Islam Flashcards

Front 1

Mamluk

Back 1

A soldier of slave origin, forming a military caste in Muslim societies.

Front 2

Ahl al-Sunnah

Back 2

Also known as Sunni Islam -- the largest branch of Islam, referred to as the orthodox branch of the religion. Their primary texts are the hadith collections and Qur'an. The title comes from the word "sunnah" which means "habit."

Front 3

Hasan al-Banna

Back 3

A schoolteacher and Imam who founded the Muslim Brotherhood.

Front 4

Ka'ba

Back 4

a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, the most sacred site in Islam. The Quran states that it was constructed by Abraham and Ishmael.

Front 5

Qiblah

Back 5

The direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays.

Front 6

Kharijites

Back 6

Muslims who rejected the leadership of Ali and are distinct from Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. They have some extreme doctrines, such as the belief that other Muslims are unbelievers and worthy of death.

Front 7

Jihad

Back 7

Translates to "struggle", a religious duty of Muslims. They must "strive in the way of God." Some Sunni scholars consider it 6th pillar of Islam.

Front 8

Tariqah

Back 8

A mystical path beyond the "mundane" practice of Islam, where one seeks ultimate truth. Part of Sufism

Front 9

Sayyid Qutb

Back 9

A writer, educator, and leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood

Front 10

Batin

Back 10

The interior or hidden meaning of the Qur'an, contrasted with the apparent meaning. Some believe that only certain people (like the Imam for Shia Muslims) can understand it.

Front 11

Mutazillites

Back 11

an Islamic school of speculative theology that flourished during the 8th-10th centuries. Assert that because of the perfect unity of God, the Qur'an must have been created; it cannot be co-eternal.

Front 12

Ashura

Back 12

A Shi'ite holiday that mourns the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson.

Front 13

Imam

Back 13

an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Shi'ites believe that imams are chosen by God and are free from committing sin.

Front 14

Hanafi

Back 14

A school of law within Sunni Islam.

Front 15

Karbala

Back 15

A city in Iraq, location of the Battle of Karbala, one of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims as it is where Husayn ibn Ali was martyred.

Front 16

Al-Bukhari

Back 16

A Sunni Islamic scholar who authored a hadith collection considered by Sunnis to be most authentic

Front 17

Salat

Back 17

the practice of formal worship in Islam

Front 18

Sira

Back 18

Biographies of Muhammad

Front 19

Eid al-Adha

Back 19

An important religious holiday to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael

Front 20

Hudaybiyya

Back 20

a pivotal treaty between Muhammad, representing the state of Medina, and the Quraish tribe of Mecca. Helped decrease tension between two cities and allowed Muhammad's followers to return to Mecca for pilgrimages.

Front 21

Din

Back 21

Translates to "faith"

Front 22

hanbalite

Back 22

A school of religious law within Sunni Islam, considered strict and conservative.

Front 23

Isnad

Back 23

Information provided regarding the route by which meaning is derived from the Hadiths

Front 24

Imamate

Back 24

means "leadership", refers to institutions that succeeded the prophethood

Front 25

Gabriel

Back 25

an angel who talks to Muhammad

Front 26

Orientalism

Back 26

European scholarship and domination in the Middle East

Front 27

Jafar al-Sadiq

Back 27

a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims.

Front 28

Mahdi

Back 28

he prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years before the Day of Judgment and will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.

Front 29

Halal

Back 29

a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law.

Front 30

Ayah

Back 30

the Arabic word for evidence or sign, refers to smallest unit of the Qur'an.

Front 31

Ablution

Back 31

the act of washing oneself for ritual purification

Front 32

Rumi

Back 32

a Persian Muslim poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic

Front 33

Fana

Back 33

The sufi term for annihilation of the ego while remaining physically alive, an enlightened state

Front 34

Qur'an

Back 34

The most sacred Muslim text, contains the visions of Muhammad

Front 35

Shahada

Back 35

A declaration of faith for Muslims

Front 36

Salafi

Back 36

a Muslim who emphasises the Salaf ("predecessors" or "ancestors"), the earliest Muslims, as model examples of Islamic practice. A strict and literal interpretation of Islam

Front 37

Mecca

Back 37

Muhammad's hometown, holiest place in Islam

Front 38

Jahiliyya

Back 38

concept of "ignorance of divine guidance" referring to the condition in which Arabs found themselves in pre-Islamic Arabia. Now applies to anyone who is not a Muslim

Front 39

Qiyas

Back 39

the process of deductive analogy in which the teachings of the Hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Qur'an

Front 40

Ibn Ishaq

Back 40

an Arab Muslim historian and hagiographer who wrote the most important sira

Front 41

Caliph

Back 41

Islamic heads of state, Muhammad's successors. Sunnis and Shi'ites disagree on the legitimacy of the caliphate

Front 42

Wahhabism

Back 42

A religious movement within Sunni Islam, claims to adhere to the correct understanding about the unity of god. A form of Salafism

Front 43

Hajj

Back 43

A pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the pillars of islam

Front 44

Islam

Back 44

translates to "submission"
belief that Muhammad is the last prophet of God

Front 45

Taqiyya

Back 45

religious dissimulation,[1] is a practice emphasized in Shi'a Islam whereby adherents may conceal their religion when they are under threat, persecution, or compulsion.

