115 Islamic Questions Answered

 A conce

rned mother asks: What should I teach my children first, Quran, Iman, or Prayer?

Answer:

Since Iman in Allah and His Messenger is the foundation upon which all actions of worship depend on, the methodology of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is to fortify the knowledge pertaining to knowing Allah and His Messenger.

You will notice that your children will ask you many questions about Allah because they see you mentioning His Name alot and praying to Him. Providing them with the basics that all Muslims should know about Allah is the priority. Quran and prayer are actions of worship that involve memorization and practice, and could be taught hand in hand with the essentials of Belief. Unfortunately, these days we notice many parents stress on Quran recitation more than anything else. We advise you to teach your children a golden rule pertaining to the Belief in Allah which is : Whatever you imagine in your mind is a creation and Allah is not like that.


Ash-hadu is an Arabic word that has three meanings. What are they?
To know, to believe, and to declare.

What is the best day of the week, and the best month of the year?
Friday and Ramadan

How do you say Allah’s Attribute of Existence in Arabic and what does it mean?
Al-wujud: It means that Allah exists. This is an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah. Allah exists without a body or place.

Where was the Prophet Muhammad born?
Mecca, Arabia

Where did the Prophet Muhammad die?
Medina, Arabia

What are the names of the Prophet’s parents?
Aminah is his mother’s name, and Abdullah is his father’s name.

What is the Arabic word for “book”?
Kitab is the Arabic word for “book”

What are the angels made from?
Angels are made from light; they are not male or female. They have a will and always choose to obey Allah.

What are the meanings of the word “nur” and what does the name of Allah "An-Nur” mean?
Nur, also spelled ‘noor’ could mean light, or it could have a meaning related to guidance. The meaning of the name of Allah An-Nur is: The One who guides the believers to believe; the One who creates guidance in the hearts of the believers. It is impossible to mean ‘light’ when referred to Allah, because Allah is not like His creations.

What is one of the common names for ‘hellfire’ in Arabic?
Hellfire has many names in Arabic. A common name is “An-nar”

How many surahs are there in the Qur’an?
114 surahs.

What is one of the thirty parts of the Qur’an called in Arabic?
Juzu'

What is the age of the people in Paradise?
33 years of age.

How many days are in the Islamic lunar month?
The Islamic lunar month could be 29 or 30 days.

What are the names of the four famous Khalifas (rulers)?
Abu-bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were the four guided khalifas (rulers) after our beloved Prophet died.

What is the “Golden Rule” concerning our belief of Allah?
“Whatever you imagine in your mind is a creation and Allah is not like that.”

The largest creation is size is called Al-Arsh. How do some refer to it in English?
The Arsh is the largest creation in size; it is the ceiling of Paradise. Some refer to it as the throne.

What will happen to some of the Muslims who died without repenting from their major sins?
Some will be forgiven and go to Paradise without any punishment. Others will be punished for a time limit in hellfire, but not forever like the non-believers.

What are the names of the two Angels that question the people in the grave?
Their names are Munkar and Nakir

There are three groups of people that are not questioned by the angels in their graves. Who are they?
Prophets, martyrs, and non-pubescent children.

How does one say the testification of faith (shahada) in English?
“I believe that no one is God except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
If ‘Muhammad’ cannot be said correctly than Abul-Qaasim is sufficient. There are other ways to say the shahada.

There are three groups of people whose bodies do not decay in the grave. Who are they?
Prophets, Martyrs, and some Pious Muslims.

On the Day of Judgment, Allah will bring all the humans and animals back to life. The animals will be turned into sand. What will the kafir say while seeing this happen?
The kafir will say “I wish I was sand” which means “I wish I lived my life as an animal and turned into sand rather than being a kafir.

It is strongly recommended to visit the Prophet’s grave in Medina and give him salaam. Why was the Prophet buried in Medina and not Mecca?
The Prophet said that “Prophets should be buried wherever they die.”

What is the meaning of the name of Allah “Ar-Raziq”?
Ar-Raziq means “the one who makes sustenance reach His slaves” Sustenance is everything that is beneficial whether it is Islamically lawful or not.

How does one say “Whatever Allah willed to be shall be “in the Arabic language?

“Ma sha'a Allahu kaan”

How is the word “angel” said in the Arabic language?
“Malak” is the way to say ‘angel’ in the Arabic language. The plural of ‘malak’ is ‘mala'ekah’ which means ’angels’.

What is the name of the Prophet’s tribe, and who does it go back to?
“Quraysh” ; it goes back to Prophet Isma^il who is the son of Prophet Ibrahim ^alayhimas-salaam.

What did the famous Hanafi imam At-Tahawiyy say about Allah in his book called “Al-Aqeedah” (Belief)?

Imam At-Tahawiyy, a famous Muslim scholar summarized the Muslim belief in a book called ‘Al-Aqeedah’ over 1,000 years ago. This book is taught in Muslim universities and mosques worldwide. In it he said that Allah is not contained by the six directions: up, down, right, left, front, and back.

