ARK World Religions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the Five Pillars of Islam involves fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan?
- Salat
- Zakat
- Sawm (Correct answer)
- Hajj
Correct answer: Sawm
Sawm is the fourth pillar of Islam, requiring Muslims to abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.
Sawm (fasting) during Ramadan is obligatory for all adult Muslims who are physically able. It commemorates the month in which the Quran was first revealed. The fast is broken each evening with iftar (breaking of the fast, often beginning with dates and water) and includes a pre-dawn meal called suhoor. Exceptions are granted to the sick, pregnant women, travelers, and children.
Question 2: In Hinduism, the three paths to liberation (moksha) outlined in the Bhagavad Gita include jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, and:
- Raja yoga
- Karma yoga (Correct answer)
- Kundalini yoga
- Hatha yoga
Correct answer: Karma yoga
The Bhagavad Gita presents three primary paths to moksha: jnana yoga (path of knowledge), bhakti yoga (path of devotion), and karma yoga (path of selfless action).
The Bhagavad Gita, part of the Mahabharata, presents a synthesis of yoga paths. Karma yoga involves performing one's dharmic duties without attachment to outcomes (nishkama karma), dedicating actions to God. Jnana yoga emphasizes discriminating knowledge between the eternal Self (Atman) and the changing world. Bhakti yoga focuses on loving devotion to a personal deity. Raja yoga (meditation) is often added as a fourth path.
Question 3: The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is known as:
- The Feast of Tabernacles
- The Day of Atonement (Correct answer)
- The Feast of Weeks
- The New Year
Correct answer: The Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, marked by fasting, prayer, and repentance.
Yom Kippur falls on the 10th of Tishrei (September/October) and concludes the High Holy Days that begin with Rosh Hashanah. It is observed with a 25-hour fast, prayer services including Kol Nidre, wearing white garments, and refraining from work. It is believed that on this day God seals the judgment of each person for the coming year, making sincere repentance (teshuvah) urgent.
Question 4: In Buddhism, the 'Three Jewels' (Triratna) that practitioners take refuge in are:
- Buddha, Dharma, Sangha (Correct answer)
- Karma, Dharma, Moksha
- Nirvana, Meditation, Compassion
- Prajna, Karuna, Metta
Correct answer: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
The Three Jewels are the Buddha (the enlightened teacher), the Dharma (the teaching), and the Sangha (the community of practitioners).
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) is the central initiation into Buddhist practice across all schools. The Buddha represents the possibility of enlightenment; the Dharma is the body of teachings and practices; the Sangha is the community that supports practice. In Mahayana Buddhism, the ideal of the Bodhisattva extends the Sangha concept to include all enlightened beings.
Question 5: Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak in which region?
- Bengal
- Gujarat
- Punjab (Correct answer)
- Kashmir
Correct answer: Punjab
Guru Nanak (1469–1539) founded Sikhism in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, which is now divided between India and Pakistan.
Guru Nanak was born in Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan's Punjab province) in 1469. He taught a monotheistic faith emphasizing direct experience of God, equality of all people, and rejection of caste discrimination. After receiving a divine call, he traveled widely (udasis) before settling at Kartarpur. The Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, contains his hymns (sabads).
Question 6: In Zoroastrianism, the supreme deity and source of all good is called:
- Angra Mainyu
- Ahura Mazda (Correct answer)
- Marduk
- Indra
Correct answer: Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda ('Wise Lord') is the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism, the religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster) in ancient Persia.
Ahura Mazda is the all-knowing creator of the universe in Zoroastrianism. The cosmic struggle is between Ahura Mazda (Truth/Goodness) and Angra Mainyu/Ahriman (the Destructive Spirit/Evil). Humans must choose to follow Asha (truth, righteousness) or Druj (lie, evil). Zoroastrianism is among the world's oldest monotheistic religions and significantly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam during the Persian period.
ARK World Religions 2
Which of the Five Pillars of Islam involves fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan?