147 Fun Facts About Islam

What is the holy book of Islam?

The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the word of God revealed to Muhammad over about 23 years, beginning in 610 CE.

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is which month of the Islamic calendar?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; its fast runs from dawn to sunset on each of its 29 or 30 days, and the month begins with the sighting of the new crescent.

Mecca, home of the Kaaba, lies in which region of western Saudi Arabia?

Mecca lies in the Hejaz, the mountainous western strip along the Red Sea that also holds Medina and Jeddah; Najd is the central plateau around Riyadh.

How many times a day are Muslims required to pray?

Muslims perform salat five times daily, at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and night; the daily prayers are one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of which Islamic month?

Dhu al-Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar; the Hajj rites run from its 8th to 12th or 13th day, and Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th.

What is the Islamic declaration of faith called?

The Shahada is the Islamic declaration of faith: 'There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.' It is the first and most fundamental of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Which prophet is considered the final prophet in Islam?

Prophet Muhammad is regarded in Islam as the last in a line of prophets that includes figures like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims refer to him as the 'Seal of the Prophets.'

What does the Arabic word 'Islam' mean?

The word 'Islam' comes from the Arabic root 's-l-m' and means 'submission' or 'surrender to God.' A related word, 'salam,' means peace, and both derive from the same root.

What is the name of the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan?

Eid al-Fitr, meaning 'Festival of Breaking the Fast,' is celebrated at the end of Ramadan. It typically lasts one to three days and involves special prayers, feasting, and giving to charity.

What is the Islamic term for charitable giving, one of the Five Pillars?

Zakat is obligatory almsgiving on wealth held for a full year, one of the Five Pillars, and is distinct from voluntary charity, sadaqah.

The qibla, the direction Muslims face in prayer, points toward what?

The qibla points to the Kaaba in Mecca. Early Muslims first prayed toward Jerusalem; the direction was changed about 16 months after Muhammad's migration to Medina.

What is the name of the angel who revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad?

The angel Gabriel, Jibril in Arabic, is believed to have conveyed the Quran to Muhammad over about 23 years, beginning in 610 CE.

How many chapters (surahs) are in the Quran?

The Quran contains 114 surahs (chapters) of widely varying length, from 286 verses down to 3, arranged roughly from longest to shortest after the short opening chapter.

What event does Eid al-Adha commemorate?

Eid al-Adha, the 'Festival of Sacrifice,' commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. It is celebrated during the Hajj pilgrimage season.

What is the name of Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE?

The Hijra (migration) of Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. It was a pivotal event in the establishment of the first Muslim community.

What is the first surah (chapter) of the Quran?

Al-Fatiha ('The Opening') is the first chapter of the Quran. It consists of seven verses and is recited in every unit of the Muslim prayer. It is often described as the essence of the Quran.

What are the two main denominations of Islam?

Sunni and Shia are the two main branches of Islam; the split arose from a dispute over who should lead the community after Muhammad's death in 632 CE.

What is the term for Islamic religious law based on the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet?

Sharia refers to Islamic law derived from the Quran, the Hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad), and scholarly consensus. It covers a wide range of topics including personal conduct, family matters, and financial dealings.

What is the raised pulpit from which the imam delivers the sermon in a mosque called?

The minbar is the stepped pulpit beside the mihrab from which the imam delivers the Friday sermon (khutba); Muhammad is said to have preached from a three-step wooden minbar in his own mosque.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until what time?

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset, breaking the fast each evening, often with dates and water.

Which Islamic scholar is known as the 'father of algebra'?

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-850 CE) wrote 'The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing,' which introduced algebra as a distinct mathematical discipline. The word 'algebra' derives from 'al-jabr' in the title.

What is the Islamic mystical tradition called?

Sufism (Tasawwuf) is the mystical dimension of Islam, emphasizing inner purification and closeness to God; its followers gather in orders (tariqas) such as the Mevlevi and the Naqshbandi.

