Islam for Idiots chapt 2

Food for the Soul

1. What is the purpose of the Ayatul Kursi: "Verse of the Throne"?
   The Ayatul Kursi, or Verse of the Throne, is one of the most memorized passages of the Qur’an and provides an introduction to the way in which Muslims view God.
2. What, according to Muslims what are the four areas that prove the existence of God / Allah?
   - The natural world with all its complexity and beauty, as a sign of an intelligence in the universe because only a designing mind could have constructed it.
   -  Human abilities for thought, belief, invention, creativity, and moral choices.
   - The revelation of God’s guidance and the existence of religion. They show that there is a right way and a wrong way to live life.
   

   - Our inner feelings.
3. What does it mean to "surrender to Allah"?
   “Surrendering to Allah” refers to obeying and abiding by God’s way
4. What is the role of free will in Islam and following God's will?
    The Qur’an states, long before God made people, God offered the gift of free will to everything. That leaves one the ability to choose having right and wrong. The Qur’an declares that every object in the universe declined this “gift” out of fear of the consequences.
5. Fitrah: Why is it important to have this in addition to free will? According to Islam, how is it that all of us have Fitrah, even if we are not Muslim?
      Humans would have free will, intelligence, reason, and a moral compass called a fitrah. This Fitrah helps to  guide people through life. Islam points out that all people have weaknesses and people all desire personal pleasure and the fulfillment of urges.
6. In your own words explain Fitrah
   Fitrah can be defined as the tendency to do good by God's rules.