In Karen Armstrong's view, what is the historical mission
of Islam? What is the chief duty of Muslims according to
the Quran? What is the Islamic notion of salvation?
What are the five pillars of Islam? Does Islam place more
emphasis on right living or right belief? The community
or the individual? In these ways, is it more similar to Chris-
tianity or Judaism?
At the time of Muhammad, what was the attitude of Islam
toward other prophets and religious traditions? How were
non-Muslim subjects, or dhimmi, treated in the Islamic
empire? How does that treatment compare to what went
on in the premodern West?
Is Islam a militaristic faith? What does the Quran have to
say about just and unjust wars? Given the context of his
times, did Muhammad set a particularly violent or non-
violent example?
What does the Quran teach about the importance of
converting people of other faiths? Does Islam condone
coerced conversion? How does its theological stance on
conversion compare to the teachings and practices of the
other major world religions?
