Islam unit Flashcards
When and into what was Muhammad born?
570CE - orphaned child born into a vast desert bounded by the Byzantine and Persian empires
When and where did Muhammad become a prophet // Messenger of God ?
Ramadan 610
in a cave outside Mecca
he was in his 30-40s
What consisted of Muhammad’s first visions?
The angel Gabriel giving him things to recite (revelations)
What is the Qu’ran composed of?
Muhammad’s revelations
what is the Qu’ran?
Basic search for truths and understanding that guides action and beliefs, establishes moral and ethical responsibilities.
Salaat
Islamic ritual worship at a mosque
Shari’ah
Muslim laws
Sunnah // Hadith
Stories of Muhammad + Muslim life, advice, culture
When did Muhammad migrate from Mecca to Medina? (Hijra)
622 CE
Caliphs
Muhammad’s successors
What did the Qu’ran reject?
tannak and new testement
Where do Muslim laws come from?
the Qu’ran, the Sunnah//hadith, legal scholars and local customs
What is the five pillars of Islam?
framework for Muslim life and practice
Pillar 1 : Shahada // The Creed
“no God but God, Muhammad is a prophet,” said genuinely in Arabic to convert
Pillar 2: Salat // Prayer
pray 5 times a day, facing towards mecca.
How is the time to pray determined?
by the position of the sun of the sky
Pillar 5: Zakat // Almsgiving
amount of your income that you donate to Islam // General charity
Pillar 3: sawn // fasting
During Ramadan, you must fast from sun up to sun down
Pillar 4: Hajj // Pilgrimage
once in a lifetime trip (pilgrimage) to Mecca and see the Kabba
what is the Kabba?
old shrine of tribal polytheistic gods that Muhammad destroyed when he took back Mecca
What and when is Ramadan?
month of fasting, community, and prayer. celebrating the month that the first verses of the Qu’ran were revealed to Muhammad
Who are Sunni muslims?
Muslims who accept the historic succession of the Caliphs
Who are the Shiah muslims?
Muslims who are followers of Muhammads’ relatives as leaders
what are the two branches of Islam and why?
Two answers to who would take leadership after the death of Muhammad: Sunni and Shiah
When and what was the Sunni Shia split?
Ali’s son - Husayn- stages a military showdown with the 4th caliph in Iraq, and they lose (680), which leads to a permanent split in culture, laws, and leadership
who are the 4 rightly guided Caliph?
last caliphs to have ruled over the entire community of muslims
What is Ashura?
holiday commemorating Husayn’s martyrdom. It involves punishing yourself by inducing pain
who are Sufi’s?
Islamic Mystics - esoteric, follow and experience God and his presence
How/why did Sufisim begin?
reform movement to counter growing imperial court and its materialism
Practices of Sufism
Ascetic and ritual practices: fasting, poverty, celibacy, silence, use of music and dance
Theme of Sufism
emphasis on deep personal relationship / experience with God in order to lose your sense of self and distinction from God
Silsila “chain”
Sheikh puts students through stages and on a path to connection with God – Guidance and exchange of knowledge
Sheikh // Pir
Sufi master / teacher
What Christian theology do Sufis reject?
God can not die for the world and the sins of the world
Other important emphasis in Sufism:
friendship, Ego death, exchange and transcendence of language, guidance
When did Muhammad and followers defeat/take back Mecca?
630
Jihad
struggle or fight
Personal or social
modern idea of Jihad
terrorist term
Halal
no pork and meat slaughtered correctly, no alcohol
Islamic art pioneered
calligraphy, gardens, and botany, geometric art
Science pioneered:
Engineering, Astronomy, Geometry, Physiology, Philosophy and Biology –
When did Muhammad die?
632 CE
What is the language of the Qu’ran?
Arabic
when and what was Hijrah?
~Muhammad and his followers went to Medina
~622CE
~marks the beginning of the Islamic calender
tawhid
refers to the oneness and unity of God, or Allah
(Monotheism)
