Islam Beliefs Flashcards

Question

describe God's relationship with the world

Answer 1

immanence - God is close to and involved within the world, "closer than the jugular vein" and vital to human existence, He helps us, inspires us and gives our life purpose . Life without God is worse than death. Within the world He helps and guides . Transcendence- God is above and beyond human understanding, so it can be difficult to fully understand God. He is outside time and space and is eternal, limitless and omnipotent. Not affected by the world, He is greater than the world itself.

Answer 2

spiritual beings created from elements of light - Muslims believe they give messages from God to the prophets and watch over humans . They praise God but have no freewill and so they watch over humanity

Answer 3

" praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and earth, who made angels with two, three four pairs of wings" - surah 35 "If anyone is an enemy of God, His angels and His messengers of Jibril and Mika'ill, then God is certainly the enemy of such believers " - Surah 2 - each person has angels before him and behind, watching over him by God's command " - Surah 13 - angels are important for the day of judgement too as they are watching over you and recording your deeds

Answer 4

- angel who delivers messages ( including the Qur'an) - it is through Jibril that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad and is believed that jibril also taught Muhammad how to pray - Without Jibril the message of the Qur'an would not have been recieved = it influences muslims to take the teachings of the Qur'an seriously and believe that it is the infallible Word of God and os muslims should strive to follow the rules and practices of the book

Answer 5

- angel who rewards good deeds with eternal life - he is often understood to be the Angel of Mercy or sustenance, with the role of rewarding those who have led good lives. - knows as a friend to humanity, and was one of the first to bow down to Adam - Helped Muhammad at the battle of Badr in the fight for Makkah - believed to bring rain and thunder to earth = important as water is needed for crops for humans to survive = emphasises the importance of the angels as they help support life influence: Helps humans to understand/ feel reassured that there is an afterlife with God and so they will either be rewarded with paradise that will be offered to those who do good deeds in life so will motivate muslims to do good or be sent to hell and be punished

Answer 6

- angels act as messengers between God and humans = true word of God - They always complete God's tasks - and obey Him as they have no freewill - they watch over muslims and record all thoughts and actions for judgement day - angels greet those in paradise and punish those in hell - they are one of the 6 articles of faith for sunni muslims - they help muslims understand how to live their lives/ good moral conduct - an angel will blow the horn to signify the end of the world - jibril was given the task of sharing the Qur'an from Allah to Muhammad - without Jibril muslims would not have been able to receive the inherent and infallible word from God

Answer 7

life after death

Answer 8

" lead him to burn in the blazing fire" - surah 69

Answer 9

" For those who believe and do good deeds will have gardens of lasting bliss graced with flowing streams.. what a blessed reward.. what a pleasent resting place" - Surah 18 "Here is a picture of the garden promised to the pious: rivers of water forever pure, rivers of milk forever fresh... and they will find forgiveness from their lord" - Surah 47

Answer 10

" when the trumpet is sounded a single time.. on that day the Great Event will ome to pass.. on that Day you will be epxosed and none of your secrets will remain hidden" - surah 69 - ( it also emphasises God's omniscience as well as encourages Muslims to avoid sin and follow the teachings if the Qur'an so that on the Day of Judgement where the secrets will be exposed you will be rewarded with eternal life in paradise

Answer 11

- believe that God is omniscient and tht his judgement will always be right and fair. - on the day of judgement the body will be resurrected and two angels will open the book that contains the record of what a person has done in their lifetime - it their name is recorded on the right hand side of the book , they will be sent to heaven . if it on the left they will be sent to hell.

