22 The Land of Arabia, the Prophet Muhammad, and the Rise of Islam Flashcards
What was the first ever complete book written in Arabic?
Qur’an
Who aided in the process of Christian expansion into the Arabian peninsula?
Merchants, Slaves, and Monastics from Syria, Ethiopia, and Persia
What’s the name of the merchant mentioned in ‘the Book of the Himyarites’ that became a Christian?
Hayyan - became a Christian and baptised in Hira
Who were known to have preached at the great fairs of Arabia, using their camels as pulpits?
The bishops of Najran
Who was the Himyarite king who persecuted the Christians of Najran?
Dhu Nuwas/Dunaas (Jewish king)
Which Arabic city was home to the Kab’ah?
Mecca
The Ka’bah housed some 360 representative deities, both Arabic and non-Arabic. One of the deities represented in it was the Arabic high God named Allah, while others were said to be representations of his daughters.
Which city was attacked by Abrahah in the year of the elephant?
Mecca
The attack failed and according to the Qur’an, the Ethiopian forces were driven off outside the city of Mecca through divine intervention.
Who was born on the year of the elephant (570)?
Muhammad in Mecca
Member of the ruling Quraysh tribe that claimed to trace its lineage back to Ishmael, son of Abraham
According to Arabic tradition, who had built the Ka’bah, which contained a mysterious and large black stone?
Abraham and Ishmael
What message did Muhammad receive from the angel Gabriel?
The message called upon the people of Mecca to turn away from their idolatry and begin to worship the one true God of Abraham, who was Allah
Why was Muhammad’s preaching deemed a threat to the city of Mecca?
The city reaped significant benefits from the worship of the various deities housed in the Ka’bah
Where did the Prophet’s followers go to seek refuge?
Ethiopia
Which city invited the Prophet to be their ruler?
The city of Yathrib (later named Medina)
What were the four communities that the Prophet was told not to exterminate?
Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Sabeans
These four faiths were monotheistic and were founded upon earlier revelations of divine scriptures
Who were granted limited legal status within the Islamic state as dhimmi (protected people)?
Christians and Jews
What was Jesus called in the Qur’an?
The Messiah, a title no other prophet receives.
He is also called the Word (kalimah)
The Qur’an assigns to Jesus a special role as well in the final resurrection of the dead on the day of judgment.
What were the two specific points the Qur’an breaks with orthodox Christian belief regarding Jesus?
According to the Qur’an,
1) Jesus was not crucified; the Qur’an is silent regarding the death of Jesus
2) the doctrine of the Trinity is in error. Jesus was a man through whom God chose to reveal the gospel. Muslims believe the statement that God is three is a blasphemy that Jesus’ followers, the Christians, later introduced.
What are the five pillars of Islam?
1) Recite the shahada, witness that there is no God but God and that Muhammad is his messenger
2) Prayer offered five times a day
3) Giving alms to the poor
4) Fasting from sunup to sundown during Ramadan
5) Make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime
What is one sharp contrast between Islam and Christianity concerning religious leadership in worship?
Muhammad did not establish hierarchical priesthood or sacramental life.
Entry into the Muslim community requires no counterpart to baptism. One simply believes in one God, confesses the faith, practices the five pillars of Islam, and lives a moral life according to the will of God as revealed in the Qur’an.
What was the collection of oral traditions of details of the day-to-day life of the Prophet and his companions called?
The Hadith (“reports”)
Have authority in Islam second only to the Qur’an
What were some developments affecting women under Islamic traditions?
1) women and men are equal before God insofar as their salvation is concerned, for they were both created from a single soul.
2) Women were granted specific rights and protections that they did not previously have in Arabic culture.
3) Women were regarded (as they often were in Christian societies of that day) as being under the legal authority of fathers or husbands.
4) A man was permitted to marry several wives but did not permit a woman to have multiple husbands.
5) A husband was allowed to divorce his wife but the women were not allowed to.
6) Women were advised to cover themselves adequately for the sake of modesty
Which city did Muhammad forbid unbelievers from entering?
Mecca
What were the 2 things successfully negotiated by the bishop of Najran for Christians with the Prophet?
1) Extension of political rights
2) Appointment of a Muslim official to oversee financial affairs for their community
Who succeeded Muhammad?
Abu Bakr, who took on the title of caliph (“deputy” or “successor”)
Who succeeded Abu Bakr and how did he die?
‘Umar, and he was assassinated
Who succeeded ‘Umar and was also assassinated?
‘Uthman
Who succeeded ‘Uthman?
Ali; nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet
What is the Christian counterpart to the concept of the eternal and uncreated Qur’an that is eternally with Allah in heaven?
The Logos that is with God from all eternity.
According to Islam, the eternal Word of God was made manifest most clearly in the pages of the Qur’an, a manifestation most Christians believe has been given in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
What are two things that can be described about the Qur’an?
1) perfect reproduction of an eternal and uncreated Qur’an that is eternally with Allah in heaven.
2) Cannot be adequately translated into any other language.
