Book 5 - Festivals

Question 1

Special days and Pilgrimages in islam

Answer 1

The Hajj - Pilgrimage
Id-ul-adha - 10th day of Hajj
Sawm - fasting during Ramadan
Id-ul-fitr - End of Ramadan
Mawlid an-Nabi - birth of Muhammad (honoured by some)

Question 2

What is Ramadan and Sawm

Answer 2

*9th month - 29 days
*Holy month
*New moon signals the start of Ramadan
*Fasting - food, drink, sexual intercourse
*Fasting is good - discipline, returns people to faith and to seek forgiveness, live morally without sin
*Allah forgives those who keep the fast of Ramadan

Question 3

What are the benefits of Ramadan

Answer 3

*Ummah
*Reminds the well-off about what hunger and poverty is like
*Shows Muslims why the Qur’an condemns poverty
*Muslims concentrate on Allah - prayer, charity, thinking of their relationship with Allah
*Time to read the Qur’an

Question 4

Explain what Muslims do in the last 10 days of Ramadan

Answer 4

*Lailat al Qadr - during last 10 days
*Good deeds performed on the 26th or 27th are X30,000
*Muhammad - Forgiven past sins - those praying on Qadr, believing in Allah’s reward
*Some Muslims commit to itikaf - seclusion in the MOsque, detached from the world

Question 5

The Hajj and why
B set question

Answer 5

*Pilgrimage to Makkah
*All pilgrims become equal
*Visiting where Muhammad received the Qur’an helps to understand the teachings of Islam
*Hagar and Ishmael in the desert, Hagar ran between Safa and Marwah x7

Question 6

The Ihram (5 points)

Answer 6

*Plain white garments in preparation of Hajj
*state of purity - mind and body.
*Spiritual relationship with God made, vanities of the world are renounced
*Hajji and Hajjah are buried in their ihram
*Symbolises all Muslims standing together on the Day of Judgement

Question 7

Describe each day of the Hajj - 6 days

Answer 7

1. Arrival, x7 Tawaf (walk and pray) anticlockwise,
   *Sa’y, x7 walk between Safa and Marwah, *Mina - camp and pray
2. Arafat (Mt Mercy) “stand before God”, contemplation, meditation and prayer. *Muzadalifa between Arafat and Mina, collect 49 pebbles, camp

(Id-ul-adha starts)
3. Stoning the Devil at Mina, throwing 7 at the largest pillar, signifies the pilgrim pursuing the way of Allah. Pillars - 3x Iblis tempted Ibrahim
*Animal sacrifice - story of Ibrahim and Ismael, meat given to the poor, the ummah sacrifice animals similarly during this period
*Haircut, shave the head, women cut the tip
*Tawaf al-Ifadah, show they love Allah and respond to him

Question 8

Id-ul-Adha

Answer 8

*Ibraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ismail as submission, lasts 4 days
*10th day of Hajj, everyone sacrifices a perfect animal

Question 9

How is Id-Ul-Fitr celebrated

Answer 9

*During Ramadan, special zakah to the poor, 2kg of food or money to the poor
*Await new moon
*Large worshipping in Mosque
*Khutbah - Allah is merciful, duty to poor, to be generous to the poor is to thank Allah for their blessings
*Reward of Ramadan
*Celebration - greeting with “Id Mubarak”
*Visit the dead

Question 10

Significance of Id ul Fitr

Answer 10

*Breaking of fast of Ramadan
*Brings families together, Ummah
*Importance of beingg generous to the poor
*Everyone should be able to celebrate Id-Ul-fitr