Islam - Beliefs and Teachings Flashcards
1
Q
\
What is the Sunna and Hadith?
A
The Sunna is the record of the actions of the prophet Muhammad.
The Hadith is the recording of the prophet Muhammad’s sayings.
2
Q
What is Sharia law?
A
Shari’a law is a set laws based of the Sunna and the Hadith put together by Muslim lawyers.
3
Q
What are the main differences in Sunni and Shi’a Islam?
A
- Sunni Muslims believed prophet Muhammad’s successor should be Abu-Bakr (the 1st Caliph),
- Shi’a Muslims believed it should have been Ali (4th Caliph), so they disregard the Caliphs before him.
- Shi’as believe Allah chose 12 Imams, who are direct descendants of Muhammad, and Allah will send the 12th Imam to Earth as a Messiah to bring peace (instead of prophet Isa).
- Sunni Muslims believe the belief in Imams is close to Shirk, as the Imams are believed to have semi divine qualities, challenging Tawhid.
- Sunni Muslims believe in predestination, Shi’a Muslims do not.
- Shi’a Muslims believe there is an objective right and wrong that Allah follows, Sunnis believe everything Allah does is right simply because he does it.
4
Q
What are the Six Articles of Faith (Sunni Islam).
A
1 - Tawhid (oneness of Allah)
2 - Belief in the angels of Allah
3 - Belief in the books of Allah
4 - Belief in the messengers of Allah (the prophets)
5 - Akhirah (afterlife)
6 - Al Qad’r (predestination)
“Righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Scriptures and the Prophets…“
5
Q
What are the 5 Roots of Usul ad-Din (Shi’a Islam).
A
1 - Belief in Oneness of God (Tawhid)
2 - Belief in Divine Justice (Al-Adl)
3 - Belief in Prophethood (Al-Nubuwwah)
4 - Belief in Imams (Al-Imamah)
5 - Belief in the Day of Resurrection (Al-Ma’ad)
6
Q
What are Allah’s believed traits? (+ quotes)
A
- infinite (no beginning or end)
“the eternal, absolute” - omnipotent (all powerful)
“God is the creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. To him belong the keys of heavens and the earth.” - omniscient (all knowing)
“knower of the seen and the unseen” - merciful and benevolent
“the all merciful, all compassionate” - transcendent (above human understanding)
“there is none like him” - immanent (close, involved in our lives)
“we are closer to him than his jugular vein” - fair and just
7
Q
What does the belief in Tawhid mean for Muslims?
A
- There is no being like Allah, and he is eternal and all powerful.
- Humans depend on him.
- Muslims want to please Allah, leading their lives in obedience
- Muslims give their whole lives to devote to the will of Allah
- They seek to become his servant.
8
Q
What is Al-Imamah (explain Shi’a belief about Imams)?
A
- Successors and direct descendants of Muhammad
- 12 Imams chosen by Allah
- infallible, inspired by Allah
- appointed to preserve the religion after Muhammad’s death
- protected from commiting sin, keeping the religion pure and true
- First 11 were matryed, the 12th is in occulation waiting to reappear
- Allah will send 12th Imam as a messiah at the end of the world.
9
Q
Describe Shi’a beliefs of Al Adl.
A
- There is an objective framework of right and wrong.
- Allah is perfect and always acts in a way that is morally right.
- Humans are able to use their reason to work out what is morally right and through free will we should act in the correct way.
- At the Day of Judgement Allah judges people according to the moral framework and send people to heaven and hell
- Therefore there is no predestination.
(divine justice)
10
Q
What do Sunni’s believe on the Shi’a belief of divine justice?
A
- There is no objective right and wrong
- Everything Allah does is right simply because he does it.
- Predestination (Allah determines all human action)
11
Q
What is Prophethood?
A
- Prophethood is the means of communication between Allah and humans.
- A prophet is a messenger, chosen by Allah to teach, guide and train people to follow him.
- They give guidance on how to follow Allah and live their lives in a way that pleases Allah.
12
Q
Explain who Adam was and his life.
