Women in Islam
Can you beat your wife in Islam? Yes or No
Bonus 100 Points if you can tell why it is permitted. (Flexible Answer)
Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially. And righteous women are devoutly obedient and, when alone, protective of what Allah has entrusted them with.1 And if you sense ill-conduct from your women, advise them ˹first˺, ˹if they persist,˺ do not share their beds, ˹but if they still persist,˺ then discipline them ˹gently˺.2 (Other translations say 'beat lightly') But if they change their ways, do not be unjust to them. Surely Allah is Most High, All-Great.
The Evolution of the Stance
Quran, Surah 4:34
Which Holy city for Muslims starts with an M and contains within it the Kaaba? 100 Bonus Points if you can name who Muslims believe built the Kaaba, and another 100 points if you can name the country the city is in.
Mecca, Abraham, and Ismael, Saudi Arabia
Which modern Pope famously kissed the Quran in May 1999?
Pope John Paul II kissed the Quran in May 1999 during a meeting at the Vatican with a delegation of Iraqi leaders. This gesture was intended as a sign of respect for the Muslim holy book, to encourage interfaith dialogue, and to promote friendship between the Catholic Church and Islam.
This fruit that rhymes with skates, weights, and plates is also a saving remedy for poison and magic.
Dates,
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "He who eats seven 'Ajwa dates every morning, will not be affected by poison or magic on the day he eats them."
Sahih al-Bukhari 5445
The Prophet Muhammad was known to have many wives. He commanded his followers to have up to four wives. How many wives did he have at one time?
A) 4
B) 13
C) 7
D) 9
If you fear you might fail to give orphan women their ˹due˺ rights ˹if you were to marry them˺, then marry other women of your choice—two, three, or four. But if you are afraid you will fail to maintain justice, then ˹content yourselves with˺ one or those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession. This way you are less likely to commit injustice.
O Prophet! We have made lawful for you your wives to whom you have paid their ˹full˺ dowries as well as those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession, whom Allah has granted you.1 And ˹you are allowed to marry˺ the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who have emigrated like you. Also ˹allowed for marriage is˺ a believing woman who offers herself to the Prophet ˹without dowry˺ if he is interested in marrying her—˹this is˺ exclusively for you, not for the rest of the believers.2 We know well what ˹rulings˺ We have ordained for the believers in relation to their wives and those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession. As such, there would be no blame on you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Are women considered intellectually inferior according to Muhammad? Bonus 400 Points if you can name one of the two reasons Muhammad gives as to why they are or are not intellectually inferior.
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
Sahih al-Bukhari 304
Which city is regarded as the 3rd holiest city in Islam? 200 Bonus Points if you can name the Mosque and/or the shrine that is located there.
Jerusalem is the third holiest city in Islam, deeply revered as the site of Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey and Ascension (Isra and Mi'raj), where he visited Al-Aqsa and ascended to heaven. It was the first direction of prayer (qibla) for Muslims before Mecca and houses the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.
Name a food and a drink that Muslims are forbidden (Haram) from ingesting.
Pork and Alcohol, Blood
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:173, Al-Ma'idah 5:3, and Al-An'am 6:145
Did Muhammad once curse a young orphan girl so that she might not reach old age? Yes or No
Anas b. Malik reported that there was an orphan girl with Umm Sulaim (who was the mother of Anas). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw that orphan girl and said:
O, it is you; you have grown young. May you not advance in years! That slave-girl returned to Umm Sulaim weeping. Umm Sulaim said: O daughter, what is the matter with you? She said: Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) has invoked curse upon me that I should not grow in age and thus I would never grow in age, or she said, in my (length) of life. Umm Sulaim went out wrapping her head-dress hurriedly until she met Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He said to her: Umm Sulaim, what is the matter with you? She said: Allah's Apostle, you invoked curse upon my orphan girl. He said: Umm Sulaim, what is that? She said: She (the orphan girl) states you have cursed her saying that she might not grow in age or grow in life. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) smiled and then said: Umm Sulaim, don't you know that I have made this term with my Lord. And the term with my Lord is that I said to Him: 1 am a human being and I am pleased just as a human being is pleased and I lose temper just as a human being loses temper, so for any person from amongst my Ummah whom I curse and he in no way deserves it, let that, O Lord, be made a source of purification and purity and nearness to (Allah) on the Day of Resurrection.
Sahih Muslim 2603
Who is the ONLY woman mentioned in the Quran? 100 Bonus Points if you can tell what her name is in Arabic.
Mother Mary (Maryam)
Maryam (Mary), the mother of Jesus (Isa), is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran. She holds an exalted position, with an entire chapter (Surah 19) named after her, and is described as the greatest woman to have ever lived, appearing over 70 times.
At the Kaaba there is one particular action done to a stone, what is the color of that stone and what action is done? 100 Bonus Points for naming the action.
A) Green
B) Black
C) Turqouise
D) Ruby Red
Narrated `Abis bin Rabi`a:
`Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kissing you I would not have kissed you."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1597
This address by a Pope in Germany sparked outrage by the Muslim community for bringing attention to the violent nature of Islam's spread of the faith. Name the Pope. 100 Bonus Points if you can name the address.
