Global terms: Muslim

Islam and God – Aliya Azam

Islam and God

The worldwide community of Islam is diverse with many variations in understanding between the different groups but there is one statement of faith that binds them all together.  This is the shahada, the basic creed which states: “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”  This statement gives the primary understanding of God in Islam, “there is nothing worthy of worship except the one and only God.”  God is one in two senses in this statement: God is unique and God is one and indivisible.  Muslims do not believe that God is “their God” in the sense of “the Muslim God” but rather the only God that there is; the same one God that was revealed through all the Prophets from Adam onwards, the same God proclaimed by Moses and the Jews, and by Jesus and the Christians.  Thus God is not a tribal God belonging to one ethnic group or religious group; God is the only god that exists.  This rules out all ideas of polytheism (a belief in many gods) or henotheism (a belief in a hierarchy of gods).  The indivisibility of God is central to Islamic understanding; God cannot be divided into parts and thus God does not share divinity with any other being, either created or uncreated.  The most fundamental sin in Muslim theology is to give God partners or to associate divinity with any other being; this is the sin of shirk.

God is totally transcendent; God is not part of the creation but rather the creator of everything that exists.  God is totally “other,” beyond our world, our imaginings, our ability to grasp.  God is thus ineffable, unknowable; of the essence of God we humans can say precisely nothing.  God is beyond all our earthly categories of knowledge (transcategorial); everything that we say about God is a statement within our earthly categories that points us in the right direction towards God but is not a statement of what God is like in God’s very essence, that remains unknowable.  This means that Islamic theology proceeds by negatives, it is apophatic; when speaking of God, we must use human language and concepts in the knowledge that they do not penetrate through to the reality of God.  Thus we can say that God is merciful, which is a human concept that we can understand but we cannot conceive of the quality of the mercy of God as that lies beyond our comprehension.  A saying common amongst Muslims helps to make this clear: “God has one hundred mercies.  God sends one mercy to the earth and keeps ninety-nine in reserve for the Day of Judgement.”  Thus, if we could conceive of the totality of mercy within all human experience in all ages, we would then know only one per cent of the totality of the mercy of God.

God is pure spirit and not a material being, therefore God is beyond the category of space; there is nowhere that God “is” and nowhere that God “is not.”  Similarly, God is the only eternally existing being, therefore God is not limited by time but rather God is beyond time and time itself is part of God’s creation.  God thus knows in the eternal present, which encompasses what we humans call past, present and future.  In this sense, God possesses all knowledge (omniscience), nothing is unknown to God.  As the creator and sustainer of all things and as the only eternally existing being, God is all-powerful (omnipotent).  Thus the power that humans use to perform evil acts is God’s power, which is abused by human beings.  God is wholly good, there is no evil in God, and God wills only what is good.  Even the most evil creature of which we can conceive is a creation of God, who was created good and who has used the God-given gift of freedom to rebel against the will of God and do evil.  God commands creatures to do good, that is, to obey the ethical will of God; thus sin is fundamentally rebellion and disobedience.

As a transcendent being, God is above all concepts of gender; God is neither male nor female.  God is one and has no consort or partner, therefore God does not have offspring (son/daughter).  It is inconceivable to think of God coupling with any creature to produce an offspring.  Again, as a transcendent being, God does not incarnate or appear in human or any other form.  When God reveals guidance to humankind, as in the Islamic scripture, the Qur’an, God has to use human language to communicate with human beings and, as is the case with Arabic, when such language is gendered, the Qur’an uses masculine pronouns of God but without any connotation that God is masculine. “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for God.

God is not uninterested in human beings but rather calls human beings into an eternal quest to grow closer to God by progressing in purity and wisdom.  As God is infinite, this is a quest without end; even in the life hereafter, the resurrected person in Paradise continues in this progression drawing ever closer to but never reaching the infinite being of God.  As God is not limited by space, God is close to every human being (the Qur’an speaks of God being closer to each one than their jugular vein).  There is, in this sense, a personal and intimate affinity and relationship between each person and God.

Given our human dependency on language, the scholars of Islam searched the Qur’an and teachings of Muhammad (PBH) (Hadith) to seek the names by which God is known.  Each of these names gives some insight into a quality of God.  As an infinite being, God has more names/qualities than human beings can ever comprehend but the names thus revealed (typically contained in the widespread list: the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God) allow human beings to have the capacity for speaking about God to the limits of their categories; it gives us some “God-speak” which is genuine but limited.

Good Learning in RE

Seven videos of good learning in RE, produced by NATRE. Taken from the DVD Good Learning in Religious Education: Seven Short Films to Make Teachers Think.