What famous palace complex in Granada, Spain, is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture?

The Alhambra in Granada, built mainly under the Nasrid dynasty in the 13th-14th centuries, features intricate geometric tilework, muqarnas ceilings and the famous Court of the Lions.

Which Islamic scholar wrote 'The Canon of Medicine,' a medical encyclopedia used in Europe for centuries?

Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037 CE) wrote 'The Canon of Medicine,' which systematized Greek, Roman, and Islamic medical knowledge. It remained a standard medical textbook in European universities until the 17th century.

What is the name of the pre-dawn meal eaten before fasting during Ramadan?

Suhoor (also spelled Sehri or Sahur) is the pre-dawn meal eaten before the day's fast begins in Ramadan; it must end at first light, when the fast starts.

What is the term for food that is permissible under Islamic dietary laws?

Halal means 'permissible' in Arabic and refers to food and drink that conforms to Islamic dietary laws. The opposite is 'haram' (forbidden), which includes pork, alcohol, and improperly slaughtered animals.

What is the tall tower on a mosque from which the call to prayer is made?

A minaret is the tall, slender tower attached to a mosque from which the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer (the adhan). Minarets vary in style across Islamic architectural traditions, from the square towers of Morocco to the pencil-thin spires of Ottoman mosques.

What is the recorded collection of Prophet Muhammad's sayings and actions called?

The Hadith are recorded narrations of Muhammad's words, actions and approvals; the Sunnah is his practice as a whole, while each hadith is a textual record of it, graded by scholars for reliability.

Kairouan, whose Great Mosque is the oldest in the Maghreb, is in which country?

Tunisia is home to Kairouan, founded around 670 by the Umayyad general Uqba ibn Nafi; its Great Mosque, rebuilt in the 9th century, is the oldest in the Maghreb.

What geometric art form, featuring interlocking patterns, is characteristic of Islamic decoration?

Arabesque refers to the elaborate geometric and floral patterns used extensively in Islamic art and architecture. Because Islamic tradition discourages the depiction of living figures in religious contexts, artists developed highly sophisticated geometric and botanical designs.

Muhammad's night journey is the Isra; what is his ascension through the heavens called?

The Miraj, literally 'ladder', is Muhammad's ascension through the heavens; in one version of the tradition Gabriel holds his hand as they climb toward the Sidrat al-Muntaha, the lote tree of the boundary.

Which caliph is considered the first of the 'Rightly Guided Caliphs' in Sunni Islam?

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (c. 573-634), one of Muhammad's closest companions, became the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate in 632 and held the community together through the Ridda (apostasy) wars.

What does the word 'Quran' literally mean in Arabic?

The word 'Quran' comes from the Arabic verb 'qara'a,' meaning 'to read' or 'to recite.' It literally means 'The Recitation,' reflecting the fact that the Quran was originally transmitted orally before being compiled into written form.

Which Islamic empire captured Constantinople in 1453?

The Ottoman Empire, under Sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror), captured Constantinople on May 29, 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire. The city was gradually renamed Istanbul and became the Ottoman capital for nearly 500 years.

What revered object in the eastern corner of Islam's holiest shrine do pilgrims try to kiss as they circle it?

The Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad) is set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba; tradition holds it dates to the time of Adam, and pilgrims try to kiss or touch it during each circuit.

Which city served as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate?

Damascus, in modern-day Syria, was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE). The Umayyads were the first hereditary dynasty of Islam and expanded the caliphate from Spain to Central Asia. They built the Great Mosque of Damascus, one of the oldest and largest mosques in the world.

What is the Islamic concept of 'jihad' most accurately translated as?

Jihad literally means 'struggle' or 'striving' in Arabic. In Islamic theology, the 'greater jihad' refers to the internal spiritual struggle against sin and self-improvement, while the 'lesser jihad' refers to defending the Muslim community. Scholars emphasize the broader meaning of personal spiritual effort.

