1
Q
Shahadah
A
- First of the five pillars
- Declaration of faith
- Embodies the belief in Tawhid and reflects the monotheistic nature of Islam
- Makes clear that only Allah is worthy of worship because He alone is God and supreme over all things
- Second part of the declaration reminds believers that Allah has chosen to reveal Himself to people through Muhammad and the prophets before him
- The shahadah has to be professed until death.
2
Q
Salah
A
- Salah is the ritual Muslim prayer that is carried out five times every day.
- It is one of the 5 pillars for Sunni Muslims and one of the 10 Obligatory acts for Shi’a Muslims.
- Muslims believe that when they pray they are in direct communication with Allah. They believe that he will listen and respond to everything they say.
- Prayer is preferably done in the mosque but a Muslim can pray in a suitable clean place.
3
Q
Call to prayer
A
- Before every prayer a call to prayer known as the adhan is made by the mu’adhdhin in Arabic whilst facing the qiblah in the direction of Makkah.
- In some Muslim countries he climbs up the tall minaret to do this.
- The muezzin gives a second call to prayer in the main worship hall of the mosque for those who have come to the mosque to pray. This is known as the iqamah and it lets worshippers know that prayer is about to begin.
- “When the call is made for prayer…”
4
Q
Wudu
A
- Wudu is the ritual washing that a Muslim must do before Salah prayer. Wudu is done as a symbolic action to reinforce the niyyah declaration that the believer makes as they begin. The niyyah is the believers intention to worship Allah with a pure heart. Wudu always follows the same pattern and includes the washing of arms, hands, feet and mouth.
- “When you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your head and your feet to the ankles”
5
Q
Jumu’ah
A
- Every Friday, instead of Zuhr prayer the Jumu’ah prayer is offered at mosques.
- Gathering together in this way is a reminder of the wider Muslim Ummah.
- During Jumu’ah prayers, Muslims will line up in rows, shoulder to shoulder, to perform the rak’ahs. The imam delivers a sermon called a khutbah and thereafter leads the congregation in two rak’ahs of prayer.
- “When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hurry toward the rememberence of Allah, and leave all business”
6
Q
Shi’a prayer
A
- Shi’a Muslims also pray five times a day but they are allowed to join midday and the afternoon prayers together, as well as the evening and night time prayers.
- They often use a piece of wood or a slab made of clay from Kerbala to place their heads on during prostration.
- This is different to Sunni Muslims, who touch their heads directly on the mosque carpeted floor.
7
Q
Du’a
A
- There is also du’a prayer aside from Salah, which is private. The word du’a means asking. It is in du’a prayers that a Muslim will bring their own special concerns to Allah.
- By carrying out du’a prayer a Muslim is seeking Allah’s guidance as he tells them to, and they are showing faith in Allah’s closeness and immediacy to them.
- It can be said in any language and at any time of the day.
- “I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided”
8
Q
Zakah
A
- One of the 5 pillars of Sunni Islam. Sunni Muslims give 2.5% of their savings above the nisab (the minimum amount of net worth you must have) and Shi’a Muslims give 20%. For Shi’a musl8ms this is known as Khums and it is one of their 10 obligatory acts.
- The word Zakah literally means purification, because Zakah is believed to purify a persons heart from greed. Ultimately a Muslim knows that they will be accountable to Allah on the Day of Judgement, and this should cause them to be honest in their giving.
- Muslims believe it is the sharing of wealth given by Allah and that all Muslims have a right to share in this wealth.
9
Q
Sadaqah
A
- In addition to Zakah, Muslims may choose to make further voluntary donations, known as Sadaqah. This comes from the word ‘sidq’, meaning sincerity. Giving Sadaqah is a sign of a Muslims sincerity to their faith.
- Unlike Zakah, there are no limits or guidelines for Sadaqah.
- Giving in charity extends beyond just money, as Muhammad is recorded to have said:
- “Every act of goodness is charity”
- Muhammad also linked charitable giving to being saved from hell itself
- “Save yourself from hellfire by giving even half a date-fruit in charity”
10
Q
Sawm
A
- Sawm is fasting in Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. This is the month when it is believed the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. Muslims go without food, drink and sex during daylight hours for the whole month. Sawm is the fourth pillar of Sunni tradition of islam and one of the 10 obligatory acts for Shi’a Muslims.