A
- The first prophet of Islam, created in Allah’s image
- Adam and Hawwa ate from the forbidden tree and Allah sent them out of Jannah to live on Earth
- All humans descend from Adam
- given the ability to reason and make choices.
13
Q
Explain who Ibrahim was and his life.
A
- Ibrahim is described as ‘a man of truth’
- born into a polytheistic family
- told the people of Babylon that they were wrong to worship idols
- Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son Isma’il, but Allah provided a ram. (testing his devoting)
- He was a Hanif (true believer)
14
Q
Explain who Isma’il was and his life.
A
- Isma’ils father (ibrahim) left him and his mother in the desert.
- Hajar ran 7 times between 2 hills (Safa and Marwa) in search of water
- 8th time before, he kicked the ground, and water sprung.
- him and his father rebuilt the Kaaba
15
Q
Explain who Musa was and his life.
A
- Musa was an Israelite kid, his mum left him in the Nile River
- adopted by the pharaoh’s wife, his mother was his nanny
- accidentally killed Egyptian trying to help an Israelite slave
- Musa led the Israelites, river Nile split, Tawrat
- given the ten commandments
16
Q
Explain who Dawud was and his life.
A
- King of Israelites, prophet
- heroic things, such as killing giant Goliath
- Nation of Israel prospered under his rule
- recieved the Zabur
17
Q
Explain who Isa was and his life.
A
- Isa is believed to be the messiah (Sunni) that will return on the D of R to bring Muslims together
- Isa was born to the virgin Maryam, and performed many miracles
- Isa didn’t die, Allah took him into his presence.
- given the Injil. (gospel)
18
Q
Who was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
A
- the last prophet of Allah
- his life is an example that Muslims should follow, demonstrating how to obey Allah
“certainly you have in the Messenger of God an excellent example” - prophet Muhammad pbuh was sent by Allah to declare the truth of Islam
“it is He who has sent His Messenger… religion of truth”
19
Q
What was prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life like before becoming a prophet?
A
- born in Makkah, his parents and grandfather died in his childhood. He was brought up by his uncle Abu Talib.
- He grew up with a reputation for justice and honesty.
- He married Khadija, a 40 year old widow when he was 25.
- They had lots of children.
- He was involved with rebuilding the Kaaba. notable story -> dispute over who would place sacred black stone, Hajar al Aswad. decided whoever turned up first in the morning would place it. Muhammad pbuh arrived first, and told all the tribal chiefs to hold on, and they did it together
- He wasn’t a prophet then, but brang about peace
- He became a monotheist, worshipping only Allah
20
Q
What was prophet Muhammad’s life (pbuh) like after becoming a prophet?
A
- he began to preach publicly, and his followers as well as opposition increased.
- He ruled the community in Madinah, for over half his prophethood. He gave instructions on prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage.
“I leave behind two things, the Qur’an and the Sunna… if you follow these you will never go astray”
21
Q
What was the Night of Power?
A
- The night Muhammad pbuh recieved the first verses of the Qur’an, during the last ten nights of Ramadan
- during Ramadan, in the last ten nights, Muslims devote themselves to prayer and the reading of the Qur’an
22
Q
What is the signifance of prophet Muhammad (pbuh being the seal of the prophets)?
A
- known as the seal of the prophets, because he provided the final revelation of Allah to his people in the form of the Qur’an
- faithful and trustworthy character ensured the establishment of Islam
23
Q
What are the different books in Islam?
A
Allah provided the prophets instructions on how they should live, and the Word of God was given to certain prophets in written form.
- Musa: Tawrat (Torah)
- Dawud: Zabur (Pslams)
- Isa: Injil (Gospel)
- Ibrahim: suhuf Ibrahim (scrolls of Abraham)
However, Allah’s message and the written texts became distorted, so they were no longer the true Word of God.
The Qur’an was the final revelation.
24
Q
What do Muslims believe about the Qur’an?
A
- The unaltered, true word of God
- it contains guidance on what Muslim’s should believe and how they should live their life in accordance with Allah
- (Sunni), the Qur’an is eternal
- (Shia), the Qur’an is the essence of God, and Imams can add to it, who can interpret its messages)
25
Describe beliefs about angels in Islam.
