Islam Beliefs and Practices Flashcards
What is Fitrah?
- ‘Innate Disposition’ - The idea of God is embedded into human nature.
- Because God is the ultimate creator, belief in God must be innate to all humanity and created by God.
What are the five pillars of Islam?
Shahadah (Testimony/'Witnessing the faith') Salat (Daily Prayer) Zakat (Charity/Almsgiving) Sawm (Fasting) Hajj (Pilgrimage)
What is the shahadah?
- One of the Five Pillars
- The verbal acknowledgement of ‘there is no God but God’ and ‘that Muhammad is His messanger’.
- It is the ‘witnessing of Faith’
- This ties in Tawhid and Risalah
- It is the culminating practice of Islam
- It is often recited at certain points, but theoretically only needs to be said once.
- Sufis use it a lot - it is recited as a group or individually in dhikr (remembrance).
- As an oath, new Sufis may be told to recite it up to 50,000 times a day (and count it with prayer beads)
What is salat?
- Second of the Five Pillars
- Most regular and outwardly ritualistic element of Islamic practice
- Translates to ‘prayer’
- The whole creation has done salat since the time of Muhammad
- Some consider it to be the physical and ritual manifestation of the shahadah
- Can be done at home or at a mosque except on Jummah (Friday congregational prayer)
Describe the act of Salat
- The details are taken from the Sunna
- It is done in cycles called Rak’a, and it involves bowing, kneeling, touching one’s forehead against the ground etc.
- It is symbolic of physical submission to God
- In each prayer cycle, al fatihah (1st chapter of the Qur’an) is read
- The prayers are done in the direction of Mecca through a mihrab (ornate niche in the wall of a mosque)
What are the five daily prayers?
- Dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, dusk and evening.
- As well as these obligatory (fard) prayers, there are more voluntary prayers as well (which the prophet did)
- There used to be 50 daily prayers until Muhammad pleaded to God to reduce it on his Mir’aj (ascent to heaven)
- The call to prayer (adhan) is done by a muzz’ein
- Can be done at home or at mosque
What is wudu?
- ‘Ritual ablutions’
- Involves washing mouth, face, neck etc
- Purpose is to become physically clean before entering a mosque which is a sacred place and community centre
- Also it helps people become ‘pure in mind’ as one moves from the mundane world into a state that one would be happy in to visit or worship God
What happens on Jumu’ah?
- Friday congregational prayer
- Necessary to go to the mosque
- Two khutbahs (sermons) are given and then two prayer cycles are done
- This used to be a means for Muhammad to educate his community
- If you don’t listen then it is a waste of time.
- You need a prayer mat (Musallah) and prayer beads (subhah)
What is Zakat?
- ‘Charity’ or ‘almsgiving’
- It is not a voluntary act - it is a ‘debt one owes to those who deserves it’
- It is an act of purifying wealth - it ensures you aren’t squandering it on meaningless or transient things and helping the wider community
- Zakat is 2.5% of the surplus wealth, yet Muslims are encouraged to also pay ‘sadaqah’ which is voluntary.
What is Sawm?
- ‘Fasting’ from dawn to dusk for the entirety of the month of Ramadan (until new moon is sighted)
- The Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad in the cave of Mt Hira on the five odd nights of the last ten days of what would become called Ramadan.
- ‘Fasting’ is the abstaining of food and water as well as other acts that harm other people or distract them from God (lying, backbiting, slander, making ‘ungodly oaths’ and sex)
- Some people are exempt: ill people, menstruating or pregnant women, travellers, the infirm and the elderly
What is the purpose of Sawm?
- Act of worshipping/glorifying God and being thankful for a new revelation
- Helps one sympathise with those who have little or no food/water
- The five other forbidden things help people redirect their desires from worldly things and focus on the true purpose and goal: going back to God
- Therefore it teaches: self-discipline, self-control, empathy, generosity and spiritual strength - much like salat and zakat
What are the practices of Ramadan?
