In Chapter 2 of Following Muhammad, “Approaching Islam in Terms of Religion,” Carl Ernst makes the argument that western approaches and understandings of the term religion (such as the Latin “religio” or 19thcentury comparative religion) are not always applicable to non- Christian religions like Islam. In that same chapter, he also states that “the Arabic word most often used as an equivalent to religion is din… While it [din] resembles the Latin religio in the sense of obligation and duty, din differs from the concept of religion in that it originates in the will of God rather than being primarily a human allegiance” (Following Muhammad p. 65). For this exercise, please select at least one example of a western understanding of religion (discussed on pp. 38-48) and select TWO suras from the selections of the Quran that provide accounts of the Day of Judgement (din). Make a case for why western understandings can or cannot be applied to this concept of din.
The paper should be approximately 2-3 pages (600-700 words), double-spaced. Please email me your paper by 1:45 p.m. on Thursday Oct 1.
Please use any form of citation (MLA, Chicago, Parenthetical) as long as it’s consistent. The selections from of the Meccan Suras comes from Michael Sells, Approaching the Quran: the Early Revelations (White Cloud Press, 1999)