Which famous Sufi poet wrote the 'Masnavi,' often called the 'Quran in Persian'?

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) was a Persian Sufi poet and mystic whose six-volume 'Masnavi' is considered one of the greatest works of mystical literature. Rumi remains one of the most widely read poets in the world.

Which art form ranks highest in Islamic tradition because it carries the Quran's text?

Calligraphy, mainly in Arabic script, is held to be the highest Islamic art because it carries the written word of the Quran; it adorns mosques, manuscripts and coins.

Muhammad died in which year of the Islamic calendar?

Muhammad died in 11 AH (June 632 CE), a few months after the Farewell Pilgrimage; the calendar counts from his migration to Medina in 622.

Which Islamic scholar is often called the 'founder of sociology' for his work 'Muqaddimah'?

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) was a North African historian whose 'Muqaddimah' (Introduction to History) pioneered the study of social dynamics, economics, and historiography. He analyzed the rise and fall of civilizations through patterns of social cohesion, earning recognition as a forefather of sociology.

What was the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) in Baghdad?

The House of Wisdom was a major intellectual center in Abbasid-era Baghdad (founded c. 9th century). It served as a library, translation center, and academy where scholars translated Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic and advanced knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy.

Which Muslim cartographer made an advanced medieval world map for King Roger II of Sicily?

Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100-1165) created the 'Tabula Rogeriana' (Book of Roger) in 1154 for the Norman King Roger II of Sicily. His map and accompanying geographical text remained among the most accurate world maps for three centuries.

What is the significance of 'Laylat al-Qadr' (the Night of Power) in Islam?

Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power or Night of Decree) commemorates the night the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. The Quran describes it as 'better than a thousand months.' It falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, most commonly observed on the 27th night.

Which Islamic philosopher, known as Averroes in Europe, wrote influential commentaries on Aristotle?

Ibn Rushd (Averroes, 1126-1198) was an Andalusian polymath whose extensive commentaries on Aristotle profoundly influenced European scholasticism. His work helped transmit Greek philosophy to medieval Europe and sparked debates about the relationship between reason and faith.

Latin translations of a Persian scholar's arithmetic textbook introduced which number system to Western Europe?

Hindu-Arabic numerals, with place value and zero, reached Western Europe through Latin versions of a 9th-century Baghdad arithmetic text, Algoritmi de numero Indorum, whose Latinized author name gave us the word 'algorithm'.

What is the name of the semi-circular niche in a mosque wall that indicates the direction of Mecca?

The mihrab is a semicircular niche in the qibla wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca. It serves as the focal point for prayer and is often the most elaborately decorated architectural feature in a mosque.

Which Arab Muslim scientist is considered the 'father of optics' for his work on light and vision?

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, 965-1040 CE) wrote 'Kitab al-Manazir' (Book of Optics), which revolutionized the understanding of light and vision. He correctly explained that vision occurs when light reflects off objects into the eye, and he is credited as a pioneer of the scientific method through his emphasis on experimentation.

What is the term for the 'consensus of scholars' as a source of Islamic jurisprudence?

Ijma refers to the consensus of Islamic scholars on a point of law or practice. Along with the Quran, Hadith (Sunnah), and Qiyas (analogical reasoning), Ijma is one of the four primary sources of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh).

Which chapter of the Quran is the longest, running to 286 verses?

Al-Baqarah, 'The Cow', is the second surah and also contains the Throne Verse and the single longest verse in the Quran.

Which three-verse chapter is the shortest in the entire Quran?

Al-Kawthar, 'Abundance', is the 108th surah and is recited in full in a few seconds.

Which surah is traditionally described as the 'heart of the Quran'?

Ya-Sin, the 36th surah, is often recited for the dying and at funerals because of that traditional status.

Which Abbasid caliph began the Mihna of 833, an inquisition punishing scholars who denied the Quran was created?

