Midterm

Question 1

Ulama

Answer 1

A religious scholar. These can lead instead of a king. This is called a theocracy. An example is the system in Iran after the Iranian Revolution in 1978/79 where Ayatollah Khomeini became the religious leader of Iran.

Question 2

Charismatic authority

Answer 2

Those who have started a movement, or the founders of movements, had charismatic authority. Examples of these are Jesus, Moses, Buddha and Muhammed. They have created a difference in the process of history

Question 3

Charismatic routinization (charismatic rationalization)

Answer 3

When these leaders die, they must build an institution where the teachings prevail. Many different interpretations appear after their death, and we see a process of monopolization of the truth. Interpretations will be what makes most sense to people. The monopolization of the truth is a process that never ends.

Question 4

What are the three steps to the process of a monopolization of the truth?

Answer 4

1. Through fear
2. Teaching Centers
3. Through rhetoric

Question 5

What is Muhammeds Background?

Answer 5

Muhammed came from a tribe, a large family, in Mecca. The tribe was symbolically powerful as it had for a long time had the task of keeping peace in Mecca, which at the time was an oasis. The oasis was a hub for commons, the exchange of good. This was done between nomadic tribes of different origins (Christian, paganism and Jewish.) The different backgrounds could lead to conflict, and the tribe was in charge of keeping peace in the oasis.

Question 6

an orthodox movement in Islam. They only believe that the true Islam is what was told by people who lived at the time of Muhammed and wrote at this time

Answer 6

Salafism

Question 7

According to Salafist, up until when can we consider the true teachings of Islam?

Answer 7

up until 3rd/4th generation after Muhammed (670.)

Question 8

In which Sunni school does salafism originate?

Answer 8

Hanbali

Question 9

Which country has been criticized for exporting salafism?

Answer 9

Saudi Arabia

Question 10

Means Salafism. The name comes from the royal family in Saudi Arabia.

Answer 10

Wahhabism

Question 11

Holy cities in Islam

Answer 11

1. Mecca
2. Medina
3. Jerusalem (al aqsa mosque)

Question 12

was an ideological tool used by president Nasser of Egypt to front his campaign of Egypt as a regional leader. It started with the creation of the nation-state in the Arabian Peninsula and the promise made by the British and the French to the Arabic people in order to have them rise up against the Ottomans. They promised that all Arabic countries would be one state. Today it is as likely as if Spain was to merge together with central and south America.

Answer 12

Pan Arabism

Question 13

On the hijab:
Is the vail a muslim invention?

What was the hijab a symbol of?

When did the hijab become politisized?

Answer 13

No, it comes from greece.

a status symbol of one’s wealth.

It started to become political in the 19th century, and is a modern idea.

Question 14

what was the historical context at the time of Muhammed?

Answer 14

At the time when Muhammed’s tribe were in charge of Mecca, two large empires surrounded the oasis; The Roman and the Persian Empires.

Question 15

What does religion mean?

Answer 15

Bind together

Question 16

Why does Arabic become the official language of Islam?

Answer 16

Muhammed’s revelations are given and written in Arabic.

Question 17

When did Muhammed die?

Answer 17

632 a.d

Question 18

Which question arises after Muhammed’s death?

Answer 18

Who should lead the religious Umma?

Question 19

Who are the two candidates to take over after Muhammed?

Answer 19

1. Abu-Bakr(the winner)
2. Ali

Question 20

The years of the Rashidun

Answer 20

632-661. From the death of Muhammed to the death of Ali

Question 21

What is the Rashidun?

Answer 21

The 4 leaders of the religious Umma after Muhammed.

1. Abu-Bakr
2. Omar
3. Uthman
   4.Ali

Question 22

related to a tribe of Ali but was not a part of the Rashidun, committed a coup d etat. They took the headquarter of the Islamic empire from Mecca to Damascus in Syria.
This was not a popular caliphate. Things become more militaristic.