The following videos are provided by NATRE, Good Learning in Religious Education: Seven short films to makes teachers think.  The films were sponsored by Culham St Gabriel’s and the Diocese of St Albans and are available to watch on NATRE’s website. There is one sample film below and the rest can be found on the NATRE website or here.

 

Enquiring into Worship with 7-9 Year Olds

Four learning sessions on Muhammad Ali ( 8-16year olds)

Resource Spotlight: Four learning sessions on Muhammad Ali ( 8-16 year olds)

October 2021

This month we continue our theme of ‘curriculum’ by presenting a set of four learning sessions (suitable for 8-16 year olds) on Muhammad Ali, one of the world’s all-time greatest boxers. Ali was also a conscientious objector, antiracist activist and devoted Muslim. All these aspects of his life are intertwined, as our multiple worldviews are. As well as contribution to teaching resources for Black History Month, these lessons are also an example of what worldviews can look like in the classroom.

Find the resources here

Abrahamic Commentary to support the teaching of RSE

Resource Spotlight: Abrahamic Commentary to support the teaching of RSE

To continue our theme of ‘ways of knowing’ we bring you something new this month- an Abrahamic Commentary to support the teaching of RSE (Relationships and Sex Education). Aliya Azam has kindly shared this commentary for RSE teachers, or anyone who would find it useful in the classroom.

Aliya was interested to explore how teachers in faith schools could address some of the issues raised in the RSE curriculum. She found a great many people also considering this question, and this commentary is the end result. Although RSE is not part of the Religion and Worldviews curriculum, Aliya’s research speaks to a wider context of health, society, community and identity. Read more about Aliya’s findings in this field in her blog.

Watch and Learn: BBC and the Educational Recording Agency

Resource Spotlight: Watch and Learn: BBC and the Educational Recording Agency

December 2024

Where do you go to find programmes suitable for showing lived religion and belief to your pupils?

As you sample the programmes below you might like to consider

  • Who might these programmes be useful to support teacher subject knowledge?
  • Where might snippets of these programmes exemplify the concepts and understanding we are teaching?

BBC

There is some interesting programming coming up on BBC radio and TV next year, but what did you miss in 2024? Look on iPlayer- lifestyle and page down to Faith and Hope to find Sacred wonders, Big Zuu goes to Mecca and much more. For those of you teaching younger pupils also look at Treasure Champs which has stories you may share in lessons.

If you would like to read a little more from Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC, read this professional reflection piece, Religion, the most important subject on the curriculum?

The Educational Recording Agency (ERA)

The Educational Recording Agency (ERA) offers you free access to a wide range of high-quality, ad-free video content to support your lessons on religion, faith, and ethics. Their curated resources align with the RE curriculum and are available for instant streaming in your classroom, including:

These programmes provide engaging, real-life examples of how religion shapes individual lives and societies, making them excellent tools to bring classroom discussions to life. Search Religious Education and the age group you teach to see all the programmes available. Alternatively click on the links below for some curated resources.

Primary religious education

Secondary religious education

Concepts of God and the Ultimate

Concepts of God and the Ultimate

In 2015 we commissioned a group of writers to produce articles on the concept of God and the Ultimate from a variety of different belief traditions: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Muslim, Jewish and Sikhi. You can find links to each of them below.

Ultimate reality, God and gods in Buddhism – Denise Cush

Summary explaining that Buddhism does not centre on a creator God but on awakening to ultimate reality through the Dharma; seen as truth, nirvana, emptiness, mind‑only or Buddha‑nature depending on the tradition.

Christianity and God – Jane Brooke

Christian concepts of God and ultimate reality, providing insights and teaching ideas for Religious Education lessons.

The Hindu Concept of God – Jim Robinson

Summary explaining how Hindu traditions understand the divine as both one ultimate reality (Brahman) and many deities who express its different qualities, allowing diverse ways of relating to and realising the sacred.

Humanism, Ultimate Reality, God and Gods – Sara Passmore

How humanists understand ultimate reality—rejecting supernatural gods, grounding meaning and morality in human experience, and turning to science and reason to explain the natural world.

Islam and God – Aliya Azam

Summary explaining Islamic beliefs about God as absolutely one, unique and indivisible, transcendent and beyond human comprehension, with any association of partners rejected as shirk.

Judaism and G-d – David Hampshire

Summary explaining how Jewish thought focuses less on defining God’s essence and more on covenant, scripture and lived responsibility.

The nature of God in Sikhi – Ranvir Singh

Summary of Sikh belief in one formless, timeless and all‑pervading God, known through the Guru and realised by remembering the divine Name.

