Islam

Question 1

570 CE

Answer 1

Birth of Muhammad

Question 2

610 CE

Answer 2

First Revelation

Question 3

622 CE

Answer 3

The migration of early Muslim community from Mecca to Medina

Question 4

632 CE

Answer 4

Muhammad Dies

Question 5

661-750 CE

Answer 5

Umayyad Dynasty, controversial Muslim dynasty that ruled during this time

Question 6

680 CE

Answer 6

Karbela - husayn martyr

Question 7

750-1258 CE

Answer 7

Abassid Celphate

Question 8

What are the five pillars of Islam

Answer 8

1. Shahada [confession]
2. Salat [prayer]
3. Zakat [almsgiving]
4. Sawn [fasting]
5. Hajj [Pilgrimage to Mecca]

Question 9

What is Shahada?

Answer 9

“Confessions”

• a declaration of faith
• to become Muslim one must recite the Shahada with sincerity in front of a witness
  “There is no God but God & Mohammad is the messenger of God”

Question 10

What is the Sabat?

Answer 10

“ Prayer”

• call to prayer
• facing Mecca
• ritual washing before prayer
• 5x a day
• communal Friday noon prayer
• use of prayer mat

Question 11

What is Zakat?

Answer 11

“ Almsgiving”

• % of certain types of property/ income
• functions like a tax in Muslim majority countries
• understood as a way of making money ritually pure
• provides for the poor/ institutions including mosques and schools
• required for all adults except for those who do not meet minimum wages

Question 12

What is Sawn?

Answer 12

“Fasting during Ramadan”

• retain from eating, drinking, sexual activity from sunrise to sunset
• pregnant woman, young children, elderly and the ill are exempt

Question 13

What is Hajj?

Answer 13

“Pilgrimage is o Mecca”

• second week of phu al-hajj, last month of the year
• must undertake during a state of ritual purity called Ihram
• pilgrims walk around the ka’ba seven times counter clockwise in a ritual known as taw-at
• journey to the Plain of Arafat to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael

Question 14

What are the two major holidays?

Answer 14

1: Id al-Adha “feast of sacrifice”
2: Id al-fitr “feast of fast-breaking”

Question 15

Abbasids

Answer 15

Important Muslim empire that ruled from 750-1258 CE

Question 16

Adhan

Answer 16

The call to prayer

Question 17

Aisha

Answer 17

beloved wife of Muhammad who is known for transmitting many Hadith

Question 18

Ashura

Answer 18

Tenth day of Muharram, recognized by Shi’a Muslim’s as the anniversary of the martyrdom of Husayn

Question 19

Caliph

Answer 19

Leader of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad

Question 20

Hadith

Answer 20

Literary tradition recording the sayings and deeds of Muhammad

Question 21

Husayn

Answer 21

Grandson of Muhammad who was killed while challenging the Umayyads

Question 22

Imam

Answer 22

Prayer leader in the Shi’a tradition, one of the leaders of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad

Question 23

Jahiliyya

Answer 23

“Age of ignorance”, time period after the revelation of the Qur’an

Question 24

What are the two types ofJihad?

Answer 24

Greater jihad: struggle with one’s self to become a better person

Lesser jihad: military conflict in defence of faith

Question 25

Khadija

Answer 25

Muhammad’s first wife

Question 26

Mecca

Answer 26

City in which Muhammad was born; place of pilgrimage for Muslims

Question 27

Medina

Answer 27

City to which Muhammad and his early followers migrated to escape persecution in Mecca

Question 28

Miraj

Answer 28

Muhammad’s night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and from there to heaven, where he met God

Question 29

Muezzin

Answer 29

The person who calls the adhan

Question 30

Shari’a

Answer 30

“The way to the waterhole” | -specifically Islamic law

Question 31

Shi’a

Answer 31

Believed that Ali should have succeeded as leader of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad. Only the family/ descendants of the prophet Muhammad should lead the Muslim community

Question 32

Shirk

Answer 32

The sin of idolatry, of worshipping anything other than God, the one unforgivable sin of Islam

Question 33

Sufi

Answer 33

Follower of mystic tradition of Islam, Sufism which focuses on the believers personal experience of God and goal of union with God

Question 34

Sunnah

Answer 34

“Way of Life” | Specifically refers to the example of the life of Muhammad; important religious source

Question 35

Sunni

Answer 35

Believed that the Muslim community should decide on a successor to lead after the death of Muhammad

Question 36

What are the two main branches of Islam?

Answer 36

Sunni & Shi’a

Question 37

Surah

Answer 37

Chapter of the Qur’an there are 114 surahs in the Qur’an

Question 38

Tafsir

Answer 38

Interpretation of or commentary on the Qur’an there are several types of tasfir, which aim to explain the meaning of the Qur’an

Question 39

Umma

Answer 39

Worldwide Muslim community