ISLAMIC BELIEFS
Oneness of God (Tawhid) "You alone do we worship" Qur'an. This belief is also reinforced in the Shahadah ''There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet''. Noone can picture God and this is one of the reasons there are no images of God in a mosque.
Nature of God. He is the Greatest ''Allahu Akbar'' Muslims believe He is so great he is beyond human understanding.
The qualities of God are seen in the 99 names of Allah, some being ''The Merciful'' and ''The Beneficent''
He is Immanent which is the believe that God is present in and involved with life on Earth. Might get asked on beliefs on God's benevolence ''Allah is nearer to man than his jugular vein'' this shows humans are near to him and he cares about them.
He is transcendant, beyond all things. Because of this, the worst sin a human can commit is Shirk which is associating other Gods with Allah i.e having multiple Gods. Islam is a monotheistic religion. Belief in one God - this might be a 1 marker
God is omnipotent (all powerful) ''Be'' - Qur'an all God has to say is Be and it shall be.
In Shi'a Islam the term adalat is also used to describe Justice. - can be a 1 marker. God is just and fair and judges humans actions, rewarding the good and punishing the bad.
SHI'A VS SUNNI
Shi'a muslims believed Ali should've been the Prophet's successor and leader of Islam however Sunnis believes it was rightly so that Abubakr became the Caliph as he was elected.
Shi'a muslims pray 3 times a day whereas Sunnis pray 5 times.
Shi'a Islam believes that there have been 12 Imams (leaders), the last is Mahdi who they believe is actually still alive.
Sunni muslims believe that Mahdi has not been born yet.
Two angels you should know about: Jibril and Mika'il.
Jibril (meaning: Angel of holiness) was mentioned in the Qur'an 5 times. He was there to give the revelations of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad and he also helped the Prophet Abraham/Ibrahim (doesn't matter how you spell it) when he was throw into a fire by cooling it.
Mika'il is the giver of rain and sustenance. He was one of the first to bow to Adam and he provided Muhammad with water. He will also weigh up people's good and bad deeds on the Day of Judgement. Potential 5 marker, comparison of two angels in Islam.
Predestination - Idea that God knows or determines everything that will happen in the universe ''Only what God has decreed will happen to us." - Qur'an
SUNNI & PREDESTINATION
God has already determined everything that will happen in the universe. He has written down everything that will happen in a 'book of decrees'
God creates all things, including the actions of his creatures, so they must act according to his will.
SHI'A & PREDESTINATION
God knows everything that is going to happen, but that does not mean that he decides what is going to happen.
People still have free will, so they can make their own choices.
LIFE AFTER DEATH
Akirah - everlasting life after death (potential 1 marker)
Muslims believe when you die you will stay in the grave until the Day of Judgement. The Qur'an teachers that those who follow the words of Allah will live happily in a wonderful garden - Janna (paradise) and those who do not will be punished in Jahannam (hell)
However, Allah is always merciful (remember one of his 99 names is 'The Merciful'
and even a bad person may eventually reach Paradise after they have been punished. However those who commit Shirk (associating Allah with other Gods) will not leave Jahannam.
"Then shall every soul be paid what it earned"
Importance of belief in life after death: In Islam, this life is seen as a test. Therefore, life after death is necessary to ensure that people who were good are rewarded, and people who are bad are punished. Life after death also helps Muslims overcome the fear of death. (This can be a 5 marker on how Life after death (Akirah) influences Muslims today).
IMPORTANT PROPHETS
Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) : Last prophet sent by Allah
Prophet Adam (pbuh) : First man on Earth and first prophet of Islam
Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh): Grew up where his people worshipped idols (statues), he tested the power of these idols by trowing them into a river and of course, they sank. He became convinced that there was just one true power: a single God, and Allah called him to be a prophet.
Potential 12 marker, might be a statement like: "Adam is the most important prophet" yada yada
HOLY BOOKS IN ISLAM
The Qur'an
The Psalms
The Gospels
The Torah ~ potential 2 marker
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Shahadah (translated above) - Declaration of faith
Salah - prayer
Zakah - Charity (2.5% of income after expenses paid)
Sawm - Fasting
Hajj - Pilgrimage
potential five marker e.g Fasting is the most important act of Faith in Islam
Shi'a Muslims have khums where they give 20% of their income
To convert to Islam a person needs to sincerely say the shahadah in front of Muslim witnesses. It is one of the first words Muslim babies hear and is also the last words of a Muslim when they die. Potential question: Importance of Shahadah.
Greater Jihad: A personal struggle, this might be to wake up from bed in the early morning for morning prayers. (Our jihad right now might be studying for our GCSE exams xdd)
Lesser Jihad: Self defence should Muslims be attacked. There are 9 criteria which must be met. Some of this include: Women and children not involved must not be harmed. Do not destroy buildings of worship of ANY religion e.g churches and synagogues or temples and do not damage crops/harvests.
THIS IS FOR THE FIRST HALF FOR THE ISLAM PAPER