islamic beliefs

• akhirah 


  everlasting life after death
• allah 


  the arabic name for God
• angels 


  spiritual beings that act as messengers for God
• beneficent 


  benevolent, all-loving
• caliph 


  political and religious successor to the prophet Muhammad, and leader of the Sunni muslims
• day of judgement 


  when the world ends and every soul will be judged by God and either rewarded or punished
• fairness 


  God treats people fairly without favour or discrimination
• Hadith 


  the savings and actions of Muhammad recorded by this friends and family
• hajj 


  the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that every muslim should complete at least once in their life
• iblis 


  satan - a spiritual being created from fire, who was thrown out of paradise for refusing to follow Allah
• Id-ul-Adha 


  festival celebrated at the end of Hajj which remembers Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God
• Imam 


  a person who leads salah (prayer) in a mosque and title given to leaders of Shi'a islam
• Imamate 


  the divinely (by God) appointed successors of Muhammad, blood related to the prophet
• immanent 


  the idea that God is present and involved with life on Earth and the universe
• islam 


  the religion followed by muslims
• Jibril 


  Gabriel - the archangel who brought God's message to the prophets (particularly Muhammad)
• Ka'aba 


  the black, cube-shaped building at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (the holiest place in islam)
• merciful 


  compassion and forgiveness
• Mika'il


  Michael - the archangel of mercy who rewards good deeds and provides nourishment to people
• monotheistic 


  a religion that believes there is only one God
• muslim 


  one who has submitted the will of God and accepted islam
• polytheistic 


  a religion that believes there are many Gods
• predestination 


  the idea that God knows and determines everything that will happen in the universe
• prophet 


  a person who proclaims the message of God
• prophethood 


  when God makes someone a prophet to communicate his message to the people
• Psalms 


  the holy book revealed by God to David (prophet)
• Qur'an 


  the holy book revealed to Muhammad by the Angel Jibril
• risalah 


  the channel of communication between Allah and humans (angles, prophets and the Qur'an)
• scrolls of Abraham 


  a holy book revealed by God to Ibrahim
• shi'a 


  muslims who believe in the Imamate, the successorship of Ali
• sunnah 


  the example of Muhammad based on his sayings and actions found in the Hadith
• sunni 


  muslims who believe that Abu Bakr is the rightful successor of Muhammad
• supremacy 


  supreme power or authority
• tawhid 


  the oneness of God
• torah 


  the 5 books revealed by God to Moses
• transcendent 


  the idea that God is beyond time and space, not bound by any laws of the universe
• sanctity of life 


  belief that life is sacred because it was created by God