Front 46

Medina

Back 46

second most significant city in Islam, where Muhammad lived and gained followers

Front 47

Hafiz

Back 47

a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Qur'an

Front 48

Zakat

Back 48

one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy

Front 49

Ahl al-Bayt

Back 49

refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, particularly important to Shia Muslims because Shias generally derive their hadiths from the Ahl-al-Bayt and their close associates.

Front 50

Jinn

Back 50

genies/supernatural creatures mentioned in the Qur'an. They are below angels in rank

Front 51

Qadi

Back 51

a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law (sharia) appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country.

Front 52

Imami Shi'ites

Back 52

the largest branch of Shi'ite Islam, they believe that there are 12 divinely appointed Imams and the 12th will be the Mahdi

Front 53

Sawm

Back 53

an Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence, one must abstain from eating, drinking, having sex, or betraying Islamic law

Front 54

Qadariyya

Back 54

a theological movement in early Islam which held that man was endowed by God with free will

Front 55

Silsila

Back 55

an Arabic word meaning chain, often used in various senses of lineage

Front 56

Minaret

Back 56

a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure.

Front 57

Shafi'i

Back 57

a school of religious law within the Sunni branch of Islam

Front 58

Matn

Back 58

The "report" of a hadith, the meaning

Front 59

Hijab

Back 59

the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women

Front 60

Quraysh

Back 60

the dominant tribe of Mecca upon the appearance of the religion of Islam

Front 61

Badr

Back 61

a key battle in the early days of Islam, a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with the Quraish in Mecca

Front 62

Ijma

Back 62

an Arabic term referring to the consensus of the Muslim community

Front 63

Shia

Back 63

the second largest denomination of Islam, translates to "followers of Ali." They believe that God has a right to choose a representative to safeguard Islam -- they think this is Ali.

Front 64

Abbasid

Back 64

the third Islamic caliphate, established in Baghdad. It flourished for two centuries but eventually became overpowered by the Turks.

Front 65

I'jaz

Back 65

the act of rendering incapable or powerless, describes the character of the Qur'an in both form and content.

Front 66

Murji'a

Back 66

an early Islamic school, opposed to Kharijites on defining true Muslims. They think only God knows who is a Muslim

Front 67

Abrogation

Back 67

a genre of Islamic exegesis dealing with the problem of seemingly conflicting legal material

Front 68

Night journey

Back 68

a spiritual journey taken by Muhammad in 621, where he ascended into heaven and spoke to God

Front 69

Isma'ili Shi'ites

Back 69

A branch of Shi'ite Islam who believe that Ismail ibn Ja'far is the true Imam.

Front 70

Sunnah

Back 70

denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar. adhered to in fulfilling the divine injunctions, carrying out religious rites and moulding life in accord with the will of God.

Front 71

Hijrah

Back 71

the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE, marking the first year of the Islamic calendar

Front 72

Eid al-Fitr

Back 72

a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan

Front 73

Zahir

Back 73

in Islam, the exterior, surface, or apparent meaning of things

Front 74

Khadija

Back 74

the first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the first Muslim.

Front 75

Muslim Brotherhood

Back 75

the world's most influential and one of the largest Islamist movements, uses a model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work

Front 76

Ali

Back 76

Muhammad's son in law, Shi'ites believe that he is the first Imam and Sunnis believe that he was the final Caliph

Front 77

Surah

Back 77

a division of the Quran, although it can be approximately referred to as a chapter.

Front 78

Maliki

Back 78

a school of religious law within Sunni Islam

Front 79

Hadith

Back 79

used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad

Front 80

Occultation

Back 80

In Shia Islam the Occultation is a term used to designate the hidden state of the Imam of the Time.

Front 81

Yathrib

Back 81

The name of Medina before the advent of Islam

Front 82

Tawhid

Back 82

the concept of monotheism in Islam, holds that God is one and unique

Front 83

Caliphate

Back 83

refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the leaders unity of the Muslim Ummah (community)

Front 84

Ihsan

Back 84

an Arabic term meaning "perfection" or "excellence" . It is a matter of taking one's inner faith and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.