- Created from Nur (divine light)
- They exist to carry out the will of Allah and do not have free will
- They are obedient, free of sin, and are immortal
- Angels help humans and through them Allah communicates with his messengers on Earth
**"They do not disobey Allah's commands that they receive: they do precisely what they are commanded."**
26
Describe the role of Jibril.
Jibril is an angel who brought Allah's message to Muhammad pbuh and all the other prophets.
(chief angel communicating messages between Allah and the rasuul).
27
Describe the role of Izra'il.
Izra'il is the angel of death and is responsible for the ending of each person's life.
28
Describe the role of Mika'il.
The angel Mika'il is the guardian of heaven who also send rain, thunder and lightning to Earth by the command of God. He rewards the righteous.
29
Describe the role of Israfil.
The angel Israfil is the angel of the Last Judgement and will blow the trumpet on the day of judgement.
30
Describe the role of the honourable scribes.
- angels responsible for recording the deeds of humans, both the good and bad. everyone is assigned two angels, recording every word and action.
- the niyyah (intention) behind a good deed is recorded as a good deed, even if the results are bad
- if the person actually performs the good deed, it is written as ten or more good
- if the person intends a bad deed and doesn't carry it through, it is recorded as a good deed.
- this belief ensures muslims always live in fear of and obedient to Allah
**"one sitting on the right... one on the left... ready to record"**
31
Explain different Sunni schools of thought on predestination.
Jabarriyah:
- All human actions are determined by Allah (he is omnipotent and omniscient)
- Humans have no free will
- But then how is god merciful and benevolent, and how are we judged?
Ashari:
- God created everything including human actions
- Humans can acquire the act and make a choice
- Therefore predestination and free will both exist
"on the day of judgement, we shall bring forth a book which they will find wide open".
32
Explain different Shia schools of thought on predestination.
Mu'tazilah:
- Human free will existing means there is no predestination
- Free will determines what happens, not Allah
- on the day of judgement, fate is determined by divine Justice
- there is no mercy for those in hell
Shi'a:
- Partial free will, Allah knows it all
- Allah can choose to change anything any time
"indeed Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves."
33
Explain Muslim beliefs about Akirah.
- This life is a test, in preparation for the next eternal life
- We are representatives of Allah, expected to act as stewards of his creation
- How well we follow Allah's commands will be judged
- Day of Judgement, each person is judged by Allah
You either go to hell or hell (Jannah or Jahannam).
34
What is Barzakh?
The period of waiting between death and the day of judgement.
- some believe the souls expereince is affected by the life the person had led
- some believe the soul is given a temporary body in this time, light or dark to reflect the good or bad in their life
35
What happens in Sunni and Shi'a Islam before and on the day of judgment?
Sunni - Isa is sent back to Earth as the messiah, and he will bring true Muslims together
Shi'a - the 12th Imam will return and bring true Muslims together
Everyone has to walk across a bridge to heaven, and those weighed down by the weight of their sins will fall to hell.
Allah's judgement on this day will display perfect justice.
Those who die believing "there is no true Go but Allah, Muhammad is his messenger", will be admitted to Paradise forever.
Allah is merciful, so even a bad person may enter Paradise eventually. the sin of shirk permanently excludes Allah's forgiveness.
36
Explain beliefs about Heaven in Islam.
Jannah:
- beautiful garden, full of happiness, everyone is young, it is eternal
- there are 8 gates, based on the levels of what good deeds you did
- it is in a constant state of peace
37
Explain beliefs about Hell in Islam.
Jahannam:
- Place of punishment and eternal suffering
- Fiery pit "bursting with fury"
- The non-believers stay there forever, the bad believers can eventually get into heaven (divine intercession).
38
What are beliefs on matyrdom in Islam?
- dying in this way, being killed in defence or struggle for jihad leads to them entering the presence of Allah immediately.
BUT DON'T USE MATRYDOM TO FORCE IT
**"let there be no compulsion in Islam"**