People have two meals - suhur and Iftar.
- Suhur: ‘pre dawn meal’
- Iftar: ‘breaking the fast’ - often eating a date and a glass of water before praying again, and then eating more.
Apart from this there aren’t many particular traditions - the Muslim world is so diverse that each place will have different traditions.
Some do tarawih after the night prayer - 23 prayer cycles, however this isn’t compulsory.
What issues arise for British Muslims in Ramadan?
- Times for sunrise and sunset change throughout the year in places like the UK
- Ramadan is 10-11 days earlier each year because the Muslim calendar (lunar calendar) is this much shorter than the Gregorian calendar
- Thus: Ramadan in Winter is easy but in the summer is hard
- In Muslim countries, Ramadan is a holiday, but in countries with Muslim minorities, it isn’t.
- Manual labour or sport is harder when you can’t have water, so some just instead do other less-demanding activities
- In the Olympics 2012, athletes were allowed to do Ramadan later as they were considered travellers - it can be flexible
What is different between Sawm and the other pillars?
- It doesn’t have a particular social focus - it’s solely focused on one’s relationship with God.
- Often even Muslims that aren’t very religious will do a few days of the fast as part of their cultural practice and upbringing.
- You only have to fast as an adult yet often families train children to fast doing half days and building up discipline to fast all day.
- Thus, the notion of fasting is embedded into one’s upbringing.
What is Hajj?
- The fifth pillar, meaning the pilgrimage to Makkah.
- It only has to be done once in one’s lifetime (if they can do it)
- 1.5 million people undertake the hajj each year.
- The beginnings of the practice are associated with Abraham, Ishmael and his mother Hagar as Abraham left these two in the wilderness.
- Hagar left Ishmael and ran between two mountains to search for water, before Gabriel struck the ground and opened a well in the middle of the desert.
- Abraham also told them to walk around the Ka’bah (The Cube), and these two events are now rites in the hajj
How do you prepare for the Hajj?
You need to enter a state of purity called ‘ihram’
To do this you must:
- Intend to do the pilgrimage in full
- Bathe properly
- Not doing several things (like having sex, uprooting plants, wearing perfume etc)
- Men: wear two seamless, unsewn pieces of white cloth
- Women: wear simple and modest clothing (not black clothes!)
This makes all people:
- Seem equal regardless of money/race
- Remember their position in relation to God (humility)
- Remember their time of death when they will be wrapped in white sheets
What are some rites of the Hajj in the first three days?
Enter Makkah from one of the six ‘stations’ (miqat)
Rites begin on the 7th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
-Tawaf (circumambulation) - 7 times anticlockwise around the Ka’bah
-Sa’y - running between the mountains of Safa and Marwah - like Hagar did when searching for water for Ishmael
8th of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
-Pitch a tent and pray all day in Mina
9th of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
-Gather in the Plain of ‘Arafah, where Muhammad delivered his last sermon. They pray all day there (symbolises the gathering of all humanity on the Day of Judgement)
What are some rites of the Hajj in the last four days?
10th of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
- ‘Stoning of the Devil’ - throw seven stones at the largest of three pillars at Mina. (Symbolises when Abraham was told to throw stones at the Devil by Gabriel)
- Pilgrims pay for an animal to be slaughtered and distributed amongst the poor (Near Sacrifice)
- People shave their heads and do another tawaf
11 and 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
-‘Stoning of the Devil’ happens again at the other two remaining pillars
13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah:
-Final tawaf is done (known as the Tawaf al-Wada - Farewell Circumambulation)
How is the Hajj done from Britain?
- It is a lot less difficult nowadays, as many book Hajj packages which arrange pretty much everything
- However, there are many people and accidents are not uncommon
- In 2015, approx 2,500 people were killed in a crowd crush in Mina when there was confusion about the pilgrim route
What is the ‘Umrah?
