islam practices

Question 1

what are the 5 pillars of islam?

Answer 1

shahadah, salah, zakat, sawm, hajj

Question 2

explain purpose of each pillar

Answer 2

shahadah - muslim declaration of faith, only one god
salah - prayer, compulsory to pray 5 times a day
zakat - charity, giving money
sawm - fasting for ramadan
hajj - pilgrimage to Makkah

Question 3

what is the shahadah

Answer 3

“There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah” + “and Ali is the friend of God

Question 4

how do muslims prepare for prayer?

Answer 4

1. Wudu (washing ritual) washing the hands, feet and face and sand is used if water isnt available
2. face the city of Makkah
3. Niyyah - statement of intention to pray

Question 5

what are the differences between Sunni and Shi’a practices?

Answer 5

sunni muslims only combine 5 prayers if there is a good reason (travelling)
shi’a muslims have more freedom to combin prayers (3 times a day), use a clay tablet to rest head on

Question 6

what is jummah?

Answer 6

communal prayers held on Friday afternoon at mosque - men obliged but women do not have to go

Question 7

what is iftar?

Answer 7

meal eaten at sunset to break the fast during the month of Ramadan

Question 8

who should not fast?

Answer 8

children under 12, old people, people with medical conditions, pregnant women, women on period, people travelling

Question 9

what is the purpose of ramadan?

Answer 9

time for both physical and moral self discipline, should not listen to music, not have sex, not smoke and avoid bad thoughts or actions, extra time studying the Qur’an and helping those in need

Question 10

what is the importance of the night of power?

Answer 10

the night Jibril revealed the Quran to Muhammad, celebrated during ramadan and sen as a time of thanksgiving “better than a thousand months”

Question 11

what is zakah?

Answer 11

where muslims gives 2.5% of their wealth to a charity AFTER paying what is necessary to support themselves

Question 12

what is the purpose of zakah?

Answer 12

muslims see wealth as a loan from Allah, help Muslims purify their souls by not being freed

Question 13

quote for zakah

Answer 13

“Alms are meant only for the poor, the needy, those who administer them,…”

Question 14

what do shia muslims do in terms of zakah?

Answer 14

khums - shia give 20% of their wealth

Question 15

what is hajj?

Answer 15

the Muslims pilgrimage which is compulsory for Muslims to do as long as they can afford it

Question 16

what are the origins of Hajj?

Answer 16

God told the prophet Ibrahim to take his wife Hajira and son Isma’il on a journey to Arabia. He then told Ibrahim to leave Hajira and Isma’il with some food and water.

Having run out of water, Hajira ran up and down two hills, Safa and Marwah, in search of more. Unable to find any water, she prayed to God and water then sprang from the ground. This source of water is called the Zamzam well.

When Ibrahim returned, he was commanded to build the Ka’aba as a shrine dedicated to Allah where worship would take place.

Question 17

what is jihad?

Answer 17

struggle for faith and struggle against evil

Question 18

what is the difference between greater and less jihad?

Answer 18

greater - making effort to be a good muslim through a personal struggle and improve spiritually
lesser - defending Islam from threat, more relevant in the past when muslims were being persecuted, holy war, must be approved by a religious leder

Question 19

how should muslims be a better muslim?

Answer 19

• follow 5 pillars
• forgive others
• work for social justice
• study the quran
• help those in need
• avoid negative qualities
• avoid temptations

Question 20

quote for jihad

Answer 20

“no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another”

Question 21

what is Id-ul-Adha?

Answer 21

commemoration of sacrifice and marks the end of Hajj
reminder of Allah’s blessings and shows how important it is to submit to Allah
“my son indeed i have seen in a dream that i must sacrifice you”