islam: beliefs and teachings Flashcards
what type of religion is islam?
monotheistic; this means that muslims believe there is only one god (Allah)
what is the belief in one, indivisible god known as in islam?
Tawhid
what do muslims believe in?
the supremacy of god’s will: the idea that god’s will is above all things so things will only happen if god wants them to
how do verses in Surah 112 help to explain Tawhid?
‘He is God the One’
- there’s only one god
- god is unified, undivided being (cannot be divided)
‘God 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
- god does not have any children
‘No one is comparable to Him’
- god is unique
- no other person/thing has god’s qualities/attributes
- no one can accurately picture/describe god because there is nothing to compare him to
what does belief in Tawhid mean muslims should do?
- 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 does the supremacy of god’s will mean?
- muslims believe god’s will is supreme (most powerful) so god can make anything happen that he wants
- nothing happens unless god allows
- helps give muslims confidence when something goes wrong as it’s believed to be 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
who was Muhammad?
the last and most important of the prophets in islam
what happened after Muhammad died?
there were disagreements about who should succeed him as leader of islam
what are the two branches islam split into after Muhammad died?
sunni and shi’a
what are the central beliefs of Sunni Muslims?
six articles of faith
what are the central beliefs of Shi’a Muslims?
five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din
information about sunni muslims
- sunni leader (Caliph) should be elected
- only Qur’an and sunnah have authority to provide religious guidance
- Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s advisor, was rightful leader after Muhammad died
- six articles of faith are main beliefs
what is the Sunnah?
Muhammad’s teachings and guidance
information about shi’a muslims
- shi’a leader (Imam) should be descendant of Muhammad and chosen by god
- Qur’an, sunnah and shi’a leader have authority to provide religious guidance
- Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law was rightful leader after Muhammad died
- five roots of ‘usul ad-din are main beliefs
what are some shared beliefs in sunni and shi’a islam?
- believe in same god
- follow teachings in Qur’an
- follow teachings in Sunnah
- acknowledge importance of prophets
what are the six articles of faith in sunni islam?
- Tawhid
- belief there’s only one god - Angels
- belief in angels who passed on god’s message to prophets - Holy books
- respect for holy books, particularly Qur’an as highest authority in islam - Prophets
- respect for prophets, particularly Muhammad who received final revelation of islam from god - Day of Judgement
- at end of world, every person will be judged by god and sent to paradise or hell - Supremacy of God’s will
- belief nothing happens unless god wants it to
what are the five roots of ‘usul ad-din in shi’a islam?
- Tawhid
- belief in one god - Prophethood
- respect for prophets, particularly Muhammad who received final revelation of islam from god - Adalat; the justice of God
- belief god will judge everyone day of judgement in fair/just way and hold them to account for actions - Imamate
- respect for 12 Imams, chosen by god to lead islam after Muhammad died - Resurrection
- belief that after death, muslims will be resurrected and judged by god
how many different names are there for god?
99 different names in the Qur’an and Hadith
what is the Hadith?
Muhammad’s sayings
what do the 99 names do?
- describe god’s characteristics
- help give muslims idea of what god’s like
what are some of god’s most important qualities?
- immanent
- transcendent
- omnipotent
- beneficent
- merciful
- fair
- just
what are some qualities of god?
Transcendent
- god created universe, so beyond/outside it; not limited by physical world
- god can be both transcendent and immanent as he created universe but also within ll things/able to act within it
Immanent
- present everywhere in world/universe
- within all things and involved in life on earth
Beneficent
- benevolent; all-loving/all-good
- generosity seen in gift to humans of everything needed to live on earth
Fair and just
- treats everyone fairly/justly
- will judge all equally on day of judgement
- shi’a muslims particularly believe people have responsibility for actions/god will punish/reward people depending on choices they make
Merciful
- shows compassion and mercy
- cares for people/understands suffering
- forgives people who are truly sorry for things done wrong
Omnipotent
- all-powerful
- power to create/sustain everything in universe
- aware of everything including human actions/thoughts
what are angels?
spiritual beings who serve god and pass on his word to people through prophets
who was Jibril?
angel of revelation, who revealed Qur’an to Muhammad
who was Mika’il?
angel of mercy, who rewards good deeds and provides nourishment for earth and human life
beliefs about angels?
- are spiritual beings created by god from light
- constantly serve and praise god
- able to take on human form to give messages to people
- have no free will, can only do what god wants them to do
- pure and sinless
what do muslims believe are the roles of angels?
- some act as messengers of god; receive god’s words directly and pass on perfectly to prophets
- some take care of people throughout lives
- some record everything a person does in ‘book of deeds’; presented to god on day of judgement to be used to judge people and decide to send to paradise/hell
- some take people’s souls to god after they die and escort to paradise or hell
significance of Jibril?
