Islam: beliefs and teachings (all)

What is the Arabic word for the oneness of God?

tawhid

What word means the sin of linking or connecting anything with God?

shirk

Why is shirk considered a sin by Muslims?

Shirk means that you are putting something else on a similar level to God, and this goes against the belief in tawhid.

What is the correct word for the statement "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger"?

Shahadah

Where is the bismillah found?

at the start of every chapter of Qur'an (except sura 9)

What does the bismillah say?

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

What do Muslims believe about the Qur'an?

it is the final, unchanging and correct word of God, and is therefore the most important source of authority

What is the correct Arabic word for a message from God?

risalah

What is the correct Arabic word for a messenger from God?

rasul

What was the name of the prophet who built the first Ka'aba?

Adam

What is the name of the prophet who rebuilt the Ka'aba?

Abraham (Ibrahim)

What is the name of the prophet who was given the Torah (Tawrat)?

Moses (Musa)

What is the name of the prophet who was a King of Israel and was given the Psalms (Zabur)?

David (Dawud)

What is the name of the prophet who is known for performing miracles and is believed will return on judgement day?

Jesus (Isa)

Who is the 'last and final prophet' for Muslims?

Muhammad

What does the word revelation mean?

to show something to someone

What term is used to describe Muhammad's place as the final prophet?

the Seal of the Prophets

Why do Muslims consider holy books such as the Torah and the Gospels as less important than the Qur'an?

The Torah and Gospels were revealed by God but have been changed, but the Qur'an has not been changed

Which holy book is the most important for Muslims?

Qur'an

How is the Qur'an treated, to show how important it is?

It will be kept on a high shelf and a Muslim will wash their hands before reading. Some Muslims might learn to recite part or all of the Qur'an off by heart.

What disagreement led to the division of Sunni and Shia Muslims?

a disagreement about who should lead the Muslims after Muhammad

What does the word 'imam' mean?

leader

Most Shia Muslims believe there were how many Imams?

12

What is the difference between an imam in Sunni Islam and an Imam in Shia Islam?

For Sunni Muslims the imam is the leader of a mosque For Shia Muslims the Imam is one of the 12 community leaders chosen by God after Muhammad.

What do Shia Muslims believe about the final Imam?

that he is still alive, but hidden and will return with Jesus to bring fairness and peace

What is the title given to the final Imam?

Mahdi

What is the title Sunni Muslims give to the successors of Muhammad?

Caliph

What are the six articles of faith for Sunni Muslims?

one God, angels, prophets, books, afterlife, predestination

What are the five roots of Usul-ad-Din for Shia Muslims?

one God, justice, prophethood, Imamate, resurrection

Which of the 'roots' or 'articles of faith' are common to both Sunni and Shia Islam?

tawhid, prohets, day of judgement

Which of the 5 'roots' is only found in Shia Islam?

imamate

What word means all-powerful?

omnipotence

What does the word 'omniscient' mean?

all knowing or seeing

What does it mean to say that God is the creator?

that God created the whole universe

What does the beneficence of God mean?

that God is good

What best describes the belief that God is merciful?

God shows kindness and forgiveness to those who are sorry for what they have done wrong

What other word is used about God that means 'benificient'?

compassionate

How many 'names' do Muslims use to describe Allah?

99

What word describes the belief that God is close to us now?

immanent

What word describes the belief that God is above us and beyond human understanding?

transcendent

Which words are used to describe Allah?

fair, just, merciful and compassionate

What word do Shia Muslims use to refer to the justice of God?

adalat

According to Islamic teaching, what was God's first creation?

angels

What does Islam teach about angels?

Angels are made out of light, have no free will, do God's work and praise God

What is the Arabic word for angel?

mala'ika

What is the name of the chief angel, responsible for giving messages to prophets (such as Muhammad)?

Jibril

What is the name of the angel that brings nourishment and seasons to the earth, and looks after heaven, keeping out the Devil?

Mika'il

What is the Arabic word for destiny or predestination?

al-Qadr

What does Islam teach about al-Qadr (predestination)?

God is the ultimate cause of all things, so there can be no chance or random events. This means God knows all things including all of our thoughts and actions.

What is the Arabic word for afterlife?

akhirah

How is the decision about whether we go to heaven or hell made?

God will judge us based on the record of our thoughts and actions

What will happened to those who have died before the Day of Judgement?

they will be taken to wait in Barzakh

How does the Qur'an descibe heaven?

a beautiful green garden

How does the Qur'an describe hell?

a place of scorching fire, boiling water and black smoke

What does the word 'jihad' mean?

struggle

What is 'greater jihad'?

the inner struggle to live in line with the teachings of Islam

What is 'lesser jihad'?

the outward struggle to defend Islam from threat

What are some examples of greater jihad?

Learning the Qur'an off by heart to become a Hafiz. Following the Five Pillars or Ten Obligatory Acts in Shia Islam. Forgiving others. Helping the poor and needy.