Al-Ma'mun began the Mihna in 833 to enforce the Mu'tazili doctrine of a created Quran; it ran on under his successors until al-Mutawakkil ended it, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal was famously flogged for refusing to conform.

Al-Azhar in Cairo, one of the world's oldest universities, was founded around 970 by which dynasty?

The Fatimids, an Ismaili Shia dynasty, founded Al-Azhar soon after establishing Cairo in 969; Saladin later turned it into a Sunni centre of learning.

Which rite of the Hajj and Umrah consists of walking back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa?

Sa'i is the walk between Safa and Marwa, about 3.15 km over its course; the route has been enclosed within the Masjid al-Haram since the Saudi expansion of the 1950s.

Which 16th-century chief imperial architect designed the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul?

Mimar Sinan, chief architect to Suleiman the Magnificent and two successors, completed the Süleymaniye in 1557 and regarded the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, finished in the 1570s, as his masterpiece.

Which caliph introduced the Hijri calendar, dating years from Muhammad's arrival in Medina, around 638 CE?

Umar, the second caliph, fixed the calendar's epoch around 638 after an official in Basra complained that undated letters made it impossible to tell which instructions were newest.

Which caliph ordered the standardised written Quran, the codex that bears his name?

Uthman, the third caliph, around 650 set a committee under Zayd ibn Thabit to produce one text after regional differences in recitation were reported; the result is the Uthmanic codex.

Which 11th-century theologian wrote 'The Incoherence of the Philosophers' (Tahafut al-Falasifa)?

Al-Ghazali wrote the Tahafut around 1095 while teaching at the Nizamiyya madrasa of Baghdad, attacking Avicennan philosophy on twenty points, three of which he judged outright unbelief.

Which figure do Twelver Shia hold to be the twelfth Imam, in occultation since the 870s?

Muhammad al-Mahdi, son of the eleventh Imam Hasan al-Askari, is held to have entered the Minor Occultation in 874; four deputies spoke for him until the last died around 941.

What is secluding oneself in a mosque for worship, especially in Ramadan's last ten days, called?

I'tikaf is the retreat in a mosque for worship; hadith report that Muhammad observed it for ten days each Ramadan and for twenty days in the year he died.

Which angular Arabic script was used for the earliest Quran manuscripts?

Kufic, named after the Iraqi city of Kufa, dominated Quran manuscripts from the 7th to the 10th centuries before rounder scripts such as Naskh took over.

Which founder of the Emirate of Córdoba ordered the Great Mosque begun in 785?

Abd al-Rahman I, an Umayyad prince who escaped the Abbasid massacre of his family in 750, founded the Emirate of Córdoba in 756 and began its Great Mosque in 785.

Standing on which plain on the ninth day of the pilgrimage month is the essential rite of the Hajj?

Arafat is so essential that missing it on the required day invalidates the pilgrimage; pilgrims spend the afternoon there in prayer after a sermon.

According to tradition, Muhammad was born into which Meccan tribe?

Muhammad was born into the Quraysh, the tribe that controlled Mecca and its sanctuary; he belonged to its Banu Hashim clan.

Muhammad was raised by his grandfather and which paternal uncle?

Abu Talib, his father's brother, took Muhammad in after the death of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib; his mother Amina had died when he was about six.

Muhammad's first wife Khadija made her fortune in which trade?

Khadija ran a caravan commerce business sending goods to Syria; Muhammad worked as her agent on a trading journey before she proposed marriage to him.

In which mountain cave near Mecca did Muhammad seclude himself for prayer?

The cave of Hira, on Jabal al-Nour outside Mecca, is where tradition holds Muhammad received his first revelation in about 610.

The city Muhammad migrated to in 622 was then known by what name?

Yathrib was the oasis town's name before Muhammad's arrival in 622; it was then called Madinat al-Nabi, 'city of the Prophet', shortened to Medina.

Which monk, in Islamic narratives, foretold Muhammad's prophethood on a trip to Syria?

