Arabic word for God (literally means 'the God')

used by Sufis to describe deep, personal knowledge of Allah that comes from spiritual experiences

a way of experiencing and connecting with Allah through personal, inner experiences

a mystical approach in Islam that focuses on achieving ma’rifah (true knowledge of Allah) through a deep, personal connection with him

Sufism and connecting with Allah

Religious education

William James and mystical experience

Persinger's God helmet

Ian McCormack and near death experience

St Bernadette of Lourdes

Atman: the divine within all

In this unit pupils investigate the idea of religious experience. They start with the ideas of William James before  examining case studies from history and Christian, Islamic and Hindu worldviews.

Knowing God: does religious experience prove God exists?

a branch of Islam, like Sunni or Shi'ism.

made up of both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. 

gaining deep, personal knowledge of Allah from spiritual experiences

experiencing and connecting with Allah through personal experiences

an approach in Islam that focuses on a personal connection with God

Match each keyword to the correct definition.

to purify the heart and achieve knowledge of Allah

it creates a connection between heaven and earth

it is what Muhammad taught them to do in the Hadith

Why do Sufi’s practice rhythmic chanting, breath control and sometimes movement? 

It induces a meditative state, helping them to focus on Allah.

It creates a connection between heaven and earth.

Why do dancers spin with the right hand pointing to Allah and the left to the earth?

The Sufi view on where true knowledge of Allah comes from is that it comes from ...

What common word, used by Sufi poets Rabia and Rumi, is where knowledge of Allah comes from?

They are always backed by scientific evidence.

They are deeply personal and transformative for the individual.

They can only prove the existence of God if they are shared experiences.

They have no connection to God’s existence.

According to William James, what is the most important feature of religious experiences?

Persinger's God helmet experiment suggests that {{}} experiences can be caused by stimulating the temporal lobe.

According to Richard Swinburne’s principles, which of the following supports the claim that we should trust our experiences unless there is an alternative explanation?

a near-death experience (NDE) after drowning

What type of event did Ian McCormack experience that changed his perspective on God’s existence?

I know that God spoke to me because I heard his voice.

I know it will rain tomorrow because there are clouds in the sky today.

I know that I need to eat because I feel hunger pangs.

I know that the next Prime Minister of Great Britain will have brown eyes.

According to Plato's definition of knowledge as a justified true belief, which of the following is an example of knowledge?

her first meeting with a local priest to discuss her visions

the messages she was given by the Virgin Mary during her visions

her being made a saint by the Catholic Church

What event was most significant in Bernadette's journey towards a deeper knowledge of God?

Starter Quiz

According to William James, what is the most important feature of religious experiences?