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Islamiyat general knowledge: 200 practice MCQs with answers

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Full text of Islamiyat general knowledge: 200 practice MCQs with answers

How to use this set

These 200 multiple-choice questions cover the Islamiyat general knowledge that appears in FPSC, PPSC, NTS and CSS screening tests. They are arranged in eight sections of 25 questions each, in the order in which the topics are usually revised: the Quran, the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Rightly Guided Caliphs, beliefs and the pillars, Islamic history to the Abbasids, famous scholars and their books, Islamic terms, and Muslim contributions to knowledge.

Attempt one section at a time without looking at the answers, mark yourself from the answer block at the end, and then read the one-line reason for every question you got wrong. Each reason states the fact that the question tests, so the answer block doubles as a revision sheet. Every fact here is mainstream and stated carefully; where sources differ on a date or a figure, the question has been left out rather than guessed.

A note on honorifics: wherever the Prophet (peace be upon him), his family and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are named, the usual salutations are intended even where they are not printed, to keep the questions short.

Section 1: The Quran

In which month of the Islamic calendar did the first revelation of the Quran come to the Prophet (peace be upon him)?
- A. Muharram
- B. Rajab
- C. Ramadan
- D. Dhul-Hijjah
The first verses revealed belong to which surah?
- A. Al-Fatiha
- B. Al-Alaq
- C. Al-Muddaththir
- D. Al-Qalam
The first revelation was received in the cave of:
- A. Thawr
- B. Hira
- C. Uhud
- D. Safa
Which angel brought the revelation to the Prophet?
- A. Mikail
- B. Israfil
- C. Jibril
- D. Izrail
How many surahs does the Quran contain?
- A. 110
- B. 112
- C. 114
- D. 116
Surah al-Fatiha is also known as:
- A. Umm al-Kitab
- B. Surah al-Nur
- C. Surah al-Mulk
- D. Surah al-Rahman
How many verses are there in Surah al-Fatiha?
- A. 5
- B. 6
- C. 7
- D. 8
The longest surah of the Quran is:
- A. Al-Imran
- B. An-Nisa
- C. Al-Baqarah
- D. Al-Araf
The explanation and commentary of the Quran is called:
- A. Tajwid
- B. Tafsir
- C. Tarjamah
- D. Tasawwuf
The shortest surah of the Quran is:
- A. Al-Ikhlas
- B. Al-Kawthar
- C. An-Nas
- D. Al-Falaq
Which surah does not begin with Bismillah?
- A. Al-Anfal
- B. At-Tawbah
- C. Al-Hashr
- D. Al-Fath
In which surah does Bismillah appear twice?
- A. An-Naml
- B. An-Nahl
- C. Al-Kahf
- D. Yunus
Ayat al-Kursi is verse 255 of which surah?
- A. Al-Imran
- B. Al-Baqarah
- C. An-Nisa
- D. Al-Maidah
The longest single verse of the Quran deals with:
- A. inheritance
- B. the recording of debts
- C. fasting
- D. pilgrimage
Surahs revealed before the Hijrah are called:
- A. Madani
- B. Makki
- C. Hijazi
- D. Qudsi
For ease of reading, the Quran is divided into how many parts (juz)?
- A. 20
- B. 30
- C. 40
- D. 60
Under which caliph were the written portions of the Quran first gathered into a single collection?
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Which Companion, a scribe of revelation, was put in charge of that collection?
- A. Zayd ibn Thabit
- B. Bilal ibn Rabah
- C. Salman al-Farsi
- D. Abu Hurayrah
Who urged Abu Bakr to have the Quran collected after many memorisers died at the Battle of Yamamah?
- A. Ali
- B. Uthman
- C. Umar
- D. Talha
Standard copies of the Quran were prepared and sent to the main cities of the state under which caliph?
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Over approximately how many years was the Quran revealed?
- A. 10
- B. 13
- C. 23
- D. 40
The word Quran literally means:
- A. the book
- B. the recitation
- C. the guidance
- D. the criterion
The only surah named after a woman is:
- A. Maryam
- B. An-Nisa
- C. Al-Mujadilah
- D. Al-Mumtahanah
Which surah is named after the spider?
- A. An-Nahl
- B. An-Naml
- C. Al-Ankabut
- D. Al-Fil
Tajwid is the science of:
- A. correct pronunciation and recitation of the Quran
- B. the occasions of revelation
- C. memorising the Quran
- D. translating the Quran