- angel of revelation
- purified Muhammad’s heart when he was a child so he could later receive god’s revelations
- recited qur’an to Muhammad and continued to pass god’s messages to him to guide him through rest of his life
- played important role in communicating final version of islam to humanity
significance of Mika’il?
- angel of mercy
- responsible for sending rain, thunder and lightning
- brings nourishment to earth and helps provide food for humans by sending rain to ground
- believed to reward people who do good deeds
what is predestination?
the idea that god knows or determines everything that will happen in the universe
what do most muslims believe about predestination?
god knows everything that will happen, but people still have free will and can make their own choices
what do sunni muslims believe about predestination?
god has already determined everything that will happen in the universe
- god written down what will happen in ‘book of decrees’
- as god created people, they must act according to will
- god’s will powerful so he can make anything he wants happen
humans don’t have freedom to change destiny/overall plan god set but they have choice over behaviour
what is a quote to support the belief that god has already determined everything that will happen?
“Only what God has decreed will happen to us.” - Qur’an 9:51
what do shi’a muslims believe about predestination?
god knows everything that is going to happen, but this doesn’t mean he decides what’s going to happen
- god creator of time so outside/not bound by it so god can see what happens past/present/future
- god knows choices people will make, but they believe they have free will to make choices for themselves
what is a quote to support the belief that people have the free will to change their own future?
“God does not change the condition of a people [for the worse] unless they change what is in themselves” - Qur’an 13:11
what is the significance of the day of judgement?
- muslims who believe they have free will to make own choices also believe they will be judged by god for these choices
- believe on day of judgement, god will judge for everything they did and reward/punish
- god knows everything that will happen but people responsible for actions and will be rewarded/punished
what is the name for the muslim belief in everlasting life after death?
Akhirah
what do muslims belief happens after death?
they enter a state of waiting until day of judgement when god will send them to heaven or hell
what is the name for heaven in islam?
jannah
what is the name for hell in islam?
jahannam
what does belief in life after death encourage muslims to do?
take responsibility for their actions and live in a way that pleases god
what are the three stages muslims believe happen after death?
- Barzakh
- the Day of Judgement
- Heaven and hell
what happens during barzakh?
- after death, state of waiting until day of judgement called Barzakh (meaning ‘barrier’)
- people unable to back across barrier to right wrongs or warn people
- while waiting, god sends 2 angels to question about faith
- depending on answers, they will either see rewards that will come or punishments they will have to endure after day of judgement
what happens on the day of judgement?
- when god’s purpose for universe fulfilled, world will be destroyed
- everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected
- everyone will be given personal ‘book of deeds’ (record of everything they did during their lives)
- if given book in right hand, heaven; if left hand, hell
what happens in heaven/hell?
- people who kept faith/did good deeds will be rewarded with heaven
- heaven described as beautiful garden; state of eternal happiness in presence of god
- people who rejected god/did bad things will be punished with hell
- hell described as place of fire/torment where people separated from god
what is the importance of belief in akhirah?
- encourages muslims to take responsibility for actions as god will hold them accountable and reward/punish
- motivates muslims to follow teachings in Qur’an and dedicate lives to god
- helps give muslims who suffer hopes something better to look forward to
- helps muslims accept unjust situations as god will provide justice in afterlife
what is prophethood?
refers to when someone is made a prophet: a messenger of god’s word
what is the belief in prophets and their importance as messengers of god called in islam?
Risalah
who do muslims believe was the first prophet?
Adam
what do muslims believe about prophethood?
- gift from god to help humans understand his message
- when people forget/misunderstand/ change god’s message, he has sent prophets to call people back to right path
- have been around 124,000 prophets, sent to every nation
- Muhammad last/most important prophet
why are prophets important in islam?
- they are good role models to help muslims understand how to follow god
- they do this by conveying god’s words/setting good examples for how to live obedient life to god
what is Adam considered to be?
father of the human race and first prophet
what does the Qur’an teach about Adam’s beginnings?
- god created Adam from dust of ground, and breathed his Spirit into him
- god gave Adam knowledge and understanding/taught him 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; iblis vowed to always tempt humans to sin against god
- god created Hawwa (eve) to keep Adam company, they lived in Garden of Bliss
- god tol adam and hawwa they could eat anything apart from fruit from forbidden tree
- iblis deceived Adam and hawwa into eating forbidden fruit
- god expelled them from garden and actions brought sin into world
- god forgave Adam after he accepted his mistake and he became first prophet
why is Adam important to muslims?
- god gave him knowledge and understanding
- god taught him how to live good life in obedience to god
- Adam passed on knowledge to rest of humanity through descendants
who is Ibrahim?
an important prophet in islam
why is Ibrahim a good role model for muslims?
because he always has faith in god and showed obedience to god, at a time when many people worshipped a variety of gods and idols
why is Ibrahim important?
- he fulfilled all the tests/commands god gave him
- he showed great faith in god
- he is a good role model for muslims
- Muhammad was one of his descendants through son Ishmael
- proclaimed belief in one god when people worshipped many gods and idols
how was Ibrahim a good role model?
