section 1

• tawhid

  • allah is the only God
  • oneness of allah
  • saying allah is the only God- shahadah
  • shirk- believing in other Gods as well as allah
  • "allah does not forgive association with Him
  • the first thing a muslim should mention is tawhid
• allah's characteristics

  • merciful- compassion
  • omnipotent- all-powerful and in control of everything
  • benevolent- all-good and he cares for his people
  • just- fair and judge people's behaviour in a fair way
  • immanent- present and involved in the world
  • transcendent- tawhid, above everything and he has no equal
• risalah (prophethood)

  • all muslims believe in angels
  • they have no free will
  • they send messages about how to live a good life
  • messengership
  • 25 prophets in the qur'an
  • prophets taught the belief in one god
  • prophets- equal
• prophets

  • performed miracles to prove they were really prophets
• prophets-adam

  • first: man, muslim, prophet, built the first ka'aba
  • sins forgiven- apple
• prophets- ibrahim

  • abraham
  • rejected the idea of many different gods
  • tawhid
  • devotion and obedience- sacrificed his own son
• prophets- isma'il

  • ishmael
  • ibrahim's son- helped him build the ka'aba
  • the father of the arabs
• prophets-musa

  • moses
  • only prophet that allah spoke to directly
  • encouraged tawhid
• prophets- dawud

  • david
  • bravery- killed Jalut (Goliath)
  • loyal- prayed for a third of each night
• prophets-isa

  • jesus
  • sent when people strayed from musa's teachings
  • wasn't crucified, but brought up to heaven by allah
• prophets

  • paved the way for muhammad
• prophets-muhammad

  • Jibril- message- told others
  • messages- tawhid, judgement day, guidance on how to live their lives= the qur'an- final revelation from allah
  • seal of the prophets, last prophet
  • wise leader, solved disputes, brought people together, performed miracles
  • words and actions- used them to guide how to live their lives-role model
  • BE PEACEFUL
• malaikah-angels-allah's messengers

  • all muslims believe in angels
  • follow allah's orders and communicate with humans
  • don't have free will
  • incapable of sin
  • allah created them before humans
• angels

  • record people's good and bad deeds for the day of judgement
  • guardian angels protect people from danger and evil
  • article of faith for sunnis
  • comforting
  • influence muslims to do good things
• angels

  • jibril-gabriel- revealed allah's words, the qur'an, to muhammad; angel of revelation; he told maryam, mary, she was pregant with isa, jesus
  • mika'il-michael- he asks allah to forgive people's sins
  • izra'il-azrael- angel of death, he takes souls from people's bodies when they die
• life after death- al-qadr - predestination

  • allah has decided everything that will happen
  • humans can't choose to do something allah hasn't chosen for them
  • contradicted by the idea of the day of judgement, there'd be no point in judging them on their actions if what they did had already been decided by allah
  • sunnis tend to believe allah knows everything that's going to happen
  • shi'as focus a bit more on free will
  • to some muslims, the idea of al-qadr is comforting, it's reassuring to feel it's a part of allah's plan
• the quran

  • most important holy book
  • the word of allah
  • complete and accurate record of allah's exact words to muhammad
  • allows humans to know allah
  • muslims try to live according to its guidance
  • helps them be rewarded by allah and get to paradise
  • muslims learn arabic to ensure they're reading the true quran
  • there's often dispute over how to interpret the qur'an
  • it can be difficult to apply its teachings to modern life
• the quran

  • organised into 114 surahs- chapters, each made up of ayahs- verses
  • muslims treat it with great respect
  • often ornately decorated
  • keep it wrapped up to keep it clean
  • wash their hands
  • keep it on a higher shelf
  • place it on a special stand
  • read during private and public prayers, so muslims get to know it well
• books

  kutub
• allah also revealed holy books to other prophets

  angels were messengers for allah
• other holy books have been changed over time through editing

  only the quran exists in its orginal form
• sahifiah- scrolls

  • first holy book
  • given to ibrahim
  • now lost
• tawrat- torah

  • given to musa
  • jewish
  • it contains the 'judgement of allah'- valued by muslims
  • includes 10 commandments- basic rules for a religious life
• zabur- psalms

  • given to dawud
  • linked to the psalms of david
  • the original has been corrupted- beyond recognition
• injil- gospel

  • given to isa
  • prophesies the coming of muhammad
• hadith

  • reports of muhammad's words and actions
  • not in the quran
  • weren't revealed by allah
  • e.g. sahih muslim
• sunnah

  • sets out muhammad's way of life, as recorded in the hadith
• hadith and sunnah vs quran

  • they give valuable advice on issues concerning daily life
  • best just to use the quran as the hadith might be unreliable
• shi'a muslims

  • follow the hadith (sayings) of the imams
  • especially those of ali
• yawm ad-din

  the day of judgement
• yawm ad-din

  • allah decides how people will spend the afterlife, based on their behaviour during their lives
  • allah will judge everyone
  • the dead will be resurrected to join those still living
  • everyone will receive a record of their good and bad deeds, on which they'll be judged
  • encourages muslims to live their lives a good way
  • comforting to think bad people will be punished
  • they think people should do good things anyway, not just because they're focusing on their afterlife
  • intentions- intending to so something good counts, but intending to do something bad but not doing it doesn't count against you
• akhirah

  the afterlife
• akhirah

  • belief in the afterlife is a key part of islam
  • where people go after the day of judgement
• jannah- paradise

  • reward for good people
  • this is a place of peace, happiness and beauty
• jahannam- hell

  • for those who have done bad deeds, it is a punishment
  • a place of scorching fire and boiling water- quran
  • those who have ignored allah's teaching and failed to act righteously
  • allah is merciful- they may eventually be sent to paradise
• barzakh

  • the quran mentions a 'barrier' between this world and the next
  • where people's souls stay from the time they die until yawm ad-din
  • many muslims focus more on jannah and jahannam than barzakh