Section 2: The life of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

The name of the Prophet's father was:
- A. Abdullah
- B. Abu Talib
- C. Abdul Muttalib
- D. Hamza
The name of the Prophet's mother was:
- A. Halimah
- B. Aminah
- C. Fatimah
- D. Khadijah
After the death of his mother, the Prophet was cared for by his grandfather:
- A. Abu Talib
- B. Abdul Muttalib
- C. Abbas
- D. Abu Lahab
After his grandfather's death, the Prophet was brought up by his uncle:
- A. Abu Lahab
- B. Abbas
- C. Abu Talib
- D. Hamza
The Prophet was nursed in infancy by:
- A. Umm Ayman
- B. Halimah Sadiyah
- C. Sumayyah
- D. Umm Salamah
The year of the Prophet's birth is traditionally known as the Year of the:
- A. Elephant
- B. Camel
- C. Flood
- D. Drought
The Prophet belonged to which tribe of Makkah?
- A. Banu Tamim
- B. Quraysh
- C. Aws
- D. Khazraj
Because of his honesty, the people of Makkah called the Prophet:
- A. Al-Amin
- B. Al-Faruq
- C. As-Siddiq
- D. Al-Hadi
Which daughter of the Prophet was married to Ali?
- A. Zaynab
- B. Ruqayyah
- C. Umm Kulthum
- D. Fatimah
At what age did the Prophet receive the first revelation?
- A. 25
- B. 35
- C. 40
- D. 45
The first group of Muslims who left Makkah to escape persecution migrated to:
- A. Yemen
- B. Abyssinia
- C. Taif
- D. Syria
The Farewell Pilgrimage of the Prophet took place in:
- A. 8 AH
- B. 9 AH
- C. 10 AH
- D. 11 AH
The year in which both Abu Talib and Khadijah died is remembered as:
- A. the Year of the Elephant
- B. the Year of Sorrow
- C. the Year of Delegations
- D. the Year of Famine
On the night journey (Isra), the Prophet was taken from Masjid al-Haram to:
- A. Masjid al-Nabawi
- B. Masjid al-Aqsa
- C. Masjid Quba
- D. Mount Sinai
The Hijrah from Makkah to Madinah took place in which year of the Common Era?
- A. 610
- B. 615
- C. 622
- D. 630
Who accompanied the Prophet on the Hijrah?
- A. Umar
- B. Abu Bakr
- C. Ali
- D. Uthman
During the Hijrah the Prophet and his companion stayed for three days in the cave of:
- A. Hira
- B. Thawr
- C. Uhud
- D. Nur
The first mosque built by the Prophet on reaching the outskirts of Madinah was:
- A. Masjid al-Nabawi
- B. Masjid Quba
- C. Masjid al-Qiblatayn
- D. Masjid al-Haram
Before the Hijrah, Madinah was known as:
- A. Taif
- B. Yathrib
- C. Khaybar
- D. Tabuk
The written agreement between the Muslims and the other communities of Madinah is called:
- A. the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
- B. the Charter of Madinah
- C. the Pledge of Aqabah
- D. the Pact of Umar
The Battle of Badr was fought in:
- A. 1 AH
- B. 2 AH
- C. 3 AH
- D. 5 AH
The Battle of Uhud was fought in:
- A. 2 AH
- B. 3 AH
- C. 4 AH
- D. 6 AH
Digging a trench around Madinah to defend it was suggested by:
- A. Bilal
- B. Salman al-Farsi
- C. Abu Hurayrah
- D. Khalid ibn al-Walid
The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was concluded in:
- A. 4 AH
- B. 5 AH
- C. 6 AH
- D. 8 AH
Makkah was conquered peacefully by the Muslims in:
- A. 6 AH
- B. 7 AH
- C. 8 AH
- D. 10 AH

Section 3: The Rightly Guided Caliphs

After the Prophet passed away in 11 AH (632 CE), who was chosen as the first caliph?
- A. Umar
- B. Abu Bakr
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Abu Bakr is known by the title:
- A. Al-Faruq
- B. As-Siddiq
- C. Dhun-Nurayn
- D. Sayfullah
The given name of Abu Bakr was:
- A. Abdullah
- B. Talha
- C. Zubayr
- D. Sa'd
The wars against the tribes that renounced Islam after the Prophet's death (the Ridda wars) were fought under:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Abu Bakr's caliphate lasted approximately:
- A. 2 years
- B. 5 years
- C. 10 years
- D. 12 years
Umar ibn al-Khattab is known by the title:
- A. As-Siddiq
- B. Al-Faruq
- C. Al-Amin
- D. Dhun-Nurayn
The first caliph to use the title Amir al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful) was:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
The Hijri calendar, counted from the year of the Hijrah, was introduced by:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
The Sasanian capital Ctesiphon (al-Madain) was taken by the Muslims during the caliphate of:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Jerusalem came under Muslim rule during the caliphate of:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
The commander known as Sayfullah (the Sword of Allah), who led the Muslim army at the Battle of Yarmuk, was:
- A. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
- B. Amr ibn al-As
- C. Khalid ibn al-Walid
- D. Abu Ubaydah
The Battle of Qadisiyyah, won by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, was fought against the:
- A. Byzantine empire
- B. Persian (Sasanian) empire
- C. Abyssinian kingdom
- D. Quraysh
Egypt was brought under Muslim rule during Umar's caliphate by:
- A. Amr ibn al-As
- B. Khalid ibn al-Walid
- C. Muawiyah
- D. Usamah ibn Zayd
Umar was fatally wounded while:
- A. travelling to Makkah
- B. leading the Fajr prayer in Madinah
- C. inspecting the army in Syria
- D. visiting Jerusalem
Umar's caliphate lasted approximately:
- A. 2 years
- B. 6 years
- C. 10 years
- D. 15 years
Uthman is called Dhun-Nurayn (possessor of two lights) because he:
- A. memorised the Quran twice
- B. married two daughters of the Prophet, one after the other
- C. built two mosques
- D. took part in two migrations
Uthman belonged to which clan of the Quraysh?
- A. Banu Hashim
- B. Banu Umayyah
- C. Banu Adi
- D. Banu Taym
The first Muslim naval fleet was built during the caliphate of:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Ali
Uthman was martyred in 35 AH in the city of:
- A. Makkah
- B. Madinah
- C. Kufa
- D. Damascus
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the Prophet's:
- A. uncle
- B. cousin and son-in-law
- C. foster brother
- D. grandson
During his caliphate, Ali moved the seat of government from Madinah to:
- A. Damascus
- B. Basra
- C. Kufa
- D. Baghdad
Ali was martyred in 40 AH in:
- A. Madinah
- B. Makkah
- C. Kufa
- D. Karbala
Hasan and Husayn were the sons of Ali and:
- A. Fatimah
- B. Aisha
- C. Khadijah
- D. Hafsa
Hafsa, a wife of the Prophet, was the daughter of:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Umar
- C. Uthman
- D. Abu Sufyan
The period of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs (632 to 661 CE) lasted approximately:
- A. 10 years
- B. 20 years
- C. 30 years
- D. 50 years

