Aqeedah (M1)
What is the purpose for which we were created?
To worship Allah
Can a person be a Muslim if they reject the Sunnah - why or why not?
No, this person cannot be considered a Muslim. Rejecting the Sunnah is rejecting the revelation from Allah. If a person were to claim belief only in the Qur'an, they will actually be following a very confusing path. The Sunnah is what tells us how to pray, how to fast, and how much to pay zakat.
Name the primary and secondary sources of Islamic law.
Qur'an and Sunnah are primary sources. Ijmaa' and qiyas are secondary sources.
A natural, intuitive belief in a Creator is known as ____ in Arabic.
fitrah
What is the relationship between the Qur'an and science?
The Qur'an confirms many scientific discoveries, proving it's from Allah
True or false: 'aqeedah includes opinions and personal thoughts, but it also includes firm beliefs as well.
False.
The chain of narration in a hadith is known as what?
True or false: only the Qur'an was preserved on written materials. The Sunnah was only preserved through memory and oral methods.
False. The Sunnah was also preserved by writing by some Sahabah, but it wasn't the norm for all companions to do that.
According to what we have learned, what should be the standard of truth for Muslims?
Qur'an and Sunnah
What is 'aqeedah?
The correct beliefs in Islam
Describe the impact of the 6 pillars of iman on one's faith.
Sarah comes to you and tells you she believes in all of the 6 pillars except for the angels. Is she considered a Muslim?
These 6 pillars are the foundations of faith. Without them, the entire bulding would shake and ultimately collapse.
No, Sarah cannot be considered a Muslim, because she rejected one of the pillars of iman.
The heart (spiritually). If the heart is good, everything else is good.
Name all 5 common maxims of Islamic law and provide an example for each.
1. Actions are judged by their intentions - good deeds are rewarded based on whether the action was sincere or not.
2. Certainty is not removed by doubt
3. Harm must be eliminated; there shall be no harm nor reciprocation of harm
4. Hardship allows for ease
5. Customs (can be) the basis of judgement
What is the greatest sin?
Making a partner with Allah
Why should Muslims avoid using the term "Mother Nature?"
Denies that Allah is the Creator of everything, attributes the creation to 'nature'
Name the 3 types of Tawheed and their definitions and meanings.
Allah’s Oneness in His Lordship - Tawheed Ur-Ruboobiyyah
Allah’s Oneness in His Names and Attributes - Tawheed Ul-Asmaa was-Sifaat
Allah’s Oneness in His worship - Tawheed Ul-Uloohiyyah.
What should the relationship of the believer with the dunya be like?
Maintain a balance, but the believer should constantly remind himself that this dunya is very temporary. He should not get attached to worldly things, especially because these things are temporary.
Name all 5 objectives of Islamic law and give an example of something in the Shari'ah that fulfills each of those objectives. (5 examples needed, one for each objective)
1. preserve religion
2. preserve lives
3. protect wealth/possessions
4. preserve the intellect
5. preserve family/honor
Explain why you think we have hardships in life and the wisdom behind that.
Allah tests those whom He loves. Allah tests us to see how we react - are we patient or do we lose faith and iman and tawakkul?
Scenario: you walk into a masjid in a new town and hear the imam say, "We can't fully trust the Sunnah - how do we know hadiths are not just man-made? It's been centuries since the Prophet's death, things would have got distorted over time."
What do you say in response?
One cannot be a Muslim if they reject hadith. This is a form of rejecting revelation.
As for the science of hadith, our early scholars paid great attention to the conditions they used to vet people when studying the ahadith of the Prophet. We have categories like sahih, da'eef, etc - and we know whether a narrator was trustworthy or not.
Fill in the blank: "Truly, ______ is a great injustice."
Truly, shirk is a great injustice. [Surah Luqman 31:13]
How can having an impure heart affect what one sees or perceives as truth vs. falsehood?
A person with a pure heart will find it easier to distinguish correctly between right and wrong. An individual with an impure heart will have a hard time with this and may even determine falsehood to be truth, when the opposite is true.
How does the prohibition on riba (interest) fulfill the objectives of the shari'ah?
Works to preserve wealth, since interest makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The Prophet salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "And indeed in the body there is a morsel of meat that if it is well, the rest of the body will be well, and if it is corrupt, then the rest of the body will be corrupt." What is this peace of meat?
The heart
Describe some ways, that are mentioned in the book, that we can use to increase taqwa.
1. Focus on fardh actions
2. Increase in voluntary actions
3. Seek Allah's love
4. Respect Allah's prohibitions