Islam Beliefs Flashcards

1
Q

Define Tawhid

A
  • The belief in one, indivisible God
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2
Q

What kind of religion is Islam?

A
  • Monotheistic - Muslims believe there is only one God
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3
Q

State some teachings which supports the Oneness of God

A
  • “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
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4
Q

Belief in Tawhid means that Muslims should:

A
  • 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
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5
Q

What do Muslims believe about the supremacy of God’s will?

A
  • 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
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6
Q

How does the supremacy of God’s will influence Muslims?

A
  • 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
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7
Q

Describe Sunni Islam beliefs

A
  • 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
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8
Q

Describe Shi’a Islam beliefs

A
  • 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
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9
Q

Describe the similarities between Shi’a and Sunni Islam

A
  • Both believe in the same God
  • Following the teachings in the Sunnah
  • Acknowledge the importance of prophets
  • Follow the teachings in the Qur’an
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10
Q

What are the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam?

A

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

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11
Q

What are the five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam?

A

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

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12
Q

How many different names are there for God?

A
  • 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
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13
Q

State the main qualities of God

A
  • Immanent
  • Transcendent
  • Omnipotent
  • Beneficent
  • Merciful
  • Fair
  • just
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14
Q

What does it mean for God to be Immanent?

A
  • God is present everywhere in the world and the universe
  • God is within all things and is involved with life on earth
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15
Q

What does it mean for God to be transcendent?

A
  • 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
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16
Q

What does it mean for God to be omnipotent?

A
  • 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
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17
Q

What does it mean for God to be merciful?

A
  • 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
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18
Q

What does it mean for God to be fair and just?

A
  • 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
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19
Q

What does it mean for God to be beneficent?

A
  • 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
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20
Q

How does Allah being transcendent influence Muslims today?

A
  • Muslims will focus on prayer and ask God for guidance as he is outside of the world.
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21
Q

How does Allah being omnipotent influence Muslims today?

A
  • 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.
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22
Q

How does Allah being immanent influence Muslims today?

A
  • 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.
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23
Q

How does Allah being beneficent and merciful influence Muslims today?

A
  • Muslims should be merciful and forgiving to those who cause them offence.
  • They will donate to charity to remember the less fortunate
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24
Q

How does Allah being fair and just influence Muslims today?

A
  • 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.
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25
Q

What are angels?

A
  • Spiritual beings who serve God and pass on his word to people through the prophets
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26
Q

Describe the characteristics of an angels

A
  • 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
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27
Q

What are the different roles that angels have?

A
  • 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
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28
Q

What are angels and why are they important?

A
  • 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
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29
Q

Name the two most important angles in Islam

A
  • 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
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30
Q

Describe Jibril’s role in Islam

A
  • 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
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31
Q

Describe Mika’il’s role in Islam

A
  • The angel of mercy
  • Responsible for sending rain, thunder, and lightning to earth
  • Brings nourishment to earth, and helps to provide food for humans by sending rain to the ground
  • Believed to reward people who do good deeds
32
Q

Define predestination

A
  • Idea that God knows or determines everything that will happen in the universe
33
Q

Describe the belief about predestination for Sunni Muslims

A
  • Some Sunni Muslims believe that God has already determined everything that will happen in the universe
  • They believe that God has Witten down everything that will happen in a “book of decrees”
  • Because God created people, they must act according to his will
  • God’s will is so powerful hat he is able to make anything happen that he wants to happen
  • Humans do not have the freedom to change their destiny or the plan God has set for them but they do have some choice over how they behave
34
Q

State a teaching to support Sunni Muslim’s belief about predestination

A
  • “Only what God has decreed will happen to us”
35
Q

Describe the belief about predestination for Shi’a Muslims

A
  • Believe that God knows everything that is going to happen but does not mean he decides what is going to happen
  • God is creator of time, he is outside time and so not bound by it; this means that God can see everything that happens in the past, present and future
  • God knows what choices people will make, but they still have the free will to make the choices for themselves
36
Q

State a teaching which supports Shi’a Muslims belief about predestination

A
  • “God does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves”
37
Q

Describe the belief about the Day of Judgement

A
  • Muslims who believe they have the free will to make their own choices also believe they will be judge by God for these choices
  • Believe that on the Day of Judgement God will judge them for everything they have done in during their lives and reward or punish them as a result
  • Even though God knows everything that will happen, peel are still responsible for their actions, and will be rewarded or punished fro them on the Day of Judgement
38
Q

Define Akhirah

A
  • Everlasting life after death
39
Q

What do Muslims believe will happen after death?