- The ‘lesser pilgrimage’. Some take this many times in their lives
- They still must enter ‘Ihram’ and then perform the tawaf, sa’y and cutting one’s hair.
What is the purpose of the Hajj?
-It is a duty to God
-It is a defining journey of sacrifice, patience and self-transformation.
The preparation and rites manifest the four prior pillars:
-One bears witness by following God’s command
-In the hajj, one performs lots of Salat
-The sacrificed animal is distributed amongst the poor - zakat
-By restricting oneself from wearing normal clothes, abstaining from sex etc one is doing sawm
Therefore it can be considered the culminating Islamic practice.
Malcom X said it shows unity, universal brotherhood and equality. Everyone is on the same level.
What does Jihad mean?
Literally, ‘struggle’ or ‘striving’. It has two understandings - summed up by Muhammad when he returned from battle saying ‘we have returned from the lesser struggle to the greater struggle’.
What is the ‘lesser Jihad’?
-It refers to military action
-The Qur’an states that war can be done ‘in the cause of God’, yet warns not to ‘overstep the limits’
-It states that was should be done in defence if somethings unjust has happened (like being driven out of homes).
-It is also inclusive to those who say ‘our Lord is God’ - so can refer to Christians and Jews too
Later, more conditions were added such as:
-Only combatants should be killed
-Property shouldn’t be damaged
-It should be a last resort
-Territory shouldn’t be gained
It founds the ‘Just War Theory’ in Islam.
What is the ‘greater Jihad’?
- It refers to the daily struggle to practice faith
- For example, to pray five times a day and stick to the rules laid out.
- More often in the Qur’an, this is what is meant by Jihad
- It means that in countries with a minority of Muslims, it can be hard to practice - there is no call to prayer five times a day, halal meat may be harder to access, it may be hard to find a place to pray etc.
- This is what some mean is meant.
- Sufis believe that the Jihad is the daily struggle against selfish desires and worldly temptations that draw one away from God.
Why was there a division between Sunnis and Shi’ites originally?
- There was disagreement about who should become the authority of the umma - the caliph.
- Abu Bakr was elected by the community to be the next caliph (Muhammad wanted to break from the tribal ways and vote for the leader)
- Others believed that Ali should have been caliph as Muhammad had chosen him before his death. He eventually was caliph, but followers of him believed that a great injustice was done.
- They believed that the authority should remain in the bloodline of the prophet or Ahl al-Bayt. Ali’s followers called themselves ‘Shi’ah ‘Ali’ Or ‘Partisans of Ali’ which was shortened to ‘Shi’ites).
- This defined the minds of Shi’ites
Why is Ali important to Shi’ites?
He is:
- An exemplar of Islamic piety after Muhammad
- A political leader
- The father of the ‘true faith’
- The true Imam or leader
What is the Shi’ite version of the ‘Six articles of Faith’?
The 'Roots of Religion' or 'usul ad-din': Tawhid - God's absolute oneness 'Adalah - Divine Justice (Different) Nubuwwah - Prophethood Imamah - Leadership (Different) Yawm - 'The Day'
1,3 and 5 are the same yet the meanings are different.
How is Nubuwwah in Shi’ism to Sunnism?
It is more all-encompassing and includes any means by which God communicates with humanity e.g. angels, prophets, books etc
What does Adalah mean?
-It means that God is just, is Justice in and of itself, and that from God, Justice flows and aids humanity.
-Thus, anything God does is just and cannot be unjust - he cannot act in an unjust manner because it is his nature to be just
-This raises questions about God’s omnipotence…
-In addition, Shi’ism also states that evil must come from somewhere other than God - humanity and its free will.
-Therefore, Humans are absolutely accountable for their own actions, good or bad.
This is a major difference between Sunni and Shi’ite theology.
What is Imamah?
