The subject that I found most beneficial in the readings about the Islam religion, was the extent to which Muhammad was discussed. I felt that it was absolutely necessary to receive the information that I did. Muhammad is the prophet who made Islam into the religion that it is today. He was their "culmination" (Smith, 148). It would have been easy to underestimate the importance of Muhammad, had it not been made clear exactly who he was. Another reason the discussion of Muhammad was attractive to me, was his history. The relentless desire and passion that he had to pass on what he knew to be the word of God struck me. I had never really read or understood any thing about Islam or Muhammad. Learning that he had a "sweet and gentle disposition" (Smith, 148), and still had the capacity to change a world, if you will, surprised me. .
I found it challenging to entirely understand the discrepancies that the Islam religion and the Koran has with the Christian religion. I am open minded in the sense that I can respect and appreciate another religion's beliefs, but I noticed that I had become somewhat defensive while reading this. I felt as if my own religion was being attacked. It was particularly the insistence that a Holy Trinity did not exist: "God forbid that He should have a son!", and that Jesus did not die on the cross: "They denied the truth and uttered a monstrous falsehood against Mary.they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did" (Novak, 311). These are beliefs that I have grown up to know and understand. I felt as if my beliefs were challenged and I did not appreciate this.
