Islam : Beliefs and Teachings Flashcards
What are the six articles of faith in the Sunni tradition?
Tawhid, Angels, Books, Rasul, Akhirah and Al’Qadr.
What is belief in these six articles called?
Iman.
What does Usul ad-Din mean?
Five principles of the Shi’a tradition.
How do the Shi’a core beliefs differ from this?
Sunni and Shi’a beliefs disagree over the leadership of the faith.
What is Tawhid?
Tawhid is the belief in the Oneness of God
List three Muslim beliefs about Allah.
infinite
omnipotent and omniscient
merciful and benevolent
transcendent and immanent
fair and just.
Give three ways that belief in Tawhid will affect a believer
Believers will be humble, knowing that without Allah they could do nothing, they have no reason to be
boastful. It enables them to be content with their life, knowing that Allah is the provider. They do not fear
death as Allah is in control of that too.
. Who was the first Caliph appointed after the death of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم?
Abu Bakr was the first Caliph appointed after the death of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.
How many Caliphs were there before Ali?
There were three Caliphs before him.
Why do Shi’a Muslims not recognise those appointed before Ali?
They do not acknowledge those before Ali as he was the first male convert to Islam and many believe he
should have been the first Caliph.
What is the role of the Imamah?
The Imamah’s role is to preserve the religion of Islam.
State what Shi’a Muslims believe about the twelfth Imam.
They believe that the twelfth Imam is in occultation, waiting to reappear at Allah’s appointed time. When he
appears he will come as a Messiah to bring justice, peace and co-existence at the end of the world.
State the way in which Allah always acts.
Allah always acts with justice.
What should humans use in order to act in the right way?
Humans should use their free will.
Give one reason that Shi’a Muslims have for rejecting predestination.
They reject predestination as it goes against the belief that humans have free will.
According to Sunni Muslims, what makes all that Allah does good?
Everything Allah does is right simply because he does it.
What is risalah?
Risalah is prophethood. This is the means of communication between Allah and humans.
Name three rasul.
Adam
Dawud
Isa
Musa
Ibrahim
What are rasul chosen by Allah to do?
They are chosen to give guidance on how to follow Allah, so that people can be brought back to Allah.
Why must prophets not be worshipped?
They must not be worshipped as they are human.
List five prophets from Islam
Yusuf
Yahya
Lut
Nuh
Dawud
Ismail
Ishaq
Adam
Which prophet was the khalifa?
Adam was the khalifa.
Why was this role important?
Adam was Allah’s first creation and he acted for Allah on Earth.
Which prophet built the Kaaba and why is this significant?
Adam first built the Kaaba. Ibrahim and Isma’il rebuilt the Kaaba. It was then rebuilt by Muhammad. It has become the centre of the Grand Mosque and all Muslims face in the
direction towards it as they pray five times a day.
Who was the Zabur revealed to and what does it contain?
It was revealed to Dawud and it contains lessons of guidance for the Israelites.
Who was the hanif and why is this important?
Ibrahim was a hanif. It is important as he is the father of monotheism, the first person to move to belief in
Allah as the one true God.
What is the role of Isa believed to be at the end times?
At the end times Isa will return on the Day of Judgement and bring together true Muslims. He will establish
Islam, making war until all religions except Islam are destroyed.
Why is Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم known as the seal of the prophets?
He is the last prophet sent by Allah.
List some of Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم qualities that made him a good prophet.
trustworthy, truthful, honest, just and wise.
What happened on the Night of Power?
An angel appeared to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم in a cave while he was meditating and told him to recite. However,
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was illiterate and could not read. Three times the angel told him to recite. On the third time
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم recited the words written on his heart. These were the first revealed verses of the Qur’an. The
angel Jibra’il declared him the messenger of Allah.
What effect did the Night of Power have on Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم?
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم became a messenger for Allah and followed his will.
What happened on the Night Journey?
An angel woke Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم from his sleep and took him to Jerusalem on a winged horse. His heart was
removed and purified from doubt, idolatry and error, and he was filled with faith and wisdom. He went up
through seven heavens and was shown paradise and hell. He met and spoke with prophets that had lived
before him. It was on this journey that Musa and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم talked and agreed that prayer should happen
five times a day. Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was in Allah’s presence before he returned to Makkah.
How do some Muslims understand the importance of the Night Journey?
Some Muslims think it was a spiritual journey, not a physical one.
What does AH mean?
AH means ‘in the year of the Hijrah’. This is the time from which Islamic calendars date.
What did Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم achieve during his time at Medinah?
He ruled Medinah and led the people to follow the will of Allah. All the idols at Makkah were destroyed and
the city was reclaimed as a Muslim holy city.
List three things Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم reminded Muslims about during his farewell speech.
to live in peace
to respect one another’s rights
to remain true to the Qur’an.
What is unique about the Qur’an compared with all the other books in Islam?
Only unchanged book.
What other sources of authority and wisdom are used within Islam?
Hadith, Sunnah
What source might Shi’a Muslims refer to that Sunni Muslims may not?
The Hadith of Ali is a source for Shi’a Muslims.
Name three angels.
Jibra’il, Malik-Al-Mawt, Israfil and Mika’il
What are angels made from?
Nur
How are the angels different to humans?
Angels, unlike humans, are not free beings.
What did Allah create the angels to do?
They were created to carry out the will of Allah and to be completely obedient to him.
How may a person’s behaviour be affected by the recording angels?
A person may be made more aware of their behaviour knowing that the good and bad are being recorded.
They would want to do more good to please Allah and to receive a favorable judgement.
Which group of Muslims taught that humans have no free will at all?
Jabrites
What do the Mutazilites teach about predestination?
No predestination.
Which Muslims today accept the Mutazilites’ teachings?
Shi’a accept the Mutazilites’ teachings.
How do Sunni beliefs on al-Qadr differ from Shi’a beliefs?
Sunni beliefs are that 120 days after conception, a baby receives its soul in the womb. It is then recorded what
sex it is, its lifetime earnings and whether it will enter paradise or hell. Shi’a Muslims believe that Allah may
change anything he wants at any time he wills it.
Who will be the first person to be judged?
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم will be the first person to be judged.
What leads to a good judgement?
Being good and obedient to Allah, living out a Muslim life will bring a good judgement.
What is the impact of a bad judgement?
A bad judgement leads to a place of punishment and eternal suffering in Jahannan. It is a place of darkness and
fear. For sinful believers it is a place of purification until Allah chooses to move them on to heaven.
What is the period of time between death and the Day of Judgement called?
Barzakh
State two ways these beliefs impact upon the lives of Muslims.
They will aim to lead obedient lives and not become obsessed with outside appearances or possessions. It may
cause some Muslims to share their faith so that others convert to Islam and avoid bad judgement after death.