-It states that imams are those who are part of Ahl al-Bayt (prophetic bloodline)
-These people possess divine authority over the community and have divine qualities
These include:
-Is infallible and incapable of sin
-Posesses secret (esoteric) knowledge about God and Islam
-Is the only one who has the absolute ability to interpret the divine sources and the Qur’an
- The immam is the most important source of authority, and some even suggest that it is more important than the prophet as they are continually protecting and guiding humanity (they have continued relevance in people’s daily lives), unlike prophets who serve a one-time purpose, receiving revelations.
- It also follows from ‘adalah that God wouldn’t leave humanity without an ongoing guide.
Does Shi’ism have a clergy system?
It does have a formal one. These clergy who engage in ijtihad interpret the forms of Islamic knowledge to the common believer.
They serve as the mediums and examples of Islamic practice, thought and belief.
Why did the Battle of Karbala inspire these two different Shi’ite ideas?
Adalah: humanity are accountable for their own actions -God cannot be accountable for Yazid ordering the death of the Ahl al-Bayt
Imamah: the need for a religious authority linked to the prophet - Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt were originally believed to be the leaders *
How does the Shahadah change in Shi’ism?
It becomes ‘there is no god but God, Muhammad is God’s messenger, and Ali is the friend of God
What effect do Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt have on Shi’ites?
The intense love and dedication to these two play into daily piety, remembrance of God and practice
What is the Shi’ite version of the Five Pillars of the Sunnis?
The Ten Obligatory Acts:
Salat Zakat Khums Sawm Hajj Jihad Amr bi'l-Maroof Nahi an'il-Munkar Tawalla Tabarra
How do Shi’ites differ from Sunnis about Salat?
Some believe that noon and mid-afternoon prayers can be combined, as well as dusk and evening prayers. Therefore there are three specific times of prayer.
They also use a small piece of hardened soil or clay (often from a holy place, commonly Karbala) called ‘turbah’. It symbolises earth. Even in Salat, Shi’ites recall the tragedy at Karbala and the Ahl al-Bayt.
What is khums?
- Literally means ‘one fifth’, and is effectively an annual tax of one fifth of one’s net income.
- The money is given to Muhammad, his family, orphans, the needy and travellers, and also provides a source of income for the imam.
- It serves as the means of funding the clergy, particularly in Iran
How do Shi’ites’ views on pilgrimage compare to Sunnis’?
- They do accept the hajj rituals as the Sunnis do, but they also have ‘ziyarah’ - ‘a visit’
- These are sometimes done by Sunnis (mostly Sufi Sunnis), but in a Shi’ite context it means visiting sacred places to Shi’ites, Imams and the Ahl al-Bayt
Examples are:
- Karbala
- Najaf (tomb of Ali)
- Samarra in Iraq (mausoleums of 10th and 11th imams and place where 12th went into occultation)
- Mashhad in Iran (tomb of 8th Imam)
What are Amr bi’l-Maroof and Nahi an’il-Munkar?
‘Commanding the good’ and ‘forbidding the bad’ respectively - quite self explanatory.
This also entails learning what is halal (permitted), haram (forbidden), and sahib (obligatory) to create a stable community
What is Tawalla?
‘Loving the Beloveds of God’
- Therefore, Shi’ites express lots of love, respect and devotion to Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah (Muhammad’s daughter), Hasan, Husayn and Ahl al-Bayt.
- They express this through visiting their tombs, reciting poetry, praying for them and so on.
What is Tabarra?
‘Disassociating from Evil’
-They try to disassociate themselves from those who speak ill of or curse God, Muhammad or his family
What are the six articles of faith, and what is their name in Arabic?
Arkan al-iman
Tawhid - God's absolute oneness Mala'ikah - Angels Kutub/Wahy - Books/Revalation Nabuwwah - Prophethood Akhirah - Eschatology Qadr - Predestination
Where did the Arkan al-iman come from and what purpose do they serve?
