Islam 101

Beliefs

100

Jahaliyya

(1) era of ignorance before revelation, (2) state of ignorance

200

kibla

direction Muslims face when praying (towards Mecca)

300

Hadith

saying attributed to Muhammad (know how the study of hadiths is like a science)

400

Qu'ran

central text divine word not a narrative sura - chapter

500

5 pillars

Shahadah: declaring there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger Salat: ritual prayer five times a day Sawm: fasting and self-control during the blessed month of Ramadan Zakat: giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if he/she is able to do

Muhammad

100

570

birth of M.

200

Khadija

wife of M. first convert

300

hijrah

journey from M. to Medina in 622 CE

400

Khatam

'seal of prophets" - M. is the last prophet in line of other recognized prophets

500

importance of M.

role model - hadiths and sunna unify the commumity

Sufism

100

baraka

spiritual power, blessing

200

dhikr

“remembrance” of God (usually the repetition of His names)

300

Tasawwuf

the state of being Sufi; cleansing the heart by remembering the Allah through the repetition of His names

400

silsila

lineage; Shias use it to mean a lineage of authentic Masters. also common in Sufism, lineage from teacher to student - transferring knowledge and Baraka (blessing)

500

Sufism

suf - wool; safa - purity union with god islam mysticism

Politics

100

caliph

successor of M., temporal leader of Muslim community 4 Caliphs: Abu Bakr (632-634) Umar (634-644): institutions for the empire Uthman (644-656): expansion Ali (656-661): conflict

200

Jizya

tax paid by the dhimmi (non-Muslim community)

300

shari'a

Islamic law sourced from Quran and hadiths

400

crusades

Crusades (1096-1249) - 2 main effects (1) establishment of a military class as an elite of defenders of the faith (these new warriors were foreigners implanted into various areas unlike first group of warriors) (2) adoption of defensive mentality result: everything subordinate to military (innovation for military, etc.)

500

Wahhabism

conservative branch of Sunni sect of Islam, founded by M. ibn Abd al Wahhab in Arabia; return to fundamentals in Quran and hadiths

History

100

A.H.

"after hijra" - move to Mecca marks year 1 of Islamic calender

200

axum

city in Ethiopia, capital of Axum Empire; where Muslim first fled persecution f

300

Quraysh

M. clan; rulers of Mecca in pre-Islamic Arabia

400

Ottoman empire

1301-1922 Expansion: North Africa and Europe Centralized rule, Control over trade and tax Population growth Urbanization & merchant communities -

500

Describe pre-Islamic context

how is God described? religion? structure of the society? women and children?