Comparative Religions Islam
What is "Gabriel" in Arabic?
Jibra'il
What does the term "The Three Religions of Abraham/The People of the Book" refer to?
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
When did Muhammad leave Mecca?
July 16, 622
Who is referred to as the "Mother of Islam?"
Khadija
Who was Morocca?
Khadija's cousin and an early convert to Islam
What was the government of Muhammad's time like?
decentralized - different tribes ruled the land and constantly fought - society was tribal oriented
What lifestyles did the people of Muhammad's time embrace?
nomadic; there were no cities or towns (with the exception of Mecca and Medina)
How were Muhammad's public preachings received initially?
not well - monotheism threatened the peoples' way of life
What does "Hijra" mean?
the flight or migration
What is a caliph?
the head of state
At what age did Muhammad marry Khadija?
25, when she was 40
How far was Yathrib from Mecca?
250 miles north
What is the meaning of "bin?"
"Son of"
What does "Islam" mean?
"Submission" or "surrender"
What does "Allah" mean?
"The God"
How many Muslims are there worldwide?
1.7 billion
How many Muslims are in Latin America?
1.75 million
What percent of Arabs are Muslims?
20%
How many followers did Muhammad have at the time of the Hijra?
200
What was the Hijra?
3 years after the deaths of Khadija and Abu Talib, Muhammad was approached by 73 men from Yathrib who offered him and his followers protection if he would mediate their tribal conflicts
How many Muslims are in Europe?
32 million
How many Muslims are in Northern Africa?
345 million
How many Muslims are in North America?
4,828,000
How many countries have a major Muslim population?
44
How many countries can Muslims be found in?
56
When was Muhammad born?
570 CE
When did Muhammad receive his first revelation?
610 CE
When was Muhammad forced to preach openly?
613 CE, three years after his first revelation
When was the Year of Sorrows?
619 CE
When was Muhammad's Night Ascension?
620 CE
What is "year 1" in the Islamic calendar?
622 CE
When was the Hijra?
622 CE
How many Muslims are in Oceania?
725,000
How many Muslims are in Asia?
869,880,000
What God/gods do Muslims worship?
Allah, they are monotheistic
What language is the Qur'an written in?
Arabic
When did Muhammad's father die?
Before he was born
How is the Qur'an organized?
Chapters (surahs) and verses
Who forced Muhammad to preach openly?
Gabriel
How is Muhammad different from Jesus?
He did not live a sinless life like Jesus (but he was very Godly and lead a nearly perfect life), and he kept family ties and encourages them to convert, while Jesus begins viewing everyone as a brother or sister
What is the Muslim belief regarding Jesus?
He is not the son of God, but a prophet
Why is Muhammad bin Abdullah important to Muslims?
He is the final and most important prophet
What is the Muslim belief regarding Muhammad?
He is the final and most important prophet that came to restore the religion through reminders (in the form of revelations) from God
Where did Muhammad receive his first revelation?
Hira Cave on Mt. Jabal al-Nur
What happened to Muhammad at age 6?
His mom died and he was orphaned
Who took care of Muhammad, starting at age 6?
His uncle, Abu Talib
What country has the most Muslims?
Indonesia
Where was Muhammad born?
Mecca, Arabia
Where is the holiest place for Muslims?
Mecca, Saudi Arabia: the Ka'bah
What happened during the Year of Sorrows?
Muhammad and his followers began suffering persecution at the hands of the Meccans, as they were isolated into one quarter of the city - as a result of these economic deprivations, both Khadija and Abu Talib died
What was the Night of Power?
Muhammad's first revelation - he fell asleep and was awoken by the angel Gabriel, and was told to recite
What were the Quraysh worried about?
Muhammad's growing influence
Who is Aminah?
Muhammad's mother, who died when he was 6 years old
Who was Abu Talib?
Muhammad's uncle and protector, who was a merchant and very high up in his clan, making him able to protect Muhammad
Who was 'Ali?
Muhammad's younger cousin and an early convert to Islam
Who were the earliest converts to Islam?