Hadith Jibril 1:1 - where Gabriel asks Muhammad about what faith (iman) is. These were his responses.
They therefore are very significant beliefs for Muslims
What is the Tawhid in practical terms, and what does it say God is?
It is the belief in, acknowledgement of and ‘submission’ to a God who is:
Innately one Unique Omnipotent Omniscient Omnibenevolent Transcendant and Immanent
What ideas does the oneness of God denote (Tawhid)?
He is:
Unique - unlike anything that exists, has existed or will ever exist
The only one bing worthy of adoration, worship and submission
There is only one God that has existed and it is the God of all things
What is Taqwa?
- The desire for a personal connection with God.
- It can be translated as ‘righteous’, ‘God-fearing’ or ‘god-consciousness
- It is associated with piety, good conduct, avoiding evil etc in order to have a personal connection with God
What is Shirk? Give more information about it
- Worshipping anything other than God
- It can mean polytheism, but also also can mean worshipping money over God etc.
- It also means that no images of God or Muhammad can be created (or some think of other prophets as well) for fear that one will worship them over God - as we don’t even know what the prophets looked like
- Can condense an unlimited, all powerful God into an image)
- Also some believe that only God had the capacity to create so no art should be done at all
What is Hanif?
- It literally means ‘one who turns away’ but also can be ‘inclination towards the right’.
- It refers to non-Jewish/Christian monotheists
- It can be used to describe Abraham who was a monotheist before Judaism/Christianity
How does Christianity solve the contradictory natures of God?
Through the Trinity - the Father (transcendant), the Son (immanent) and the Holy Spirit is has bits of both
How does Islam make God both Immanent and Transcendent at the same time?
He has two natures:
Tanzih (Affirming Imcomparability)
Tashbih (Affirming Similarity)
What does Tanzih mean?
It is one of God’s natures.
It means that he is incomparable to his creation and is transcendent.
What does Tashbih mean?
It is one of God’s natures.
It means the he is intimately connected to His creation and imminent.
What are the attributes of God?
He has 99 names and thus 99 attributes.
As well as omni-all of those, he is:
The Powerful, The Merciful, The Beneficent, The Fair/Good, The Just etc
What is Mala’ikah? Why is this belief so important (vital)?
- It means angels.
- It is important because it is embedded into the Qur’an and Hadith literature.
- Angels played a major role since Islam’s creation.
What are Angels like? What are their purposes?
- Mediating figures between God and the created world
- ‘Messengers’ and carry out particular functions such as distribute rain, tear out souls of dead people etc
- Do not have free will!
What is the purpose of Jibril?
Jibril/Gabriel - the Annunciator
- One of the most important angels
- Messanger to prophets from Adam to Muhammad
- Has a defining role in two important events - birth of Jesus and mediation of the revelation to Muhammad
- Simply, Jibril is the angel to whom God entrusted the task of prophecy and delivering scripture
What is the purpose of Mikha’il?
Mikha’il/Michael
- Found in the Old Testament and Book of Revelation (vanquisher of Satan)
- Most important role is the bringer of rain and thunder to Earth.
- Considered therefore, the ‘nourisher’ and related to growth, fertility and harvest
What is the purpose of Israfil?
Israfil or often equated to Raphael
- Blow the trumpet that will signal the Day of Judgement
- (According to Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti’s readings) from the moment of creation he has been looking over the trumpet and waiting for the Day of Judgement
- In the meantime he sits with his feet under the throne of God and has not looked away from God since his task was assigned
What is Risalah/Nubuwwah? What does it mean to be a ‘nabi’ or ‘rasul’?
Prophethood!
-They follow the call of God to reveal the truth about God, to call people to worship Him or to serve as His mediating figure to a particular nation or set of people at a particular time.
-They have been sent messages or missions to do, so Prophet (nabi) is synonymous with ‘rasul’.
Note: they believe in the Jewish and Christian prophets as well
Who is Adam and why is he important?
