arts of islam quiz 1

what are the two holy cities of early islam?

mecca (muhammad’s birthplace, ka’ba, hajj site) and medina (capital, site of prophet’s mosque, first muslim community)

who were the first two dynastic caliphates?

umayyads (first dynasty, based in damascus), and abbasids (second, based in baghdad)

who was bilal and why is he an example of tawhid?

one of the first muslims; endured torture while repeating “one! one!” to affirm god’s unity 

who are malaika in islam?

angels, created from light, serving as god’s messengers (gabriel, michael)

who was iblis?

angel-like being who refused to bow to adam; became satan

what are jinn?

beings created from fire, some good, some evil, capable of interacting with humans

which prophets and scriptures are recognized in islam?

moses (torah), david (psalms), jesus (gospel), muhammad (qur’an),

qur’an= final, uncorrupted revelation

how many prophets are mentioned in the qur’an?

around 25 (including adam, noah, abraham, moses, jesus, muhammad)

what happens on the day of judgment?

all resurrected, judged by “book of deeds” (right hand= good, left= bad)

reward= paradise (janna); punishment= hell (jahannam)

what is al-qada wa’l qadar?

divine decree and predestination; god knows and controls everything, debate exists over free will vs. predestination

what is the shahada?

testimony of faith: “there is no god but god, and muhammad is his messenger”

what are the five daily prayer times (salat)?

dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, evening

what is special about friday noon prayer (jumu’a)?

includes a sermon (khutba); communal significance

what does ihram symbolize during hajj?

ritual purity, equality, humility; pilgrims wear white garments

what is the hajj?

annual, pilgrimage to mecca in saudi arabia that every muslim person must perform once in their lifetime

what is a sitara?

an ornamental, inscribed textile curtain used at sacred sites

how are judaism and islam similar?

both emphasize orthopraxy, detailed purity laws, monotheism, prophets, and community 

how are christianity and islam similar?

both universal/missionary, emphasize prophets, scriptures, judgment, heaven/hell, and intention of the heart 

how does islam view the trinity?

a shirk (associating partners with god)

is islam architecture one style?

no, it varies regionally but shares principles (arches, domes, ornamentation, courtyards)

what are the three main types of ornamentation in islamic architecture?

geometry, arabesque (vegetal/floral motifs), calligraphy

what does light symbolize in islamic architecture?

divine illumination

what do gardens and water features symbolize?

qur’anic paradise

what is a masjid?

mosque; literally “place of prostration”

what is a jami’?

congregational mosque for friday prayer

what is a mihrab?

niche in mosque wall showing qibla (direction of mecca)

what is a minbar?

pulpit used for friday sermon

what is a minaret?

tower used to call muslims to prayer

what is a sahn?

mosque courtyard, often with fountain

what is the ka’ba covered with?

kiswa, a black cloth embroidered with qur’anic verses

what is mecca’s importance in islam?

muhammad’s birthplace, site of ka’na (most sacred shrine), direction of prayer qibla), and location of hajj

what is medina’s importance in islam?

“the city of the prophet,” destination of the hijra in 622, first capital of islamic community, site of prophet’s mosque

who were the umayyads?

first islamic dynasty (661-750), capital in damascus, responsible for monumental buildings like dome of the rock 

who were the abbasids?

second caliphate, founded in 750, capital in baghdad, flourashing of culture, science, and art 

what was al-andalus?

muslim-ruled spain, center of cultural exchange

who were the fatimids?

first shi’i dynasty, capital cairo

who were the mamluks?

military slave rulers, powerful in egypt, patrons of cairo’s monumental architecture

what was the hijra?

muhammad’s migration from mecca to medina in 622 CE

what is the hijra calendar

lunar calendar, based on 12 lunar months, a new month begins when a new moon is sighted

why was the hijra important?

marks the beginning of the islamic lunar calendar (hijri year 1)

how many days are in the islamic lunar calendar?

354 days

what are the five doctrines of faith?

1. tawhid (unity of god)

2. angels and beings

3. prophets and scriptures

4. final judgment

5. divine decree

what is tawhid?

belief in the oneness of god; central principle of islam

what is shirk?

associating partners with god; considered the gravest sin in islam

what are the five pillars of islam?

1. shahada (faith

2. salat (prayer)

3. zakat (charity)

4. sawm (fasting)

5. hajj (pilgrimage)

what is the shahada?

