is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.”

- international humanist and ethical union

Humanist individuals’ opinions:

Jim Al-Khalili and Candace RM Gorham both see ‘being good’ as their definition of ‘being human’. They don’t see religion as being the reason to be good.

Michael Rosen shares similar beliefs, saying that it’s up to us as individuals to work in ways that are fair for everyone and ourselves.

Is religion dying out in the UK?

despite the increase in people identifying as non-religious, I don’t think religion is dying out. Christianity may be on a slight decline but really, Britain is just becoming more diverse and other religions are increasing in popularity.

Secularisation:

def.- the idea that religious beliefs, practices and organisations are becoming less important in society. it is a process that happens over time as the influence of religion on a country weakens.

Sociologists- Bryan Wilson and Steve Bruce:

they say there is clear observable evidence for secularisation occurring in the UK:

• Religious teachings and organisations are no longer highly respected

• People rely on material comforts for happiness and so have less need of spiritual or supernatural ideas

• Religion has become a more private matter and so it has less influence on public life

• people are increasingly less committed to religious values and practices such as prayer and worship

• religion has become a ‘leisure pursuit’ or hobby rather than a deep commitment for many

Reasons for Secularisation:

• Rationalisation - people are increasingly using science to explain the universe and the place of human beings within it. Therefore, they reject religion, which cannot be empirically proven.

• Differentiation - the Church now has less influence on public institutions- for example, it used to run all schools, hospitals and the government, but it doesn’t anymore. Different organisations run these.

• Decline of Community - although we now have the internet and social media to improve communications on a larger scale, people no longer live in small, tight knit communities, which used to be held together by the Church.

evidence to support secularisation:

numbers attending church are declining → churches are struggling to recruit enough people to train for priests → less people are choosing to marry or baptise their children in churches

is religion in decline, or has it just updated to the modern world?

Grace Davie - sociologist who coined the phrase ‘believing without belonging’. Many people do still believe in God, but just see no need to Church and religious ceremonies.

some would claim that religion has importance in society, but the nature of that importance is changing. They might claim:

• even though traditional forms and practices of religion have lost their appeal, lots of people do still see themselves as religious

• Religion is very important in the lives of many social groups, e.g. Muslims

• Some new religious movements and eastern religions have seen increased popularity in the West

• even if religion is in decline in Western Europe, this is only a very small snapshot of the world - a world where religion continues to be very significant

• even in the West, a country where religion continues to have a huge influence in public life is the USA

What role should religion play in education?

“Modernity is characterised by an increasing plurality, within the same society, of different beliefs, values and world views. Plurality does indeed pose challenge to all religious traditions; each one must cope with the fact that there are ‘all these others’ not just in a faraway country, but right next door. This challenge, however, is not the one assumed by secularisation theory.”

- Peter Berger

Faith Schools - A third of state-funded schools are faith schools in the UK. The majority of these are Christian schools.

why would some parents choose to send their child to a faith school?

the schools may be stricter/ have more discipline → to encourage the child to learn about their faith → the school may share similar values to the parents → seems safer for the child → has a link to the religious community → religious holidays will line up for days off (Eid/ Rosh Hashana) → reformation of the child

in all schools, all students must be taught religious educations which considers the variety of religions in the UK but reflects the fact that ‘traditions are, in the main, Christian’.

Humanist objections to faith schools:

‘Church schools get good results’ → any selective school can achieve better than average results and often, faith schools are selective; there is no evidence to support the idea of better grades

‘Church schools serve the whole community - they don’t discriminate or proselytise [try to convert people and preach Christianity]’ → some faith schools recommend reserving places for Christian children, making church schools become more distinctively Christian. faith schools may often divide the children by their faith and ethnicity.

‘Faith schools increase parental choice’ → religious divisions are just as bad as segregating based on skin colour and accents

‘Faith schools have a better ethos than community schools’ → religious schools will have a religious ethos and the values and successes of community schools are often underestimated. schools’ ethos and values can be based on shared human values rather than on religion.

‘Religious minorities need their own schools in order to preserve their culture’ → community needs should not be allowed to override the needs of children for an education that opens windows onto a wider world. Culture and beliefs can be transmitted at home.

‘Parents have a right to educate their children in the faith of their choice’ → it isn’t the job of publicly funded schools to instil a religious faith in children

CASE STUDY: France

Laïceté- the separation of state and religion, and the idea of keeping religion private.

France passed a law in 2004 stating that people were not allowed to wear anything in public that outwardly displayed their faith- this included headscarfs, turbans and large crosses.

however, some bank holidays in France are still based on Catholic traditions. This policy shouldn’t be adopted in Britain as it seems unfair on religious people who are getting restricted of wearing religious symbols when it is their personal choice.