A
  • They enter a state of waiting until the Day of Judgment when God judges them and send them to heaven (jannah) or hell (jahannam)
40
Q

What are the three stages of life after death?

A
  • Barzakh
  • The Day of Judgement
  • Heaven and Hell
41
Q

What is Barzakh and what happens?

A
  • State of waiting until the Day of Judgement which means a “barrier”
  • People are unable to come back across the barrier to right wrongs or warn people
  • While they are waiting, God sends two angel to question them about their faith
    1. Who is your Lord? 2. What was your life like? 3. Who is your
      prophet?
  • Depending on how they answer they will either see rewards or punishments they will have to endure after Day of Judgement
42
Q

What happens at the end of the world?

A
  • The Mahdi (guided One) will come to Earth and Isa will return to help the Mahdi to fight against false prophets.
  • The Qur’an will be taken up to paradise.
  • A second trumpet will then sound and the dead will rise to
    face judgement.
  • The Angel Israfil will sound the trumpet, there will be
    blinding light and the sky will be cut. The Earth will be
    destroyed.
  • The Earth will be transformed and the dead raised up. The
    living will die instantly.
43
Q

What is the Day of Judgement and what happens?

A
  • When God’s purpose for the universe has been fulfilled the world will be destroyed
  • Everyone who has ever lived will be raised fro the dead
  • Everyone will be given their own ‘book of deeds’ which is a record of everything they did during their lives
  • Book in right hand means heaven, book in left hand means hell
44
Q

What is heaven and how do people get there?

A
  • People who have kept their faith in God and done good deeds will be rewarded with heaven
  • Described as a beautiful garden - state of eternal happiness in the presence of God
45
Q

What do Muslims believe about Jannah?

A
  • Jannah or paradise is magical where all wishes and desires are fulfilled.
  • It is a reward and gift from Allah.
  • A person must have lived religiously and asked for
    Allah’s forgiveness.
  • To enter Jannah, people will be invited in “Enter
    among my servants! Enter my paradise” 89:29-30.
  • People will arrive over the As-Sirat Bridge and there
    are eight gates.
  • People will be called to a gate that represents the
    good action that you did best.
  • There are 7 levels; those with the most reward will
    gain the higher levels.
  • People will be asked to read from the Qur’an, the
    more they can read the higher they go.
46
Q

What is hell and how do people get there

A
  • People who have rejected God and done bad things will be punished with hell
  • Described as a place of fire and torment where people are separated from God
47
Q

What do Muslims believe about Jahannam?

A
  • Hell is a fire seventy times hotter than any flame on earth.  People will experience pain everywhere.
  • Living a life full of evil, rejecting the Qur’an teachings and
    making excuses from sins and bad behaviour are examples of acts that would lead a person to hell. In the fire pit, fire will burn off the person’s skin.
  • There are seven levels of hell; some will be left in their level for a limited time and others will be forever. There are different punishments for each kind of sin.
48
Q

Describe the importance of belief in Akhirah

A
  • Encourages Muslims to take responsibility for their actions, because they know God will hold them accountable for their actions
  • Motives Muslims to follow the teachings of the Qur’an and dedicate their lives to god
  • Give hope to Muslims who suffer, as they know there is something better to look forward to
  • Help Muslims accept unjust situations, because they know God will provide justice in the afterlife, and everyone will be fairly rewarded or unshed for their actions on the Day of Judgement
  • One of the 6 Articles of Faith for Muslims and one of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam.
  • Encourages human responsibility and accountability.
  • Urges people to avoid sin and do the right thing
  • Also satisfies a need for justice; one day a person will be punished for their wrongdoing.
49
Q

Define prophethood

A
  • Refers to when someon is made a prophet: a messenger of God’s word
50
Q

Define Risalah

A
  • Belief in the prophets and their importance as messengers of God
  • Communication between man and Allah in the form of books, angels and prophets.
51
Q

Why are the sources of authority important?

A
  • Throughout time there have been books to guide Muslims in the right way.
  • Holy books include the Suhuf of Ibrahim, Tawrat of Musa, Zabur of David (Dawud) and Injil or the
    Gospels of Jesus.
  • The Qur’an is the directly dictated Word of Allah in its original form; it is absolute.  Muslims look to the teachings or sayings of Muhammad (the Hadith).
52
Q

Describe the belief about prophethood

A
  • Muslims believe that prophethood is a gift from God to help humans understand his message
  • When people have forgotten, misunderstood or changed God’s message, God has sent prophets to call people back to the right path
  • Around 124,000 prophets who have been sent to every nation on earth
53
Q

Who was the first and last prophet?

A
  • First: Adam
  • Last: Muhammad was the last and most important of prophet
54
Q

Why are prophets important in Islam?

