Islamic Pillars, Caliphates, and Medieval Scholarship Review

A study aid covering the Five Pillars of Islam, Sharia and Sunnah, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Sunni/Shia split, the Umayyad dynasty, and notable medieval Jewish and Islamic scholars.

What are the Five Pillars of Islam as described in the notes?

Belief in one God and Muhammad as his messenger (Shahada); performing daily prayers (Salah); giving to the needy (Zakat); fasting during Ramadan (Sawm); and making a pilgrimage to Mecca if able (Hajj).

List the five daily prayers in order and their approximate times.

Fajr (predawn), Dhuhr (midday after sun passes), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (evening), Isha (night).

What is Sharia?

A legal and ethical code based on the Quran.

What is the Sunnah?

The sayings and actions of Muhammad that help Muslims understand how to follow the Quran.

What is Hadith?

Collections of the sayings and actions of Muhammad used to understand and follow the Quran.

Who are the Rightly Guided Caliphs?

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali—close companions of Muhammad; their leadership defined early Islam.

Who was Abu Bakr?

First Caliph; cousin and close friend of Muhammad; helped maintain unity after Muhammad's death; early conqueror.

Who was Umar?

Second Caliph; known for military expansions.

Who was Uthman?

Third Caliph; commissioned the compilation of the Quran.

Who was Ali?

Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; leadership marked by internal conflict and connected to Sunni/Shia split.

What is the Sunni-Shia difference as described?

Sunni believe the community should choose the leader; Shia believe leadership should remain within the Prophet's family.

What is the Umayyad dynasty?

Mu'awiya I founded the Umayyad Caliphate; shifted governance toward hereditary succession; expanded into Asia, Africa, and Spain.

What governance shift occurred under the Umayyads?

Shift from elective leadership to hereditary succession within the ruling family.

How far did Umayyad expansion reach by the early 700s?

Spread into Asia, Africa, and into Spain (Cordoba).

Who is Averroes (Ibn Rushd)?

Cordoba-born philosopher; judge and personal physician; wrote commentaries on Aristotle; argued that fate and reason complement each other.

Who is Solomon Ben Cabirot?

Jewish scholar in Spain; wrote philosophy and poetry; translated from Arabic into Latin; influenced Christian Europe; supported universal holomorphism.

Who is Moses Maimonides (Moyses Mayonides)?

Twelfth-century Jewish scholar; fled Spain to Egypt; physician and leader; wrote Guide for the Perplexed and Mishneh Torah; royal physician; foundational in Jewish thought.

What is the Guide for the Perplexed?

Writings by Maimonides explaining how faith and reason fit together.

What is Mishneh Torah?

Key guide to Jewish Law written by Maimonides; influenced Jewish thought and broader philosophy.