islamic civilisation Flashcards
(17 cards)
Where did Islam began to spread?
Islam began to spread in early AD 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia.
Who was Muhammad?
Muhammad was an Arab born in Mecca. In AD 610, Muhammad received a message from Allah through an angel, saying that Allah was the only god. After that, the spread of Islam began.
What was Muhammad seen as?
He was seen as the ‘messenger’ or ‘prophet’ of Allah.
What are those who believe in Islam called?
They are called Muslims, meaning those who submit to Allah.
Why did local leaders force Muhammad to leave Mecca? What happened after that?
They were afraid that Islam might become to strong and damage their interests, so they forced Muhammad to leave. In AD 622 , Muhammad led his followers leaving from Mecca to Medina -> event is called Hegira.
What did Muhammad do to retake Mecca?
In AD 630, Muhammad led his army from Medina to retake Mecca, wiped out the idols in the Kaaba, and built a mosque around the Kaaba, called the Forbidden Mosque.
What is one of the most important religious texts of Islam?
The Koran.
What recorded Muhammad’s sayings and teachings and served as the basis of behaviour among Muslims?
The Hadith.
What are the ‘Six Articles of Faith’?
- Believe in Allah : He is the only highest creator. He knows about everything.
- Believe in angels : Allah created angels to give people messages and teachings from Allah.
- Believe in religious texts : Muslims must follow the teachings from the Koran and other religious texts.
- Believe in prophets : Allah sent Muhammad to this world as the greatest and the last prophet.
- Believe in the Judgment Day : When the end of the world comes, Allah will revive all the dead and judge them. Good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell.
- Believe in predestination : All deeds of human beings are predestined by the will of Allah.
What are the ‘Five Pillars of Islam’?
- Shahada : Declare faith towards the truth that Allah is the real god and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
- Salah : Five daily prayers, kneeling and worshipping towards the direction of Mecca.
- Sawm : Fasting for a month every year. Muslims should not eat or drink for dawn to sunset.
- Zakat : Muslims with excess wealth, clothes, or food should help the needy and the poor.
- Hajj : Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in life time when personal finance and healthy permit.
What must Muslims not do?
They must not eat pork and all unclean food, drink wine, gamble, and practice usury.
What was the writing system of Islam?
They wrote in the Arabic alphabet because they considered the Koran as a textbook and learnt from it. With the widespread of Islam, the Arabic alphabet soon became one of the mostly used writing systems, just second to the Roman alphabet.
What is one of the most famous Arabian literature works in the Medieval Times?
The Once Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folk tales. Among the stories, ‘Aladdin and the Magic Lamp’ and ‘Sinbad Sailing’ and ‘Alibaba and the Forty Thieves’ were well known to everyone -> has a deep influence on the world literature.
How was the architecture and art in Islam?
Because Muslims did not worship idols, there were very few sculptures and paintings of human beings or animals. They gradually developed the art of geometric pattern, known as the arabesque. In mosques, the arabesques were painted on the walls, ceilings and domes. Thus, the Islamic architecture was important to the world architectural art.
Were Muslims good at medicine?
They have known how to cure smallpox, measles, and other infectious diseases since long ago. In early 8th century, some large-scale hospitals were built in some big cities and could take in thousands of patients.
Who was a great Muslim surgeon in Medieval Times?
AI-Zahrawi was one of the greatest surgeons at that time. He invented about 200 surgical instruments and his works with pictures had great contributions to the improvement in surgery.
What numerals did Muslims use?
They used the Indian numerals and learnt the concept of zero, they improved them and spread it to Europe. Nowadays we are still using Arabic numerals.