How old was Prophet Muhammad when he received Prophethood, and where was He?
40 years old; He was in a cave called ‘Hira’, on a mountain called ‘Jabalun-nur’.

How long was it before Prophet Muhammad received the whole Qur’an?
23 years

In Islam, a woman is treated with dignity and respect, and not as a sex symbol. Which female companion of our beloved Prophet was famous for teaching Qu’ran?
^Aisha radi Allahu-anha

What is the meaning of the name of Allah “AL-Wahid”?
AL-Wahid; means the One without a partner or son.

Who is the best Muslim woman?
Maryam alayhas-salaam.

Every Muslim is required to know at least thirteen (13) attributes of Allah. The Attributes of Allah are not limited by a number. Name the Attributes and why they are so important to know?
1) Existence 2) Oneness 3) Eternity 4) Everlastingness 5) Non-resemblance to creation 6) Non-neediness of others 7) Power 8) Life 9) Will 10) Knowledge 11) Sight 12) Hearing and 13) Al-Kalam (Speech). Being ignorant of these attributes is an enormous sin, while denying any of them is disbelief (kurfr).

The Prophet taught us that most of the sins that people commit are from their tongues. What is the most dangerous thing one could say with their tongue?

Answer: Kurfr (blasphemy ) is the most dangerous thing one could say. The examples of kurfr words are so many. To say Allah is located in the sky or sitting on the arsh is against Islam, to say that Allah is a light is also kufr (blasphemy), to belittle the character actions of any of the Prophets is blasphemy (disbelief). It is also kurfr to say about a matter that is commonly known between Muslims as haram, which is halal and vise-versa. Joking is never an excuse for falling into kufr.

Give one example of both a hard body and a light body.
Wood is a hard body. Air is a light body. A hard body is something that can be grasped with the hand. A light body is something that cannot be grasped with the hand, like the rays of sunshine. Allah is neither a light nor hard body. Allah has no equal or similar.

Angels are made from light and have wings. They are neither male nor female. Angel Jibreel is the best Angel, for He was the deliverer of the honorable revelations to the Prophets. How many wings does Angel Jibreel have?
Most of the times Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared to Prophet Muhammad in the form of a very handsome man. The real form of Jibreel  is enormous, having 600 wings.

Define the “Sirat” in the hereafter.
The Sirat is like a bridge, very wide and very slippery. The bridge (sirat) extends over the hellfire, one edge of it is on the changed earth, while the other edge is on what leads to Paradise. Everyone will eventually cross over the Sirat. Some, like the prophets and martyrs, will fly over the Sirat; others, like the kuffar and some bad Muslims will fall into the hellfire. The Muslim, however bad he/she is, will not stay in hellfire forever.

What are Jinns made from, and who is the first Jinn?
Jinns are made from fire. The first Jinn is Satan or Shaytan as known in Arabic. Satan was never an angel.

The Qur’an is divided into thirty divisions, each part is called a Juzu. What is the name of the last Juzu in the Qur’an?
The last Juzu is called ^Amma or An-Naba. The last Juzu starts with a surah called ‘An-Naba’.

Define “Al-Hawd” in the hereafter.
Al-Hawd is a large body of water which is described as being whiter than snow and sweeter than honey. Every Muslim will drink from this Hawd before entering Paradise. After this drink no one will ever suffer thirst. People drink in Paradise for pleasure only and not for thirst.


What are the five attributes that all Prophets have in common?
All Prophets were Muslim. All Prophets had miracles and all Prophets loved the good and hated the evil. All the Prophets were very handsome. All Prophets knew about the last Prophet Muhammad and told their peoples to believe in him.

What is the proof from the Qur’an that Islam is the only true religion?
Surat Ale ^Imran Ayah. Also, Ayah Which means “Whoever chooses a religion other then Islam, it will not be accepted from them, and they will be losers in the hereafter.”

What is the proof from the Qur’an that Allah is not like the creation?
Surat As-Shura, Ayah 11 Means, “Absolutely nothing is like Allah.

He is a great Prophet who resembles our beloved Muhammad. What is His name, and how is He related to Prophet Muhammad?
He is Ibrahim ^alayhis-salaam. Prophet Muhammad is His descendent from Isma^il ^alayhis-salaam.

What do the names Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim of Allah mean?
Ar-Rahman means “The One who is merciful to both Muslims and non-Muslims in this world. Ar-Rahmin means the One who is merciful to only Muslims in the Hereafter.

What are the names of the two Angels that record our actions?
Their names are Raqib and ^Atid. The Honorable Ayah means “Not a word is uttered, unless recorded by Raqib and Atid.

Meat is halal if it is hand-slaughtered by a Muslim, Christian, or Jew. Why is that?
This is what the Qur’an, Hadith, and scholarly consensus confirm and constitute.

What Ayah is called “The master of the Ayahs” in the Qur’an?
Ayat Al-Kursiyy, reading this Ayah which is in Surat Al-Baqarah {255} daily will protect you from the evil by the Will and Mercy of Allah.

