Islam Exam – Flashcards

Call to prayer. Adhan is called out by a muezzin from the mosque five times a day, is the islamic call to worship. This summons Muslims for mandatory salat (is the practice of ritual prayer, it is one of the five pillars of Islam), it recites the Takbir then the Shahada and this demonstrates the first pillar.

Mecca started as a trade route that had constant flow of people and goods. Tribes then started to form and annually all of the tribes would come to Mecca for the Kaba which held each patron deity of the tribes. According to Islamic tradition Abraham, the son of Ishmael, built the Kaba. The pilgrimmage to Mecca was four months long and every tribe would lay down their weapons and their conflicts each year. Mecca is the holy city for the Islam religion and when Muslims pray they face Mecca. Sufis in the 17th and 18th centuries made it possible to obtain dhikr exercises because of their pilgrimmages to Mecca.

is an Islamic creed that is part of the Adhan and is declaring one's oneness with God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet. "I testify that there is no god but God, I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God"

Means passing away or annihilation. Represents a break down of the individuals ego and a recongnition of the fundamental unity of God, creation, and individual self. People who have entered this state have obtained tawhid (awareness of the intrinsic unity between God and everything else). Saints are often described as not being aware of their own status and has annihilation of one's ego and God's being the ego that is present (baqa- pure consciousness of God).

Means perfection or excellence. It is the matter of taking one's inner faith (iman- in the Quran is described to must be accompanied by righteous deeds and those two together are necessary for entry into Paradise, in the Hadith of Gabriel, Iman must be coupled with Islam and Ihsan to form the three dimensions of Islam) and doing righteous deeds and actions to obtain excellence or perfection

is the recollection or rememberance of God, and is the name of devotional acts in Islam in which prayers are recited silently within the heart or aloud. It is predominate in Sufism and the prayers are pulled from the Hadith and the Quran. It is used as a form of meditation and different practices are developed from different silsilas (genealogy or known as religious order)

A muslim healer, who is married to Abba. She has green flags in her courtyard that mark graveyard sites of saints. Ernst learns from Amma how important her story is but her story could be lost in the male authority. Amma is a strong women and she has an unusual position on authority, gender, and practice of healing. She has a healing room that represents a non-institutional practice of Islam that has been underrepresented, what Ernst calls "vernacular Islam".

Originnaly performed mainly at Sufi shrines, it is devotional music, it is a type of music that a Sufi saint of the Chisti order is credited with fusing the Persian and Indian musical traditions to create it. Lyrics are poetic in local languages, and it is used to arouse feelings of love of God and the Prophet. Sama is another word used for forms of music very similar to qavvali.

is the concept of monotheism in Islam and is the most fundamental concept and holds that God is one and single (oneness, union, and unification with God). The shahada is the declartion of the belief in the oneness of God and the creation of any other entity is known as shirk, which is an unpardonable sin in the Islam traditions. Muslims believe that Islam is based on the principle of tawhid. According to Ernst, the concept of tawhid has to be accepted in order to receive spirtual healing.

He was born in 570. He belonged to the Banu Hashim clan and the Quraysh tribe. He was orphaned at the age of six and was raised under the protection of his uncle. He was sent to live with the Bedouin nomads and he worked on camel caravans. He was then hired as caravan manager by Khadija, who he later than married. Their sons died in infancy but their daughters survived. The Quranic Revelation begins in 610 which was a challenge against power of Meccan authorities to promote one God and tawhid. One night the Angel Gabriel came to him and told him that he is the Prophet of God. His wife and uncle die in 619 and in 622 Muhammad and his followers leave Mecca and go to Medina where the Islamic community was created. There was a series of battles that took place in Medina between Muhammad's allies and the Meccan army (Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, Battle of the Ditch). In 630 Muhammad and his allies occupy Mecca, and Muhammad forgives all enemies. There was the cleansing of the Kaba, and tribal idols were removed and destroyed. In 632 Muhammad lead his last pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca and later died.