- “…fasting was prescribed for you just as it was prescribed for people before you so that you may become mindful of God”
- People exempt from fasting are the sick, people making long journeys, and pregnant women or women who are menstruating.
11
Q
Benefits of fasting
A
- By participating in Sawm with an attitude of repentance, Muslims believe that their sins will be forgiven by Allah.
- They develop their self discipline in obedience to Allah.
- They are able to overcome selfishness as their own physical needs are not driving what they do during this month.
- Muslims develop a greater sense of empathy and ideally a greater willingness to help.
- Sawm helps a Muslim be completely obedient towards Allah and develops their awareness of God’s presence.
- Many Muslims spend extra time studying the Qur’an and praying during this month, increasing their sense of closeness to Him.
12
Q
Duties during Ramadan
A
- “…until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then complete the fasts till nightfall…”
- Muslims wake up in time each day to eat a pre-dawn meal known as suhur. Apart from not eating or drinking, a Muslim is not allowed to enter anything into their body.
- In the evening the fast is broken with a meal known as Iftar.
- Every night during Ramadan special prayers known as Taraweeh are said at the mosque. They include the recitation of large portions of the Qur’an. By the end of Ramadan the whole of the Qur’an will have been read during Taraweeh.
13
Q
Night of Power
A
- The final ten days of Ramadan are especially important as it is believed that during this time the Night of Power occurred, which was when Muhammad received the first pages of the Qur’an.
- During these ten days many Muslims will aim to worship Allah as much as possible. Some Muslims spend lots of time in the mosque, and many may attend Taraweeh prayers.
14
Q
Hajj
A
- Both one of the 5 pillars of Sunni tradition of Islam and 10 obligatory acts for Shi’a Muslims. The word hajj means to set out for a definite purpose, and for Muslims Hajj is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah and to the Kaaba.
- It can only be performed between the eighth and twelfth, or eighth and thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
- The origins of Hajj date back to 2000bce when Ibrahims wife Hager and his young son Ishmael were stranded in the desert. Ishmael was close to death from thirst, so Hager ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa looking for water. Then the angel Jibril came and created a spring of fresh water for Ishmael, this is known as the well of Zamzam. Ibrahim is then told by Allah to build a monument at the site of the spring, called the Kaaba. The prophet Muhammad led a group of Muslims there in the first official Hajj and they destroyed the idols placed there by the polytheistic worshippers and re-dedicated the Kaaba in the name of Allah.
15
Q
Ihram
A
- Ihram is a state of holiness that Muslims are required to be in before beginning on Hajj. Muslims must wash their bodies fully or perform Wudu before they arrive in Makkah. Muslims will wear special clothing, also known as Ihram. Two pieces of white cloth for men. No set dress code for women but they must be covered, showing only their hands and face. The simple dress is also symbolic of their humility before Allah, and how every Muslim on Hajj takes an equal status.
16
Q
Tawaf, Sa’y, Arafat and Mina
A
- Tawaf is where Muslims circle around the Kaaba 7 times in an anti clockwise direction, copying the prophet Muhammad. During the tawaf each Muslim will be reciting verses from the Qur’an or other prayers. Tawaf is a powerful demonstration of Muslim unity and of their desire to worship their one true God. Before beginning this circling, each Muslim says the niyyah, “O Allah, I perform Tawaf of Umrah to please You. Make it easy for me and accept it from me”
- Sa’y is the running or hurrying between the two hills of safa and marwa 7 times in re-enactment of Hager’s search for water when she was left alone in the desert with her son Ishma’il.
- Pilgrims travel to the Mount of Mercy at the Plain of Arafat in the east. They face towards the Kaaba. It is here that the pilgrims stand before Allah and plead for the forgiveness of their sins. They collect 49 stones ready for use at Mina.
- Pilgrims travel to Mina and it is here that the ‘Stoning of Iblis’ takes place. Pilgrims throw seven pebbles at the pillar known as ‘jamrah’ meaning great devil.
