What is a conversion experience, and how has it led people to Islam?

A conversion experience is a change that brings someone to faith. The singer Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, prayed when nearly drowning in 1976 and later became a Muslim.

How do Sufi Muslims seek religious experience?

Sufis seek direct experience of Allah through dhikr, meditation and devotion. Some Sufi orders use music and whirling dance to reach spiritual ecstasy.

What is fana in Sufism?

Fana is the Sufi goal of losing the self in complete awareness of Allah. Sufis describe fana as the ego passing away before Allah's presence.

Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B 1RB0

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Islam: Philosophy of Religion

Muslim attitudes to religious experience

3 things to know
Paper 3

Overview

Surah 2:118 on demands for signs, experiencing Allah in worship, conversion, Sufi practice and fana, al-Ghazali's change, the Shi'a sense of the sacred, Sunni caution, and non-religious challenges.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is a religious experience for Muslims?

Key term

What does Surah 2:118 teach about demands for experiences of Allah?

Key term

How do Muslims experience Allah through worship?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is a religious experience for Muslims?
Model answer
A religious experience is an event in which a person feels in direct contact with Allah or the sacred. Examples include conversion, answered prayer and a sense of awe.
2
What does Surah 2:118 teach about demands for experiences of Allah?
Model answer
Surah 2:118 reports people asking why Allah does not speak to them or send a sign. The Qur'an replies that the signs are already clear for those with certain faith.
3
How do Muslims experience Allah through worship?
Model answer
Many Muslims feel Allah's presence in salah, in reciting the Qur'an and on Hajj. Worship can bring deep peace and a sense of closeness to Allah.
4
What is a conversion experience, and how has it led people to Islam?
Model answer
A conversion experience is a change that brings someone to faith. The singer Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, prayed when nearly drowning in 1976 and later became a Muslim.
5
How do Sufi Muslims seek religious experience?
Model answer
Sufis seek direct experience of Allah through dhikr, meditation and devotion. Some Sufi orders use music and whirling dance to reach spiritual ecstasy.
6
What is fana in Sufism?
Model answer
Fana is the Sufi goal of losing the self in complete awareness of Allah. Sufis describe fana as the ego passing away before Allah's presence.

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