Living World Religions- Exam 2 Key Content

How many Muslim majority nations are there?

At least 50 nations

Global Muslim population

Approximately 2 billion Muslims worldwide.

How many Arab-American identify as Christians?

65-70%

Mecca

Religious center of Islam.

Ka'aba

Means 'cube' in Arabic.

Hanifs

Pious ones; referred to monotheists.

Muhammad's birth year

570 CE

Khadijah

Muhammad's first wife.

Night of Power

First revelations received by Muhammad; 610 CE

Hijra

Muhammad's migration to Medina; year 0 in Muslim calendar.

A.H.

Abbreviation for 'year of Hijra'.

Caliph

Means 'successor'

Uthman

Collected copies of Qur'an and burned variants

Ali

Muhammad's son-in-law; Shi'as view him as successor.

Qur'an

Means 'recitation'

Qraa

Arabic word meaning 'recite'

Qur'an length

⅘ the length of the New Testament

Chapters in Qur'an

Contains 114 chapters, mostly revealed in Mecca

Hafiz/Hafiza

Person who has memorized the entire Qur'an

Jesus in Qur'an

Referred to as 'Isa'; virgin birth acknowledged, but Muslims believe that someone who looked like Jesus was crucified-- don't believe that he is God or part of the Trinity

Hadith

Writings detailing Muhammad's life and teachings

Islam

Means 'submission' to God's will

Muslim

Means 'one who submits'

Six articles of faith

Beliefs include God, angels, books, prophets, judgment, predestination

Shirk

Means 'idolatry'

Takbir

Arabic phrase meaning 'God is great!'

Eid ul-Fitr

Festival celebrating end of Ramadan.

Eid-ul-Adha

Commemorates Abraham's near-sacrifice of Ishmael; June 6-7, 2025

Shahada

Confession required for conversion to Islam

High v. low religion

Low religion is generally non-institutional and based on personal and folk beliefs

What percent of Muslims are Sunni?

85%

Halal

Means 'permitted' in Islamic law

Haram

Means 'forbidden' in Islamic law

Shi'a

Means 'sect of Ali'

Fivers

Believers in the fifth imam's rightful succession; mostly live in Yemen

Seveners

Also known as 'Ismaelis' in India; follow Aga Khan

Twelvers

Believe the iman lineage ceased after twelfth imam's disappearance and that he will return as madhi (messiah) right before Jesus's second coming

Sufi movement

Mystical branch of Islam, known for whirling dervishes in Turkey

Salafi movement

Prefers 'Salafiya'; associated with Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab

Malcolm X

Renounced racism after pilgrimage to Mecca; also known as Malcolm Little or Malik Shabazz

Louis Farrakhan

Current leader of the Nation of Islam in U.S.

Alawites

Shi'a sect viewed as heretics in Syria because of their belief that Ali is a divine being; recently overthrown

Hamas

Political party in Gaza

Taliban

Political group and ultra-conservative Sunni sect; means 'disciple'

Vedanta

Means 'knowledge plus'; includes various interpretations

Bhakti

Means 'devotion'

Rig

Means 'hymn'

Indra

Hindu god of weather

Agni

Hindu god of fire

Soma

Hindu god of hallucinogenic plants (mushroom)

Varuna

Hindu god of heavenly morality

Three-fold Veda

Includes Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas

Puja

Means 'sacrifice' or 'act of worship'

Upanishads

Means 'sittings near a teacher'

Sannyasin

Someone who renounces everything to be totally devoted to contemplation

Swami Narayan

Largest temple in America is dedicated to him

Swami Ramakrishna

became popular in US after his disciple presented in Chicago in late 1800s

Gandhi

Inspired MLK's nonviolent civil disobedience

Amma, the Hugging Saint

travels worldwide hugging millions of people

Bhakti yoga

Means 'loving attachment'

Kathenotheism

Belief in one god at a time

Bhagavad-Gita

Means 'Song of the Lord'; story of Arjuna who was convinced by his chariot driver, Krishna, to fulfill his duty even when it meant killing his relatives

Devi

Amalgamation of all goddesses in Hinduism

Monism

Belief that God is everything and everything is God

Dharma

Means 'duty'

Karma

Link between deeds and their consequences

Maya

Concept that all experience is illusion

Samsara

Cycle of reincarnation

Moksha

Salvation from the cycle of reincarnation

Yoga

Meditation practice for achieving "purity"

Avatar

Incarnation of a deity

What caste did Arjuna belong to?

Nobleman-warrior caste

The outcasts of Hinduism prefer to be called what name that means "downtrodden"?

Dalits

What name did Gandhi give to the Hindu outcasts?

Harijan- "children of God"

Diwali

Festival celebrating victory of light over darkness; Rama's rescue of his wife from demon king

Holi

Festival celebrating spring; parades on the streets with colored powders and water; commemorates the defeat of demoness Holika

Kumbh Mela

Largest religious pilgrimage/festival that happens every 12 years; most recently happened in January 2025

570 CE

Muhammad was born

610 CE

"Night of Power," Muhammad's first revelations

622 CE

Muhammad flees to Medina (Hijra)

What year became year 0 on Muslim calendar?

622 CE

What year is 2025 on Muslim calendar?

1446

What is A.H. short for?

"year of Hijra"

What do Muslims accept as Scripture?

Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Qur'an

-believe all of these besides Qur'an are corrupted

How does one convert to Islam?

meaningfully confess that "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is His prophet."

What Muslim movement is Osama bin Laden associated with?

Salafi

What does Salafiya mean?

ancestors

Ha'yat Tahrir al-Sham

overthrew Syrian government in December