1. S2: Matters of Life & Death Spec  Why Muslims believe in life after death and how beliefs about life after death affect their lives.  Non-religious reasons for believing in life after death (near-death experiences, ghosts, mediums, evidence of reincarnation).  Why some people do not believe in life after death.  The nature of abortion, including current British legislation, and why abortion is a controversial issue.  Different Muslim attitudes to abortion and the reasons for them.  The nature of euthanasia including current British legislation, and why euthanasia is a controversial issue.  Muslim attitudes to euthanasia and the reasons for them.  Arguments for and against the media being free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death.  The causes of world poverty.  How and why one Muslim agency is trying to end world poverty.  How an issue arising from matters of life and death has been presented in one form of the media, for example in a television or radio programme, or in a film, or in the national press; including whether the treatment was fair to religious beliefs and religious people. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death1

2. S2: Matters of Life & Death Keywords  abortion the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive  akhirah Muslim beliefs about life after death  al’Jannah Heaven or paradise (literally the garden)  assisted suicide providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide  barzakh the time between death and the Last Day  euthanasia the painless killing of someone dying from a painful disease  non-voluntary euthanasia ending someone’s life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but you have good reason for thinking they would want you to do so  paranormal unexplained things which are thought to have spiritual causes eg ghosts, mediums  quality of life the idea that life must have some benefits for it to be worth living  resurrection the belief that, after death, the body stays in the grave until the end of the world when it is raised  sanctity of life the belief that life is holy and belongs to Allah  voluntary euthanasia ending life painlessly when someone in great pain asks for death Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death2

3. Akhirah  Islam teaches that Allah (God) has full control over all that happens. Nothing can happen unless permitted by Allah.  “Nor can a soul die except by Allah’s leave. The term being fixed as by writing.” (Surah 3:145)  However, Allah has also given humans free will; people are able to choose between right and wrong, and are responsible for their actions. This life is a preparation for the eternal life to come (Akhirah). Humans have one life and it is up to them how they choose to live it.  Muslims (followers of Islam) believe that on a day decided by Allah, and known only to Allah, life on earth will come to an end and Allah will destroy everything. On this day all the people who have ever lived will be raised from the dead and will face judgement by Allah.  Allah will balance the good deeds a person has done in their life against the bad deeds.  If the bad things outweigh the good, then the person will be punished in hell (Jahannam). When Allah is making a judgement, even a person’s intentions (niyyah) are taken into account. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death3

4. Near death experiences A near death experience is an experience that is reported by people who clinically die, or come close to actual death and are revived. People all over the world who have had these experiences have many things in common in their stories – One such thing is that people say they felt themselves float out of their body. Patients in hospital often describe looking down on themselves from above. Others describe the feeling of travelling down a tunnel towards a very bright light. They say it is peaceful feeling, warm and with no sense of time. Some people have said that when they died they met beings of light or angels. Nearly everyone has heard a gentle voice telling them to go back, that it isn’t their time to die. None of these people are particularly religious. They are all normal people. They have DIED... And yet they all say that death is not the end. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death4

5. Arguments For and Against the Existence of Life After Death Arguments For... 1.Islam teach that this life is not all there is and there is life after death 2.Paranormal – lots of cultures teach belief in a spirit world (ghosts). Through spiritualists (mediums), people believe they can contact the dead. 3.Many people claim to have had near death experiences when they have been faced with a bright light leading to the afterlife. 4.The body and mind are separate. The body is physical unlike the mind and so some people believe the mind can survive the death of the body. 5.People who believe in God believe that God is outside time and mortality, therefore belief in life after death seems possible. 6.Some philosophers argue that the only concept of life after death can make sense of all the injustice and unfairness that people suffer during their lives. Arguments Against... 1.Islam believe that just the soul survives death (not the body) In which case how would people recognise and communicate with each other in heaven? 2.There is no empirical evidence for life after death. No one has returned from the dead to describe the afterlife. 3.Death literally means an end to life. Therefore life after death is a contradiction. 4.The medical condition of being brain dead when the body is kept alive on a life support machine is evidence that there is no such thing as life after death. 5.Some philosophers think that the concept of life after death is the result of people being unable to bear the idea that death brings the end of personal existence forever. 6.Death is part of life. We accept that plants die in winter and their remains nourish the ground for new plants in spring. No one suggests that plants go to heaven so why suggest for it for people. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death5

6. Abortion Abortion & the law  The 1967 Abortion Act says an abortion can take place if TWO doctors agree on one of the following reasons:  The mothers life is at risk  There is risk of injury to mothers physical or mental health  There is risk to another child  There is a risk the baby may be born seriously handicapped  The 1990 Act says abortion cannot take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy unless the mothers life is at risk  A father has NO rights concerning abortion Foetus Development – Key Facts  Week 0 – Conception  Week 4 - Heart begins to beat  Week 12 – Bones and major organs formed  Week – 21 – Viability – Foetus could survive outside of mothers womb with medical support  Week 39 – Birth  Abortion is a controversial issues because Women should have the right to choose what happens to their bodies but does a women have the right to take human a life and the foetus is a potential human being. Are the the rights of the unborn child are equal to those of the mother or are the mothers rights greater? Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death6