Answer 12

heaven / paradise ( Jannah ) is described in the Qur'an as a beautiful place where people enjoy various rewards. Many Muslims believe that life in heaven is not static but a continous journey towards higher levels of progress towards Allah

Answer 13

hell is describe as a place of pain and suffering for people who did not live moral lives and chose to reject the prophets sent to them. Some muslims believe that hell is a physical place and that the graphic descriptions of hell are literally true . - some consider the Qur'an's language about hell to be symbolic and intended to highlight the danger of not believing in Allah / commiting sin. Some believe God will ultimately fogive all

Answer 14

- Influences Muslims to follow God's rules and do good deeds so that they will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven - Influences muslim s to follow God's rules and avoid committing sin so they will not be condemned to hell - teaches muslims that they will be held accountable for their earthly actions; motivates muslims to try to be good in life - influences muslims to have hope that justice will ultimately prevail and good will be rewards/ evil will be punished - reassures muslims that death is not the end and that there will be a reward for leading a good / moral Muslim life on earth

Answer 15

- known as Al Qadr in islam - the ' divine decree' - Allah already knows everything that will ever happen in the universe. is the Muslim belief that Allah has decided everything that will happen in the world and in people's lives, however humans still have the free will to make their own choices

Answer 16

"Every person is free to choose how they act. at the same time, some things are predetermined and unchangeable. God knows the outcomes of free choices."

Answer 17

" Nobody may die except with God's permission, at a predestined time" - Surah 3 - suggests that even your death is predestined by God " He has subjected the Sun and the moon each to pursue its course for an appointed time" - surah 13 - not only does predestinatino apply to humans but it applies to the world and its outer parts - everything is subject to God's command " Only what God has decreed will happen to us" - Surah 9

Answer 18

- try to live in accordance with God's will and plan for their life - following the Qur'an teachings and practising the 5 pillars - it makes muslims more God conscious and they will try their best tio live good lives, in accordance with his will - take comfort in the fact all good and bad comes from Allah; gives hope knowing the outcome of any action ( good or bad) happens only by the will of God - May not fear death, because it is part of God's plan: 'No soul may die except with God's permission at a predestined time' (Surah 3:145) -'God says be, and it is' (Surah 2:117)-suggests Allah has power over everything; humans are limited in their control, so accept His will Muslims believe they will be compensated for the hardships that they endure and as such this life is a test. Influenced to remain faithful.

Answer 19

communication between God and humanity

Answer 20

- books - angels -prophets

Answer 21

prophets whose messages have been written down

Answer 22

- channel of communication between God and humanity - they have brought important messages form God ( "truths") - they have brought Holy books - they show Muslims how to live their lives - helps Muslims be led on a path that God wants them to live and approach eg in the Sunnah ( which records Muhammad's actions) Muslims are inspired to emulate their commitment to God - they confirm the nature of God through their messages - Source of wisdom and inspiration

Answer 23

"There is no God but God and Muhamad is His messenger " - Shahadah - Muhammad is described as the " perfect man" - Surah 20 - Muhammad is described as " an excellent model"- surah 33

Answer 24

contains the words and actions of Muhammad as recorded by his followers.

Answer 25

Angel Jibril appeared to Muhammad whilst he was meditating in a cave on mount Hira. jibril commanded Muhammad to 'recite' . The qur'an - the infallible word of God-was then revealed to him over 23 years

Answer 26

- founder of Islam - seal of prophets( the final prophet)

Answer 27

- God chose to reveal the Qur'an specifically to Muhammad = he was divinely chosen - he is the founder of the Islamic religions - He inaugurated Islamic practices and rituals - He is the perfect example for Muslims to emulate - He showed many qualities that would serve Muslims well in their lives today eg determination, patience , courage , humility - rejected immortality , showed duty and community - creator of the first community - his words made him a great teacher and he lived the life he preached - he spoke with authority , directly from God and influences other to follow teachings of the Qur'an - allowed religious freedom, rights for women as well as care for elderly and in need

Answer 28

- the first prophet ( and human) to be created - the father of humankind, a prophet until his death - he built the Ka'aba and taught the next life is eternal - his task was to be a steward/ caretaker of the world - to be a khalifah = teaches muslims today that they should also look after and care for God's creation - he was given Hawaa, a woman, for company however they disobeyed God and failed the test from Iblis and were banishd to earth instead of living in Eden - they askd for forgivness and God was merciful - He did wrong but repented and was forgiven - highlights God's omnibenevolent and just nature