A
  • They are good role models and help Muslims to understand how to follow God
  • They do this both by conveying God’s words and by setting a good example for how to live a life in obedience to God
  • The main teaching of the Qur’an concerning the prophets is that they bring God’s message so that people know how to behave, ‘To every people was sent an Apostle…’ (Surah 10 v47).
  • Each prophet was given God’s word for their generation (therefore each prophet spread Islam).
  • Some prophets are also messengers ‘rasul’ which means given divide revelation to deliver everywhere and some prophets are ‘nabi’ who have been given revelation or news concerning themselves or their
    community.
  • Muhammad was the final prophet given the message of the Qur’an which was written down which
    means the message could not be changed, therefore there was no need for other prophets.
55
Q

How did Adam become the first prophet?

A
  • God created Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed his Spirit into him
  • God gave Adam knowledge and understanding and he taught Adam the names of all things
  • God told angels to bow down to Adam out of respect for his knowledge
  • Iblis (Satan) refused to bow down to Adam so God threw him out of paradise - Ibis vowed to always tempt humans to sin against God
  • God created Hawwa (Eve) to keep Adam company, and they lived together in the Garden of Bliss
  • God told them they could eat anything in the garden expect for the fruit from the forbidden tree
  • Iblis deceived them into eating fruit
  • God expelled them from the garden and their actions brought sin into the world
  • God forgive Adam after he accepted his mistake and he became the first prophet
56
Q

Why is Adam important to Muslims?

A
  • God gave him knowledge and understanding
  • God taught Adam how to live a good life in obedience to God
  • Adam passed on this knowledge to the rest of the human race through his descendants
  • He is the father of all humankind.
  • He was a prophet until his death, he taught the revelations to his sons, he taught about the work of
    Iblis and how to protect themselves from Jinn, he taught life on Earth was temporary, eternal life is in the next life and he built the Ka’bah as the first place to worship, with the help of the angels after he was sent to earth.
  • The importance of repentance - Adam repented his sins straight away and regretted it all his life, so finding salvation. He openly criticised himself for falling into Iblis’ trap but he hoped he could make up for it and receive Allah’s mercy.
57
Q

Why is Isa (Jesus) and important prophet in Islam?

A
  • Muslims believe his was sent by God to help guide them in their faith
  • Believe he was fully human
58
Q

Why is Ibrahim important?

A
  • He fulfilled all the tests and commands given to him by God
  • He showed great faith in God
  • He proclaimed belief in only one God at time where people worshipped many different gods and idols
  • Muhammad was one of his descendants through his son, Ishmael
  • He is a good role model for Muslims
59
Q

How was Ibrahim a good role model?

A
  • He refused to worship idols and instead preached that there is only one God
  • Rebuilt the Ka’aba
  • Willing to sacrifice his son to God
60
Q

How did Ibrahim preach there was only one God?

A
  • When Ibrahim was a young man, many people worshipped a number of different gods and idols
  • Ibrahim questioned their beliefs and decided there was only one God who had created everything in the universe
  • Ibrahim became determined to stop idol worship. One day, he took an axe and destroyed all the idols in the temple of his town
  • People were furious and demanded that Ibrahim be burned alive.
  • He was thrown into a huge fire, but the fire only burned his chains and he walked out of it alive
  • This miracle prompted many people to start following Allah
61
Q

How did Ibrahim rebuild the Ka’aba?

A
  • The Ka’aba is a small, cube-shaped building in the centre of the Grand Mosque in Makkah (Mecca). It is considered to be the house of God and the holiest place in Islam
  • The original Ka’aba was built by Adam but destroyed in the great flood
  • Following God’s command, Ibrahim rebuilt the Ka’aba on the same site
  • When Muslims take part in Hajj, which starts at the Ka’aba, they remember Ibrahim and the steadfastness of his faith
62
Q

How did Ibrahim willingly sacrifice his son?

A
  • Ibrahim had a dream in which God asked him to sacrifice his son to him
    son to God
  • Ibrahim was willing to do this, but just before he carried out the sacrifice God stopped him, and told him he had passed the test
  • During the festival of Id-ul-Adha each year, Muslims kill an animal to remember
    Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his own son out of obedience to God
63
Q

What influence does Muhammed have on Muslims today?

A
  • He is the perfect example of a man serving Allah without question. He was without Godlike qualities therefore everyone can aim to live like him.
  • He is claimed to be the greatest political and religious leader of all time. He set up a community where individuals were respected.
  • He was the ultimate family man and Islam sees the family as the basic unit for the wellbeing of society.
  • He was the ultimate family man and Islam sees the family as the basic unit for the wellbeing of society.
64
Q

Why is Muhammad important?