Section 4: Islamic beliefs and the pillars

How many pillars of Islam are there?
- A. 3
- B. 4
- C. 5
- D. 6
The first pillar of Islam, the declaration of faith, is called:
- A. Shahadah
- B. Salat
- C. Sawm
- D. Zakat
Which of the following is not one of the five pillars of Islam?
- A. Salat
- B. Sawm
- C. Sadaqah
- D. Hajj
Belief in divine decree, that everything happens by the will and knowledge of Allah, is called belief in:
- A. Qadr
- B. Qiyas
- C. Qiblah
- D. Qunut
How many prayers are obligatory on a Muslim each day?
- A. 3
- B. 4
- C. 5
- D. 7
The total number of fard (obligatory) rakahs in the five daily prayers is:
- A. 12
- B. 15
- C. 17
- D. 20
Which prayer has three fard rakahs?
- A. Fajr
- B. Zuhr
- C. Maghrib
- D. Isha
The first person appointed to call the adhan in Islam was:
- A. Abu Bakr
- B. Bilal ibn Rabah
- C. Ammar ibn Yasir
- D. Zayd ibn Harithah
Before the Kaaba was fixed as the qiblah, Muslims prayed facing:
- A. Jerusalem
- B. Damascus
- C. Taif
- D. Mount Hira
Purification with clean earth, permitted when water cannot be used, is called:
- A. Wudu
- B. Ghusl
- C. Tayammum
- D. Istinja
On Fridays the congregational Jumuah prayer takes the place of:
- A. Fajr
- B. Zuhr
- C. Asr
- D. Isha
The usual rate of zakat on gold, silver and savings held for a full year is:
- A. 1 per cent
- B. 2.5 per cent
- C. 5 per cent
- D. 10 per cent
The minimum amount of wealth on which zakat becomes due is called:
- A. Nisab
- B. Nafl
- C. Niyyah
- D. Nafaqah
Ushr, the levy on agricultural produce, literally means:
- A. one-fifth
- B. one-tenth
- C. one-twentieth
- D. one-fortieth
The charity that must be given before the Eid al-Fitr prayer is called:
- A. Sadaqat al-Fitr
- B. Ushr
- C. Khums
- D. Kaffarah
Ramadan is which month of the Islamic calendar?
- A. seventh
- B. eighth
- C. ninth
- D. tenth
According to Surah al-Qadr, Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) is better than:
- A. a hundred nights
- B. a thousand months
- C. a thousand years
- D. ten thousand days
Staying in the mosque in devotion during the last ten days of Ramadan is called:
- A. Itikaf
- B. Tarawih
- C. Tahajjud
- D. Qiyam
A traveller who does not fast on some days of Ramadan must:
- A. make up the missed fasts later
- B. fast double the next year
- C. do nothing
- D. pay zakat instead
The lesser pilgrimage, which may be performed at any time of the year, is called:
- A. Hajj
- B. Umrah
- C. Ziyarah
- D. Tawaf
Hajj is performed in which month of the Islamic calendar?
- A. Ramadan
- B. Shawwal
- C. Dhul-Qadah
- D. Dhul-Hijjah
The standing at Arafat, the central rite of Hajj, takes place on:
- A. 8 Dhul-Hijjah
- B. 9 Dhul-Hijjah
- C. 10 Dhul-Hijjah
- D. 12 Dhul-Hijjah
The two unstitched sheets worn by male pilgrims, and the state of consecration they enter, are called:
- A. Ihram
- B. Kiswah
- C. Izar
- D. Rida only
Tawaf of the Kaaba consists of how many circuits?
- A. 3
- B. 5
- C. 7
- D. 10
Sai is the walking between the hills of:
- A. Arafat and Muzdalifah
- B. Safa and Marwa
- C. Mina and Arafat
- D. Hira and Thawr

Section 5: Islamic history to the Abbasids

The Umayyad caliphate was founded in 41 AH (661 CE) by:
- A. Abu Sufyan
- B. Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
- C. Marwan ibn al-Hakam
- D. Abd al-Malik
The capital of the Umayyad caliphate was:
- A. Kufa
- B. Baghdad
- C. Damascus
- D. Cairo
Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, was martyred at Karbala in:
- A. 41 AH
- B. 51 AH
- C. 61 AH
- D. 71 AH
The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was built under the Umayyad caliph:
- A. Muawiyah
- B. Yazid
- C. Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
- D. Hisham
Arabic was made the official language of administration and the first purely Islamic coinage was issued under:
- A. Muawiyah
- B. Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
- C. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz
- D. Marwan II
The city of Qayrawan in North Africa was founded by:
- A. Uqba ibn Nafi
- B. Musa ibn Nusayr
- C. Tariq ibn Ziyad
- D. Amr ibn al-As
Raja Dahir, the ruler of Sindh, was defeated by:
- A. Mahmud of Ghazni
- B. Muhammad bin Qasim
- C. Qutaybah ibn Muslim
- D. Hajjaj bin Yusuf
The expedition to Sindh was sent by Hajjaj bin Yusuf, who was the Umayyad governor of:
- A. Egypt
- B. Khurasan
- C. Iraq
- D. Yemen
The Rock of Gibraltar takes its name from the commander who led the Muslim crossing into Spain:
- A. Musa ibn Nusayr
- B. Tariq ibn Ziyad
- C. Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi
- D. Uqba ibn Nafi
Which Umayyad caliph is remembered for his justice and piety and is often called the fifth rightly guided caliph?
- A. Walid I
- B. Sulayman
- C. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz
- D. Hisham
The Muslim advance into France was halted at the Battle of Tours (732 CE) by:
- A. Charlemagne
- B. Charles Martel
- C. Roger II
- D. Pepin
The Umayyad caliphate of Damascus came to an end in:
- A. 661 CE
- B. 711 CE
- C. 750 CE
- D. 762 CE
The last Umayyad caliph of Damascus was:
- A. Hisham
- B. Walid II
- C. Marwan II
- D. Yazid III
The Abbasids traced their descent from Abbas, who was the Prophet's:
- A. uncle
- B. cousin
- C. grandfather
- D. son-in-law
The revolt in Khurasan that brought the Abbasids to power was led by:
- A. Abu Muslim
- B. Abu Hanifa
- C. Hajjaj bin Yusuf
- D. Tahir ibn Husayn
The first Abbasid caliph was:
- A. Al-Mansur
- B. Abu al-Abbas as-Saffah
- C. Harun al-Rashid
- D. Al-Mahdi
The city of Baghdad was founded in 762 CE by the Abbasid caliph:
- A. As-Saffah
- B. Al-Mansur
- C. Al-Mamun
- D. Al-Mutasim
Baghdad stands on the river:
- A. Nile
- B. Euphrates
- C. Tigris
- D. Indus
The Battle of Talas (751 CE), after which paper-making spread into the Muslim world, was fought between the Abbasids and the:
- A. Byzantines
- B. Tang Chinese
- C. Franks
- D. Khazars
The Umayyad prince who escaped to Spain and founded the emirate of Cordoba in 756 CE was:
- A. Abd al-Rahman I
- B. Marwan II
- C. Hisham II
- D. Al-Hakam I
The family of viziers that served Harun al-Rashid was the:
- A. Buyids
- B. Barmakids
- C. Samanids
- D. Tahirids
The Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad reached its height under the caliph:
- A. Al-Mansur
- B. Al-Mamun
- C. Al-Mutawakkil
- D. Al-Mustasim
The city of Samarra was built as a new Abbasid capital by:
- A. Al-Mamun
- B. Al-Mutasim
- C. Harun al-Rashid
- D. Al-Mansur
Baghdad was sacked by the Mongols under Hulagu in:
- A. 1055 CE
- B. 1099 CE
- C. 1258 CE
- D. 1453 CE
The last Abbasid caliph of Baghdad was:
- A. Al-Mustasim
- B. Al-Nasir
- C. Al-Mamun
- D. Al-Qadir

