Islam Flashcards
Islam
To submit to Allah; All believers of the faith are equal
Muhammad
Prophet of Allah; Born in Mecca but moved to Medina - Hijra because he had monotheistic ideas while most people in Mecca were polytheistic <- considered a threat;
Prophet
Muhammad; Someone that can communicate to Allah/God directly
Hijrah
Trip / Escape from Mecca to Medina; Considered the 1st year in the Islamic calendar; Moment when people became a community and not divided between clans/families
Allah
Only god in Islam
Muslim
Person who practices Islam
Mecca
Muhammad’s birthplace (Mecca is in the Arabian Penisula); Polytheistic ideas - Muhammad were considered a threat
Medina
Place where Muhammad fled to; People were more accepting of Muhammad’s ideas; As his influence got bigger, he took back Mecca
Koran
Holy book for Islam; Includes Muhammad’s conversation with Gabriel; Muhammad’s students wrote it because he was illiterate -> Similar to Confucius
5 Pillars of Islam
Basic rules/principles for Islam that everyone have to follow
Shahadah
1st rule of Islam: Allah is the only God and Muhammad is the Prophet
Salat
2nd rule of Islam: Muslims must pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
Zakat
3rd rule of Islam: Tax collected by the government to help the poor
Ramadan
4th rule of Islam: Fasting because people need to experience/understand what it’s like to be the poor in a society
Hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca; Everyone able to are required to make the trip to Mecca at least once in their lifetime to clear their sins; Major cultural diffusion - Trade/Lots of business -> All information from around the world comes to Mecca
Kaaba
Destination of the Hajj; Used as a chamber to store Idols for the polytheistic people but after Muhammad took back Mecca, he destroyed all the idols but kept the black box as it was seen as the center of prayer
Sufis
Muslims that had a more emotional relationship with Allah - Worshiped in dance and artistic styles
Jihad
Struggle/conflict based off on occasions; Most surviving religions need to fight off enemies so that their religion can prosper; Being able to fight back - Muhammad learns this early on
Mosque
House of worship for Muslims
Slavery
Had slavery but slaves were treated better because of the Koran
Diet Restrictions
No pork; No alcohol because they lived in the Arabian Peninsula where the major geological feature was deserts - Alcohol makes people more thirsty
Caliph
Successor of the Prophet/Muhammad; Competition between Abu Bakr and Ali
Shias
Ali; Leader should have both political and spiritual power; Need to be a descendant of Muhammad
Sunnis
Abu Bakr; More separation between political and spiritual power; Don’t need to be descendant of Muhammad
Abu Bakr
Muhammad’s father in law; Wanted only political power because the Koran already provided all the spiritual guidance; Wanted to become the caliph because it shouldn’t be based on lineage since Muhammad left his family to form a community/Islam; Widely supported in the beginning
Ali
Muhammad’s son; Wanted both political and spiritual power because that what his dad had; Thought it should be based off on lineage
Caesaropapism
When 1 person have both spiritual and political power/authority - Head of state is also head of church
Spread of Islam (By force)
The Muslims took out the Byzantines and Persians by third - partying them; Took out many powerful rivals so there wasn’t much competition
Spread of Islam (By practice)
Allah was a merciful god; Sufis had a large influence - Promoted education by developing Koran schools, positive and emotional experience; Social mobility
Merchants
Cultural diffusion; Muslims like merchants - Pro trade; More money which improved relationships with others
Social Mobility
If you are a Muslim, then you are the same as everyone else; Believes that all individuals are equal - not based off on social status, wealth, or lineage; Zakat -> Help and support upward mobility for less privileged people; No social hiarchy
Umayyad Dynasty
Damascus, Syria; Only Arabs can join -> Increases of people converting into Islam; Great Mosque of Cordoba; Fled after Abbasid took over; Spread of Arab language
Abbasid Dynasty
Baghdad; More inclusive of non-muslims -> Greater cultural diffusion -> Golden age of Islam: House of wisdom where scholars who weren’t Arabs could go; Have an effective government than the Umayyad;
Arabization
Influence of Arab population increase in an area
Purdah
Segregation between gender - Women does women stuff and men does men stuff; Males and females are considered equal on a spiritual level - varies by culture
Polygamy
When a man can have multiple wives so that more people can be included/supported in families
Sharia courts and laws
Religious legal code where civil authorities are not in control but religious authorities are; Tend to change often; Laws of transactions, family laws, succession laws
Mullah
Scholar for Sharia courts <- Isn’t a judge
Hijab
Garment to cover the head for women
Battle of Badr
Battle between Medina and Mecca
Hadith
Religious text other than the Koran - Sayings attributed to Muhammad that provide guidance for many areas of private and social life, using stories as moral behaviors