Discovering Muslims in Britain

Resource Spotlight: Discovering Muslims in Britain

October 2023

We present a resource for teaching about Muslims created by a team at the University of Cardiff: Discovering Muslims. It is designed for Key stage 3 but Primary teachers and GCSE teachers will find a wealth of information and ideas, so don’t overlook this resource! The resource consists of a series of fully-resourced scheme of work taking a sociological perspective. Great for those of you interested in developing a multidisciplinary approach in your curricula.

The resource is an attempt to move beyond misrepresentations and stereotypes of Islam and Muslims often found in teaching materials, combined with a desire to explore the lived experiences of individual Muslims and communities in the UK. You will note the title of the resource; ‘discovering Muslims’ as opposed to ‘discovering Islam’. This reflects the rooted, contextual nature of the learning- you will find out about Muslims communities in Britain and their stories, rather than take a more abstracted view. You will find historical information, hear Muslim voices and be able to offer your pupils a richer, more authentic understanding of Muslims and Islam in the UK.

The team behind this resource are Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Mark Bryant and Dr Matt Vince.

Wider information about the resource can be found on the Cardiff University website

To access the FREE scheme of work you need to complete a short survey, then you will receive the materials.

Read Matt Vince’s blog where he explains in more details the thinking behind the project.

Islam as a Worldview – Muhammad Ali

Key Stages 2 and 3

Find out about Muhammad Ali: the athlete, the antiracist, the conscientious objector and the devoted Muslim.

Created by Lynn Revell and Kate Christopher as part of their Canterbury Christ Church University grant funded project Teaching Islam as a Worldview. Funding provided by  Culham St Gabriel’s Trust.

You can find further resources which were created as part of this project in the RE:ONLINE resource Islam as a Worldview.

Teaching Islam: Creating the ‘Discovering Muslims in Britain’ Resource

Matt Vince | 03 October, 2023

The overall aim of Discovering Muslims in Britain is to support teachers to embed sociological perspectives in the classroom.

The project was inspired by my own research, discussions about the RE/ RVE curriculum in Wales, and the expertise of the Islam-UK Centre at Cardiff University. The project was a response to an emerging desire to represent local, ‘lived’ expressions of religious traditions in the classroom. The sociological approach to the study of Islam and Muslims in the UK that the Islam-UK Centre specialises in lends itself to this kind of analysis, so it seemed like a great opportunity to try and bring this expertise into the RE classroom.

I’ve always thought it odd that there is a lot of research out there that tells teachers what to do, yet distinctly less that attempts to implement ideas for the classroom. Yet there is always a clamour on various RE forums for resources, especially quality resources from a reputable source. Feedback from focus groups showed the need for resources that were practical and accessible for the ‘average’ school and teacher.

We developed both teaching resources and CPD training in an attempt to put research into practice. This is the principle at the core of Discovering Muslims in Britain.

We came across some unexpected surprises. Firstly, we found much wider institutional support than we had expected, from both schools and Cardiff University. This shows us that there is a desire to support projects like this. Secondly we found that creating ‘classroom ready’ resources really means resources that are easily adaptable, we cannot predict each classroom context, teacher, school type and level of expertise. We felt this was a productive solution.

The most crucial question we grappled with is what constitutes ‘legitimate’ knowledge about Islam. There were some anxieties from teachers where accounts of Muslims in the resource seemed to contrast with the “textbook answer”. Such anxieties reflect longstanding tensions between representing “official” and “lived” accounts of religion in the classroom, as well as with scholarship itself. Unpicking these tensions may be a fruitful avenue for further research, and improve the RE curriculum.

After creating the resource, our top tip is to treat the accounts of people, in this case Muslims, as a source of knowledge and evidence about a religious tradition alongside that of the traditional sources of knowledge and wisdom. By comparing and contrasting these sources, and trying to unpick the differences, we can begin to get at differences in context, and how abstract teachings or historical narratives are “made real” today.

In the course of this research we came across some good sources of information about Islam. One that stands out is the Muslim Museum Initiative. The work of the scholars at the Islam-UK Centre is also really useful – check out the Public Seminar Series.

The process has given me valuable insights into teaching about religion generally. Something that really struck us when trying to conceptualise the course is negotiating the tension between teaching about the “core” of Islam, or constructing a kind of fixed framework of concepts to begin to understand what Islam was, and then presenting “lived” Islam as enshrined in the perspectives of Muslim communities. Importantly, shifting the focus from understanding Islam to understanding Muslims also afforded us more room to lead with the idea of Islam as understood and lived by Muslims, and more room to achieve the latter. We hope teachers continue to use and benefit from this resource.