“there is no god but allah, and muhammad is his messenger”

what is salat

five daily prayers facing mecca; central ritual obligation

what is wudu

ablution/purification before prayer

what is jumu’a?

friday noon prayer, includes communal gathering and sermon

what is zakat?

obligatory almsgiving, typically 2.5% of wealth, supports poor and needy

what is sadaqa?

voluntary charity, beyond zakat

what is sawm?

fasting during ramadan; no food, drink, sex, or smoking during dawn and sunset

what ends ramadam?

eid al-fitr, festival of breaking the fast

what is a key difference between islam and christianity regarding god?

christianity: trinity

islam: tawhid (strict monotheism)

how do christianity and islam differ on jesus?

christianity: son of god, crucified, resurrected

islam: prophet, not divine, not crucified in the same way 

what unites islamic architecture?

not a single style, but shared religious functions, symbolism, and design principles

what is the ka’ba?

cube-shaped shrine in mecca: focal point of prayer in hajj

who founded the umayyad dynasty?

mu’awiya (661 CE), after the first civil war

what was the umayyad capital?

damascus, syria

what did abd al-malik accomplish?

commissioned the dome of the rock, introduced arabic coinage, made arabic the administrative language, centralized power 

what was walid II known for?

luxury, patronage of khirbat al-mafjar, erotic/poetic art and architecture

who commissioned the dome of the rock?

abd al-malik, umayyad caliph

where is the dome of the rock located?

jerusalem, on the temple mount (al-haram al-sharif)

why was the dome of the rock significant?

first monumental islamic building; symbolic assertion of islam in a city holy to jews and christians 

what are key features of the dome of the rock?

centralized octagonal plan, gilded dome, mosaics, inscriptions with qur’anic verses emphasizing god’s unity and rejecting trinity 

what christian and jewish traditions are linked to the rock?

jewish: site of the temple of solomon and abraham’s sacrifice

christian: associations with jesus’ life

what islamic tradition is linked to the rock?

later identified as site of the prophet’s night journey (mi’raj)

how does the dome of the rock assert islam over other faiths?

inscriptions reject christian doctrines (jesus as son of god), proclaim muhammad as messenger 

what architectural traditions influenced the dome of the rock?

byzantine (centralized plan, mosaics), sasanian (domes, ornament)

what was the political meaning of the dome of the rock?

statement of umayyad legitimacy, rival to byzantine christian monuments

what does rabbat argue about the dome of the rock?

its meaning is ambiguous; interpretations come from later abbasid sources, so must be critically examined 

who commissioned the great mosque of damascus?

caliph al-walid I

what did the mosque replace?

a christian basilica of st. john (spolia from earlier structures reused)

what are key architectural features?

hypostyle hall, large courtyard, three minarets, mihrab

what influences are seen in the damascus mosaics?

byzantine style and techniques (use of glass tesserae)

what qur’anic verses support the interpretation of the mosaics?

references to paradise: ghuraf (upper chambers), qusur (palaces), gardens, rivers

what is the symbolic meaning of the mosaics?

representation of paradise (janna), visual reinforcement of qur’anic imagery

what does brisch argue about the mosaics?

they depict the eternal paradise, not political propaganda of umayyad estates

what does the absence of human figures in the mosaics signify?

focus on divine perfection and eternal reward, avoiding idolatry

what is khirbat al-mafjar?

an umayyad desert palace and both complex built under walid II 

what are the key components of the complex khirbat al-mafjar?

palace, mosque, baths, audience hall, gardens

what is the lion-gazelle mosaic?

a floor mosaic in the audience hall showing a lion attacking a gazelle next to another peaceful gazelle 

what does the lion-gazelle mosaic symbolize?

• beauty and desire

• power and conquest 

• poetic imagery reflecting arabic literary culture 

what is unusual about the lion-gazelle mosaic’s placement?

located in a prive, elite space (audience hall), not in a public mosque 

what cultural influences are seen at khirbat al-mafjar?

combination of byzantine, persian, and local traditions

what does hamilton argue about khirbat al-mafjar?

its art reflects walid II’s taste for poetry, eroticism, and luxury; may symbolize princely identity and power 

what is spolia?

reuse of materials from older buildings in new construction

what is ablaq masonry?

alternating light and dark stone in architecture (later syrian/umayyad use)

what is a dar al-imara?

governor’s palace, often attached to early mosques

what is riwaq?

arcade or portico around mosque courtyard

what are qusur (plural of qasr)?

desert palaces built by umayyads 

what is the kiswa?

the black cloth covering the ka’ba in mecca, embroidered with qur’anic verses in gold and silver

how often is the kiswa replaced?

annually, during hajj

why is the kiswa considered sacred?

it touches the ka’ba, islam’s holiest site, and becomes imbued with baraka (blessing)

what happened to old kiswas?

they were cut into smaller pieces and distributed as relics and souvenirs

what does the kiswa symbolize?

the holiness of the ka’ba, continuity of islamic tradition, and political patronage of rulers who sponsored it

what dynasties used the kiswa for political legitimacy?

abbasids, fatimids, mamluks, ottomans— all sponsored production and transport of the kiswa to show religious authority 

what is the mahmal?

an empty, elaborately decorated palanquin carried on a camel in the hajj caravan

what did the mahmal symbolize?

political power, authority of rulers, and sponsorship of the pilgrimage

was the mahmal a religious object?

no, it was not required by religion; it was a political display tied to pilgrimage