Learn: Intro to Islam Quiz 2

What is fitra?

Innate human disposition or natural constitution recognizing God.

What is a caliph?

A political and religious successor to the Prophet Muhammad.

What is the jahiliya?

The pre-Islamic period of 'ignorance' in Arabia.

Which are the two main branches ('denominations') in Islam?

Sunnis and Shi'ites.

Why did Sunnis and Shi'ites split originally? Who held that Muhammad appointed a successor?

Disagreement over succession; Shi'ites held that Muhammad appointed Ali.

What is tawhīd?

The oneness and uniqueness of God.

What is tashbīh?

The assertion of God's similarity to creation (likening).

What is tanzīh?

The declaration of God's transcendence (incomparability).

How do Chittick and Murata illustrate tawhid, tashbih, and tanzih?

Through the tension and balance between God's immanence and transcendence.

What is ontology?

The philosophical study of being and existence.

What is the ontological gap?

The fundamental existential distance between Creator and creation.

What is epistemology?

The study of knowledge, including its methods, validity, and scope.

What are hermeneutics?

The theory and methodology of text interpretation.

What is an anachronism?

A chronological misplacement of a custom, event, or idea.

What is Salafism?

A reform movement advocating a return to the ways of the early pious ancestors.

What are the three dimensions of Islam?

Islam (submission), Iman (faith), and Ihsan (excellence).

What does sharī'a literally mean?

The path to water or the broad moral path.

Name the four Sunni legal schools (madhāhib) and the Shi'ite one.

Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali; Ja'fari (Shi'ite).

Which legal school has historically been the most and least widespread?

Hanafi (most widespread) and Hanbali (least historically widespread).

What is shari'a?

God's ideal moral and legal path.

What is fiqh?

Human jurisprudence and understanding of shari'a.

What is ijtihad?

Independent legal reasoning by a qualified scholar.

Who is a mujtahid?

A jurist qualified to perform ijtihad.

Who is a mufti?

A legal scholar who issues non-binding advisory opinions (fatwas).

What is a fatwa?

A non-binding legal opinion issued by a mufti.

What is a hukm?

A specific legal ruling or judgment.

Who are the 'ulama?

The class of learned religious scholars and jurists.

Why were jurists reluctant to be judges in the service of the state?

Fear of compromising their religious independence and moral integrity.

In which ways and purposes were fatwas traditionally issued?

To resolve disputes, clarify legal ambiguities, and guide daily practice.

What are the four sources of (Sunni) fiqh?

Qur'an, Sunna, Consensus (ijma'), and Analogical reasoning (qiyas).

What is a syllogism?

A logical argument applying deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion.

Explain the principle 'kull mujtahid musīb' (every mujtahid is correct).

In matters without explicit text, any sincere jurist's diligent conclusion is valid.

Which factors can lead to different legal opinions?

Differing hadith authenticity, linguistic ambiguity, and legal methodology.

What are the five shari'a valuations (ahkam khamsa)?

Obligatory, recommended, permissible, discouraged, and forbidden.

Where can the majority of legal propositions be found?

In the Sunna (hadith) rather than the Qur'an.

What is the circle of justice in Islamic political theory?

The reciprocal relationship between royal authority, military, wealth, and subjects upholding justice.

How do qadis differ from muftis?

Qadis issue binding court judgments; muftis issue advisory, non-binding opinions.

What principles guide the legal maxim 'amicable settlement is the best verdict'?

Reconciliation (sulh) and equity/fairness.

What are the hudūd?

Fixed, mandatory punishments prescribed by scripture for specific major crimes.

Why was doubt (shubha) important in applying hudūd punishments?

Any reasonable doubt acted as a legal maxim to avert harsh punishments.

What are the first and second hudūd crimes typically?

Theft and illicit sexual relations (zina).

Why does al-Ghazali compare understanding the Qur'an to diving into an ocean?

It contains a literal surface meaning and deep, hidden spiritual depths.

Why is a translation of the Qur'an always an interpretation?

Every translation reflects the translator's linguistic choices and theological understanding.

What are the qirā'āt of the Qur'an?

Accepted traditional variations in the pronunciation and reading of the text.

Under which caliph did the first official unification of the Qur'an occur?

Uthman ibn Affan.

Into which two periods does the Islamic exegetical tradition divide the Qur'an?

Meccan and Medinan periods.

How do Meccan and Medinan Suras differ roughly?

Meccan focus on theology; Medinan focus on legal, social, and political rules.

What is naskh (abrogation)?

The legal principle where a later revelation supersedes an earlier one.

What is a hadith?

A recorded saying, action, or approval attributed to Prophet Muhammad.

What are the two main components of a hadith?

Matn (text) and Isnad (chain of transmission).

Why are Muslim and Bukhari's collections called Sahihayn?

They rigorously attempted to collect only fully authentic traditions.

What led to hadith forgeries?

Political sectarianism, theological debates, and moral exhortation.

What makes a hadith highly reliable to ahl al-hadith?

A continuous, unbroken chain of trustworthy and precise transmitters.

What are the main functions of hadith?

To explain the Qur'an, model ethical behavior, and establish legal precedents.