Bahira, a Christian monk at Bosra, is said to have recognised the young Muhammad as a future prophet by a mark between his shoulders while the boy travelled with a Meccan caravan.

What does the name Muhammad mean in Arabic?

Muhammad means 'praised', from the root h-m-d that also gives 'hamd' (praise) in 'alhamdulillah'; the name appears four times in the Quran.

Where in March 624 did the Muslims win their first major clash with the Meccans?

Badr, a well southwest of Medina, saw about 300 Muslims defeat a larger Meccan force in March 624; the Quran calls it the Day of the Criterion (Yawm al-Furqan).

Muhammad's uncle Hamza was killed in 625 in fighting near which mountain?

Uhud, a mountain just north of Medina, gave its name to the battle of 625 in which the Meccans mauled the Muslims and Hamza was killed by the spear of Wahshi.

Which 628 pact between the Muslims and the Meccans preceded the conquest of Mecca?

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, signed in 628, set a ten-year truce between the Muslims and the Meccans; its breach by Meccan allies within two years opened the way to the conquest of Mecca.

Which oasis north of Medina, farmed by Jewish tribes, did the Muslims take in 628?

Khaybar, an oasis about 150 km north of Medina, fell to the Muslims in 628; its Jewish farmers were allowed to stay on the land in return for half the harvest.

Which wife of Muhammad was the daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab?

Hafsa bint Umar married Muhammad around 625 after being widowed; the first written collection of the Quran was later kept in her care.

How many prophets are named specifically in the Quran?

The Quran names 25 prophets, from Adam to Muhammad, including Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa; tradition holds that many more were sent but are not named.

In Islam, what is the name of the scripture given to Jesus (Isa)?

The Injil (Gospel) is the scripture the Quran says was given to Isa; the Tawrat went to Musa and the Zabur (Psalms) to Dawud.

Which name does the Quran use for the biblical Job?

Ayyub is the Quranic name for Job, praised for patience under affliction; Elisha is Alyasa and Jonah is Yunus in the Quran.

Which of the five daily Islamic prayers is the dawn prayer, the first of the day?

Fajr is followed through the day by Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.

On which day of the week is the Jumu'ah congregational prayer held?

In many Muslim countries Friday is part of the weekend.

Who is regarded as the first muezzin in Islam, chosen for his melodious voice?

Bilal ibn Rabah, a formerly enslaved man of Abyssinian descent, was chosen by Muhammad himself to give the first adhan after the move to Medina.

What is the second call to prayer, summoning those already inside the mosque, called?

The iqama is the second, quicker call given inside the mosque just before the prayer begins; the adhan is the first call, traditionally made from the minaret.

Which body part is washed or wiped last in wudu, the ablution before prayer?

Wudu ends with the feet, washed to the ankles or wiped over footwear; the sequence runs hands, mouth, nose, face, forearms, head, ears and finally feet.

Ashura falls on the tenth day of which Islamic month?

Ashura is the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year; for Shia Muslims it is a day of mourning for Husayn ibn Ali, killed at Karbala in 680.

Mawlid, celebrated by many Muslims, commemorates what event?

Mawlid marks Muhammad's birthday, observed on 12 Rabi al-Awwal by most Sunnis and 17 Rabi al-Awwal by most Shia; some movements, notably Salafis, do not celebrate it.

Roughly how many days are in a year of the Islamic lunar calendar?

The Islamic year of twelve lunar months has 354 or 355 days, about eleven fewer than the solar year, so Ramadan moves roughly eleven days earlier each year.

Which is NOT one of the four major Sunni schools of law (madhhabs)?

Ja'fari is the main Shia school; the fourth Sunni school is Shafi'i.

Which Sunni school of law predominates in North and West Africa?

The Maliki school, traced to Malik ibn Anas of Medina, predominates across the Maghreb and West Africa; Hanafi dominates South and Central Asia and Shafi'i East Africa and Southeast Asia.

Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, was assassinated in 661 by a member of which sect?

