religious studies unit 4 revision notes

Unit 4

1.1 Muslim upbringing

 

 1.2 religious experience and belief in Allah

Religious experience

 

How this lead to or supports belief in Allah

Keywords

A miracle

This is when something breaks the law of science and people attribute to Allah.

People who have experienced a miracle are convinced that only Allah is able/powerful enough to be the cause so it helps strengthen the belief in Allah.

Miracle:

Something that seems to break the law of science and makes you think only Allah could have done it.

An answered prayer

Prayer is a way of communicating with Allah and they may ask something from him and it has been answered.

This shows that Allah exists because only Allah can answer the prayer

 

A numinous experience

This is when an astonished feeling takes place where you think there is something greater/powerful than you.

For some people, this experience is so powerful that they believe that Allah exists and there is no one greater than you but Allah.

Numinous:

The feeling of the presence of something greater than you.

A conversion experience

When someone who did not believe in Allah changed their way of life and believes that Allah exists.

This is an experience where you are convinced that Allah exists and you're changing your way of life so that you are able to believe in Allah the way he permits.

Conversion:

When your life is changed by giving yourself to Allah.

 

 1.3 - the design argument and belief in Allah

What is design

Design argument

Example: Paley’s watch

 

the plan produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other objects before it is made.

 

The world is so well ordered and everything is balanced to sustain life

 

The world is so beautiful with complex, interdependent parts making a whole

 

This complex world, therefore, must have a designer

 

The only thing powerful enough to design the universe is Allah

 

So, Allah must exist

 

A famous philosopher made analogy between the world and a watch, he said if someone who saw a watch and he has never seen one before would think that a person would have made it so he argued that it is the same concept between the world and the watch because the world is so carefully designed that means there must be a creator.

 

 1.4 – the causation argument and belief in Allah

Causation argument

example

 

Nothing can happen by itself

 

Everything that happens has to be caused by something else

 

So, the universe cannot have simply happened by itself

 

A very powerful force must have caused the universe as it is so great

 

Only Allah is great enough to be the cause

 

This means Allah must exist

 

Nothing can happen by itself everything has to have a cause like a loaf of bread dos not appear in your house without you…