Islam Beliefs Flashcards
Define Tawhid
- The belief in one, indivisible God
What kind of religion is Islam?
- Monotheistic - Muslims believe there is only one God
State some teachings which supports the Oneness of God
- “He is God the One” - there is only one god; God is a unified, undivided being
- “God is the eternal” - God has always existed
- “He begot no one nor was He begotten” - God was not born or came into being out of something else, he does not have any children
- “No one is comparable to Him” - God is unique, no other person or thing has God’s qualities and attributes, non one can accurately picture or describe God because there is nothing to compare him to
Belief in Tawhid means that Muslims should:
- worship only one God
- never make anything in their lives more important than God as God has no equal
- not use images or pictures of God, as it is impossible to portray God accurately
What do Muslims believe about the supremacy of God’s will?
- Muslims believe God’s will is supreme (most powerful) - this means God can make anything happen that he wants to happen
- It also means that nothing happens unless God allows it to happen
How does the supremacy of God’s will influence Muslims?
- Helps give Muslims confidence when something goes wrong, because they know it is a part of God’s plan for them
- Muslims try to live according to God’s will in their everyday lives, accepting that God knows best
Describe Sunni Islam beliefs
- The Sunni leader (Caliph) should be elected
- Only the Quran and the Sunnah have the authority to provide religious guidance
- Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s advisor) was the rightful leader after Muhammad died
- Six articles of faith give the main beliefs for Sunni Muslims
Describe Shi’a Islam beliefs
- The Shi’a leader (Imam) should be a descendant of Muhammad and chosen by God
- The Qur’an, Sunnah and the Shi’a leader have the authority to provide religious guidance
- Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law was the rightful leader after Muhammad died
- The five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din give the main beliefs for Shi’a Islam
Describe the similarities between Shi’a and Sunni Islam
- Both believe in the same God
- Following the teachings in the Sunnah
- Acknowledge the importance of prophets
- Follow the teachings in the Qur’an
What are the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam?
1) Tawhid - belief there is only one God
2) Angels - belief in angels, who passed on God’s message to the prophets
3) Holy books - respect for the holy books, particularly the Qur’an (highest authority in Islam)
4) Prophets - respect for the prophets, particularly Muhammad
5) Day of Judgement - belief that at the end of the world, every person will be judge boy God and sent to paradise or hell
6) Supremacy of God’s will - belief that nothing happens unless God wants it to happen
What are the five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam?
1) Tawhid - belief there is only one God
2) Prophets - respect for the prophets, particularly Muhammad
3) Adalat - belief that God will judge everyone on the Day of Judgement in a fair and just way, and hold them accountable for their actions
4) The Imamate - respect for twelve Imams, who were chosen by God to lead Islam after Muhammad died
* Resurrection - belief that after death, Muslims will be resurrected and judge by God
How many different names are there for God?
- 99 different names
- Describe God’s characteristics and help to give Muslims some idea of what God is like even though God is so great he is beyond human understanding and imagination
State the main qualities of God
- Immanent
- Transcendent
- Omnipotent
- Beneficent
- Merciful
- Fair
- just
What does it mean for God to be Immanent?
- God is present everywhere in the world and the universe
- God is within all things and is involved with life on earth
What does it mean for God to be transcendent?
- God created the universe so is beyond and outside it - he is not limited by the physical world
- Muslims believe that God can be both transcendent and immanent because although he created the universe, he is also within things and able to act within it
What does it mean for God to be omnipotent?
- God is all-powerful
- Has the power to create and sustain everything in the universe
- God is aware of everything, including human thoughts and actions
What does it mean for God to be merciful?
- God shows compassion and mercy
- God cares for people and understand their suffering
- God forgives people who are truly sorry for the things they have done wrong
What does it mean for God to be fair and just?
- God treats everyone fairly and justly
- God will judge all people equally on the Day of Judgement
- Shi’a Muslims in particular believe that people have full responsibility for their actions, and God will reward or punish people depending on the choices they make
What does it mean for God to be beneficent?
- God is benevolent: all-loving and all-good
- God’s generosity is seen in his gift to humans of everything they ned to live on earth
How does Allah being transcendent influence Muslims today?
- Muslims will focus on prayer and ask God for guidance as he is outside of the world.
How does Allah being omnipotent influence Muslims today?
- Muslims will demonstrate resilience and determination when faced with a problem.
- Muslims believe that they should follow God’s commandments as he has a plan for everyone.
How does Allah being immanent influence Muslims today?
- Muslims will focus on activities such as Salah (prayer) and sawm (fasting) as despite Allah’s greatest he can be contacted by humans through prayer.
How does Allah being beneficent and merciful influence Muslims today?
- Muslims should be merciful and forgiving to those who cause them offence.
- They will donate to charity to remember the less fortunate
How does Allah being fair and just influence Muslims today?
- Muslims will behave justly to other people so they will be rewarded on the Day of Judgement.
- Muslims will try to implement Shari’ah law (the holy law of Islam) to ensure the world is governed in a fair way.
What are angels?
- Spiritual beings who serve God and pass on his word to people through the prophets
Describe the characteristics of an angels
- Spiritual beings, created by God from light
- Constantly serve and praise God
- Able to take on a human form o give messages to people
- Have no free will. so can only do what God wants them to do
- Pure and sinless
What are the different roles that angels have?
- Act as messengers of God - they receive God’s words directly from him and pas them on perfectly to the prophets
- Take care of people throughout their lives
- Record everything a person does in their own “book of deeds” - presented to God on the Day of Judgement who will use it to judge the person and decide whether to send them to paradise or hell
- Takes people’s souls to God after they die, and escort them into paradise or hell
What are angels and why are they important?
- Angels have no physical form. They are messengers of Allah. They are known as bodies of light, which are in constant contact with the world.
- Angels are immortal and do nothing against the will of God. Angels do not have freewill; ‘Glory to thee: of knowledge we have none, save what Thou hast taught us’ (Surah 2 v32).
- Angels are there when Muslims pray. Angels have been seen by specifically chosen individuals in human form, for example Angel Jibril to Muhammad (PBUH), but they are not huma
Name the two most important angles in Islam
- Jibril - angel of revelation, who revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad
- Mika’il - angel of mercy who rewards good deeds and provides nourishment for the earth and human life
Describe Jibril’s role in Islam
- Angel of revelation
- Purified Muhammad’s heart when he was a child so he would later be able to receive God’s revelation
- Recited the Qur’an to Muhammad and continued to pass on God’s messages to Muhammad to guide him through the rest of his life
- Therefore played an important role in communicating the final version of Islam to humanity