- refused to worship idols and preached there’s only one god
- rebuilt the ka’aba
- was willing to sacrifice son to god
further explanation for Ibrahim refusing to worship idols/preaching only one god?
- when he was young, many worshipped different gods/idols
- he questioned their beliefs and decided there was only one god who created everything
- became determined to stop idol worship; one day, he used an axe to destroy all idols in local temple
- people were furious and demanded he be burned alive
- he was thrown into fire but fire only burned his chains and he walked out alive
- miracle prompted people to follow Allah
further explanation for ibrahim rebuilding the ka’aba?
- ka’aba is small building in centre of grand mosque in Makkah; considered house of god/holiest place in islam
- original ka’aba built by Adam destroyed by great flood
- following god’s command he rebuilt ka’aba on same site
- when muslimstake part in hajj, which starts at ka’aba, they remember ibrahim and steadfastness of his faith
further explanation for ibrahim being willing to sacrifice his son to god?
- he has a dream god asked him to sacrifice son
- was willing to do this, but god stopped him and said he passed test
- during festival Id-ul-Adha each year, muslims kill an animal to remember Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice son out of obedience to god
what did Muhammad receive?
the final revelation of islam from god
what do shi’a muslims believe in the importance of?
the Imamate; the leadership of the imams
- Shi’as believe imams appointed by god so can maintain and interpret islamic teachings without fault
why is Muhammad important?
- most important prophet; “God’s messenger”(Qur’an 33:40)
- received Qur’an from god, which muslims use as basis for faith
- remembered for helping to fully establish islam by conquering Makkah, and travelling to heaven where he was in the presence of god
what are the three main things that make Muhammad important?
- revelation of the Qur’an
- conquering Makkah
- the night journey
information about Muhammad’s revelation of the Qur’an?
- he grew up in Makkah and would sometimes visit cave in mountains to meditate and pray
- in 610CE he visited cave and experienced revelation from jibril
- over next 22 ish years he continued to receive revelations from fibril
- these combined together to form Qur’an
information about Muhammad conquering Makkah?
- after first revelation, he started challenging people in Makkah to follow god’s teachings
- was persecuted for preaching and fled to madinah with followers
- united warring tribes in madinah and conquered Makkah with them, converting city to islam
- helped bring harmony to region and established islam firmly as religion
information about Muhammad’s night journey?
- before fleeing to madinah, fibril took him on miraculous journey to Jerusalem and heaven, where he spoke to prophets and saw great signs of god
- in heaven he agreed with god muslims should pray 5 times a day
- sunni muslims still follow this practice
what is the Imamate?
- leader of shi’a muslims called imam; leadership of imams called the Imamate
- Shi’as believe imam should be descendant of Muhammad and chosen by god
- Twelve branch of shi’a teaches there have been 12 imams in total; each has been related to Muhammad somehow
- twelfth imam has been kept alive by god and hidden somewhere on earth
- he will return in future to bring justice and equality
- as imams appointed by god, they can interpret Qur’an and islamic law without fault
- Shi’as believe imams necessary as people need divine guidance on how to live correctly
- final version of god’s law received by Muhammad, imams important for helping to preserve and explain this law
what is the importance of the Qur’an?
the most important holy book in islam and highest source of authority for matters relating to islamic teaching, practice and law
what are the other holy books in islam?
- the Torah
- the Psalms
- the Gospel
- the Scrolls of Abraham
what is the Qur’an?
- includes mixture of historical accounts and advice on how to follow god
- nearly every chapter begins ‘In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy’
- foundation of every believer’s faith
- written in arabic
- contains 114 surahs, roughly arranged in order of length
timeline of the Qur’an?
1.
- revealed to Muhammad by jibril
- jibril directly passed god’s words so Qur’an considered word of god
- revelations occurred over about 22 years
2.
- Muhammad learnt by heart every revelation he received
- recited these revelations to followers
- scribes later wrote them down
3.
- as islam spread, there was danger that original words would be distorted
- third caliph asked team of muslim scholars to compile official version of Qur’an everyone could use
- completed around 650CE
what do muslims believe about the other holy books?
- other holy books revealed by god
- mentioned in Qur’an
- some think these have been completely lost and no longer exist today
- some think they can be found to some extent in bible, but original text corrupted/distorted so doesn’t have same authority as Qur’an
who was the torah revealed to and what is it’s authority?
- Moses (Musa)
- some think it’s first five books of bible but altered from original text
who were the psalms revealed to and what is their authority?
- David
- many accept psalms mentioned in Qur’an similar to ones in bible
who was the gospel revealed to and what is it’s authority?
- Jesus (Isa)
- muslims believe gospel lost but some message found in bible
who were the scrolls of Abraham revealed to and what is their authority?
- ibrahim
- considered one of earliest scriptures in islam and no longer exist