Section 6: Famous scholars and their books

Sahih al-Bukhari was compiled by:
- A. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
- B. Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari
- C. Abu Dawud
- D. Al-Tirmidhi
Imam Bukhari was born in Bukhara, a city in present-day:
- A. Iran
- B. Iraq
- C. Uzbekistan
- D. Afghanistan
Sahih Muslim was compiled by:
- A. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
- B. Al-Nasai
- C. Ibn Majah
- D. Imam Malik
Which of the following is not one of the six well-known hadith collections (Sihah Sitta)?
- A. Sunan Abu Dawud
- B. Jami al-Tirmidhi
- C. Muwatta of Imam Malik
- D. Sunan Ibn Majah
Imam Malik, the author of the Muwatta, lived and taught in:
- A. Makkah
- B. Madinah
- C. Kufa
- D. Baghdad
Imam Abu Hanifa lived and taught mainly in:
- A. Madinah
- B. Basra
- C. Kufa
- D. Cairo
Al-Risala, an early work on the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), was written by:
- A. Imam Shafii
- B. Imam Malik
- C. Imam Abu Hanifa
- D. Imam Nawawi
The Musnad, a large collection of hadith arranged by narrator, was compiled by:
- A. Imam Bukhari
- B. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
- C. Imam Tirmidhi
- D. Ibn Kathir
Riyad as-Salihin, a popular collection of hadith on conduct, was compiled by:
- A. Imam Nawawi
- B. Imam Ghazali
- C. Imam Malik
- D. Al-Tabari
Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings) was written by:
- A. Ibn Khaldun
- B. Al-Tabari
- C. Al-Masudi
- D. Ibn Hisham
Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, a history from the creation to the author's own time, was written by:
- A. Ibn Kathir
- B. Al-Tabari
- C. Ibn al-Athir
- D. Al-Baladhuri
Al-Kashshaf, a tafsir noted for its attention to the language of the Quran, was written by:
- A. Al-Zamakhshari
- B. Ibn Kathir
- C. Al-Qurtubi
- D. Al-Baydawi
Mafatih al-Ghayb, also called al-Tafsir al-Kabir, was written by:
- A. Al-Tabari
- B. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
- C. Al-Suyuti
- D. Al-Nasafi
Tafsir al-Jalalayn takes its name from:
- A. the city where it was written
- B. its two authors, both named Jalal al-Din
- C. the caliph who commissioned it
- D. its two volumes
Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) was written by:
- A. Ibn Sina
- B. Al-Ghazali
- C. Ibn Rushd
- D. Al-Farabi
Imam al-Ghazali is known by the title:
- A. Shaykh al-Islam
- B. Hujjat al-Islam
- C. Amin al-Ummah
- D. Imam al-Haramayn
Tahafut al-Tahafut, a reply to al-Ghazali's Tahafut al-Falasifa, was written by:
- A. Ibn Rushd
- B. Ibn Sina
- C. Al-Kindi
- D. Ibn Tufayl
Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine) was written by:
- A. Al-Razi
- B. Ibn Sina
- C. Al-Zahrawi
- D. Ibn al-Nafis
Which philosopher was called al-Muallim al-Thani (the Second Teacher), after Aristotle?
- A. Al-Kindi
- B. Al-Farabi
- C. Ibn Sina
- D. Ibn Rushd
The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam is a collection of lectures by:
- A. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
- B. Allama Muhammad Iqbal
- C. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- D. Shibli Nomani
The Muqaddimah, an introduction to history that discusses the rise and fall of states, was written by:
- A. Al-Masudi
- B. Ibn Khaldun
- C. Al-Biruni
- D. Ibn Battuta
The earliest surviving biography of the Prophet, as edited by Ibn Hisham, was originally composed by:
- A. Al-Waqidi
- B. Ibn Ishaq
- C. Ibn Sad
- D. Al-Tabari
The Masnavi, a long poem in Persian on spiritual themes, was composed by:
- A. Saadi
- B. Jalaluddin Rumi
- C. Hafiz
- D. Firdawsi
Gulistan and Bustan were written by:
- A. Rumi
- B. Saadi Shirazi
- C. Omar Khayyam
- D. Attar
Hujjat Allah al-Baligha was written by the eighteenth-century scholar of Delhi:
- A. Shah Waliullah
- B. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi
- C. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
- D. Shah Abdul Aziz

