Iraqi Baccalaureate Islamic cheat sheet

The seven prescribed surahs for recitation in the Iraqi Baccalaureate are memorized with tajwid: correct articulation points (makharij), the rules of nun and mim sakinah, and the lengths of madd (2, 4, or 6 counts depending on the type).

Tajwid rule: idgham occurs when a nun sakinah or tanwin is followed by one of the letters ي ر م ل و ن; the nun is merged into the following letter without a ghunnah except with ي and ن, where ghunnah is retained.

Tajwid rule: iqlab converts a nun sakinah or tanwin into a hidden mim before ب, with ghunnah for two counts; ikhfa hides the nun before the remaining fifteen letters.

Tajwid rule: qalqalah (echoing) applies to the letters ق ط ب ج د when they carry sukun or occur at the end of a verse; the stronger form occurs at the end of a verse.

Tafsir method: interpret the Qur'an first by the Qur'an itself, then by authentic hadith, then by the statements of the Companions, then by the Arabic language; this is the order Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Kathir established.

The distinction between tafsir (interpretation based on transmitted evidence) and ta'wil (figurative reinterpretation) is central; deviant readings often replace the apparent meaning without valid evidence.

Asbab al-nuzul (occasions of revelation) are used to understand the context of a verse; a general wording is not restricted to a specific occasion unless evidence shows restriction.

Memorization method: repetition in small portions, review of earlier portions before adding new ones, and recitation to a qualified teacher to correct errors.

A hadith consists of isnad (chain of transmitters) and matn (text); the ruling on authenticity depends primarily on the reliability and connectedness of the isnad.

Sahih (authentic) requires: a connected chain, upright and precise transmitters, and no shudhudh (contradiction of a more reliable narrator) and no hidden defect ('illah).

Hasan (good) is like sahih but with slightly weaker precision in some narrators; it is acceptable as evidence.

Da'if (weak) lacks one or more conditions of authenticity; it is not used for creed or legal rulings, though some scholars permit it for virtuous deeds under conditions.

Classification by number of chains: mutawatir (many independent chains giving certain knowledge) and ahad (single or few chains, giving probable knowledge).

Classification by connectedness: musnad (connected to the Prophet), mursal (a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet), munqati' (a link missing), and mudallas (concealment of a defect in the chain).

The six books are Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah; Bukhari and Muslim are the most authentic after the Qur'an.

A hadith qudsi is narrated from the Prophet reporting the words of Allah, but its wording is not part of the Qur'an and it is not recited in prayer.

Tawhid has three categories: rububiyyah (Allah alone creates and sustains), uluhiyyah (worship is for Allah alone), and asma' wa sifat (Allah's names and attributes are affirmed as revealed without distortion).

The six pillars of faith are belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree (qadar), both its good and its evil.

Qadar means Allah's knowledge, writing, will, and creation of all things; the human being has real choice, so reward and punishment remain just.

Shirk is the greatest sin: directing any act of worship to other than Allah; it is of two types, major (excludes from Islam) and minor (does not exclude but diminishes tawhid).

Allah's attributes are affirmed without tahrif (distortion), ta'til (denial), takyif (asking how), or tamthil (likening to creation), following the verse 'There is nothing like Him.'

The Prophet's intercession (shafa'ah) is affirmed for the people of major sins among the believers, by Allah's permission, and is not to be sought from the dead.

Bid'ah (innovation) in religion is worship introduced without evidence; not every new practice in worldly matters is blameworthy, only what is given a religious status.

The saved group is described in the hadith as those who follow what the Prophet and his Companions followed, without specifying a particular later sect.

Purification: wudu' has obligatory acts (face, arms, head, feet, intention, order, continuity) and recommended acts; nullifiers include anything exiting the two passages, deep sleep, and loss of reason.

Ghusl is obligatory after major impurity (janabah), menstruation, and postpartum bleeding; its pillars are intention, covering the whole body with water, and removing impurity.