Answer 22

The Umayyad caliphate

Question 23

The historical timeline of the caliphates after Rashidun?

Answer 23

1. Umayyad caliphate (661-750)
2. Abbasid caliphate (750-1517)
3. The Ottoman Caliphate (1517-1924)

Question 24

slaughtered the Umayyads and moved the Islamic empire to Baghdad. This was supported by the people.

Answer 24

abbasid caliphate

Question 25

Who was Abdul al-rahman and what did he accomplish?

Answer 25

Abdul Al-Rahman was a Umayyad that was able to escape the Abbasid caliphate slaughter. He emigrated to Spain where he takes over a part in the south, making Córdoba the capitol. The mom of Al-Rahman was Berber, and he was therefore accepted in Spain. The area was also very easy to take at as it was underpopulated at the time of his arrival. Al-Rahman built a mosque in Córdoba, the Qibla mosque, which is and exact copy of the mosque in Damascus. Therefore, it is not directed towards Mecca.

Question 26

Which role did the arabs play in science and philosophy at the time?

Answer 26

At this time, libraries are very important. The Abbasids brought texts of the ancient Greek philosophers to the libraries in Córdoba. From here it spread throughout Europe. The number 0 was also brought by Islamic civilizations. The first successful attempt at human flight was done by the mathematician Abbas ibn-Firnas in 857 in Córdoba. The language of science of the time was Arabic.

Question 27

What did the Safavid Dynasty establish and in what time period?

Answer 27

The Safavid dynasty creates Iran as a dynasty. It established Twelver Shi’ism as the state religion of Iran. Iran means the land of Aryans. This was between 1501 and 1736.

Question 28

Which deal did the British and the French strike with the Sharif of Mecca?

Answer 28

They told the Sharif of Mecca that his family would be given an Arab nation. His sons went on to become the kings of Jordan and Iraq. These are known as the Hashemite monarchies.

Question 29

What was the Sykes-Picot agreement?

Answer 29

A secret agreement between the French and the British on how they would divide the Ottoman Empire between them and by this become the most influential players in the region.

Question 30

What is important to remember about the structure of Islam?

Answer 30

Islam is a decentrallized religion with many different movements

Question 31

What does the conflict in Islam have to do with?

Answer 31

The conflict ins Islam does not have to do with the religious differences between Sunni and Shia. They are in fact all Umma. The conflicts rather stem from politics and the game of power.

Question 32

What does Shia mean?

Answer 32

the followers of Ali.

Question 33

When does the Shia movement appear, and when is the first time it is written down?

Answer 33

it appears 400 years after the death of Ali. The first time it is written down is in the year 1000.

Question 34

How many muslims today are shia?

Answer 34

10-15%

Question 35

where can we find the majority of the shia population?

Answer 35

In southern lebanon, most of iran and iraq.

Question 36

what is the twelver shia doctrine?

Answer 36

Shias believe in 12 imams that were interpreters of the Koran. Ali is considered the first Imam. According to the belief, the 12th Imam went into hiding, and he is still considered to be the current Imam and the promised Mahdi.

Question 37

Where can we find the Hanafi school of Sunnism?

Answer 37

Egypt and Turkey.

Question 38

Where can we find the Hanbali school of Sunnism?

Answer 38

Saudi Arabia

Question 39

Where can we find the Maliki school of Sunnism?

Answer 39

In general in Northern Africa

Question 40

Where can we find the Shafi’i school of sunnism?

Answer 40

East Africa

Question 41

4 schools of Sunnism

Answer 41

1. Hanafi
2. Hanbali
3. Maliki
4. Shafi’i

Question 42

What are the two elements that causes a crisis to the position of women historically in the region?

Answer 42

1. Modernization, capitalism
2. Northern European culture

Question 43

How did the notion of Pan-Arabism start?

Answer 43

With the creation of the nation-states in the Middle East region, and the promise made by the British and French that the Arab people would have an Arab nation

Question 44

What is the system called when an Ulama rules the country?

Answer 44

A theocracy