Islam Flashcards
(44 cards)
What are the 5 pillars of Islam?
Shahada, Salah, Zakah, Hajj, Sawm
What is the Shahada?
The declaration of faith, which Muslims are required to say
Muslims believe anyone who cannot recite this is not a Muslim
Muslims believe it demonstrates their loyalty to Allah, the Prophet Muhammad SAW and the religion of Islam. Muslims recite this daily to remind them of the importance of these beliefs
What is Shirk?
A sin that involves setting up equals to Allah, worshipping anyone or anything besides him
What is Tawhid?
the oneness of God
“Say ‘ He is Allah who is one’ “
What is the Quran?
Quran means recitiation. It is the central religious text of Islam
The Quran is read in Arabic and is the word of God, revealed over 23 years
It is the final divine message
Muslims must do wudu before handling the Quran
Muslims believe the Quran cannot touch the ground
What are the 4 kutub
The Torah - holy book given to Moses, Muslims recognise that it has important laws
The Scrolls of Abrahm - Revealed to Ibrahim but the scrolls are lost
The Gospel - revealed to Jesus
The Psalms - given to David
How do Muslims use the Quran
Daily in worship - verses recited
When guidance or support is needed
Muslim teachings about the Quran (2) quote
Muslims believe that the Quran contains the true words of Allah given to humanity and therefore it shouldn’t be criticised or changed.
“It is not but a revelation revealed, taught to him by one intense in strength”
Muslims always read the Quran in Arabic to preserve Allah’s words as the true meaning is only found in Arabic
What is Al Qadr and Akhirah
Al Qadr - Predestination, that Allah has decided everything that happens
“Only what God has decreed will happen to us”
Akhirah - life after death which affects how Muslims behave
What are the implications of Al Qadr?
Muslims will constantly try to follow the duties given them by Allah, e.g the five pillars as they know that although Allah knows everything, they are still accountable for their actions on DOJ
Belief in Al Qadr influences Muslims today by giving them hope in difficult times as they believe that this is part of Allah’s plan and everything happens for a reason
Muslims will constantly try to earn good deeds by helping others as they believe that this is what Prophet Muhammad and the Quran taught them
Give beliefs about Akhirah + quote
After death the angel of death will take the person’s soul to barzakh which is the waiting period between when a person dies and when they face judgement. Here, two angels will question them about their faith and their answer will determine their faith on DOJ
Two angles will open a book that records what a person did in his lifetime. If the name is recorded on the right hand side they will be sent to heaven and if left then hell
“Then whoever is given his record on his right hand…injustice will not be done to them”
How does Akhirah affect Muslims today?
It makes them realise the importance of asking for forgiveness
They try to earn good deeds such as by donating to charity or helping others because they believe that they will be judged by Allah and rewarded paradise
Muslims will avoid sins and follow duties such as the Five Pillars as they believe their actions in this life affect their afterlife
It makes them more aware that Allah is always watching
One way Akhirah influences Muslims is by encouraging them to avoid sin and follow duties such as the Five Pillars as they believe this will help them enter paradise after Judgement
Another way is by motivating Muslims to do good deeds such as giving to charity, because they believe every action is recorded and will be rewarded in the afterlife
What are the six articles of faith
Tawhid - the oneness of Allah
Malaikah - the belief in angels
Authority of kutub - the holy books
Risalah - following the prophets of Allah (prophethood)
Belief in Al Qadr (Predestination)
Akhirah - belief in life after death and DOJ
How do the six articles of faith influence Muslims today?
They will try to be good muslims e.g by following the five pillars as they know that they will be judged after death on the Day of Judgement
Muslims will only worship Allah and believe in one God as they believe in Tawhid which is the oneness of Allah.