The city contains the mosque which is the burial place of Muhammad and the second holiest site after Mecca. Medina was Muhammads destination after his Hijra from Mecca, where the Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, and Battle of the Ditch took place

is the physical practice of prayer and is one of the five pillars of Islam, it is usually performed five times a day. The purpose is to have communication and remembrance of God. The opening and the shahada are prayers recited daily.

it is a cube building that is in the middle of Islam's most sacred mosque in Mecca. When Muslims pray, no matter where they are, they are expected to face the Kaba or Mecca when performing salat (prayer). One of five pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the hajj pilgrimage at least once which is pilgrimage to Mecca and the Kaba

means self, ego, or psyche. It is used in the Quran in both an individual sense and collective sense, indicating that although humanity is united in possessing the qualities of a "consciousness" they are individually repsonsible for exercising their agencies of their free will. In Sufism, nafs is the "ego" which is the lowest dimension on a man's inward exsistence.

Means chain, and is often used in the context of lineage. More particular the meaning is religious order or genealogy of Sufi masters in a tariqa (Sufi order). In Sufism the practices include honoring the founding saints of various established Sufi lineages, celebration of the death anniversary of a founding lineage saint. Some orders are: Chishti in South Asia, Qadiri basically everywhere, Rifa'i in Turkey and Middle East, and Mevlevies in Turkey.

is the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres as prosperity, protection, and happiness. It can be found in objects, places, or people; that are chosen by God, and even the practices of Muhammad. God has the sole power and has the source of barkat

is Amma's husband, he is a pir which means he is a religious teacher who has been given permission by his own pir to teach and to initiate disciples. In Sama ritual, Abba displays his spiritual authority as pir. Amma's authority in her healing room is dependent on Abba's authority and Abba's sama ritual is dependent on Amma's practice.

is the sufi sermon performed as dhikr. These rituals are often singing or musical, it is very popular for the Chisti order. This represents a journey of a man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection. Rumi, creator of order Mevlevis, created sama.

is the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism, the worship of anyone or anything other than God. It is an unforgivable crime if it remains unpardoned before death. "God may forgive any sin if one dies in that state except for committing shirk"

is a arcangel who serves as a messenger sent from God to Muhammad, one out of four, Gabriel is mentioned in the Hadith of Gabriel and the Quran. He is also mentioned in a few other religions.

is the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622. Muhammad was warned that there will be an assassination attempt so hima nd his followers went to Medina. Then followed three battles.

is a obligatory form of alms-giving. It is not based on income, but on the value of one's possessions. It is about 2.5% of one's savings and wealth, this tax is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims.

is a person that is devoted to Sufism, which is the mystical dimmension of Islam. Sufis are solely devoted to the tenets of Islam and the teachings of Muhammad. It is heavily influenced by Neoplatonism. It is soul's journey from the outward path (shariah- is the divine law) to the inward path (tariqa) and upward to God as the supreme reality.

it is a belief in Sufism that is a concept of the divine love or a man's love for God, the belief that only God is worth loving.

is the term used for a religious order in Sufism. The "path" metaphor of tariqa is that of a further path, taken by the mystic, which continues from the "well-trodden path" or exoteric of sharia towards the esoteric haqiqa.

it means a friend or one who is protected by a kin relationship. It is applied to God in the Quran and he is referred to as the only friend and the only helper, people who are friends of God are people who have a very special status.

is a religious and social practice of female seclusion in the Muslim community. This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that women cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form. The usual purdah garment worn is a burqa, which may or may not include a yashmak, a veil to conceal the face. The eyes may or may not be exposed. Purdah was rigorously observed under the Taliban in Afghanistan, where women had to observe complete purdah at all times when they were in public. Only close male family members and other women were allowed to see them out of purdah. In other societies, purdah is often only practised during certain times of religious significance. In Sama women do not observe parda until the qavvals (those who perform qavvali) come in. This has limited women social freedom and the gender boundaries are clear with this concept.

This is a two part journey that Muhammad encountered. The revelation "descended" on Muhammad on one of the last nights durig Ramadan, and there was a descention of angels. In many portrayals it is thought to be Gabriel speaking to Muhammad but in 53:1-11, it is sought to be God speaking to Muhammad. Then the second part is the ascension is understood as the beginning with the night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, then he ascended through the heavens to God's presence.

is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation of God. Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632 CE, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad.

it means community, people with common ideology and culture. God uses it in the Quran to refer to Muslims. Muhammad also used it in a document in Medina when he was leading clans to Medina in 622.

it is a word for fasting regulated by the Islam religion. In the terminology of Islamic law, sawm means to abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. The observance of sawm during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, but is not confined to that month.