Ibn Muljam, one of the Kharijites, struck Ali with a poisoned sword in the mosque at Kufa in 661; his death allowed Mu'awiya to found the Umayyad Caliphate.

Ali was related to Muhammad as his cousin and what else?

Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima, making him the Prophet's son-in-law as well as his cousin; their sons Hasan and Husayn were Muhammad's grandsons.

Husayn ibn Ali was killed in 680 at Karbala by the army of which Umayyad caliph?

Yazid I, who succeeded his father Mu'awiya in 680, sent the force that killed Husayn at Karbala that year; the site in southern Iraq is a major Shia pilgrimage centre.

Which country is home to the largest Ibadi Muslim community?

Oman is the only country where Ibadi Islam is the dominant tradition; Ibadis, well under one percent of Muslims worldwide, also live in Algeria's Mzab valley, Libya, Tunisia and Zanzibar.

Shia Muslims form the majority in Iran, Iraq and which Caucasus country?

Azerbaijan, on the Caspian, is a Shia-majority country, with roughly two-thirds or more of its Muslims following the Twelver tradition as in neighbouring Iran.

The word 'Shia' derives from an Arabic phrase meaning followers of whom?

Shi'atu Ali means 'followers of Ali'.

The Mevlevi Sufi order, famous for whirling dervishes, originated in which Turkish city?

Konya, in central Anatolia, is where Rumi lived and died in 1273; his followers, led by his son Sultan Walad, organised the Mevlevi order around his tomb there.

Which 8th-century woman was among the earliest Sufi mystics and poets?

Rabia al-Adawiyya of Basra (died 801) is the earliest famous woman Sufi, remembered for teaching love of God for its own sake rather than from fear of hell or hope of paradise.

The Andalusian mystic Ibn Arabi, called 'the Greatest Shaykh', was born in which city?

Ibn Arabi was born in Murcia in 1165 and grew up in Seville; he later settled in Damascus, where he died in 1240 and is buried.

The Ahmadiyya movement was founded in 1889 by whom?

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya movement at Qadian, Punjab, in 1889, claiming to be the promised Messiah and Mahdi; most other Muslims reject that claim.

In which US city was the Nation of Islam founded in 1930?

Wallace Fard Muhammad founded the Nation of Islam in Detroit in 1930; after he disappeared in 1934, Elijah Muhammad took over and moved its headquarters to Chicago.

The Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq is famous for a minaret of what shape?

The Malwiya minaret of Samarra is a spiral: a 52-metre cone climbed by a ramp winding around its outside, built in the 9th century for the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil.

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia served as a museum between 1935 and which year?

Hagia Sophia was reconverted to a mosque in July 2020 after 85 years as a museum; the present building had been a church from 537 until 1453 and then a mosque.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, opened in 2007, is in which city?

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, named for the UAE's founding president, has 82 domes, more than 1,000 columns and a hand-knotted carpet of about 5,600 square metres.

The world's largest adobe-brick building is a mosque in which African country?

Mali's Great Mosque of Djenné, the largest mud-brick building in the world, was rebuilt in 1907 on the site of a 13th-century original and is re-plastered by the townspeople each year.

Istanbul's Blue Mosque is unusual for having how many minarets?

It was built between 1609 and 1617 under Sultan Ahmed I.

Which sultan built Istanbul's Blue Mosque?

Its official name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Which name for Jerusalem's Temple Mount plaza means 'Noble Sanctuary' in Arabic?

Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, is the Muslim name for the walled plaza in Jerusalem's Old City that holds al-Aqsa Mosque; it is Islam's third holiest site.

Which mount carried Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem on the Night Journey?

Buraq, described in hadith as a white mount smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey, carried Muhammad on the Isra; the journey is commemorated on the 27th of Rajab.

Roughly what share of the world's Muslims are Sunni?

Sunnis are about 85–90% of the world's Muslims; Shia make up roughly 10–15%, concentrated in Iran, Iraq and the Gulf, and Ibadis well under one percent.