The Kalam of Allah is not like our Kalam, what does this mean?
Allah is not like the creations. We, the creations of Allah, have voices and speak in languages composed of sounds and letters. Our attribute of speech is created. The Speech or Kalam of Allah is not created. When we say that Allah spoke to Moses, one should not understand by this that Allah had a voice, or created speech. No, this is misguidance. Allah gave Moses the Power to hear His Kalam (Speech) which is not like our speech composed of letters, sounds, and having a beginning and ending. Prophet Moses told His people the orders of Allah in the language His people spoke which was Hebrew.

The best of us is the one who has the most piety. This is the meaning of a statement mentioned in a sacred book. What is the name of this book?
This is a meaning of a statement in the Holy Qu’ran. This is medicine to our hearts and great enlightenment to our understanding.

How can one show that Imam-^Ali loved Abu-Bakr, ^Umar, and ^Uthman?
Imam – Ali pledged allegiance to them when they were Khalifahs (Rulers) .
Imam- ^Ali named his children (these children were not from Lady Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter) after them.
Imam ^Ali gave his daughter Umm Kalthum (Hassan and Hussien’s sister) in marriage to ^Omar when ^Omar was Khalifah.

What does Barak Allahu fik mean?
May Allah bless you

What is one of the proofs that Prophet Muhammad is the greatest Prophet?
When our beloved Prophet went to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, He led all the Prophets in prayer. This shows His status among them.

How do we say the Attribute of Oneness in Arabic, and what does it mean?
“Al-Wahdaniyyah”; this attribute means that Allah is One without a partner.

What is the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad?
He is Muhammad, the son of ^Abdullah, the son of ^Abul-Muttalib, the son of Hashim, the son of ^Abdu-Manaf from the tribe of Quraysh. He is the Messenger of Allah to all humans and jinn.

Most of the Angels live in the sky, though many live on earth. Tell me more about Angels?
It is blasphemy to say that Angels are women. This does not mean to degrade women, but rather it is saying the truth Al-Qu’ran is teaching us about Angels. Allah made the Angels from light. They have a choice but always choose to obey Allah. They are not male or female. They do not eat, sleep, or get tired. Angels perform different tasks.

What is the proof from the Qu’ran that Angels never disobey Allah?
This Ayah in Surat At-Tahrim means that Angels always do what they are ordered to do.

Many scholars mentioned that a Muslim must know at least 13 attributes of Allah. Name some of these scholars.

Imam Abu-Hanifah, Imam Al-Ghazaliyy,  Imam As-Sanusiyy, Imam Al-^Abdariyy,Imam Al-Isfarayiniyy, Imam Al-Fudaliyy, and many others.  Many of the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-jama^ah mentioned in their books the obligation of knowing these attributes.

What is the proof from the Qu’ran that Satan (Shaytan) was not an angel, but rather a jinn?

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This ayah means: All the Angels prostrated for Adam except Iblis (Satan) who was a Jinn that disobeyed his lord.

Why do the Muslims say that the existence of Allah is not bound by time or place?
Place is for bodies and Allah is not a body. This is confirmed by the Qu’ran, Hadith, and scholarly consensus.

Why is it blasphemy to say that Allah loves all the creation?

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This Ayah from  Surat-Ale-Imran 32 means , “Say, Obey Allah and His Messenger and if you turn away from that than Allah does not love the kaafireen (non-believers). Therefore it is against the Holy Qu’ran to say that Allah loves all the creation. How could He love someone and send them to hellfire forever?

Who came with a book called “Al-Injeel” and how do we say that Prophet’s name in Arabic?

Prophet Jesus came with Al-Injeel, which is the true Bible and not the one we see today since it contains many statements insulting Allah and His Prophets. In Arabic the way to say ‘Jesus’ is ‘^Isa’ (^alayhis-salaam).

How did Prophet Ibrahim show his people that Allah is not a body?
Prophet Ibrahim showed His people that Allah is not a body; a body has a limit and moves from one place to another. It changes, so is the case with the moon and stars. Anything with created attributes is a creation and not Allah the Creator. He showed His people that their actions were false. Prophet Ibrahim never worshipped anyone other than Allah; believing otherwise is kufr.


Many scholars wrote books about Tawhid (belief), which is the most important knowledge taught and studied. Who is An-Nasafiyy and what did he say about Allah in his famous book?


An-Nasafiyy was a great Muslim scholar who lived over 900 years ago. He explained the Qu’ran and authored many books. Al-Aqeedah,  one of his famous books on Islamic beliefs is studied in mosques and universities all over the Muslim countries. This scholar is deeply respected and appreciated for his many contributions to Islam. In Al-^Aqeedah he said that if a person hit glass with a stone and broke it, then the acts of hitting and breaking and the state of the glass being broken were created by Allah. The slave only acquires the act. Allah is the only One who creates. This is the beautiful Muslim creed. Hold firmly to it!