Give 2 reasons why the Quran is important in islam
The Quran teaches you how to live a good life by following Allah’s guidance
The Quran teaches Muslims how to worship Allah
One way is that Muslims believe that it is a direct word from God. This influences Muslims to obey the Quran and its laws such as the Five Pillars
Another way is that Muslims believe the Quran was revealed in the Night of Power. This influences Muslims to spend this night worshipping Allah as it is an important night
Purpose of six articles of faith
To unite all sunni muslims
To support sunni muslims in how they should live their lives
The Five roots of Usul ad Din
Tawhid - the oneness of God, the idea there is one God called Allah
Adalat- justice, Allah is understood to he fair and just in the way he treats everything
Nubuwwah/Prophethood - The belief that Allah appointed prophets to pass his message on to humanity
Imamate - The belief that Alah appointed imams or leaders to guide humanity and be a source of authority. These can only be the descendants of Muhummad and are his successors
Mi’ad/DOJ and Resurrection - The belief that all humans will be judged by Allah on their actions after death
How does Tawhid influence Muslims today
Tawhid encourages Muslims to only worship Allah as tawhid teaches the oneness of God. This means Muslims will also reject any form of shirk and pray to Allah only
Tawhid influences Muslims by encouraging them to recite the Shahada as the Shahada says ‘There is no God but Allah’. This further reminds them of the oneness of Allah and to only worship Allah
Nature of Allah
Tawhid the oneness of God
Omnipotent - Allah is more powerful than anything in existence, He created the world and is in control of everything
Benevolent - Allah is caring and loves his creation
Mercy - Allah forgives people for the wrong things they do
Adalat - Allah is just and created the world in a fair way. He will judge humans fairly
One belief is that Allah is omnipotent, meaning he is all-powerful. Muslims believe that Allah created the universe and has control over everything in it, showing Allah’s greatness and inspiring worship
Another belief is that Allah is merciful. Muslims believe that Allah forgives those who repent sincerely. In the Quran it says “My mercy embraces all things” which encourages Muslims to seek forgiveness and be merciful towards others
Another belief is that Allah is just (Adalat), meaning He is always fair and treats everyone equally. This is especially important in Shi’a Islam, where justice is one of the five roots of Usul ad-Din. It influences Muslims to act fairly in their own lives, knowing they will be judged justly by Allah in the afterlife.
A further belief is that Allah is transcendent, meaning He is beyond human understanding and not limited by the physical world. Muslims believe that Allah is not like anything else and cannot be fully understood, which increases their awe and respect. The Qur’an says: “There is nothing whatever like Him”, reminding Muslims to approach Allah with humility and reverence.
Allah’s relationship with the world
Immanent - Allah is close to and involved within the world
Transcendence - Allah is above and beyond human understanding so it can be difficult for Muslims to fully understand Allah
These opposite ideas reflect the dual relationship Allah has with thr world in being above and beyond it yet close to and involved in it
Importance of Allah’s characteristics
Muslims believe that by knowing what Allah is like they can:
understand him better which strengthens their relationship with Allah and makes them closer
follow the way he wants them to live their lives and encourages Muslims to strive to be better as they believe this is what Allah wants
Angels in islam + quote
Angels are spiritual beings created from elements of light. Muslims believe they give messages from Allah to the prophets and watch over humans
Angels can take on human shape when needed but don’t have free will or physical bodies
“All praise is due to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, who made Angels”
Angel Jibril
Through Jibril Allah revealed the Qur’an to Muhummad over 23 years. Jibril also taught Muhummad how to pray
Without Jibril the message of the Quran would not have been revealed
Teaches Muslims to live their lives around the teachings of the Quran, often reading it every day to understand how they should live their lives
“Whoever is an enemy of Jibril… it is when who has brought down the Quran upon your heart”
Angel Izra’il
Izra’il is the angel of death who will return human souls to Allah
“The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned”
Izra’il is important in helping Muslims to understand that they need to live their lives how Allah wants them to following his rules so that they may be rewarded and not punished in the afterlife
Izra’il teaches Muslims to live their lives in the knowledge that they will one day be judged by Allah on their actions on Earth