- He was the first human and first prophet (created from dust/clay and God’s spirit)
- He was a steward
- He was the first thing that could learn things (unlike angels that only have knowledge assigned to them by God) and had free will
- For this, angels were told to bow down to him
- He also built the Ka’bah - the fist and most important shrine to God
Who is Ibrahim (Abraham) and why is he important?
- Abraham is considered the ‘father of faith’ and patriarch of the line of prophets
- He’s known as the ‘friend of God’ or ‘Khalil Allah’
- Acknowledged monotheism when his community worshipped idols and engaged in evil activities - and was a steadfast believer in it (hanifa and muslim - ‘upright’ and ‘devoted’)
- Rebuilt the Ka’bah
- His family were also important for Islam as well (Ishmael and Hagar - Hajj etc)
What happened in Abraham’s childhood?
- His family were polytheists and did evil acts
- He refused to go to the pagan festivals and engagements despite the commandment of his father
- He was about to be put in a Furnace but God intervened and he survived - his faith in God saved him
What stories are there about Abraham and his family?
- When he had a son with Sarah, he abandoned Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness. Having ran between two mountains, Gabriel appeared and struck the ground and water appeared
- Abraham was told to rebuild the ‘house of prayer’ which is now considered to be the Ka’bah - and he placed the ‘black stone’ in a corner (considered the only thing to be the same since Abraham)
- The Near Sacrifice (the Son is unspecified so it could be Isaac or Ishmael)
Is Mary important?
Yes - she is considered a model of purity, humility and piety for all humanity but especially women. She is not considered the mother of God - she’s the ‘mother of Jesus the prophet’
Who is Isa and why is he important?
- Jesus isn’t the Son of God and the Trinity doesn’t exist
- He’s a prophet who revealed the Gospels
- Plays an important role in Islamic eschatology
- He’s the Messiah, but also called ‘spirit of God’ as well in the Qur’an among other things (which is relatively similar to Christianity)
What are some problems that Islam has about the Trinity?
- God isn’t three entities - he’s entirely one
- He doesn’t have a son and doesn’t share absolute power over creation with anyone/thing else
What are some Christian rebuttals to Islamic criticisms of the Trinity?
- Jesus isn’t a son in the physical form that is often affiliated in the Qur’an - it is spiritual and theological
- The trinity still stipulates that there is only one God, but interacting with creation in three persons
Who is Muhammad and why is he important?
- Most important figure in Islam (Shahadah) - but not the founder of Islam - role was just to give the reminder
- Medium for social change
- Practical exemplar (Qur’an states what people need to do, yet not in detail so people look to Muhammad’s life)
- The Seal of the Prophets (Khatim al-Anbiyyin) - merely completing what was incomplete
Outline Muhammad’s life
(N.B. compiled from later sources - not in the Qur’an)
- Orphaned at a young age
- Brought up by grandfather (chieftain of a branch of the tribe in Makkah)
- Later brought up by uncle.
- Became known as trustworthy and honest and performed diplomatic and arbitrating roles in the city
- Soon became at odds due to his proclamation of monotheism (which was linked to progressive social justice and equality ideas)
Why was Muhammad a medium for social change?
Rejecting either social justice or religion would elicit disbelief in the other - so Muhammad insisted on notions that challenged social norms like Women’ Rights, Racial Equality, Socio-Economic Equality etc
Which are the important Holy Books in Islam?
Tawrat (Torah) - Revealed to Moses, first five Books of the OT
Zabur (Psalms) - Released to David, most likely refers to the Psalms we have now
Injil (Gospel) - Revealed to Jesus, but are not like the Gospels we have now - and not the 4 Gospels, rather the message given to Christ (and it was written not by others, but revealed to Jesus like the Qur’an to Muhammad)
Qur’an - Revealed to Muhammad
What are the relationships between the Qur’an and the other books?
