The Nature of God (Islam) Flashcards
What are Muslim attitudes to religious books and scrolls?
- previous prophets were given holy books such as scrolls of Ibrahim, zabur, tawrat and injil were misinterpreted and lost
- Allah needs to reaffirm his message through prophets
- Prophet Muhammad’s message the only one that was not corrupted, there was no need for a new prophet as his message was intact
What do Muslims believe about the nature of Allah
(1 point, 2 quotes and 1 LTL)
- both transcendent and immanent
- “we are closer to him than (his) jugular vein” - Qur’an 50:15
god created mankind and knows their most inner thought, Allah is personal to his creation - “One and only Allah, the Eternal” - Qur’an 112:1-4
Allah is unique, he has no beginning and no end, he is beyond human understanding and there is no other like him - Link to life: do not draw Allah as he is beyond human understanding
What are the 99 names of Allah and what are the beliefs about them?
(2 points and 1 LTL)
- As Allah is unique and beyond human understanding, these names are used to highlight and understand the qualities of Allah
- they create a personal relationship with god
- Link to life: Muslims use Subha beads to bring focus to the 99 names of Allah. Prayer beads which have 99 beads to represent each name.
What is the sin of shirk and the beliefs around them?
(3 points and 1 LTL)
- When someone worships something other than Allah
- there can be no pictures of Allah as they would be worshipping the picture rathe than Allah himself
- Prophets are not worshiped as they only bring the word of god as they are still humans and god is divine
- showing or drawing a picture of prophet Muhammad is also the sin of shirk
- Link to life: Calligraphy as a form of art, this puts emphasis on the nature of god rather than drawing god.
What are the 5 Shi’a roots of faith
- Imams: 12 perfect leaders appointed by god to guide the Islamic community after prophet Muhammad’s death. They are part of the prophet’s extended household. The last Imam is waiting to reappear
- Day of resurrection: on the day of judgement there will be a day of resurrection. All human beings will be raised and judged by God. Good will be rewarded and evil punished.
- Prophethood: God spoke through multiple prophets, some brought a message and some reiterated messages. Muhammad was the seal of the prophets and the final and perfect message from god
- Tawhid: there is only one god and no equals, he cannot be compared to anything or anyone, he is omnipotent, he is immortal, he is worthy of worship
- God’s Justice: God has perfect justice and fairness and does not abuse his power or do any wrong. He does not tolerate wrongdoing and humans are responsible for their own actions
what do Sunni and Shi’a Muslims believe about the leader after Muhammad
- There was no clear leader left behind after prophet Muhammad’s death, the next leader should be elected through democracy. Abu Bakr was chose: he was a close friend of the prophet, wise, older, experienced in battle, knew Muhammad in and out (Sunni)
- There was a clear leader, Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin. The angel Jibril reaffirmed this to Fatima, Ali’s wife (Shi’a)
What are the Sunni 6 articles of faith
1) judgement day: life is a test and preparation for the afterlife and will be judged on judgment day and have to account for their sins
2) Prophets: God has spoken through various prophets, Muhammad is the final and most important prophet ‘seal prophet’
3) Divine books: each book was needed to give guidance to people, but it was either lost or corrupted. The Qur’an is God’s revealed word, it provides ultimate guidance for humanity and their lives.
4) Angels: intermediaries between god and humans, the have no free will and fulfil many goals, the are messengers and recorders of good/bad deeds
5) fate (Al-Qadr): Allah is in control of future events, he is responsible for all things and has set out human destiny (without impacting human freewill)
6) God: there is one god, Allah means ‘one god’. Tawhid is the oneness of god.
