Islam Q&A

What is the root meaning of the name Islam?

'surrender' or 'submission'.

Describe the Qur’an’s size and structure and its original language.

4/5th the size of the New Testament, is divided into 114 suras, and was originally written in Arabic.

What is the literal meaning of the term Qur'an?

'reading' or 'recitation'.

When and where was Muhammad born?

Born in 570 AD in Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula.

What is the night of Power and Excellence?

The beginning of Muhammad’s career as a prophet where he encountered the Angel Gabriel and later recited the stuff for 22 years.

What is the Hijra and why is it important?

The immigration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib and is the founding event of the Muslim community.

Why is Muhammad referred to as the Seal of the Prophets?

Tthe last prophet, revealing Allah’s teachings fully and precisely for all time.

What is the Sunna of the Prophet?

The teachings of Muhammad in writing, is the second most important authority for Islam.

Why is Allah thought to be genderless?

Gender is a human quality, and giving Allah a gender would limit Allah’s nature.

Identify at least two of Islam’s prophets other than Muhammad.

Abraham, the father of Arabs, and Moses, who pronounced Allah’s ethical laws.

Who is Ishmael and what is his place in Islam?

Abraham’s son and became the ancestor of the Arabs.

How do Muslims interpret the Fall from perfection in the Garden of Eden?

When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they caused a state of forgetfulness to come upon them, making them also forget their basic goodness, leading them to sin.

What do Muslims expect to happen before and on the Day of Judgment?

The Day of Judgment will be preceded by the coming of the Mahdi and after this Jesus Christ will return to Jerusalem.

What is the Muslim view of the natural world?

As the creation of Allah, which is good and worthy of reverence and it is sometimes referred to as the cosmic Qur’an.

What determines inclusion in the Umma?

Religion determines inclusion

Identify two modern nations whose government is based on the Shari'a.

Iran and Pakistan.

What is the English translation of the Muslim confession of faith?

Shahada

Describe the Muslim practice of daily prayer.

Pray five times a day, cleanse themselves with water prior, and perform the actual act of prayer on a specific prayer rug.

What is Ramadan?

Takes place during the ninth month of the Muslim year, and from dawn to sunset, Muslims are to avoid eating, drinking, smoking, and sex.

What is required of Muslims according to the fourth pillar, wealth sharing?

Muslims must contribute 2.5% of the value of their possessions to a public treasury.

What is the Hajj and its religious significance?

The pilgrimage to Mecca, has great religious significance because Allah forgives the sins of those who make the journey.

Summarize two Muslim teachings on the care of the body.

The body is to be kept clean and clothing should neither be overly seductive nor luxurious.

What are the three specific points of contention regarding Muslim perspectives on women?

Divorce, polygamy, and the wearing of the veil.

Define the word jihad.

The general spiritual struggle to be a devout Muslim.

What was the extent of Islamic expansion one century after Muhammad's death?

Islam was the religion of the entire Middle East, Persia, North Africa, and almost all of Spain.

What areas of the globe currently have the greatest concentration of Muslims?

The northern half of Africa, all of the Middle East and southwestern Asia, South Asia, and the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Why does Arabia enjoy a special status in Islam?

It is the location of Muslim sacred sites and Arabic is the language of Islam.

Why have some African Americans argued that Islam is better suited for their community than Christianity?

Christianity is regarded as the religion of their white oppressors.

What is Sunnism?

A division of Islam practiced by most Muslims, named after the Sunna.

What is the meaning of the term Shi'a?

'partisans of Ali'.

Identify modern nations with a Shi'i majority or significant Shi'i population.

Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Briefly describe the figure of the Imam in Shi’ism.

Believed to have special spiritual insight and is revered as the true earthly authority.

How does Sufism extend Islam’s confession of faith?

By declaring there is nothing but God.

Identify at least two Sufi methods or disciplines.

Recitation of sacred names and phrases, and breathing exercises.