7 Ch. 17 Major Religions

 7 S.St. 

Chapter 17 Major Religions

Something To Know 

A. Tick the correct option:

1. Who among the following was not a Sufi saint?

(a ) Nizamuddin Auliya ( b) Khwaja Muinnuddin Chishti (c) Kabir (d) Amir Khusro

2. In which religion pilgrimage to 'Haj' in practiced?

(a) Hinduism (b) Islam (c) Sikhism (d) Jainism 

3. The Bhakti movement originated in --

(a) North India (b) West India (c) South India (d) East India 

4. Bhakti saints did not oppose - 

(a) superstitions (b) narrow-mindedness (c) caste system (d) communal harmony 

5. Who constructed the Akal Takht near the Golden Temple ?

(a) Guru Har Govind (b) Guru Arjun Dev (c) Guru Ram Das (d) Guru Gobind Singh

B. Fill in the blanks:

1. The founder of Islam Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 CE .

2. Sikhism is based on Guru - Shishya tradition. 

3. Gurudwara Harminder Sahib is situated in Amritsar.

4.  Ramananda took ideas of Bhakti to the north. 5.  Alvars worshipped Vishnu and Nayanars worshipped  Shiva.

C. Match the following:

1. Adi Granth.                    C. Sikhism

2. Bhakti movement.        D. Medieval period

3. Sheikh Salim Chisti      E. Sufism

4. Kabir.                              B. Hindu - Muslim unity

5. The Quran                      A. Islam 

  D. Answer the following questions in brief:

1. How did the city of Amritsar take its name ?Who constructed Gurudwara Harminder Sahib?

Ans. Guru Ram Das Dug the holy tank known as Amritsar.The city of Amritsar takes its name from it.

2. When did Prophet Muhammad attend revelation and how?

Ans. At the age of forty, he got the light of wisdom while meditating in a cave near Mecca and declared himself The Prophet of Allah.

3. What was the way to realise God according to Guru Nanak?

Ans. Guru Nanak believed that selfless and honest service of humanity  in all forms is the only way to realise God.

4.  Give the meaning of Bhakti and name four prominent Bhakti saints.

Ans. Bhakti means complete submission and devotion to God. Bhakti saints - Kabir, Chaitanya, Mahaprabhu, Tulsidas and Mirabai

5.  State the practices of Sufis which are similar to Hinduism or Buddhism.

Ans. The practices among the sufis were similar to Hinduism or Buddhism,e.g. penance, fasting pranayam , good deeds belief  in equality among all, without any distinction of colour, caste or  creed.

E.  Answer the following questions :

1. Explain the teachings of Islam with special reference to its principles.

Ans. Islam preached to have faith in Allah and prophethood of Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad preached his people that after death,  a person goes  into a different life and one of the last day of judgement, Allah with punish for the bad deeds and reward him for his good deeds.

The Quran says to regulate one's life as a true Muslim, a person has to observe the following five principles in his life --

1. He should always proclaim  oneness of God that is Allah and Muhammad as his Prophet on his Earth. 

2. Every Muslim should offer prayers 5 times daily and on Friday afternoon in a Mosque with others .

3. One should give alms to the poor.

4. Every Muslim should give fast during the holy month of Ramzan from dawn to dusk.

5. One should , if possible, go on a 'Haj' to Mecca at least  once in his lifetime.

2. Mention the features of Islam that make it a humane religion.

Ans. The birth of Islam was an event which went on to radically change the history of the world. The greatest contribution of Islam was that is United the Arab Empire under one faith and spread the lesson of  equality and brotherhood among all the Muslims. The emphasis on a life of virtue and benevolence makes Islam one  of the great humanitarian religious.

3.  Explain the contribution of Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh to Sikhism.

Ans. The ninth Guru Teg Bahadur fought all his life against the oppression of the Mughals. He wanted to create awareness and courage among the Sikhs to fight against the atrocities of the Mughal rulers.The tenth and last Guru Govind Singh gave concrete shape to the desire of Guru Teg Bahadur. Guru Govind Singh established the Khalsa Panth.

4. State the importance of Bhakti movement in reforming and uniting the Indian society ?

Ans. The Bhakti Movement stressed the union of the individual with God and brought him closer to the truth. It preached devotion and loving relationship between devotee and the god in order to attain Moksha. The Bhakti saints preached the importance of devotion, promoted brotherhood among men, decried all kinds of the discriminations based on religion, caste or wealth, laid  emphasis on the purity of character and conduct, preached the message of love and unity.

5. Enlist the similarities between Islam and Sikhism.

Ans. Both the religious belief in the existence of god . God is shapeless without any form and omnipresent . Both the religious discard, discrimination and welcome everyone to follow the religion. Both the religions promoted brotherhood, humanity, selflessness and love to God.