They are important - the Qur’an is only a reminder and continuation of previous messages
Why was Muhammad needed when Jesus had already been revealed the Tawrat and Injil?
- These refer to the originals that were revealed to Moses and Jesus
- They have been altered one way or another, so the Qur’an is there to correct them
What is the Islamic view of those who follow the Tawrat or Injil?
‘People of the Book’ (Ahl al-Kitab) are accepting the same message as Islam so should be treated with some respect (the Qur’an asks the followers to come to a ‘common word’ and accept the true word which is God’s unity) - but there are still disagreements about the belief systems in the other Abrahamic religions.
What is the Akhirah?
It literally means the ‘last’ and ‘end’ - but it has come to mean ‘afterlife’. It is the more important life.
Al Dunya is this life (transient and temporal) but it isn’t the ‘true life’
What is Al Qadr?
‘Predestination’ - God has control over the world and everything therein
- God is aware of and ordains every creature’s destiny
- Only God has absolute freewill
- We have some free will (to do right or wrong) and God gives us Guidance instead of forcing us (prophets, books etc)
- The fact that God knows what we are going to do doesn’t affect our freedom - we have free will to choose what path we will take
- Shi’ites think we have absolute free will, whereas Sunnis think that there is a middle ground
- Ultimately Qadr makes God the centre of the universe and Human beings only act on God’s power and permission
Why is the afterlife important?
Life would be meaningless without it - no good or bad deeds would be punished or rewarded
There would be no need for prophets/angels/books etc.
What is the resurrection like?
There is a bodily resurrection - a show of God’s omnipotence and preparation for the judgement
It’s important that in the Dunya people perform good deeds with good intentions because when you die you no longer have any chances to do so
What are the signs of the Yawm al-Din?
Only God knows when the Day of Judgement will happen - however there are signs such as:
- Appearance of the al-Dajjal or ‘Anti-Christ’
- Destruction of the world by Gog and Magog (Ya’juj wa Ma’juj)
- God will send the ‘Guided one’ (Mahdi) to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus
- Jesus will arrive and defeat the Anti-Christ
After the judgement God will determine who will go to Heaven and Hell
What is Jannah?
Heaven - if one passes the test of the dunya, one can enjoy being in God’s direct presence (Beatific Vision in Christianity). It is the reward for following His guidance
What is Jahannam?
Hell - the wicked and those who disobey God having ignored his reminders go to Jahannam. There are various descriptions such as ‘The Fire’ (al-Nar), ‘The Abyss’ (al-hawiyah), the ‘Blazing Fire’ (al-Jahim) etc. Ultima
What is the Holy Book of Islam?
The Qur’an. It is made of 114 Surahs (Chapters) and 6,236 Ayahs (Verses).
It is God telling humanity about Himself, His nature, and informing us of a way back to God.
What is the importance of the Qur’an?
Unlike the Bible or the Bhavagad Gita, which were written by people who were divinely inspired.
Qur’an was the written record of the actual words of or direct and willing wahy (divine revelation) from God to humanity.
It was written in the first person so is God speaking directly to humans.
It was mediated through Gabriel to Muhammad
It would be more useful to say that the Qur’an serves the same purpose as Jesus does - the ‘word incarnate’ (the means by which God reveals himself to humanity directly in a form which we can engage with and understand )
Does the Qur’an need to be contextualised?
It makes references to specific people, places or historical events. This means that the Qur’an needs to be contextualised so we can understand it better
What is the purpose of the Qur’an?
It is a reminder and guidance to those who believe.
This reminder will help bring us back to God
It is the source that tells us about God and helps humanity understand him better
What is the ‘Night of Power’ and what does it commemorate?
- Laylat-ul-Qadr - is the night that Muhammad received the first revalations.
- It is very important because it was the first night that the Qur’an was revealed to humanity through Muhammad.