Answer 29

- He is the exemplar of faith - he believed in one true God and rejected the idea of idol Gods/ statues. He preached this message but was rejected - God sent miracle to save him when people tried to burn him for his monotheistic beliefs - he is known as the " father of monotheism" " God tested him bu asking him to sacrifice his son Ismail. Ibrahim was willing , so God was please and sent a ram for sacrifice instead - he is an examplar of faith - Surah 37) - ibrahim's obediance to God and willingness to follow God's commands made him an ' exemplar of faith'

Answer 30

- festival of sacrifice - signifies the end of Hajj - remembers Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God asked him to.- reminds Muslims of the test of faith faced by Ibrahim and how they should apply and emulate this quality of faith and obedience in themselves.

Answer 31

recitations - because God spoke it to Muhammad who was illiterate

Answer 32

- this is to preserve God's infallible words - the Qur'an was revealed in Arabic - Muslims therefore believe it cannot be truly studied in other languages as its true meaning is only found in Arabic = emphasises the importance of Qur'an as it holds extreme historical importance

Answer 33

"Nor could this Qur'an have been devised by anyone other than God. It confirms what was revealed before it and is an explanation of the Scripture" (Surah 10).

Answer 34

- contains the true words of God and is direct revelation of God - it has God's authority and is without error - unchanging and unchangeable - cannot be criticised - is seen as a miracle- Muhammad was illiterate yet the direct words from Allah were revealed to Muslims; it is greater than any book that man could produce - It covers every aspect of life, influencing and guiding a person throughout their life - it is the basis for Shari'ah law - Laws of God are always superior to laws of man

Answer 35

- Daily worship - verses will be spoken - in the Jummah service on a Friday - in celebration, festivals and rites of passage - As a source of Shari'ah law for Islamic matters - As a source of wisdom, inspiration , guidance and support - as a source of explanation and insight - treated with great respect and reverence

Answer 36

- revelations given to Musa ( Moses) by God and now lost, no longer existing in original form - talked about in the Qur'an as ' guidance and light" - not considered direct word of God

Answer 37

- scrolls of Ibrahim prophet Ibrahim is called the 'upright one' = always faithful to God - it is believe he recieved revelations on the first day of Ramadan and they come in parable- like stories which covers issues of worship and reflection but on not in one single book

Answer 38

- the Gospels were the account of Jesus' life and death written by his followers after his death - muslims believe they contain many mistakes as they are not the direct word of God

Answer 39

collections of prayers and poems by Dawid the Great King by God as a form of guidance, which Dawud recited as songs and poems

Answer 40

- the Qur'an refers to all these books so they must hold some significance and authority and truth - Muhammed confirmed much of what is taught by these books ,giving them importance eg story of ibrahim which was found in Torah, Old Testament - they are connected to a well - respected prophets ; giving them authority - They give God's guidance, even if not totally accountable CONTRAST : - some accounts are lost so no one knows what was initally said = hold less truth - some have been changed so might take away some of their authority - Qur'an has more authority than all of them together as it is the Word of God, unchanged

Answer 41

- Shia Muslims believe that imams are exemplary individuals who are appointed by God and they obey all teachings and follow Shari'ah Law

Answer 42

spiritual successors to Muhammad , chosen by God = they are chosen without sin and are infallible = they can interpret the teachings of the Qur'an without making any errors = THEY HAVE HIGH AUTHORITY = Muslims are influences to listen and respect the Imams while following their teachings as they were chosen by God

Answer 43

party of Ali - as Shia muslims believe Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad , as they were related

Answer 44

- branch of Shia's islam whose followers believe there were 12 imams after the death of Muhammad - they believe that the 12th imam has been kept alive by God and is hidden somewhere on Earth - Shia Muslims believe that the 12th imam will one day make himself known and bring equality

Answer 45

because people need guidance on how to live correctly. due to their close relationship with God, the twelve imams are high respected

Islam Beliefs Flashcards

(70 cards)