A verse from Surah 2 of the Quran appears below. Read this selection and provide a close reading of it, focusing on how the ideas expressed here are emblematic of Islamic beliefs in general. Using this text as a guide, summarize what being a Muslim means in practice.
"Goodness is not turning your faces towards the East or West; goodness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, angels, and the Book, and the prophets; to spend money, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the freeing of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and pay the alms tax regularly; to fulfill contracts you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Those are truthful and God-fearing people."