- It occurs on one of the five odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th)
- Muslims believe that God sends angels to Earth to sit amongst people and listen to their prayers and supplications
How is the ‘Night of Power’ celebrated?
Considered better than ‘a thousand months’ - so many Muslims, having broken their fast may:
- Read the Qur’an
- Recall stories from the life of the Prophet
- Go on i’tikaf (a short monastic retreat to a mosque and spend their time praying and fasting.
What is the ‘Festival of Fast-Breaking’
Id-ul-Fitr is the festival celebrated that the end of Ramadan - commemorates the end of fasting.
How is the ‘Festival of Fast-Breaking’ celebrated across the world?
There are two obligations:
- Attend a special Id prayer at a mosque, where a sermon is said followed by a special prayer
- Give zakat
They can then celebrate however they like, but they are encouraged to:
- Wear new clothes for the occasion
- Decorate their homes
Traditionally, children receive money, sweets and desserts. There are often grand feasts and most of the day is often spent eating. Often, Muslims visit friends and family.
The traditions change in different cultures, but the main thing is to be joyful and happy.
What is the ‘Festival of the Sacrifice’? Is it important? How is this shown?
Id-ul-Adha is the second feast day.
- It marks the return of Pilgrims doing the Hajj
- It is a commemoration of the Near Sacrifice - and Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael.
- It celebrates the end of the Hajj rites + Muslims are aware of the rituals and prepare to welcome family + friends who are due to return from the pilgrimage.
- It is more important than id-al-fitr - and is so important that in other countries it has developed its own name
How is the ‘Festival of the Sacrifice’ celebrated?
- Those not doing the Hajj, it is celebrated similarly to the Id-ul-fitr (go to the mosque, give children money etc.)
- People also sacrifice an animal (lamb normally but others are allowed as well) and the meat is then divided into three - for the family, for friends and for the poor
- Nowadays, people pay for an animal to be sacrificed and the meat distributed amongst the poor.
What are the names of The ‘Festival of the Sacrifice’ in other cultures?
-In Urdu/Hindi it’s called ‘Festival of the Goat’ or ‘Baqri Id’.
-In Singapore/Phillipines/Malaysia/Bangladesh, it’s called ‘Id-e Qurban’ or ‘Festival fo the Sacrifice’
-In Spain it’s called ‘Fiesta del Borrego’ or ‘Festival of the Lamb’
In Germany it’s called Opferfest or ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’
What is Ashura? Why is it different to the other Ids?
- The most important Shi’ite festival.
- ‘Ashura’ means the ‘tenth’ - takes place on the tenth day of the First Month - Muharram
- It is a solemn occasion (different to the other Ids) to remember the tragedy of Karbala
How is Ashura commemorated? (Not Britain) How do some countries treat it?
- Famous and highly evocative passion plays called taʿziyah performed - depict the events of the Karbalaʾ
- Ritual processions, carrying imitations of mausoleums made from wood or paper
- Self-flagellation, which seeks to emulate the suffering that Ḥusayn had to endure during the Battle of Karbalā
- It is a public holiday in some countries (e.g. Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon etc)
- Often many religious groups (not just Shi’ites) participate in the commemorations
How is Ashura commemorated in Britain?
- Shi’ite Muslims come together + join in with the processions
- Take part in mourning rituals
- Read elegiac poetry and the Qurʾan
What significance does Ashura have for Sunni Muslims?
- NOT in commemoration of Karbala (although many are still saddened by the story)
- Commemorates events of the Old Testament - some say it was the day that:
- Moses parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites
- Or, Noah left the Arc
- Or, the day when Muhammad entered safely into Madinah
Often they may fast for the day (tradition that dates back to the Jewish community in Madinah)
How is Ashura commemorated in Trinidad and Tobago (as an example of the spirit of it)?
Known as Hosay (after Husayn)
Features ritual processions that bring religious groups together in remembrance of the tragedy as well as a demonstration of mutual respect and religious tolerance