ISLAM

Core Beliefs

The Six Articles of Faith in Sunni tradition:

1. Tawhid- the oneness of Allah. This includes beliefs about Allah and the supremacy of Allah’s will.

2. Angels (Malaikah)- Belief that angels do the work of God. two of the most important are Jibril and Mika’il

3. Holy Books (Kutub)- belief that the holy books must be respected, especially the Qur’an. This includes the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil.

4. Prophets (Risalah)- belief in the prophets and their importance as messengers of God. This includes Adam, Ibrahim, Isma’il, Musa, Dawud, Isa and Muhammad.

5. Afterlife (Akhirah)- belief that everyone at the end of the world will be resurrected and God will judge everyone to send them to Jannah or Jahannam

6. Predestination (Al Qad’r)- belief that God knows it determines everything that will happen in the universe. Free will is still there but God knows the decisions we will make

The Five Roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam:

1. Tawhid - the belief in the oneness of God

2. Adalat - divine justice; Allah is always right and fair and will judge us as such.

3. Nubuwwah - The prophets (similar to Risalah in Sunni traditions)

4. Imamate - the authority of the imams; they were the 12 Imams who Shi’a muslims believe to be chosen by Allah to lead Islam after Muhammad.

5. Al Ma’ad - the day of resurrection; Allah will resurrect and judge Muslims so that those who have lived good lives will go to Jannah whereas those who have condemned and lied will go to Jahannam.

Nature of God:

Allah is the one true God of muslims and only he is worthy of worship. Affirming the belief that Allah is the one and only God forms the first part of the Shahadah.

Shirk is the sin of idolatry: it is the only unforgivable sin in Islam and anyone who commits this sin will go to Jahannam (or Hell). This is the belief that there is more than one God or holding up anything or anyone as equal to Allah.

There are many characteristics of Allah mentioned in the Qur’an; the opening Surah tells Muslims that Allah is:

• the most beneficent

• the most merciful

• the lord of everything that exists

• the only one of worship

Muslims believe that Allah has shown 99 characteristics in order for them to understand his nature better. These are known as the “99 Names” of Allah.

Angels

Belief in angels is true for all Muslims but only explicitly appears in the Sunni Articles of Faith. Angels were created from Bur, or divine light.

Angels DO NOT have free will and they exist to carry out Allah’s command.

The archangels:

• Jibril: the chief angel who brought Allah’s messages to Muhammad and all the other prophets

• Mika’il: the guardian of heaven, who sends rain, thunder and lightning by Allah’s command,(according to Muhammad)

• Izra’il: ends each person’s life by taking their last breath. separates a human’s soul from their body at the time appointed for their death by Allah. For non-believers, seeing him is dreadful but for believers it is very pleasant as he is the angel who is guiding them towards Paradise.

• Israfil: will blow the trumpet twice on Allah’s command- first to end the world and a second time to bring everyone back to life to be judged.

Other angels:

• Recording angels (Raqib and Atid) who are also known as the Kiraman Katibeen, or ‘honourable scribes’. each person is assigned two recording angels who write down their good and bad deeds.

• Munkar and Nakir: they test the faith of each person in the grave during Barzakh by asking “Who is your lord? Who is your prophet? What is your religion?”

Prophethood

It is immensely significant to Muslims. It appears in the Sunni Articles of Faith as the Risalah and in the Shi’a Roots of Usal ad-Din as Nubuwwah

Six Key Prophets:

Adam: similar to Christianity, Adam is the first human on earth. Allah makes him with clay and breathes the life into him. I kid succeeds in tempting Adam and Hawwa (Eve) into eating the forbidden fruit which results in them begging for forgiveness and Allah grants it to them.

Ibrahim: Ibrahim’s father was an idol maker but as a young boy, Ibrahim knew that idol making was wrong and that the idols weren’t worthy of worship. Allah chose him as a prophet, so he preached the message that worshipping idols were wrong- for this, he was exiled and Allah tested Ibrahim’s faith. He is known as the father of Arab People.

Isma’il: Son of Ibrahim, brought to him as a blessing from Allah. Ibrahim told Isma’il and his mother to remain in Makkah. They began looking for water and Isma’il kicked the ground and water miraculously spurted from where he kicked. Together, Ibrahim and his son built the Kaaba after his mother’s death.

Musa: Musa’s mother placed him in a basket as a baby and was picked up by the Pharoah’s family- he was adopted as their own and a nanny was hired to care for him who turned out to be his actual mother. He killed an Egyptian by accident when defending a slave.

Dawud: Dawud killed the giant Goliath when the Israelite army was too afraid to fight him. when Talut died, all the isralites agreed that Dawud should be the next king.

Isa: He was a law-giver who received revelations from Allah. he was believed to be the Messiah who would return on the day of resurrection, bringing together all Muslims. He will make war until Islam is the only religion in the world. he was a human chosen by Allah.