Section 7: Islamic terms and their meanings

Tawhid means:
- A. the oneness of Allah
- B. prophethood
- C. the hereafter
- D. repentance
Shirk means:
- A. disbelief in angels
- B. associating partners with Allah
- C. hypocrisy
- D. breaking an oath
Risalah refers to:
- A. the pilgrimage
- B. the belief in the messengers of Allah
- C. the recitation of the Quran
- D. the purification tax
Akhirah means:
- A. the first life
- B. the life of this world
- C. the hereafter
- D. the grave
Sunnah refers to:
- A. the sayings, actions and approvals of the Prophet
- B. the consensus of scholars
- C. the chapters of the Quran
- D. the dower paid at marriage
Ijma means:
- A. analogy
- B. consensus of the scholars
- C. independent reasoning
- D. a legal ruling
Qiyas means:
- A. consensus
- B. reasoning by analogy from the Quran and Sunnah
- C. custom
- D. public interest
Ijtihad means:
- A. independent effort by a qualified scholar to derive a ruling
- B. blind imitation
- C. a formal legal opinion
- D. a sermon
Fiqh means:
- A. the science of hadith
- B. Islamic jurisprudence, the understanding of the law
- C. the recitation of the Quran
- D. the biography of the Prophet
An act described as fard is:
- A. obligatory
- B. recommended
- C. disliked
- D. forbidden
An act described as makruh is:
- A. obligatory
- B. recommended
- C. disliked but not forbidden
- D. forbidden
Halal means:
- A. forbidden
- B. permitted
- C. doubtful
- D. disliked
Ummah refers to:
- A. the family of the Prophet
- B. the worldwide community of Muslims
- C. the people of Madinah
- D. the scholars of Islam
A Sahabi is:
- A. a scholar of hadith
- B. a Companion of the Prophet, one who met him as a believer
- C. a memoriser of the Quran
- D. a caliph
The Tabiun were:
- A. the Companions of the Prophet
- B. the generation that learned from the Companions
- C. the scribes of revelation
- D. the four Imams of law
Jahiliyyah refers to:
- A. the period before Islam in Arabia, the age of ignorance
- B. the first year after the Hijrah
- C. the time of the Abbasids
- D. the period of the Crusades
The Ansar were:
- A. the Muslims who migrated from Makkah
- B. the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed and helped the migrants
- C. the scribes of the Quran
- D. the tribes of Taif
The Muhajirun were:
- A. the people of Madinah
- B. the Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Madinah
- C. the delegations of 9 AH
- D. the prisoners of Badr
Khutbah means:
- A. a sermon, such as the one given before the Friday prayer
- B. the call to prayer
- C. the funeral prayer
- D. the night prayer
Taqwa is best translated as:
- A. generosity
- B. God-consciousness and fear of displeasing Allah
- C. patience
- D. gratitude
Tawbah means:
- A. trust
- B. repentance, turning back to Allah
- C. remembrance
- D. supplication
Barzakh refers to:
- A. the Day of Judgement
- B. the period between death and the resurrection
- C. the bridge over Hell
- D. the first heaven
Mahr is:
- A. the dower given by the husband to the wife at marriage
- B. the zakat on gold
- C. the dowry brought by the wife
- D. the fee paid to the qadi
Riba refers to:
- A. trade profit
- B. interest or usury, which is forbidden
- C. the rent of land
- D. a gift
The title Umm al-Muminin (Mother of the Believers) is given to:
- A. the daughters of the Prophet
- B. the wives of the Prophet
- C. the women of Madinah
- D. the first women to accept Islam

Section 8: Muslim contributions to knowledge

The word algebra comes from al-Jabr, the title of a book on mathematics by:
- A. Al-Biruni
- B. Al-Khwarizmi
- C. Omar Khayyam
- D. Al-Kindi
The word algorithm comes from the Latin form of the name of:
- A. Al-Khwarizmi
- B. Al-Kindi
- C. Al-Battani
- D. Al-Farabi
Kitab al-Manazir (The Book of Optics), which showed that we see because light travels from objects to the eye, was written by:
- A. Ibn Sina
- B. Ibn al-Haytham
- C. Al-Razi
- D. Al-Jazari
The physician who first clearly distinguished smallpox from measles was:
- A. Ibn Sina
- B. Al-Razi (Rhazes)
- C. Ibn al-Nafis
- D. Al-Biruni
Kitab al-Tasrif, which includes a famous illustrated section on surgery and surgical instruments, was written by:
- A. Al-Zahrawi
- B. Al-Razi
- C. Ibn Zuhr
- D. Ibn Sina
The pulmonary circulation of the blood (from the heart through the lungs and back) was described in the thirteenth century by:
- A. Ibn al-Nafis
- B. Ibn Sina
- C. Al-Zahrawi
- D. Al-Razi
Jabir ibn Hayyan is remembered mainly for his work in:
- A. astronomy
- B. chemistry
- C. geography
- D. medicine
Kitab al-Hind, a detailed study of the religion, sciences and customs of India, was written by:
- A. Al-Biruni
- B. Ibn Battuta
- C. Al-Masudi
- D. Al-Idrisi
The geographer who produced a celebrated world map and geography for King Roger II of Sicily was:
- A. Al-Idrisi
- B. Ibn Battuta
- C. Al-Masudi
- D. Yaqut al-Hamawi
The fourteenth-century traveller from Tangier whose journeys are recorded in the Rihla was:
- A. Ibn Jubayr
- B. Ibn Battuta
- C. Al-Masudi
- D. Ibn Khaldun
Omar Khayyam, besides his poetry, is known for his work on:
- A. anatomy
- B. the solar calendar and algebra
- C. optics
- D. navigation
The observatory at Maragha was founded in the thirteenth century under the direction of:
- A. Al-Battani
- B. Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
- C. Ulugh Beg
- D. Al-Sufi
The ruler and astronomer who built a great observatory at Samarkand in the fifteenth century was:
- A. Timur
- B. Ulugh Beg
- C. Babur
- D. Shah Rukh
Al-Battani is remembered for his precise work in:
- A. astronomy and trigonometry
- B. medicine
- C. history
- D. law
The Book of Fixed Stars, a tenth-century star catalogue with drawings of the constellations, was written by:
- A. Al-Sufi
- B. Al-Khwarizmi
- C. Al-Tusi
- D. Al-Farghani
Al-Jazari's Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices describes:
- A. surgical instruments
- B. water clocks, pumps and automata
- C. maps of the world
- D. methods of distillation
The instrument perfected by Muslim astronomers and used to find the time, the latitude and the direction of the qiblah was the:
- A. telescope
- B. astrolabe
- C. barometer
- D. compass
In the eighth century, one of the first paper mills in the Muslim world was set up in:
- A. Cairo
- B. Baghdad
- C. Cordoba
- D. Makkah
The University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, is in the city of:
- A. Fez
- B. Tunis
- C. Cairo
- D. Marrakesh
Al-Azhar, one of the oldest centres of Islamic learning, is in:
- A. Damascus
- B. Baghdad
- C. Cairo
- D. Istanbul
A main activity of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad was:
- A. minting coins
- B. translating Greek, Persian and Indian works into Arabic
- C. training soldiers
- D. building ships
Which of the following English words does not come from Arabic?
- A. algebra
- B. alkali
- C. zenith
- D. telescope
Al-Kindi wrote an early treatise on breaking ciphers by:
- A. frequency analysis of letters
- B. mechanical devices
- C. astronomical tables
- D. geometry
Muruj al-Dhahab (The Meadows of Gold), a work of history and geography, was written by:
- A. Al-Masudi
- B. Al-Tabari
- C. Ibn Khaldun
- D. Al-Idrisi
Ibn Rushd was known in medieval Europe as Averroes and as "The Commentator" because of his commentaries on:
- A. Plato
- B. Aristotle
- C. Galen
- D. Ptolemy