Find the Discovering Muslims in Britain Resource here

About

Matt is an Honorary Research Fellow of Cardiff University's Islam-UK Centre and part of the development team on the Discovering Muslims in Britain project.

See all posts by Matt Vince

GCSE Shia Textbook

Zameer Hussain | 05 September, 2023

Our Resource of the Month is a FREE textbook about Shia Islam for GCSE. This is tailored to the GCSE specification, but would be useful for all teachers to gain useful information about Shia Islam.

In this blog, co- author Zameer Hussain talks about the inspiration for writing the book, along with scholar Dr Ahab Bdaiwi.

With the GCSE reforms in 2016 that required diversity to be explored, we felt it was an opportunity to equip and educate teachers about the Shia perspective before teaching about it. For the first time, an in-depth understanding of Shia Islam was required on the GCSE specification, along with Sunni Islam. We had found that Shia Islam wasn’t always accurately portrayed in resources nor was it given much space in textbooks. Therefore we felt such a book was necessary.

The book was authored by myself and Dr Ahab Bdaiwi. Dr Bdaiwi is a well-respected academic in Islamic scholarship and I am a teacher and member of the RE community, with experience in training teachers about Shia Islam. We felt that between us we had the knowledge and credibility, as well as the right balance between academic rigour and understanding of the classroom, to offer a book to teachers.

We consulted with well-respected Shia scholars, such as Ayatollah Fadhil Milani, as well as academics with a specialism in Islam, such as Dr Chris Hewer. We wanted to ensure our writing is accurate and represents Shia Islam in an authentic way. Their feedback was invaluable for our work.

We had a very clear aim that the book should be accessible to teachers and students. Throughout the writing process we constantly asked ourselves the question; can someone pick this book up and feel confident in teaching about key beliefs and practices of Shia Muslims? As well as covering the requirements on the GCSE specification, we wanted to give some background detail to ensure a rich, complex understanding.

As Shia Muslims we are only too happy to help and support teachers in this way. All over the UK teachers will find Shia mosques which welcome school groups and individual teachers as visitors. Tours can be arranged and questions can be asked to scholars. I myself have supported teachers in understanding Shia Islam more for many years and am always interested to hear about teachers’ questions or ideas. Feel free to contact me if you ever want to ask questions about Shia Islam!

Over the years, in training teachers, I have come to a couple of points of understanding for non-Muslim (and non- Shia) teachers. It is important not to pitch Shia Islam as an off-shoot or breakaway from ‘mainstream Islam.’ Shia Islam has its own traditions and history that shouldn’t be framed through a Sunni lens. Of course, it shares much with Sunni Islam but the Shia worldview should be given the same credibility as other traditions. For example, there may be only a Sunni narrative taught around the life of Prophet Muhammad that overlooks a Shia perspective. Shia historians reject the idea that Muhammad didn’t know he was a prophet until the Angel Jibril visited him, for example. I also advise that knowledge about Shia teachings come from credible sources such as literature or websites written by Shia scholars or experts. A good website is https://www.al-islam.org/ which contains lots of Shia literature translated into English and reflects the diversity of opinion within the Shia tradition.

Unfortunately, whether intentional or not, there is a lot of false information online about Shia Muslims. This includes inaccurate claims that Shia see Ali as a prophet, that they worship the Imams and believe the Quran is incomplete and has been tampered with. There are also generalisations that depict the whole Shia community as performing blood-letting during Ashura, when this is not the case.

Some aspects of Shia Islam are not on the GCSE specification that would be great for students to learn about. For example the Ziyarah pilgrimages to the mausoleums of the Imams are very important to Shia Muslims. The spirituality that can be found in Shia Islam is also profound. This can be seen when studying the psalms and supplications that have been passed down from the Imams. Through the study of this prayer literature, there would be an excellent exposition of the way Shia Muslims are taught to conversate with God which gives an insight into Shia theology.

When it comes to learning about Shia Islam, there are some key figures, events and ideas. For example, Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, is one of the most inspirational figures due to his stand against injustice. His life and death are very important to learn about to gain an authentic understanding of what is important in Shia Islam. Additionally, a grasp of the historical events before and after the death of Prophet Muhammad that led to Muslims going in different directions is essential to understand why there are Sunni and Shia Muslims. In modern Shia Islam an exploration of the altruism and servitude displayed on the pilgrimage to Karbala, Iraq, during Arbaeen would offer an excellent understanding; it reflects Islamic ethics and social justice in a profound way. It would also be worthwhile exploring the tradition of Shia poetry that teaches us so much about Shia history.

About

Zameer has been involved in Religious Education and interfaith work since 2013. This has included leading RE departments and supporting teachers nationally with subject knowledge.

See all posts by Zameer Hussain