Language sleuths
In the call to prayer, you'll hear the phrase "Allahu akbar." What's that mean in English?
God is great
God is greater
God is the greatest
This was the Muslim general who declared a jihad against the Crusaders.
Saladin
Salah al-Din
Say the shahada in English:
There is no God but God and Muhammad is His Prophet.
I testify that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet.
This denomination of Islam began in the United States as part of the Civil Rights and Black Power movement:
The Nation of Islam
Christians and Muslims
Jews do not have consensus
The Arabic word Qur'an literally means this:
Recitation
(this is an important detail because it underscores the belief that God is the author)
There are tons of things terrorists do that disqualify them from following true jihad or even calling themselves religious. Name two:
Noncombatants attacked
Borders not respected
Do not keep promises
Civilian buildings attacked
Tortured prisoners
When Muslims tithe/give alms/donate to charity, how much are they giving? (Don't just say a number, give me a number and an "of what")
2.5% of their total wealth (which is more than what's in their bank account)
Druze
Who believes the entire TNK is holy?
Christians and Jews.
Muslims believe the Torah and Psalms are holy, but not the rest.
If your Muslim friend tells you something is haram for her, what does that mean?
It's taboo, off limits, harmful, restricted, prohibited, or even sacred.
-It doesn't automatically mean bad or evil. The holiest mosque in the world is called the Beit al-Haram, for example.
You've been trying to be more patient with that really obnoxious coworker of yours. What type of jihad is this?
Akbar/Greater Jihad
The Nation of Islam is sometimes called not true Islam because they do not insist on this pillar. Malcolm X did it anyway and it changed his worldview.
The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
This denomination of Islam calls itself the "party of 'Ali"
Shi'a
Shi'i
Shiite
Who believes the Gospels are holy?
Christians and Muslims - note that Muslims believe the Qur'an corrects mistakes in the Gospels and they do not see the rest of the NT as holy
Much like Christians have a concept of Church (note the capital C) to represent the global community, Muslims have this term:
You stopped using generative AI because you're a good person and don't want the planet's water to be wasted, you don't want authors and artists' creative work to be stolen, and you want to think for yourself. What type of jihad is this?
Asghar/lesser jihad
Who gets a temporary break from sawm?
Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, menstruating
Anybody who is sick and will get better
Soldiers on active duty
^ All of the above will complete the fast later in the year.
Who were the two leaders "on the ballot" to succeed the Prophet, and who was chosen?
Abu Bakr and 'Ali
Abu Bakr was chosen
Who believes God created the universe and that history will have a definitive end?
All three Abrahamic faiths.
Get ready, because this idea is not shared in other religions!
Islam and Muslim are Arabic words. What do they mean?
Islam - peace/submission (with the implication being that it's the peace someone gets from submitting to God)
Muslim - someone who has submitted themselves to God
The European push to find another route to India was largely because they were afraid of this Islamic powerhouse:
The Ottoman Empire
When our Muslim friends pray, how do they orient their bodies and why?
Towards the Kaaba in Mecca, because that was the first place on Earth where the one true God was recognized by Abraham.
The biggest country by population that has a Shi'a majority is:
Iran
(Iraq has traditionally been close to 50/50)
Who sees Jesus as an important messenger of God?
Christians and Muslims.
Jewish opinions vary, but they are still positive.