Tayammum replaces wudu' or ghusl when water is unavailable or harmful; it is performed with clean earth, striking once for the face and hands.

The five daily prayers are Fajr (2 rak'ah), Dhuhr (4), 'Asr (4), Maghrib (3), and 'Isha' (4); their times are determined by the sun's position, not by fixed clock hours.

Prayer pillars (arkan) include takbirat al-ihram, recitation of al-Fatihah, bowing, rising, prostration, sitting between prostrations, the final tashahhud, and the closing salam.

Zakat is due on wealth held for a lunar year above the nisab: 2.5% on cash and trade goods, 5% on irrigated crops, 10% on rain-watered crops, and 20% on buried treasure (rikaz).

Fasting Ramadan is obligatory on the sane adult Muslim who is able; the sick, traveler, pregnant, and nursing woman may break it and make up or feed the poor as applicable.

Hajj pillars include ihram, standing at 'Arafah, tawaf al-ifadah, and sa'i; omitting a pillar invalidates the hajj, while omitting an obligatory act requires a sacrifice.

The Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah in the Year of the Elephant (about 570 CE), received revelation at age 40 in the cave of Hira, and migrated to Madinah in 622 CE, the start of the Hijri calendar.

The Makkan period (13 years) focused on tawhid and patience under persecution; the Madinan period (10 years) established the community, laws, and treaties.

Key events: the first revelation (Surah al-'Alaq), the Isra' and Mi'raj, the Pledge of 'Aqabah, the Hijrah, the Battle of Badr (2 AH), Uhud (3 AH), the Trench (5 AH), and the conquest of Makkah (8 AH).

The Constitution of Madinah organized relations between the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and the Jewish tribes on the basis of mutual defense and religious freedom.

The rightly guided caliphs are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali; 'Umar established the Hijri calendar and the diwan (state registry).

'Uthman standardized the written Qur'an into one codex (mushaf) to prevent disagreement, and it was copied and distributed to the major cities.

The Umayyad capital was Damascus and the Abbasid capital was Baghdad; the Abbasid era saw the translation movement and the flourishing of the sciences.

The Prophet said he was sent to perfect noble character; akhlaq is thus a core objective of the religion, not an optional addition.

Key virtues: sidq (truthfulness), amanah (trustworthiness), 'iffah (chastity), hilm (forbearance), shukr (gratitude), and tawadu' (humility).

Backbiting (ghibah) is mentioning a Muslim's fault in his absence; tale-carrying (namimah) spreads discord between people; both are major sins of the tongue.

The rights of parents come immediately after the right of Allah in the Qur'an; kindness to parents is obligatory even if they are non-Muslim, without obeying them in sin.

Social rules: returning the greeting, visiting the sick, attending funerals, honoring the guest, and maintaining family ties (silat al-rahim).

Justice ('adl) is obligatory even toward opponents; the Qur'an commands standing firm for justice and not letting hatred of a people lead to injustice.

Consumption rules: halal food and drink, no intoxicants (khamr), no extravagance (israf), and no fraud or bribery in trade.

Islamic civilization's defining institutions include the mosque, the madrasah, the waqf (endowment), the market, and the hospital (bimaristan).

The translation movement in Baghdad's Bayt al-Hikmah preserved and advanced Greek, Persian, and Indian learning in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.

Islamic finance prohibits riba (interest), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and maysir (gambling), and requires trade based on real assets and shared risk.

Bioethics rulings are derived by analogy (qiyas) and public interest (maslahah); organ donation and life support are addressed through these principles by contemporary scholars.

Comparative religion: Islam affirms the original revelations to Musa and 'Isa but holds that their scriptures were altered; Muhammad is the final messenger.

Ahl al-Kitab (Jews and Christians) have specific rulings in Islamic law, including permission of their food and marriage to their chaste women.

The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is governed by justice, good conduct, and treaties; fighting is restricted to aggression and is regulated by rules protecting non-combatants.