Answers

Section 1: The Quran

1: C. The Quran itself states that it was sent down in Ramadan (Surah al-Baqarah 2:185).
2: B. The opening verses of Surah al-Alaq ("Read, in the name of your Lord") were the first revealed.
3: B. The Prophet used to retreat to the cave of Hira on Jabal al-Nur near Makkah.
4: C. Jibril (Gabriel) was the angel of revelation.
5: C. The Quran has 114 surahs.
6: A. Al-Fatiha is called Umm al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book) and also Sab al-Mathani, the seven oft-repeated verses.
7: C. Al-Fatiha has seven verses.
8: C. Al-Baqarah, the second surah, is the longest.
9: B. Tafsir is the explanation of the Quran; tajwid is recitation and tarjamah is translation.
10: B. Al-Kawthar, with three short verses, is the shortest surah of the Quran.
11: B. At-Tawbah (also called Baraah) is the only surah that does not open with Bismillah.
12: A. An-Naml contains Bismillah at its opening and again in the letter of Sulayman to the Queen of Saba (27:30).
13: B. Ayat al-Kursi, the Verse of the Throne, is Surah al-Baqarah 2:255.
14: B. The longest verse, Surah al-Baqarah 2:282, gives rules for writing down debts.
15: B. Makki surahs were revealed before the Hijrah and Madani surahs after it.
16: B. The Quran is divided into 30 juz (parts, called paras in South Asia).
17: A. The first collection into one set of sheets was made during the caliphate of Abu Bakr.
18: A. Zayd ibn Thabit, a scribe of the Prophet, carried out the collection.
19: C. Umar advised Abu Bakr to collect the Quran after the losses at Yamamah.
20: C. Uthman had standard copies made and sent to the main cities of the state.
21: C. The revelation continued for about 23 years, 13 in Makkah and 10 in Madinah.
22: B. Quran comes from the root meaning to read or recite; al-Furqan means the criterion.
23: A. Surah Maryam, the nineteenth surah, is the only one named after a woman.
24: C. Al-Ankabut means the spider; an-Nahl is the bee and an-Naml is the ant.
25: A. Tajwid is the set of rules for pronouncing and reciting the Quran correctly.

Section 2: The life of the Prophet

26: A. His father, Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib, died before the Prophet's birth.
27: B. His mother was Aminah bint Wahb.
28: B. His grandfather Abdul Muttalib took charge of him after Aminah's death.
29: C. His uncle Abu Talib raised him and later protected him in Makkah.
30: B. Halimah Sadiyah of the Banu Sad nursed him in the desert.
31: A. The Year of the Elephant is named after the attack on Makkah by Abraha's army with an elephant.
32: B. He belonged to the Quraysh, and within it to the clan of Banu Hashim.
33: A. Al-Amin means the trustworthy; he was also called as-Sadiq, the truthful.
34: D. Fatimah was married to Ali and was the mother of Hasan and Husayn.
35: C. The first revelation came when he was 40 years old.
36: B. The first migration was to Abyssinia (Habsha), whose Christian king, the Negus, gave the Muslims refuge.
37: C. The Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet's only Hajj, was in 10 AH.
38: B. The Year of Sorrow (Aam al-Huzn) saw the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah.
39: B. The Isra took him to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, from where the Miraj (ascension) began.
40: C. The Hijrah took place in 622 CE, the year from which the Islamic calendar is counted.
41: B. Abu Bakr travelled with the Prophet on the Hijrah.
42: B. They hid in the cave of Thawr, south of Makkah, before taking the road to Madinah.
43: B. Masjid Quba was built on arrival; Masjid al-Nabawi was built in Madinah itself soon after.
44: B. Yathrib was renamed Madinat al-Nabi, the city of the Prophet.
45: B. The Charter (Mithaq) of Madinah set out the rights and duties of the Muslims and the other communities of the city.
46: B. Badr was fought in Ramadan 2 AH.
47: B. Uhud was fought in 3 AH.
48: B. Salman al-Farsi, a Persian, suggested the trench, giving the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq) its name.
49: C. The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah with the Quraysh was made in 6 AH.
50: C. Makkah was taken in Ramadan 8 AH with almost no fighting.

Section 3: The Rightly Guided Caliphs

51: B. Abu Bakr became the first caliph in 11 AH.
52: B. As-Siddiq, the truthful, because he at once accepted the account of the night journey.
53: A. Abu Bakr's name was Abdullah; his father was known as Abu Quhafah.
54: A. Abu Bakr fought the Ridda wars and reunited Arabia.
55: A. Abu Bakr ruled from 632 to 634 CE, a little over two years.
56: B. Al-Faruq means the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood.
57: B. Umar was the first to be addressed as Amir al-Muminin.
58: B. Umar fixed the Hijrah as the starting point of the Islamic calendar.
59: B. Ctesiphon (al-Madain) fell to Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas in 16 AH (637 CE), during the caliphate of Umar.
60: B. Jerusalem surrendered during Umar's caliphate and he visited the city himself.
61: C. Khalid ibn al-Walid was given the title Sayfullah; Yarmuk (636 CE) was fought against the Byzantines.
62: B. Qadisiyyah broke the power of the Sasanian Persian empire in Iraq.
63: A. Amr ibn al-As led the conquest of Egypt and founded the city of Fustat.
64: B. Umar was attacked by a slave named Abu Lulu while leading the Fajr prayer in the Prophet's mosque.
65: C. Umar ruled from 634 to 644 CE, about ten years.
66: B. Uthman married Ruqayyah and, after her death, Umm Kulthum, both daughters of the Prophet.
67: B. Uthman was of the Banu Umayyah; Abu Bakr was of Banu Taym and Umar of Banu Adi.
68: C. The first naval expeditions, including the campaign to Cyprus, were made under Uthman.
69: B. Uthman was martyred at his home in Madinah in 35 AH (656 CE).
70: B. Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, and the husband of Fatimah.
71: C. Ali made Kufa in Iraq his capital.
72: C. Ali was struck while going to the Fajr prayer in the mosque of Kufa and died in 40 AH (661 CE).
73: A. Hasan and Husayn, the Prophet's grandsons, were the sons of Ali and Fatimah.
74: B. Hafsa was the daughter of Umar; Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr.
75: C. From 632 to 661 CE is about 30 years (29 by exact count).