On September 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a lecture titled "Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections" at the University of Regensburg in Germany. The address, which focused on the relationship between religion and violence, sparked widespread protests in the Muslim world due to a cited 14th-century quote suggesting Islam was spread by violent, "evil and inhuman" means.
Benedict quoted Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, specifically mentioning Muhammad's command to "spread by the sword the faith he preached," though he noted the quote's "startling brusqueness" which he deemed "unacceptable".
This load-bearing four-legged desert mammal's urine was used as medicine as ordered by the Prophet Muhammad.
Camel
Sahih al-Bukhari 5686, The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When the news reached the Prophet (ﷺ) he sent some people in their pursuit. When they were brought, he cut their hands and feet and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron.
Muhammad was said to have married Aisha at 6, when he was 51, and consummated their marriage when she was 9, and he was 54. She stated that she played with dolls (Haram in Islam, Idolatry) and engaged in which playground activity at?
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
When we came to Medina, the women came to me when I was playing on the swing, and my hair were up to my ears. They brought me, prepared me, and decorated me. Then they brought me to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he took up cohabitation with me, when I was nine.
Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4935
What is the name of the typical headscarf for women in Islam? 200 Bonus Points if you can name its origin. (Hint: Think of our faith.)
A hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women to cover their hair, neck, and sometimes shoulders, serving as a symbol of modesty, privacy, and religious identity. It stems from the Arabic word for "barrier" or "curtain," reflecting a broader Quranic principle of modesty in behavior and dress for both men and women.
Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam is known for housing the burial site of the Prophet Muhammad where the "Prophet's Mosque" and the "Green Dome" is located. According to Muhammad and Islamic teaching, what would be the problem with this site's location?
Pope Leo recently visited a mosque in Turkey in November of 2025, where he declined to pray. What color is the Mosque named after?
A) Gold
B) Purple
C) Blue
D) Green
On November 29, 2025, Pope Leo XIV visited the historic Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey, during his four-day trip to the country. During his visit, the Pope toured the 17th-century site with local Muslim leaders, removing his shoes as a sign of respect but declining to pray, unlike some of his predecessors.
According to Muhammad, when a fly falls into your drink, what should be done with the fly?
A) Throw it away immediately
B) Eat the fly
C) Pluck the wings of the fly
D) Dip the fly fully into the drink
D) Dip the fly fully into the drink
Narrated Abu Huraira (rad): Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “When a fly falls in the drink of one of you, he should fully dip it and then throw it away because there is disease in one of its wings and cure in the other”. [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
One of Muhammad's last acts before his death was cursing which two religious groups? Name them both.
Jews and Christians,
On his death-bed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put a sheet over his-face and when he felt hot, he would remove it from his face. When in that state (of putting and removing the sheet) he said, "May Allah's Curse be on the Jews and the Christians for they build places of worship at the graves of their prophets." (By that) he intended to warn (the Muslim) from what they (i.e. Jews and Christians) had done.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3453, 3454
Daily Double!!!
What is the reward for women in Heaven (Jannah) according to Islam? What is the reward for Men?
This question is 1000 points if you can answer correctly!
Men: Whatever the Heart Desires: The Quran promises: "And therein is all that the souls desire and eyes find sweet" [Quran 43:71].
Women: Whatever the Heart Desires: The Quran promises: "And therein is all that the souls desire and eyes find sweet" [Quran 43:71]. (Except for 72 Husbands)
The Hagia Sophia, located in modern day Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople) was once an Orthodox Church but was later conqueror and made into a Mosque by what Muslim empire? 200 Bonus Points if you can name what Hagia Sophia means in English.
The Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") in Istanbul, Turkey, is the famous church originally built as a Byzantine Orthodox cathedral in 537 AD that was converted into a mosque following the Ottoman conquest in 1453. It was briefly a Roman Catholic cathedral (1204–1261) before becoming a museum and, in 2020, a mosque again.
In the 7th century, St. John of Damascus named Islam a Christological heresy. He referred to it as the heresy of the group of people supposedly descended from what banished Old Testament figure?
Ismaelites,
Ishmael was banished by Abraham, along with his mother, Hagar, into the wilderness of Beersheba. This action was taken at Sarah's demand because she feared Ishmael would not share the inheritance with her son, Isaac, and after she witnessed him mocking Isaac.
What should you do for one of your friends' fingers after they have completed their meal?
A) Lick them clean
B) Wipe them for them
C) Wash them off
D) Leave them as is
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When one of you finishes eating, he should not wipe his fingers until he has licked them himself or has given them to someone else to lick for him."
Riyad as-Salihin 747
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "...should not wipe his hand with a towel until he has licked his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the blessing lies" Sahih Muslim 2033b.
When Muhammad was in the Cave, where he supposedly received the Quran, which was to be recited to his companions, a supposed angel came to him and told him to read three times, forcefully, until Muhammad could no longer bear it. What is the supposed name of the angel, and what was the problem with the angel telling him to read, which caused Muhammad to not be able to bear it?
The Angel Gabriel (Jibrel), Muhammad did not know how to read
Quoting from the Hadith of Bukhari, 9.111:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where he used to worship(Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him in it and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet added), "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, "I do not know how to read," whereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read (or, what shall I read?)." Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me and then released me and said, "Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created man from a clot. Read and Your Lord is Most Generous...up to..... ..that which he knew not." (96.15)