Week 19 Review- short essay

1) What do you learn about Islam from the Koran selections you read?

2) What kind of person emerges from the Procopius portrayal of Justinian?

1. The religion of Islam is a solely monotheistic religion. Above everything and everyone, Allah is to be revered and respected no matter what. Under no circumstances is any follower of Islam to disgrace the name of their god, or to lose faith in him. Allah is seen as all-knowing and aware of every daily activity of his followers. Nothing slips past his omnipotent eye, and he is swift to punish those who dishonor him. He is also quick to reward men who are loyal and convert the "lost'

to the way of Allah. It is strongly emphasized that Islam is the only true,benefical religion to adopt. It is also the primary goal of every Islamic believer to further the cause of spreading their creed. They are expected to give money and time up for the purpose of charity. This is one of the fundamental pillars of Islamic tradition, that of "giving in charity"

Another core block in the foundation is the supremacy of Allah over the entire earth. In the mind of Muslims, the existence of other gods does not occur to them. Muhammad, the founder of Islam delivered the Koran from the very mouth of Allah, as his messenger. It was directly dictated to him and is considered the only legitimate source of truth, the full embodiment 

of Allah's teaching. Muslims shape their lives around the Koran and abide strictly by it's precepts and standards of morality. 

They don't dare rebel against Allah, as this would surely result in severe punishment and eternal damnation. Yet Allah will bestow generous blessings and provisions in the afterlife, to those who keep true to the path. For those who go astray or lead others to do so, they can be assured of their demise. It is permissible also for Muslims to personally assist in the murder of such traitors, as evidenced in Surah(chapter) 47:5.

The self-redemption of a soul by good works is the final point I will touch on. Sins can be abolished if one will simply perform small acts of penance, so that Allah will save them. Repentance is another journey to forgiveness from transgressions as well."Righteous deeds" are definitely deemed an acceptable method to the efficient removal of evil from the heart of a human being.

2. Procopius's paints a picture of a lawless, inhuman man in the form of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Although his outward appearance is shown positively, inwardly he was a villain and a monster. He dealt harshly as an emperor with unfair measures, handing out cruel punishments without a fair trial to his subjects. He would take anything a person said against another and run with it, to the point of execution or imprisonment. Justinian was a professional liar, notorious for being dishonest and not upholding the veracity. He was also very fickle and undependable, never in the same frame of mind for a given amount of time. He was prone to lash out at someone he had only recently applauded. Eager to kill and annihilate, Justinian would plunder cities, take prisoners, and enslave persons for no valid reason. It seems probable that perhaps he found some warped amusement from the torture & pain of other humans. He never considered the outright scandalous nature of his behavior, or felt any guilt about how he treated anyone.

He exemplified, or rather was the epitome of a man who took advantage of his prestige and position. He was heedless and impulsive, creating chaos in his empire. While his intention was to bring order, his acts and laws were instead stepping-stones to mayhem. Under his dominion, there were inevitable riots and revolts, because of his horrible decisions. He outraged many in his kingdom, and soon had a reputation for being strongly disliked.

 Justinian I