People
Muhammad's first wife BLANK, and his close friend BLANK who became the first caliph, encouraged him to openly preach about the revelations he received from God.
Who are Khadija and Abu Bakr?
Said to have been built originally by Adam and then repaired by Abraham and Ishmael, BLANK -- a sacred stone structure -- is what Muslims face towards when praying.
What is the Ka'ba?
THIS event took place in 610 C.E. in the mountains outside Mecca.
What is Muhammad's First Revelation?
THESE semi-nomadic people live throughout the Arabian Peninsula to this day!
Who are the Bedouin?
The Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, BLANK was the fourth Caliph of the Islamic state -- though many Muslims believe he should've been the first.
Who is Ali?
BLANK was the biggest city in Pre-Islamic Arabia, home to a thriving trading economy. BLANK is the city where the Prophet and his companions established the first true Muslim community. And BLANK is the third holiest city in Islam.
What are Mecca, Yathrib (Medina), and Jerusalem?
THIS Arabic word refers to an annual event that millions of Muslims perform every year. Indeed, it is a a requirement for all able Muslims to perform BLANK at least once in their lifetimes (though many choose to do it more than once).
What is The Hajj?
This Arabic term for the Muslim community united people by faith rather than blood or tribe.
What is the ummah?
BLANK and BLANK were the second and third Caliphs of the Islamic state, respectively. During their reigns, the Quran was written down and standardized into its more or less present form, Islamic state expanded militarily, and its administration was centralized and reformed.
Who are Umar and Uthman?
Muhammad received his first revelation in this cave, called BLANK, in the mountains just outside Mecca.
What is the Cave of Hira (in the Jabal al-Nour, or "Mountain of Light")?
Meaning "Migration" or "Emigration" in Arabic, THIS Arabic word refers to the event in 622 C.E. that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
What is the Hijrah?
Originating in ancient Persia, THIS religion emphasizes an active and ongoing struggle between the power of creation and goodness (epitomized by Ahura Mazda, "The Wise Lord") and chaos and evil (Ahriman, "The Destructive Spirit"). It became the primary religion of the Achaemenid Persian empire (Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, etc.)
What is Zoroastrianism?
BLANK was Muhammad's uncle, patron, and protector in Mecca; after his death in 619, Muhammad became vulnerable and eventually fled Mecca.
Who is Abu Talib?
At THIS well (as in a well from which water is drawn) outside Medina, Muhammad's outnumbered forces defeated a Meccan army in 624 -- Islam's first major military victory.
What is Badr (or the Battle of Badr)?
The Qur'an commands Muslims to respect Jews and Christians, calling them BLANK. In later Muslim empires, Jews and Christians were traditionally given protected legal status (dhimmi) and were permitted to worship freely -- a protection not extended to polytheists.
What are "People of the Book" (Ahl al-Kitab)?
These "Five Pillars" of Islam are the traditional requirements for being a Muslim (bonus of 10 points per pillar for the Arabic names of each).
What are...
1) Profession of Faith (Shahada)
2) Daily Prayer (Salat)
3) Almsgiving (Zakat)
4) Fasting during Ramadan (Sawm)
5) Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
After Muhammad's death and the end of the Rashidun period, the office of caliph became hereditary -- and passed between THESE TWO rival families within the Quraysh tribe.
Who are the Umayyads and Abbasids?
The capital of the Sassanid empire (and the Parthian empire before it) for hundreds of years, THIS CITY was conquered by the Caliph Umar in 637 CE; the rest of the old Persian empire (including all of Mesopotamia) was conquered by the Muslims soon afterwards.
What is Ctesiphon?
BLANK was the Prophet's "Greatest Mystical Experience," and involved him taking a physical and spiritual trip. Describe its main parts!
What is "The Night Journey" (Isra and Mi'raj):
Accompanied by the Angel Gabriel, Muhammad journeys on the back of a winged creature (The Buraq) to Al-Aqsa (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem, meets previous prophets (Adam, Jesus, Moses, Abraham, among others), ascends through the heavens, sees visions of Paradise and Hell, and speaks with God.
Comprised of individual BLANK(S) -- records of sayings and deeds attributed to Muhammad -- BLANK is the second holiest text in Islam and provides additional guidance to Muslims for how to lead a virtuous life in the eyes of Allah (although there is significant disagreement over the authenticity of its different parts).
What are hadith and sunnah?