Section 4: Islamic beliefs and the pillars

76: C. The five pillars are Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj.
77: A. The Shahadah is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.
78: C. Sadaqah is voluntary charity; the obligatory charity that is a pillar is zakat.
79: A. Qadr (also called taqdir) is divine decree, one of the articles of faith.
80: C. The five prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
81: C. Fajr 2, Zuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and Isha 4 fard rakahs make 17.
82: C. Maghrib has three fard rakahs; Fajr has two and the rest have four.
83: B. Bilal ibn Rabah was the first muadhdhin of Islam.
84: A. The qiblah was changed from Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) to the Kaaba after the Hijrah, as recorded in Surah al-Baqarah.
85: C. Tayammum is performed with clean earth or dust when water is unavailable or its use is harmful.
86: B. The Friday prayer is performed in place of Zuhr and includes a khutbah.
87: B. Zakat on money, gold and silver is 2.5 per cent (one-fortieth) once the nisab is held for a lunar year.
88: A. Nisab is the threshold; wealth below it carries no zakat.
89: B. Ushr means one-tenth; it is the zakat on crops (half that rate where land is irrigated at cost).
90: A. Sadaqat al-Fitr (Fitrana) is paid for every member of the household before the Eid prayer.
91: C. Ramadan is the ninth month; Shaban is the eighth and Shawwal the tenth.
92: B. Surah al-Qadr (97:3) says the Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
93: A. Itikaf is seclusion in the mosque for worship, usually in the last ten days of Ramadan.
94: A. The Quran allows the sick and travellers to postpone fasts and make up the same number of days later.
95: B. Umrah consists mainly of tawaf and sai and may be performed at any time.
96: D. Hajj takes place in Dhul-Hijjah, the twelfth month.
97: B. The standing (wuquf) at Arafat is on 9 Dhul-Hijjah; Eid al-Adha is on the 10th.
98: A. Ihram is both the dress and the state in which the pilgrim avoids certain acts.
99: C. Tawaf is seven circuits of the Kaaba, beginning at the Black Stone.
100: B. Sai is seven passes between Safa and Marwa, recalling Hajar's search for water.

Section 5: Islamic history to the Abbasids

101: B. Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan established the Umayyad caliphate in 661 CE.
102: C. The Umayyads ruled from Damascus in Syria.
103: C. The events of Karbala took place in Muharram 61 AH (680 CE).
104: C. Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan built the Dome of the Rock, completed in 691 CE.
105: B. Abd al-Malik replaced Greek and Persian with Arabic in the administration and minted the Islamic gold dinar.
106: A. Uqba ibn Nafi founded Qayrawan in present-day Tunisia in about 670 CE.
107: B. Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir and brought Sindh and Multan under Umayyad rule.
108: C. Hajjaj bin Yusuf governed Iraq and the eastern provinces for the Umayyads.
109: B. Jabal Tariq, the mountain of Tariq, became Gibraltar; the crossing was in 711 CE.
110: C. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (Umar II) ruled from 717 to 720 CE.
111: B. Charles Martel, leader of the Franks, defeated the Muslim army near Tours and Poitiers.
112: C. The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads in 750 CE (132 AH).
113: C. Marwan II was defeated at the Battle of the Zab and killed in Egypt.
114: A. Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib was a paternal uncle of the Prophet.
115: A. Abu Muslim raised the black banners of the Abbasids in Khurasan.
116: B. Abu al-Abbas as-Saffah was proclaimed caliph in Kufa in 749 CE and ruled until 754 CE.
117: B. Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid caliph, founded the Round City of Baghdad.
118: C. Baghdad lies on the Tigris; the Euphrates runs to its west.
119: B. Talas was fought against the Tang dynasty of China; Chinese prisoners are said to have brought paper-making to Samarkand.
120: A. Abd al-Rahman I survived the fall of his family and set up an independent Umayyad state in Cordoba.
121: B. The Barmakids served as viziers until Harun removed them in 803 CE.
122: B. Al-Mamun (813 to 833 CE) made the House of Wisdom a great centre of translation and science.
123: B. Al-Mutasim moved the court to Samarra in 836 CE.
124: C. Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, took Baghdad in 1258 CE.
125: A. Al-Mustasim was killed by the Mongols; a line of Abbasid caliphs continued in Cairo under the Mamluks until 1517.

