Living World Religions Exam 2

How many nations are there with Muslim majorities

as least 50 nations

How many Muslims are there in the world?

2 billion

What is Ka'aba?

a shrine to the goddess of heaven (meteorite). 360 idols worshiped there

The Main Point (short answer)

Islam spreads to places where it fills a religious and political void

What was significant about 570 CE?

Muhammad was born in Mecca

What happens in 595 CE

Muhammad marries a wealthy widow names Khadijah.

What happens in 610 CE?

Night of Power. First revelations (Q. 96:1-5)

What happens in 622 CE?

Muhammad flees to Medina (Hijra) to escape persecution

What is the 'Year 0' on the Muslim calendar?

622 "year of hijra"

AD 2026

AH 1448

Uthman

He collected copies of the Quran and preserved it. He burned the variants

Who was Ali?

Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law whom Shivas believe Muh. was appointed

What does Quran mean?

Recitation or to recite

What is Abrogation or "Naskh"? (short answer)

A later revelation trumps and earlier one

What does the Quran say about Jesus? (multiple choice T/F)

1. "Isa mentioned by name 27 times

2. He was born by a virgin birth

3. Jesus spoke as an infant, made clay birds fly

What is the Hadith?

additional writings including words and deeds that tell Muhammad's life story

What does Islam mean?

submission

What does Muslim mean?

one who submits

Six articles of faith

Belief in God

Belief in God's angels

Belief in God's revealed books

Belief in the prophets and messengers of God

Belief in the Day of Judgment

Belief in the divine will or predestination

What is Shirk?

Idolatry (worst sin)

What is Takbir?

God is great!

Five Pillars

1. Say the Shahada throughout the day

2. Pray five times daily facing Mecca

3. Alms: 2.5 % of their income goes to the poor

4. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

5. Fasting during Ramadan

Festival of Eid ul-Fitr

celebrates the end of Ramadan with family gatherings, gifts and cards exchanged, special holiday meals, etc.

Conversion to Islam

1. Simply confess the shahada and mean it!

2. Converts taken to mosque and taught to pray properly. Males circumcised.

What does High Religion focus on?

the truth

- Ultimate meaning of life, origins

What does Low Religion focus on?

Power- Well-being, guidance, success or failure

Which sect of Muslim is 85% of the population?

Sunni (way of life)

Halal

permitted

Haram

forbidden

Shi'ites or Shi'as

trace heritage to Ali as rightful successor to Muhammad and with similar authority and "divine guidance"

Seveners (Isma'ilis)

Refer to the leader of their movement as Aga Khan

Twelvers (Imamis)

believe the imam line ceased after the twelfth imam disappeared/hid.

Think he will return as madhi, which has come to mean "messiah"

Believe that his return will be right before 2nd coming of Jesus

Sufi Movement

Muslim mystics

Malcolm Little was also known as Malik Shabazz or Malcolm X

Renounced racism upon his return from the hajj

Points of Contrast (Islam)

1. Different understandings of the attributes of God

2. Conviction about divinity of Jesus and his incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.

3. Nature of Bible vs. nature of Qur'an

Alawites

sect of Shi'a that was recently overthrown in Syria; believed to be heretics for viewing Ali as a divine being

Boko Haram

a Nigerian militant Islamist group that seeks to create an Islamic state

Hamas

- Acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement". The Arabic word hamas means courage or zeal.

- Committed to the destruction of the State of Israel

Hezbollah

means "Party of God"

- military organization in Lebonon

- Made up of mostly Shi'a Muslims

Hinduism

"eternal duty" or eternal way (english)

(Sanantana dharma)

Rig

"hymn", the oldest of the vedas

Indra

- weather god

Agni *

god of fire

soma *

god of the hallucinogenic plant (mushroom)

Varuna

god of heavenly morality and order

vedas

science

Rig-, Yajur-, and Sama- are together known as...

three-fold Veda

Puja

"sacrifice" or "act of worship"

3 types of puja

1. scheduled daily services

2. routine individual sacrifices

3. sacrifices on special occasions, such as birthday of a god

What do priest do with Hinduism

- emphasis on saying the right words (mantra) "OOOOOOMMMMM" "everything could be said"

- correctly performing rituals

Upanishads

"sittings near a teacher"

Sannyasin (renouncer)

a person who has renounced everything in total devotion to contemplation

Brahman-Atman

An impersonal essence, like electricity; gods (330 million of them) are like light bulbs. "Saguna Brahman" ("saguna" means with attributes) concept points to more personal attributes, but only as a concession to "weak" humans who long for a personal deity. "Nirguna Brahman" ("nirguna" means without attributes) is considered the ideal.

Self Denial of Hinduism vs. Christianity

Hindu self denial is for personal gain (reaching the state of absorption into Brahman) while Christian self denial is putting other people above yourself.

Swami Narayan

Claimed to be incarnation of Vishnu. Their BAPS organization has built 100 temples in the U.S.

Swami Ramakrishna

became popular in US after his disciple came to Chicago in 1893

Mohandas Gandhi

non-violent civil disobedience

political and religious reformer who championed civil rights and indian independence

Mata Amritanandamayi

better known as "Amma, the hugging saint," is said to have hugged more than 34 million people worldwide as a spiritual practice.

Way of Devotion

Known as Bhakti Yoga ("loving attachment") because it encourages special devotion to one particular god and to one's caste duty or dharma.

kathenotheism (Grk.) =

"one-god-at-a-time-ism"

Bhagavad Gita

"Song of the Lord"; a long poem on religious duty in the Mahabharata

Arjuna- warrior

Krishna- a humble chariot driver (avatar of Vishnu in disguise)

3 main gods in modern Hinduism and brief descriptions

1. Shiva: destruction and reproduction

2. Vishnu: preserver, sustainer, god of love

3. Brahma- creator god

4. Devi: deva

define "monoism"

God is everything and everything is God

Dharma

do your duty

maya

all experience is illusion; only Brahman is real

samsara

Cycle of reincarnation in Hinduism

Moksha

salvation by getting off the reincarnation cycle

Dalits

chandalas or outcastes or untouchables

Diwali

Hindu festival of lights - celebrating the victory of light over darkness.

kumbh mela

A mass Hindu pilgrimage every 12 years to Prayagraj on the river ganges

bathing in sacred waters to bring purity

Points of Contact (hinduism)

1. The divine is everywhere

2. spiritual vs. material forces

3. principle of reaping+sowing