Medieval Islam Flashcards
What is polytheism?
The belief in many gods
How much power do polytheistic gods have?
Gods usually have limited power over specific areas.
What are some examples of polytheistic beliefs?
Greek & Roman Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Chinese Mythology, etc.
Note: Hinduism is sometimes classified as a polytheistic belief, but not always. It is technically a Henotheistic belief, which is the belief of one god with many different facets.
What is monotheism?
The belief in one god
How much power does the single monetheistic God have?
The one god is all powerful and all knowing.
What are the “Big three” of monotheism?
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
What is Jesus’ last name?
Nazareth
What does “Christ” mean?
It mean Messiah, which is the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Torah.
When did Christianity begin?
It began during the Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace”
What religion did Christianity emerge from?
Judaism
Who is the last prophet according to Christianity?
Jesus of Nazareth
What is the place of worship for Christians?
A church
What book is equivalent of the Old Testament of the Bible?
The Torah
Why did Christianity spread easily?
The message had a lot to offer. It told that if you were good in your life, you would go to heaven after you die. This was important because many people in the Roman Empire were poor and led an unenjoyable life.
Who is the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, an Islam?
Abraham
What did Abraham introduce the belief to?
Abraham introduced the belief that there is one true god.
When did Judaism start?
When Abraham entered a covenant with God
What is Allah?
Allah means God in Arabic. The same word is used for God by Arab Christians and Jews.
What does Muslim mean?
“one who surrenders to God”
Who is Muhammed?
The last prophet according to Islam
Why is Muhammed a prophet?
He was spoken to by God through the Angel Gabriel.
What did the Angel Gabriel tell Muhammed to do?
He told him to spread the message that there is only one true God.
How did Muhammed remember the Angel Gabriel’s messages?
Angel Gabriel imprinted the messages in Muhammed’s mind and heart.
What did Muhammed do with the messages that the Angel Gabriel imprinted on Muhammed’s mind and heart?
He recited them to scribes who turned it into the holy book of Islam.
What is the holy book of Islam called?
The Qur’an or Koran
What is Jihad?
Means “holy struggle.” If the jihad is financial, the response is financial. If the jihad is violence, the response is violence.
What is lesser Jihad?
External struggle against oppression
What is greater Jihad?
Fight against evil within oneself
What is an Illuminated Manuscript?
A handwritten manuscript with painted decoration and precious metals to make it illuminated
What are the Hadith?
The term Hadith refers to an of the various collected accountings of the words, actions, and habits of the Prophet Muhammed during his lifetime.
How quick did the Hadith evolve?
Slow - it did not take full shape until the 8th and 9th centuries.
Name the Five Pillars of Islam.
Shahadah, Salam, Zakat, Siyam, Hajj
What the Shahadah pillar?
It is a declaration of faith to only one God. You must say in Arabic, “I bear witness to God, and Muhammed is the messenger of God.”
What is the Salah pillar?
You must pray five times daily in the direction of the Ka’bah in Mecca.
What is the Ka’bah?
It is a cube-shaped building in Mecca and is the most sacred site in Islam.
Who made the Ka’bah?
The Qur’an states that the Ka’bah was constructed by Abraham and his son Ishmael after Ishmael had settled in Arabia.
What is the mosque around the Ka’bah called?
The Masjid ad-Haran.
What is the Zakat pillar?
You must donate 2.5% of your wealth. It means “purification,” and it helps control greed and reminds people of God’s gifts.
What is the Siyam pillar?
It is fasting for the month of Ramadan. During this month, you cannot drink or eat while the sun is up. It encourages reflection, equality, and and charity.
What is the Hajj pillar?
It is a pilgrimage to Mecca on the 12th month for five to six days. You would only be expected to do it once in a lifetime, as it could be expensive.
What caused the first and most major split in Islam?
Muhammed died and there was controversy about who would be in charge afterwards.
What are the two groups of Islam?
The Sunnis and the Shi’ites
What did the Sunnis believe?
The next leader should be chosen by capability
What did the Shi’ites believe?
The next leader should be chosen by bloodline
What was the first split in Christianity?
Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodox, then Catholic and Protestant
What is Shari’ah law?
Shari’ah law (Islamic law) covers Muslims’ duties toward God and other people.
What is Shari’ah law based on?
The Qur’an and the Sunnah
What does Shari’ah law promote?
Obedience to the Qur’an and respect for others
What are the five categories of Shari’ah law?
Forbidden, discouraged, allowed, recommended, obligatory
What is a caliph?
A religious and political leader
What are the first four caliphs of islam called?
The “rightly guided” caliphs
Who won the first caliph: the Sunnis or the Shi’ites?
The Sunnis
Who was the first caliph?
Abu Bakr
What did Abu Bakr do?
Abu Bakr completed the unification of Arabia under Islam. Also, he is the only righty guided caliph to die of natural causes.
Who was the second caliph?
Uman (or Omar)
What did Umar do?
He conquered Jerusalem and let people practice their own religion - but with a tax. This eventually led to him being killed by a Persian slave who did not like the tax. Also, He was the only rightly guided caliph to be specifically chosen.
Who was the third caliph?
Uthman
What did Uthman do?
Uthman was part of the Umayyad clan, who historically oppressed Islam. However, the clan later changed to Islam, and there were many Ummayad caliphs. Uthman was chosen because he was a good military leader. He rapidly expanded the Islamic empire. Also, he completed a unified Qur’an. However, he puts most of his family members in the higher-ranking positions, and all of the war treasures went to his family instead of the military. This lead to a group of rebels killing him, which caused one of the greatest rifts in Islam.
Who was the fourth caliph?
Ali, Muhammed’s cousin and son-in-law and the only rightful leader to the Shi’ites
What did Ali do?
He started a civil war because he did not avenge Uthman’s death. There were two major battles. The first Ali ended in force and the second Ali ended in negotiations. This caused people to be even more angry, and eventually he was assassinated.