17
Q
Id-ul-Adha
A
- It is the ‘Festival of Sacrifice’. As the pilgrims on Hajj sacrifice an animal near to Makkah, Muslims all over the world also make an animal sacrifice. The festival remembers the time when Allah provided a lamb for Ibrahim to sacrifice instead of his son Ishma’il.
- “In the name of God, God is the greatest” is said during the slaughtering of the animal.
- The festival begins with prayers usually at the mosque, and the delivery of a khutbah by the imam. Many children receive presents and people greet each other. Once the animal has been sacrificed, one third is kept by the family, one third is given to friends and relatives, and the final third is given to the poor and needy.
- The festival demonstrates a Muslims willingness to make sacrifices for Allah. It is an opportunity for them to be thankful to Allah for His provision.
18
Q
Id-ul-Fitr
A
- Id-ul-Fitr is the festival of ending the fasting of Ramadan when the crescent moon is sighted.
- Before the Id prayers, Muslims may give sadaqat ul-fitr, a special charity to atone for any mistakes they might have made while fasting.
- The festival begins on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.
- After prayers at the mosque, families return to their homes and gather with their friends for celebratory parties. Muhammad called this festival The Day of Reward as it comes after the hardships of Sawm.
- Muslims are thankful to Allah for the success Allah has given them in the completion of their fasting, enabling them to look forward to their reward on the Day of Judgement.
19
Q
Id-ul-Ghadeer
A
- Id-ul-Ghadeer is Shi’a festival on the eighteenth of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah, to celebrate the day on which the prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon. It is believed by Shi’a Muslims that on this day Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor.
- “God does not guide those who reject him”. The verse that Muhammad recited during the last sermon.
- The verse is saying that Muhammad has an important message to proclaim in order to fulfil his mission as the prophet of Allah.
- After this revelation, Muhammad stopped his journey back to Medinah at a place called Ghadir Khumm, and it is here that he made a speech. For Shi’a Muslims, one of their most significant parts of his speech was where he held up Ali’s hand and said: “of whomsoever i had been Master, Ali here is to be his Master…”
- Shi’a Muslims will complete specific prayers at the mosque as part of this celebration. Often the account of the event is narrated at the mosque.
20
Q
Ashura
A
- Ashura is celebrated by Sunni and Sh’a Muslims for different reasons. It is a day that the prophet Muhammad dedicated to fasting. It celebrates the day that Nuh left the Ark, and the day that Musa was saved from the Egyptians by Allah.
- For Shi’a Muslims they remember the martyrdom of Hussayn, who was the son of Ali and the grandson of Muhammad. He was massacred by forces at a battle in Karbala. His death is generally understood as a symbol of struggle against injustice and oppression.
During this sad day many Shi’a Muslims participate in public expressions of mourning and grief.
21
Q
Jihad
A
- Jihad means striving and it is important for all Muslims and one of the 10 obligatory acts for Shi’a Muslims.
- Greater Jihad is the inner struggle that a Muslim strives with in order to control bad desires and intentions. Lesser Jihad is an outer struggle and is often linked with a military struggle.
22
Q
Greater Jihad
A
- Greater jihad is a continuous process as each Muslim strives to follow ‘the straight path’ and to please Allah. Muslims are learning to be obedient to Allah, to control their own desires and to lead a disciplined life that will bring pleasure to Allah. These duties help a Muslim increasingly to live a faithful life and their reward will be to enter Paradise after death. Achieving this requires Muslims to overcome many negative qualities such as greed and anger.
- “do great jihad with the help of the Qur’an”. This is a call to holiness through better understanding of the words of Allah. Greater jihad is essential for all Muslims and it takes precedence over Lesser Jihad.
23
Q
Lesser jihad
A
- The lesser jihad is an outward jihad that is about creating a good and fair Muslim society. Some believe it to include war. Lesser jihad in the form of war should either be defensive or be a war against an unjust regime. Islamic law has very strict guidelines for when a lesser jihad is led by a religious leader as a military action. For example: the opponent must always have started the fighting, it must be started by a religious leader, and innocent people should not be killed or harmed.
GCSE Islam
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