was a Persian mystic, revolutionary writer and teacher of Sufism, who wrote exclusively in Arabic. He is most famous for his poetry, accusation of heresy and he was then arrested and put on trial. He was later than executed, his words were "I am the truth" which was though of as shirk.

is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons (called Suhbas) and individual guidance. The path of Sufism starts when a student takes an oath of allegiance with a teacher called Bai'ath("transaction") where he swears allegiance at the hands of his Pir and repents from all his previous sins. After that, the student is called a Murid (committed one). From here, his batin (inward) journey starts.

he is the saint of the Chishti Order of Sufism. Chishti introduced and established the order in the subcontinent. The initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chishti order. Moinuddin Chishti apparently never wrote down his teachings in the form of a book, nor did his immediate disciples, but the central principles that became characteristics of the Chishti order in India are based on his teachings and practices. They lay stress on renunciation of material goods; strict regime of self-discipline and personal prayer; participation in sam?' as a legitimate means to spiritual transformation; reliance on either cultivation or unsolicited offerings as means of basic subsistence; independence from rulers and the state, including rejection of monetary and land grants; generosity to others, particularly, through sharing of food and wealth, and tolerance and respect for religious differences.

is evil forces and relates to shaitan who is the devil. His primary activity is to incite humans and jinn to commit evil through deception, which is referred to as "whispering into the hearts". Flueckiger refers to shaitani kartut which means "evil eyes caused by eveil forces"

means the opening, is the first chapter of the Quran. Its seven ayat (verses) are a prayer for God's guidance. It is part of salat, the prayer is essentially asking for God to guide one on the straight path.

refers to the day that one is judged by Allah, after a period of waiting. The belief in Islam is that one's soul waits in one's grave until the Day Of Judgement, when Allah judges you, preceding Akhirah (life after death). This is the point when Allah will terminate all living things, and the existence of this world.

the collections of the reports of the teachings, deeds and sayings of Muhammad. The hadith literature is based on oral reports that were in circulation in society after the death of Muhammad. Different branches of Islam refer to different collections of hadith, though the same incident may be found in hadith in different collections. In the Hadith of Gabriel, the best summary of the core of Islam: the "Five Pillars of Islam" (shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, hajj), the "Six Articles of Faith" (believe in: God, his angels, his books, his messengers, and the last day, and believe in God's actions even if good or bad) and Ihsan (living by excellence)

is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God. The word Hajj means "to intend a journey", which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions.

is defined as the interior or hidden meaning of the Quran. can refer to the inner meaning or reality behind all existence (zahir). Basically, it is the inner, hidden, spiritual, eternal, real.

is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid (teacher) in a Tariqa (spiritual path) of Sufism. Before initiation a Murid is guided and taught by a Pir who must first accept the initiate as his or her disciple. Throughout the instruction period, the Murid typically experiences visions and dreams during personal spiritual exercises. These visions are interpreted by the Murshid. The Murid is invested in the cloak of the order upon initiation, having progressed through a series of increasingly difficult and significant tasks on the path of mystical development.

is a Sufi Islamic shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Muslims believe that dargahs are portals by which they can invoke the deceased saint's intercession and blessing. Sufi shrines are found in many Muslim communities throughout the world, and are called by many names. An example of how Muslims think that saints power can penetrate them from a dargah, is Khalid when he maintains Amma's and Abba's dargah for their authority so it can shape his.

"crossroads", Amma sees herself and her practices not as peripheral but at the very center, a center through which multiples axes of religious identities meet and cross. Flueckiger relates this to when one has to make a decision that can switch the direction of your path. Endogamous marriage customs, death rituals, and attitudes towards worship, the farther the axes move out from caurasta, the more it matters who is Muslim.

is the exoteric or apparent meaning of the Quran. It is the outer, apparent, physical, and transitory. Opposite of batin.

is a concept in Islam, defined by scholars as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. Sufism has two sides: an outside (zahir) and an inside (batin). The outside of Islam consists of statements of beliefs that Muslims must profess as well as laws and principles that must govern their personal and collective lives. The inside of Islam is faith and love, light and a life of contact with God. Soul's journey from the outward path (shariah- exoteric path) to the inward path (tariqa - the esoteric path or religious order from a master) and upward to God as the supreme reality (haqiqa- mystical truth). Two kinds of Sufis- sober and intoxicated. Sober is related to Al-sabti and intoxicated is related to Al-hallaj.