Islam Worksheet
When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism.
Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam.
1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam.
The name Islam literally means “surrender,” or “Submission.” The idea behind this name is the complete surrender or submission to God (Allah).The word Muslim means one who surrenders to Allah. The words Islam and Muslim are closely related to the word “peace.” The words of Islam and Muslim propose the inner tranquility that is achieved with the surrendering to the divine. Islam teaches that all religions originally had the same essential message - which was to submit whole-heartedly to the will of God and to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islam is not a new religion but is the same divinely revealed Ultimate Truth that God revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The word "Islam" means peace and submission. Peace means to be at peace with you and your surroundings and submission means submission to the will of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam" is to achieve peace by submitting to the will of God.
2. Explain the basic concepts of Islam.
The Islamic belief is based off of an almighty, magnificent God who has fashioned the world and who controls each and every part of the world down to the smallest detail. Islam is considered to be closely related to the other monotheistic religions of Judaism and Christianity, and all three religions worship the same God. The idea of God’s power receives the greatest importance in Islam. The most basic concept of Islam is that there is only one God. Since there is only one God, only this God has the right to be worshipped. None