What share of the world's population was Muslim in 2020, per Pew?

Pew put Muslims at about one in four people on Earth in 2020, roughly 2 billion adherents, second only to Christians.

Al-Biruni wrote a famous treatise on the culture of which land after visiting it in 1017?

Al-Biruni's 'Kitab al-Hind' describes India's religions, sciences and customs; the Khwarazmian polymath travelled there in the wake of Mahmud of Ghazni's campaigns from 1017 and learned Sanskrit.

Which Persian poet-astronomer designed the Jalali solar calendar?

Omar Khayyam led the astronomers who devised the Jalali calendar for Sultan Malik-Shah in 1079; its intercalation scheme underlies the modern Iranian solar calendar.

Which Persian physician was among the first to distinguish smallpox from measles?

Al-Razi (Rhazes, 865-925), from Ray near modern Tehran, wrote the treatise on smallpox and measles that first separated the two diseases clinically.

Al-Zahrawi's medical encyclopedia Kitab al-Tasrif ran to how many volumes?

Kitab al-Tasrif ran to thirty volumes; its last, on surgery, with drawings of some 200 instruments, made Al-Zahrawi of Córdoba the most cited surgeon of medieval Europe.

Al-Kindi's manuscript on deciphering messages introduced which code-breaking method?

Al-Kindi's 9th-century 'Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages' described frequency analysis, counting how often each letter appears to break substitution ciphers; he is also hailed as the father of Arab philosophy.

Which philosopher was known as the 'Second Teacher', after Aristotle?

Al-Farabi (c. 872-950) was called the Second Teacher for his systematic commentaries on Aristotle's logic; he also wrote 'The Virtuous City' on the ideal state.

Which Malian ruler's fabled wealth came largely from taxing the gold and salt trade?

Mansa Musa, who ruled Mali from about 1312 to 1337, drew his wealth from taxing gold and salt caravans; his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca spent so much gold that it depressed prices in Cairo.

What title is given to a person who has memorized the entire Quran?

A hafiz (feminine hafiza), from the Arabic for 'guardian', is someone who has memorized the whole Quran; a qari is a skilled reciter who need not know it by heart.

The Basmala opens every surah of the Quran except which one?

At-Tawbah (chapter 9) alone lacks the opening Basmala, 'In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'; one traditional explanation is that it continues the preceding surah, Al-Anfal.

Which two figures are associated with the miraculous origin of the Zamzam well?

Tradition holds the Zamzam well sprang up for Hagar and Ishmael, her infant son, when they were left in the desert valley; it lies about 20 metres east of the Kaaba.

Male pilgrims in ihram typically wear how many white sheets?

Men in ihram wear two unsewn white sheets: the izar wrapped around the waist and the rida draped over the shoulder, signifying equality of prince and pauper before God.

During the Hajj, pilgrims throw pebbles at three walls in which town near Mecca?

Mina, a valley just east of Mecca, holds the three Jamarat walls that pilgrims stone in memory of Abraham's rejection of Satan; pilgrims camp there in tents during the Hajj.

Tawaf involves circling the Kaaba how many times?

Tawaf is seven circuits of the Kaaba made anti-clockwise; on the arrival tawaf men walk the first three at a brisk pace called ramal.

Unlike the Hajj, the Umrah pilgrimage can be performed when?

Umrah, the 'lesser pilgrimage', can be performed at any time of year and takes only hours; Hajj is tied to fixed days of a single month.

In hadith studies, what is the chain of transmitters called?

The isnad is the chain of transmitters that precedes a hadith's text (matn); scholars grade a report sahih, hasan or da'if partly by the reliability and continuity of that chain.

A jurist who issues fatwas is known by what title?

A mufti is a jurist qualified to issue fatwas, non-binding legal opinions; a qadi, by contrast, is a judge whose rulings are enforced.

Zakat is customarily what percentage of a Muslim's disposable wealth?

