IB World Regions I- Islam Vocab Basic & Historic + Doctrinal

Islam and Muslim

• means “submission”

• Islam means to submit one’s will to the will of God

• Islam can be practiced by anyone any place at any time

• Muslim means anyone who submits their will to Allah.

• To become Muslim, a person must say “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.”

• Muslims believe Muhammad is God’s final prophet 

Allah

means “the God”

• Allah is the sole God- the creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world

• Worshiping anything other than Allah is considered a grave sin (shirk)

• Muslims believe that Allah has no partners in divinity 

• When you worship only Allah, you will get good things in life 

Muhammad

Founder of Islam and the final prophet who received revelations from God (Qur’an)

• Born in Mecca, Arabia in 570 

• His teachings act as perfect model s for how Muslims should live

  • United the Arabian Peninsula under Islam, which shaped it into a global religion 

Five Pillars 

The five basic practices that every Muslim must follow to show their faith 

• Shahada: testimony- confess their faith by reciting “There is no god by god; Muhammad is God’s messenger.”

• Salat: prayer- Muslims must pray 5 times a day in the direction of Mecca

• Zakat: alms- donate 2.5% of their yearly assets to charity

• Sawm: fasting- fast during the month of Ramadan, from sunrise until sunset

• Hajj- pilgrimage- every Muslim must go on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime

Mecca

where Muslims must make pilgrimage to commit to their faith and repent for their sins

• Where Prophet Muhammad was born

• Pilgrimage here is required in the Islamic faith

• Kaaba is located here, where muslims pray towards

  • Holiest City in Islam

Medina

means “the city”

• Muhammed’s flight to Medina (hijra) is first year of Islamic calendar

• The umma began here; Muslims everywhere are connected through their faith in God

• Original Constitution of Medina included Jews, symbolizing today peaceful coexistence

Hijra

means “migration”

• The emigration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib (later called Medina) in 622

• the founding event of the Muslim community→2 mosques were built, Constitution of Medina (by Muhammad) - created the umma

• Sets the start of the Muslim calendar 

• Qur’an 2 sections: Meccan (pre-hijra) and Medinan (post-Hijra)

• Inspired Muslims resisting colonial rule in West Africa and South Asia

Shahada 

means “testimony”

• islamic declaration of faith stating belief in the oneness of God and Muhammad as His messenger

• it is the first of the five pillars of islam, making it the foundation of Muslim belief and practice

• it is recited daily in prayers and serves as a constant reminder of monotheism and commitment to Islam 

• Saying the Shahada with sincere belief is how a person formally converts to Islam 

Tawhid

means “oneness”

• the belief that Allah is completely One, without partners

• central belief of Islam and part of the Shahadah

• Includes that Allah alone is Creator, only He deserves worship, his qualities are unique

• Protects Muslims from worshiping anyone or anything besides Allah 

Shirk

literal meaning: “making a partner”

• Giving partners to Allah or worshiping others with Him

• Seen as the greatest sin in Islam

• Major shirk=idol worship

• Minor shirk= showing off, relying on others as equal to God, amulets

• Qur’an teaches that shirk cannot be forgiven unless the person repents 

Rasul + Risalah

Rasul: means “messenger”

Risalah: means “message”

A rasul is a prophet sent by God with a new scripture or law to guide humanity

• Muhammad is considered the final rasul in Islam, who message completes all previous revelation 

• They are seen as link between God and humans but not worshiped 

Risalah refers to the divine message or mission delivered by a rasul to guide humanity according to God’s will 

• Encompasses the teachings, moral guidelines, and scriptures given by God

• The Qu’ran is the ultimate risalah 

• The concept of risalah back the ideas that God’s guidance is continuous and purposeful