Section 6: Famous scholars and their books

126: B. Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (d. 870 CE) compiled Sahih al-Bukhari.
127: C. Bukhara is in Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
128: A. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj of Nishapur compiled Sahih Muslim.
129: C. The six are Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai and Ibn Majah; the Muwatta is earlier and separate.
130: B. Imam Malik spent his life in Madinah; the Maliki school is named after him.
131: C. Abu Hanifa lived in Kufa; the Hanafi school is the most widely followed in South Asia.
132: A. Al-Risala by Imam Shafii is regarded as the first systematic work on usul al-fiqh.
133: B. The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal is arranged by the Companion who narrated each hadith.
134: A. Imam Nawawi (d. 1277 CE) also compiled the Forty Hadith.
135: B. Al-Tabari (d. 923 CE) wrote both a great tafsir and this universal history.
136: A. Ibn Kathir (d. 1373 CE) wrote al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya and a well-known tafsir.
137: A. Al-Zamakhshari (d. 1144 CE) wrote al-Kashshaf.
138: B. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210 CE) wrote Mafatih al-Ghayb.
139: B. Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli began it and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti completed it.
140: B. Al-Ghazali (d. 1111 CE) wrote Ihya Ulum al-Din.
141: B. Hujjat al-Islam means the Proof of Islam.
142: A. Ibn Rushd (Averroes) of Cordoba replied to al-Ghazali with Tahafut al-Tahafut.
143: B. Ibn Sina (Avicenna, d. 1037 CE) wrote the Canon of Medicine, used in Europe for centuries.
144: B. Al-Farabi was called the Second Teacher; Aristotle was the First.
145: B. Iqbal delivered these lectures in the late 1920s; they were published in 1930 and later expanded.
146: B. Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406 CE) is regarded as a founder of the study of society and historiography.
147: B. Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah survives in the edited version of Ibn Hisham.
148: B. Rumi (d. 1273 CE) composed the Masnavi in Konya.
149: B. Saadi of Shiraz wrote Gulistan (prose and verse) and Bustan (verse).
150: A. Shah Waliullah (d. 1762 CE) also translated the Quran into Persian.

Section 7: Islamic terms and their meanings

151: A. Tawhid is the oneness of Allah, the central belief of Islam.
152: B. Shirk, associating partners with Allah, is the opposite of tawhid.
153: B. Risalah is the belief that Allah sent messengers to guide mankind.
154: C. Akhirah is the hereafter, the life after death.
155: A. The Sunnah is the Prophet's example, recorded in hadith.
156: B. Ijma is consensus of the qualified scholars, a source of Islamic law.
157: B. Qiyas extends a ruling to a new case by analogy.
158: A. Ijtihad is the independent effort of a qualified jurist to reach a ruling.
159: B. Fiqh means understanding; it is the science of Islamic law.
160: A. Fard is obligatory; mustahabb is recommended and haram is forbidden.
161: C. Makruh is disliked; avoiding it is rewarded but doing it is not a sin in the way haram is.
162: B. Halal is permitted; haram is forbidden.
163: B. The Ummah is the whole community of Muslims.
164: B. A Sahabi met the Prophet as a Muslim and died a Muslim.
165: B. The Tabiun were the generation after the Companions.
166: A. Jahiliyyah is the pre-Islamic period in Arabia.
167: B. The Ansar (helpers) were the Muslims of Madinah.
168: B. The Muhajirun (emigrants) left Makkah for Madinah.
169: A. The khutbah is the sermon; the adhan is the call to prayer.
170: B. Taqwa is piety and awareness of Allah; sabr is patience and shukr is gratitude.
171: B. Tawbah is repentance; dhikr is remembrance and dua is supplication.
172: B. Barzakh is the interval between death and the Day of Resurrection.
173: A. Mahr is the dower the husband gives the wife, a condition of the nikah.
174: B. Riba is interest or usury; trade profit is permitted (Surah al-Baqarah 2:275).
175: B. The Quran gives the wives of the Prophet the title of Mothers of the Believers (33:6).

Section 8: Muslim contributions to knowledge

176: B. Al-Khwarizmi (ninth century, Baghdad) wrote Kitab al-Jabr wa al-Muqabala.
177: A. Algoritmi, the Latin form of al-Khwarizmi, gave us the word algorithm.
178: B. Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, d. about 1040 CE) founded the modern study of optics.
179: B. Al-Razi (Rhazes, d. 925 CE) wrote the treatise On Smallpox and Measles.
180: A. Al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis) of Cordoba, d. about 1013 CE, is often called the father of surgery.
181: A. Ibn al-Nafis of Damascus and Cairo (d. 1288 CE) described the pulmonary circulation.
182: B. Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber) is remembered for chemistry and laboratory methods such as distillation.
183: A. Al-Biruni (d. about 1050 CE) learned Sanskrit and wrote Kitab al-Hind.
184: A. Al-Idrisi made his map and the Book of Roger at Palermo in the twelfth century.
185: B. Ibn Battuta (d. about 1369 CE) travelled across Africa, Asia and parts of Europe over nearly thirty years.
186: B. Khayyam helped reform the Persian solar calendar and classified cubic equations.
187: B. Al-Tusi founded the Maragha observatory in 1259 CE under Mongol patronage.
188: B. Ulugh Beg, grandson of Timur, built the Samarkand observatory and compiled a star catalogue.
189: A. Al-Battani (d. 929 CE) refined the length of the solar year and the use of trigonometric functions.
190: A. Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (d. 986 CE) wrote the Book of Fixed Stars.
191: B. Al-Jazari (early thirteenth century) described clocks, pumps and automata with detailed drawings.
192: B. The astrolabe, inherited from the Greeks, was greatly improved by Muslim astronomers.
193: B. Paper was being made in Baghdad by the late eighth century, after the technique reached Samarkand.
194: A. Al-Qarawiyyin is in Fez, Morocco.
195: C. Al-Azhar was founded in Cairo in the tenth century.
196: B. Scholars at the House of Wisdom translated works of Aristotle, Galen, Ptolemy and others into Arabic.
197: D. Telescope comes from Greek; algebra, alkali and zenith all came into European languages from Arabic.
198: A. Al-Kindi (ninth century) described frequency analysis, the counting of letters, to break ciphers.
199: A. Al-Masudi (d. 956 CE) wrote Muruj al-Dhahab.
200: B. Ibn Rushd wrote detailed commentaries on Aristotle that were studied in European universities.

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5 quick questions on CSS Islamiyat

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Full text of Islamiyat general knowledge: 200 practice MCQs with answers

How to use this set

Section 1: The Quran

Section 2: The life of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Section 3: The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Section 4: Islamic beliefs and the pillars

Section 5: Islamic history to the Abbasids

Section 6: Famous scholars and their books

Section 7: Islamic terms and their meanings

Section 8: Muslim contributions to knowledge

Answers

Section 1: The Quran

Section 2: The life of the Prophet

Section 3: The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Section 4: Islamic beliefs and the pillars

Section 5: Islamic history to the Abbasids

Section 6: Famous scholars and their books

Section 7: Islamic terms and their meanings

Section 8: Muslim contributions to knowledge