Muhammad, Khadija, 'Ali, Morocca, Zayd, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman
People who practice Islam are called...
Muslims
What people does Islam recognize from Christianity and Judaism?
Past prophets, such as Jesus, David, Moses, Abraham, Adam, and John the Baptist
What is the importance of Ishmael?
Son of Abraham and Hagar through whom Muslims trace their lineage back to Abraham
What is the holy book of Islam?
The Qur'an
What is the goal of Muslims regarding God's message?
The message of Adam was corrupted and had to be given again by the prophets
What does "Bedouins" refer to?
a big family of tribes
What is the Sunnah?
a book of Muhammad's ways and sayings that is not divinely inspired
What is "rak'a?"
a cycle of ritual movements
Who were the Hashimites?
a division of the Quraysh that Muhammad was a part of
Who were the Ummayans?
a division of the Quraysh that included Abu Sufyan and other Meccan leaders who felt threatened by Muhammad's growing influence
On what did Muhammad ascend into God's presence?
a golden ladder
Who was Zayd?
a slave adopted and freed by Muhammad and an early convert to Islam
Who was Khadija?
a wealthy widow who married Muhammad at age 40 and became one of the first converts to Islam
How did Muhammad feel when Gabriel told him to recite on the Night of Power?
as if the breath was being squeezed out of him and as if he was being forced to recite
Why are prophets not needed anymore?
because the Qur'an serves as a prophet
When did Muhammad send his followers to Yathrib?
between June 21 and July 2
Do Muslims worship Muhammad?
no; they respect him but they only worship God
Where did Muhammad travel on the Night Journey and how?
from Mecca to Jerusalem (the Temple Mount) on Buraq, a mystical steed
Why did Muhammad send his followers in waves before himself to Yathrib?
he believed that a phased withdrawal would be less suspicious to the Meccans
How did Muhammad and Khadija meet?
he worked for her lucrative caravan trade business
How were the Quraysh divided?
into the Hashimites and the Ummayans
Why does the Qur'an sometimes use "We" when referring to God?
it is a title of majesty and reverence - there is still only one God
Who did people worship before Muhammad's revelations?
many pagan gods (polytheistic)
What was Muhammad known for?
mediating disputes; honesty
Did Muhammad have multiple wives when he was married to Khadija?
no - he didn't marry more than one wife until after she died
Who did Muhammad meet on his ascension into Heaven?
prophets of old, including Adam, Moses, John the Baptist and Jesus
How is Muhammad able to recite the Qur'an during his revelations?
since he is illiterate, Gabriel read and Muhammad recited
What do the majority of Muslims believe about Muhammad's experience during the Night Journey?
that it was in-body, not a dream or a vision, and that time stopped
What monument commemorates Muhammad's ascension into Heaven?
the Dome of the Rock
What is inside the Dome of the Rock?
the Foundation Stone
What tribe was the most prominent of the Bedouins?
the Quraysh
Who woke Muhammad when he was sleeping by the Ka'bah on the night of the Night Journey?
the angel Gabriel
What does "Medina" mean?
the city of the prophet
What did Muhammad receive from Allah during the Night Journey?
the final form of the daily prayers and the Five Pillars of Islam
Who was Abu Bakr?
the first caliph who succeeded Muhammad and an early convert to Islam
In what part of the Qur'an can the first revelation be found in?
the first five verses of the 96th chapter
What escalated conflict between tribes?
the lack of water
What does "Mt. Jabal al-Nur" translate to?
the mountain of light
During Muhammad's public preachings, what did he begin to attack?
the polytheistic practices of the Bedouin tribes
Who was 'Umar?
the second caliph and an early convert to Islam
Who was 'Uthman?
the third caliph and an early convert to Islam
What are the basic teachings of Muhammad's first revelations?
there is only one God, Allah, he has no partners or associates (no Trinity), and he is the same for all of humanity; all people must submit to Him and repent before the end of the world
What made the Quraysh so powerful?
they were keepers of the Ka'bah and were very rich
What does "iqra" mean?
to recite