A
  • Muhammad is the most important prophet in Islam because he is ‘God’s messenger (Qur’an 33:40).
  • He received the Qur’an from God, which all Muslims use as the basis of their faith.
  • He is also remembered for helping to fully establish the religion by conquering Makkah, and for having travelled to heaven where he was in the presence of God.
65
Q

Explain the revelation of the Qur’an

A
  • Muhammad grew up in Makkah (Mecca) and he would
    sometimes visit a cave in the mountains nearby to meditate and pray
  • In 610 CE, Muhammad visited the cave and experienced a revelation from the angel Jibril
  • Over the next 22 or so years, Muhammad continued to receive revelations from Jibril
  • These were combined together to form the Qur’an
66
Q

Explain the conquering of Makkah

A
  • After the first revelation
    from Jibril, Muhammad started challenging people in Makkah to follow God’s teachings
  • Muhammad was persecuted for his preaching and fled with his followers to Madinah
  • In Madinah he united the warring tribes, and with their help he conquered Makkah, converting the city to Islam
  • This helped to bring harmony to the region, and firmly established Islam as a religion
67
Q

Explain the Night Journey

A
  • Before Muhammad fled to
    Madinah, the angel Jibril took
    him on a miraculous journey to Jerusalem and then into heaven, where he spoke to prophets and saw great signs
    of God
  • In heaven, Muhammad agreed with God that Muslims should pray five times a day Sunni Muslims still follow this practice
68
Q

Explain the belief about the Immate

A
  • The leader of Shi’a Muslims is called the Imam.
  • The leadership of the Imams is known as the Imamate.
  • Shi’as believe the Imam should be a descendent of Muhammad and chosen by God.
  • The Twelver branch of Shi’a Islam teaches there have been twelve Imams in total. Each has been related to Muhammad in some way.
  • The twelfth Imam has been kept alive by God and hidden somewhere on earth. He will return in the future to bring justice and equality to all.
  • Because the Imams have been appointed by God, they are able to interpret the Qur’an and Islamic law without fault.
  • Shias believe the Imams are necessary because people need divine guidance on how to live correctly.
  • Although the final version of God’s law was received by Muhammad, the Imams are important for helping to preserve and explain this law.
69
Q

Why is the Inmate important to Shi’a Muslims?

A

*

70
Q

What is the Qur’an?

A
  • Most important holy book in Islam
  • Highest source of authority for all matters relating to Islamic teaching, practice and law
71
Q

What does the Qur’an contain?

A
  • Includes a mixture of historical accounts and advice on how to follow God
  • Nearly every chapter starts with the words - “In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver Mercy
  • The foundation of every believer’s faith
  • Written in Arabic
  • Contains 114 surahs roughly arranged in order of length
  • The Qur’an is the direct word of Allah and therefore has His authority. * It is infallible (without error) and remains in its original form: “Falsehood shall never come to it” (Surah 41:42).
  • It replaces other books like the Torah. The Qur’an was revealed to the Seal of the Prophet (Muhammad).
72
Q

Describe Muslim belief about other Holy Books

A
  • Muslims believe there are other holy books that have been revealed by God
  • These holy books are mentioned in the Qur’an
  • Some Muslims think these books have been completely
73
Q

What is the Torah? (Tawrat)

A
  • Revealed to Moses
  • Some think the Torah is first five books of the Bible, but altered from the original text
  • An important book referred to in the Qur’an as ‘guidance and light’; the revelations given to Musa (Moses) by Allah on Mount Sanai. Muslims believe it has been changed (corrupted) and have been taken out their original language – Some is the Word of Allah and some that of humans.
74
Q

What is the Psalms? (Zabur)

A
  • Revealed to David
  • Many Muslims accept that the Psalms mentioned in the Qur’an are similar to the ones in the Bible
  • A collection of prayers to Allah. They contain lessons for people. In this book is the idea of the Masih (Messiah) who was to be a symbol of hope for the future in a world where many had failed to obey Allah’s commands.
75
Q

What is the Gospel? (Injil)

A
  • Revealed to Jesus
  • Believe the Gospel has been lost but some of tis message is still found in the Bible
  • The good news about Isa written by his disciples. Isa is believed to have been born to a virgin mother, he was the Masih, he was not the son of Allah, he followed Allah, he was not crucified, and he did not save sins.
76
Q

What is the Scrolls of Abrahim?

A
  • Revealed to Ibrahim
  • These are considered to be one of the earliest scriptures in Islam and no longer exist
  • Contains parable like stories. The scrolls have perished as they were written on parchment