Islam

Question 0

adhan

Answer 0

The call to prayer.

Question 1

Abbasids

Answer 1

An important Muslim empire from 750-1258 C.E.

Question 2

Aisha

Answer 2

A beloved wife of Muhammad; known for transmitting many hadith.

Question 3

Allah

Answer 3

Arabic term for God.

Question 4

caliph

Answer 4

Leader of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad.

Question 5

hadith

Answer 5

Literary tradition recording the sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad.

Question 6

hajj

Answer 6

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the five pillars of Islam.

Question 7

hijra

Answer 7

The migration of the early Muslim community from Mecca to Medina in 622 C.E.; Islamic calendar dates from this year.

Question 8

Husayn

Answer 8

Grandson of Muhammad who was killed while challenging the Umayyads.

Question 9

imam

Answer 9

Prayer leader; in the Shi’a tradition, one of the leaders of the Muslim community following the death of Muhammad.

Question 10

Islam

Answer 10

Literally “submission”; specifically, the religious tradition based on the revealed Qur’an as Word of God.

Question 11

jahiliyya

Answer 11

The age of ignorance, which refers to the time before the revelation of the Qur’an.

Question 12

jihad

Answer 12

Literally “striving”; sometimes, the greater jihad is the struggle with one’s self to become a better person; the lesser jihad is associated with military conflict in defense of the faith.

Question 13

Khadija

Answer 13

Muhammad’s beloved first wife.

Question 14

Mecca

Answer 14

The city in which Muhammad was born; place of pilgrimage for Muslims.

Question 15

Medina

Answer 15

The city to which Muhammad and his early followers migrated to escape persecution in Mecca.

Question 16

miraj

Answer 16

Muhammad’s Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and from there to Heaven where he met with God.

Question 17

mosque

Answer 17

Place of prayer, from Arabic term “masjid.”

Question 18

muezzin

Answer 18

The person who calls the adhan.

Question 19

Muhammad

Answer 19

The prophet who received the revelation of the Qur’an from God. The final prophet in a long line of prophets sent by God to humanity.

Question 20

Qur’an

Answer 20

The holy text of Muslims; the word of God as revealed to Muhammad.

Question 21

Ramadan

Answer 21

The month in which Muslims must fast daily from dawn until dusk; the fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, the month in which the Qur’an is believed to have been revealed to Muhammad.

Question 22

salat

Answer 22

The daily prayers, which are one of the pillars of Islam.

Question 23

sawm

Answer 23

The mandatory fast during the month of Ramadan; one of the pillars of Islam.

Question 24

shahadah

Answer 24

The declaration of faith: “There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”; the first of the five pillars.

Question 25

shari’ah

Answer 25

Literally “the way to the waterhole”; Islamic law.

Question 26

Shi’a

Answer 26

One of the 2 major branches of Islam. They believe that ‘Ali should have succeeded as leader of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad.

Question 27

shirk

Answer 27

The sin of idolatry, of worshiping anything other than God; the one unforgivable sin in Islam.

Question 28

Sufi/Sufism

Answer 28

A follower of the mystical tradition of Islam/Focuses on the believer’s personal experience of God and goal of union.

Question 29

Sunnah

Answer 29

Literally “way of life” or “custom”; specifically refers to example of the life of Muhammad; important religious source for Muslims.

Question 30

Sunni

Answer 30

One of the 2 main branches of Islam; they believed that the Muslim community should decide on a successor to lead after the death of Muhammad.

Question 31

surah

Answer 31

Chapter of the Qur’an; there are 114 in the Qur’an.

Question 32

tafsir

Answer 32

Interpretation of or commentary on the Qur’an; there are several different types which aim to explain the meaning of the Qur’an.

Question 33

Umayyad Dynasty

Answer 33

Controversial Muslim dynasty from 661-750 C.E.

Question 34

umma

Answer 34

The worldwide Muslim community.

Question 35

zakat

Answer 35

Regulated almsgiving; one of the 5 pillars of Islam.