Islam Quiz 1

Mecca

City in Arabia; birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and site of the Kaaba.

Yathrib (Medina)

City to which Muhammad migrated during the Hijra; became the center of the early Muslim community.

Khadija bint Khuwaylid

First wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the first person to accept Islam.

Five Pillars of Islam

The core religious duties in Islam: shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj.

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca required once in a lifetime for Muslims who are able.

Jihad

Struggle or striving in the path of God; can refer to moral, spiritual, or armed struggle.

Ashura

Day of mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali at Karbala.

Hijra

The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.

Qur’an

The holy book of Islam, believed to be the revealed word of God.

Surah

A chapter of the Qur’an.

Hadith

Reports of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Abu Bakr

Close companion of Muhammad and the first caliph after his death.

A’isha bint Abu Bakr

Wife of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Abu Bakr.

Ali ibn Abi Talib

Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; fourth caliph and first imam in Shi‘i Islam.

Husayn ibn Ali

Grandson of the Prophet Muhammad; martyred at Karbala.

Karbala

Site in present-day Iraq where Husayn ibn Ali was killed in 680 CE.

Rashidun Caliphate

The period of the first four caliphs following Muhammad’s death.

Umma

The community of believers in Islam.

Zakat

Mandatory charitable giving, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Prophet’s birth

Traditionally dated to around 570 CE in Mecca.

Prophet’s death

Muhammad died in 632 CE in Medina.

The Umayyad Caliphate

Islamic dynasty ruling from 661–750 CE.

The Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic dynasty that came to power in 750 CE.

Martyrdom of Husayn

The killing of Husayn ibn Ali at Karbala in 680 CE, central to Shi‘i memory.