Zakat is customarily 2.5% of qualifying wealth, such as savings and gold, held for a full lunar year; those below the minimum threshold, the nisab, are exempt.

Which colour is most closely associated with Islam and appears on many Muslim countries' flags?

Green is the colour most associated with Islam; the Quran describes the people of paradise in green garments, and it dominates the flags of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) lasted from 711 until which year?

The Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim state in Iberia, surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella on 2 January 1492, ending nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule that began in 711.

Which Frankish leader defeated an Umayyad army at the Battle of Tours in 732?

Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace and grandfather of Charlemagne, defeated the Umayyad governor Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi near Tours in 732; Arabic chroniclers call it the Battle of the Highway of the Martyrs.

What is the kiswah?

The kiswah is the black cloth covering the Kaaba, embroidered with Quranic verses in gold thread and replaced each year during the Hajj; Mu'awiya is said to have sent one of silk.

The 14th-century Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta came from which city?

Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier in 1304 and set out from there on pilgrimage in 1325; over nearly 30 years he covered about 117,000 km across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Ibn Battuta's account of his journeys is commonly known by what title?

The Rihla ('Journey') is the common name for Ibn Battuta's account, dictated to Ibn Juzayy in 1355; its full title is A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling.

Which is considered the second-holiest city in Islam?

Medina ranks second only to Mecca; the Prophet's Mosque there holds Muhammad's tomb, and Jerusalem is usually counted third.

Muslims believe the Kaaba was built by Abraham and which son?

Ishmael (Ismail), Abraham's son by Hagar, is held in the Quran (2:127) to have raised the Kaaba's foundations with his father; Isaac is Abraham's son by Sarah.

What is the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan called?

Iftar comes at sunset, traditionally begun with dates and water in imitation of Muhammad and followed by the Maghrib prayer.

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of which Islamic month?

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on 1 Shawwal, the month after Ramadan; Muslims pay Zakat al-Fitr to the poor before the Eid prayer.

Which caliph founded Baghdad in 762 and made it the Abbasid capital?

Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid caliph, founded the Round City of Baghdad on the Tigris in 762; the Abbasids had first based their government at Kufa.

Abbasid rule from Baghdad ended in which year?

In 1258 Hulagu's Mongol army sacked Baghdad and killed the caliph al-Musta'sim, ending five centuries of Abbasid rule from the city.

Which Mughal emperor commissioned the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal?

Shah Jahan himself is also buried there.

Babur founded the Mughal Empire in 1526 after a victory at which place?

At the First Battle of Panipat, north of Delhi, in April 1526, Babur's field guns and cavalry routed Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of Delhi, who died on the field.

Salat al-Janazah is the Islamic prayer performed for what occasion?

Salat al-Janazah is the funeral prayer, said standing without bowing or prostration for a deceased Muslim before burial; it is a communal obligation (fard kifaya).

Which is the only country whose legal system is officially founded on Shia Islam?

Iran's 1979 constitution makes Twelver Shia Islam the official religion and puts a senior Shia jurist, the Supreme Leader, at the head of the state.

How many articles of belief make up the Islamic creed, or aqidah?

They are belief in God, angels, revelation, prophets, the Day of Resurrection and divine predestination, distinct from the Five Pillars of practice.

In which year was the Ottoman Caliphate abolished?

Turkey's Grand National Assembly abolished the caliphate on 3 March 1924 and exiled Abdulmejid II; the Sharifian caliphate that Hussein of Mecca then claimed collapsed within months.

What term describes analogical reasoning, a common third source of Sharia after the Quran and Sunnah?

Qiyas extends a ruling to a new case by analogy: from the prohibition of wine jurists deduced a ban on all intoxicants; the literalist Zahiri school rejects the method.

On which day after a child's birth is the Islamic aqiqah ceremony traditionally performed?

The seventh day is when an animal is sacrificed and its meat given to the poor, and the child's head is shaved with the hair's weight in money donated to charity.