* The Qur'an is magnificent to Muslims due to its language, its production (the way in which it came to be) and its straight forward content.
-Muhammad considered the Qur'an to be the only miracle God worked through him because of his illiteracy and lack of schooling. It was astonishing that a man of such little education would produce such a beautiful document.
-The Qur'an is the earthly representation of God and his will, much like Jesus was the incarnation of God.
-A large portion of the Qur'an's ability to move people lies within the poetic manner in which it is presented, a quality only expressed when read in Arabic. Along with the fear of losing meanings through translation, this is one of the reasons the Qur'an has never been translated as a holy text. If one wants to read the Holy Qur'an, it must be done in Arabic.
-The Qur'an does not base its theology in narratives full of drama and metaphysical allegory. It is overwhelmingly doctrinal, expressing the direct will of Allah. This helps to minimize confusion and sectarian discrepancies.
-With all these considered, Muslims take to Qur'an to be the book "whereof there is no doubt," making it the ultimate source of truth and therefore, central to the practicing Muslim.
Basic Theological Concepts
* Islam, at its base, is highly similar to its two Semitic predecessors, Judaism and Christianity. This can be seen in its most fundamental theological concepts of God, Creation, the Human Self and Judgment Day.
-God is feared in Islam, but in a good way. It is seen as the only appropriate emotion to feel towards God when humans are faced with the weight of being human and not divine.
-God is one and omnipotent.
-God is most merciful and loving, but also just.
-Creation was a deliberate act of God, therefore casting the world in a specific light. This light illuminates the fact that the world of matter is important and real and that said world is good.
-Humans are good but are subject to ghaflah, or forgetfulness and need constant reminding to stay on the right path.
-Humans must be grateful for the gift of life and must also surrender to their maker.
-Heaven and hell are described vividly, creating a contrast designed to pull the reader out of ghaflah.
-Judgement is carried out by Allah and will determine your residence for the totality of eternity.
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