Islam Practices Flashcards
What do Sunni Muslims believe about the five pillars?
That they help them to live a perfect Muslim life and show commitment to Allah. It also helps to create a community that binds Muslims together. / They are the foundation of the Islamic religion
What are the five pillars of Sunni Islam?
- Hajj: pilgrimage
- Salah: prayer
- Shahadah: declaration of faith
- Zakat: charity
- Sawm: fasting
What is Hajj?
Making pilgrimage to the house of Allah in Mecca
How many Muslims roughly take part in Hajj?
3 million
What is a Qur’anic verse about Hajj?
‘Pilgrimage to the house is a duty owed to God by people who are able to undertake it’
What do Muslims believe happened 4000 years ago?
God told the prophet Ibrahim to take his wife and son to Arabia and told to leave them on their own with some supplies of food and water, within a few days the supplies had run out and Hajira and Ishamel were suffering from hunger nd dehydration. Looking for help Hajira ran up and down two hills before collapsing beside her son and paying to Allah. ishamel struck his foot on the groun dcausing water to guh up from the earth, they traded some of the water for food and other supplies when Ibrahim returned, he was told by God to build a shrine dedicated to Him which was the Ka’aba. Ibrahim was told to make the Ka’aba a pure place of woship and call people to do hajj there.
What is Salah?
Prayer - to be given to Allah five times each day from sunrise to sunset - they change slightly everyday
How many times a day do Shi’a Muslims pray?
Three times - they combine the five prayers
What do Muslims have to do before prayer?
They have to make sure they are spiritually clean before they pray. They do this through spiritual washing, ablution (wudu)
What is a Quranic verse about wudu?
‘You who believe, when you are about to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, wash your feet up to the ankles, and if required wash your whole body’
How do mosques ensure Muslims perform wudu?
They set aside two rooms for washing, one for men and one for women
How is ablution performed?
Under running water, not a basin to ensure the water is clean. If water is not available, a dry form of washiing is allowed using sand or dust. This illustrates that it is not about physical cleanliness but spiritual cleanliness.
In what direction do Muslims face when praying?
Muslims face the holy city of Mecca - this means all Muslims are mentally and physically focusing on one place assocated with God.
How do Muslims find the direction of Mecca?
If outside the mosque, they use a special compass. If in the mosque there is a mihrab to indicate the direction of Mecca.
Who leads prayers in the mosque?
The imam
What is the Rak’ah?
A series or sequence of actions Muslims perform during prayer e.g. when Muslims are standing they recite the first chapter of the Qur’an, when they are bowing they say in Arabic ‘Glory be to my Lord who is the greatest’ three times
What is a Qur’anic quote about rak’ah?
‘So woe to those who pray, that are heedless of their prayer’
What is dua?
Personal prayers
What is Jummah?
Prayer at midday every Friday. All male Muslims are expected to attend the mosque for this prayer whilst women can go if they wish.
What is preached on Jummah?
A sermon which reminds Muslims of their obligations and duties to God
What are the effects of prayer on Muslims?
- It creates a great awareness of God - motivates a Muslims to do God’s will
- Unites Muslims - they all pray in the same way
- Reminds Muslims how important the Qur’an is - recite it when they pray
- Reminds them God is greater and more important than they are - they prostrate before Him
What is the Shahadah?
The Muslim profession of faith, the belief that there is only one Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger - identifies Islam as a monotheistic faith
‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah’
What do Shi’a Muslims add to the end of the Shahadah?
‘And Ali is the friend of God’ - demonstrates that Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-law ) was the true successor Muhammad.
What is Zakat?
Almsgiving, 2.5% of income to the poor
What do Muslims performing zakat show?
They are acknowledging that everything they own comes from God and belongs to Him so should use their wealth to remember God.
Who is required to give Zakat?
Only Muslims with savings greater than a certain figure