7. The Muslim Position on Abortion. "Kill not your children for fear of want; it is We who provide sustenance for them as well as for you; for verily killing them is a great sin. (Surah 17:31). A soul cannot die unless Allah gives His permission, the term being fixed by writing. (Surah 3:145) ‘Do not take life which Allah has made sacred except for a just cause’. (Surah 17:33) ‘ It is Allah who gives you life, then gives you death; then He will gather you for the Days of Judgement’ (Surah 45:26) No sever of womb- relationship ties will ever enter paradise. Hadith "when semen is injected into the womb where it merges with the ovum and becomes predisposed to receive life". Al- Ghazali Muslims believe that abortion IS acceptable if the aim is to save the life of the mother, or if the child will have a serious deformity of disease. The foetus is only ensouled after 120 days. 7 Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death

8. Euthanasia The law & British Law  Non -voluntary Euthanasia is legal in the UK with a High Court ruling. This ruling was established in the case of Tony Bland who was a brain-dead victim of Hillsborough  Voluntary Euthanasia is illegal in the UK. To kill yourself is suicide and this is illegal regardless on motive, anyone who helps you is guilty if murder in the UK. It is legal in Holland and Switzerland  The main reason for euthanasia is that a person’s quality of life is very poor. For example, they are unable to move or look after themselves. Arguments for euthanasia  A persons life is their own, you should have control over your death.  It’s a way of loving your neighbour...to relieve their pain  Pain and sickness can rob you of your dignity  It is pointless using up expensive medical services for people who are dying anyway Arguments against euthanasia  Life is a gift from God, only God can give it or take it away  Palliative care prepares people for a peaceful death  People may feel pressured into euthanasia by feeling like a nuisance  People may recover and live Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death8

9. Muslim attitudes towards euthanasia  Islam is totally opposed to euthanasia. The Qur’an says that Allah created all life and everything belongs to him:  “To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He pleases.” Surah 42:50  Because of this, Muslim people are forbidden to kill themselves:  “Destroy not yourselves. Surely Allah is ever merciful to you” Surah 4:29 Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death9

10. Should the media be free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death. For  Issue of life and death effect everyone and all views should be explored even if Islam disagree with them.  Opinions are divided and it is important that we know what people think.  Controversial issues need to be discusses openly  People have a right to know about developments in the issue of life and death. Against  The media can be biased against religious teaching and this kind of unfair reporting does not help people to understand issues of life and death.  Some people in the media my try and shock the public by presenting extreme or exaggerated situations. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death10

11. Causes of Poverty  Droughts and Flooding: Besides the immediate destruction caused by natural events such as hurricanes, environmental forces often cause acute periods of crisis by destroying crops and animals.  Natural Disasters: Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes have devastated communities throughout the world.  Centralization of Power: In many developing countries, political power is disproportionately centralized. Instead of having a network of political representatives distributed equally throughout society. For example, in these situations politicians make decisions about places that they are unfamiliar with, lacking sufficient knowledge about the context to design effective and appropriate policies and programs.  Corruption: Corruption often accompanies centralization of power, when leaders are not accountable to those they serve  Warfare: Warfare contributes to more entrenched poverty by diverting scarce resources from fighting poverty to maintaining a military. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death 11 Inherited Debt lack of education lack of work lack of housing Unfair trade more loans Poverty The Vicious Circle of poverty Social Inequality: One of the more entrenched sources of poverty throughout the world is social inequality that stems from cultural ideas about the relative worth of different genders, races, ethnic groups, and social classes.

12. Teachings Zakat Sadaqah Organisation He who eats and drinks whilst his brother is hungry is not one of us Give from your wealth to relative, orphans, to the needy… (The Qur’an) Muslim Aid A duty that all Muslims have. Muslims pay 2.5% of anything left after buying food and paying bills. Allah will punish people who don’t pay it Means charity Muslims encouraged but not forced to give. It is up to the person to choose how much to give. Can be time or advice instead of money that is given. 12Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death

13.  Muslim Aid is a premier British Muslim relief and development agency, guided by the teachings of Islam, endeavours to tackle poverty and its causes by developing innovative and sustainable solutions that enable individuals and their communities to live with dignity and by supporting initiatives that promote economic and social justice.  Working in over 70 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe, Muslim Aid is striving to help the poor overcome the suffering endured due to natural disasters and lack of life's basic necessities  They work with all in need, regardless of their race, religion, gender, nationality or political opinion.. Whilst responding to emergencies is one of their major priorities, we also work on strategic programmes to eliminate poverty that focus upon: – Education – Skills training – Provision of clean water – Healthcare – Income generation projects These projects ensure that individuals can have access to basic necessities and the skills necessary to generate an income so that they are not permanently dependent on aid agencies for food and shelter. Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death13

14. How an issue arising from matters of life and death has been presented in Ghost Town; including whether the treatment was fair to religious beliefs and religious people. Fair to Islamic belief  Shows that there is a life after death.  People appear to go to a good place after they die – you see a bright light and people seem to go up to heaven  The film is a comedy and is not seriously teaching people about life after death.  The film is not critical of Islam or any religious beliefs Unfair to Islamic belief  When people die they do not go to barzakh and wait for Judgement day  It does not appear to be Allah’s choice whether people go to paradise.  Islam does not believe that people become ghosts  Where people go in the afterlife does on seem to depend on their good or bad actions Unit 4: S2 Matters of Life & Death14