I was trying to wait for my midterm.... Blog 7

I was trying to hold off until I got my midterm exam back, but that would mean this blog would be really late. So, I am going to write about my midterm and how I feel it compared to those we looked over in class, as well as what I learned from the essays we looked at in class and how I am preparing for the final exam.


My paper earned a D, which I thought was somewhat surprising. I didn’t expect an A, or even a B, but I was hoping for a low C. Without looking at my exam and being able to analyze it after the fact, it’s hard to decide if I believe I truly earned that D, or if I still feel like I did better. In looking over the essays in class, I didn’t necessarily feel like any of those essays were bad, but they were simple. It appeared to me that they just basically explained the cultures and their concepts. There wasn’t a lot of tying those cultures and concepts into the themes, and in some of the essays, a clear thesis was not stated. For my essay, I feel like I had a clearly stated thesis and tied the concepts in with the theme and my thesis. Now, for me, it was easier to do this with the literature. It was very simple to pull examples from the literature and attach them to the theme I had chosen, and apply the concepts to those examples. The art and music were a little bit harder. Honestly, I was really struggling to apply my theme and the concepts to those two aspects of the cultures. For this reason, I knew my grade would not be exceptional, but I still didn’t expect a D.

Looking over the essays of my peers was very helpful. It really helped me get a better grasp on what was expected of me for the final essay exam. In preparation for the final, I feel like I am better able to prepare myself mentally for the exam because I have a better understanding of what the professors are looking for and what is being asked of me. I have gotten my notebook organized and looking over the concepts before the readings, I am better able to pull out those concepts and tie them into the readings as opposed to trying to make the concepts fit into the readings. This will prove very beneficial to me for the final because I won’t have to work so hard to make things fit. Instead, I actually see why and how they fit.

Mosque: Islamic Society of Augusta

In visiting the Islamic Mosque yesterday, I learned a great deal about the Islamic faith. Since 9/11, there have been many negative connotations around the word “Muslim.” I was even taught, before 9/11 ever happened, that Muslims were raised to hate Christians. At the Mosque, I learned something completely different.


The Imam taught us about the different kinds of Muslims. The first are the Muslims who are Muslims simply because they were born that way. They don’t have any concept of Mohammed, they have never read the Qur’an, and they are not familiar with the 5 Pillars. If you were to ask them anything of the Islamic faith, they would not be able to answer.

The second kind of Muslim is the practicing Muslim. These Muslims practice the Islamic faith, but they are not full believers. They don’t truly believe in the prophet Mohammed, they don’t take the Qur’an to heart, and they don’t practice the 5 Pillars. They practice Islam, but they don’t fully believe.

The third kind of Muslim is the Faithful Believer. These Muslims practice the 5 Pillars:

1. One God only. Mohammed is the messenger.

2. 5 Prayers a day: dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, evening

3. Fast one month of the year based on the lunar calendar. No food or drink from dawn until sunset.

4. Pay charity: 2 1/2 % of their savings, not income.

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

Faithful Muslims also believe in the following 6 things:

1. Oneness of God

2. Belief in angels of God

3. All prophets and messengers: Mohammed, Abraham, etc

4. All 3: Qur’an, Torah, Bible

5. Everything is under the control of God. There are no accidents or coincidences- Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis- all under God’s control.

6. Judgment Day, Resurrection: Paradise or Hell Fire

The Imam also spoke about the differences of Muslims vs. other faiths. Muslims believe that God wants everyone to be on the same level, that all may know each other despite their differences. Differences don’t have to make everyone enemies.

He also spoke of the reason a woman must cover her head. They practice this because it says in the Qur’an that a woman must cover her hair, and one who chooses not to cover her hair must shave it off. Women are not required to cover their hair, but not doing so will be between her and God on judgment day. In addition to women covering their heads, the men are encouraged to wear a beard. Again, he is not required to do so, but it is strongly encouraged.

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