Islam teachings Flashcards
what does the phrase ‘5 pillars mean’
the basic duties that all muslims must perform
what is shahadah
declaration of faith
what is salah
- pray 5 times a day
- belief to the have been the first duty given by Allah
what is zakah
the giving of money
what is sawm
fasting during the month of ramadan
what is hajj
the obligatory pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime
what is the statement for the declaration of faith
‘there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of allah’
what must saying the words of the declaration be accompanied by in order for someone to convert to Islam?
intention to live by the will of Allah
what is it called if a Muslim abandons the Islamic belief
sin of apostasy
which Muslim belief does the shahadah embody
Tawhid- oneness of god
what do Muslims believe happens when they pray
they believe to be in direct communication with Allah
what are the times of each daily prayer
- fajr: morning prayer
- zuhr: midday prayer
- Asr: late afternoon prayer
- Maghrib: prayer just after sunset
- Isha: night-time prayer
what is adhan
call to prayer
what happens during the call to prayer
- the first adhan is made to call people to prayer
- the second call to prayer lets worshippers know that prayer is about to begin
what is wudu
- ritual washing that a muslim must do before salah prayer
- symbolic action to reinforce the niyyah declaration that the believer makes as they begin
what is niyyah
A muslims intention to worship Allah with a pure heart.
describe actions taken during wudu
1) hands are washed
2) the mouth is washed 3 times
3) the nose is washed 3 times
4) using both hands the face is washed 3 times
5) both arms are washed 3 times
6) wet fingers are moved backwards over the top of the head and the palms on the side of the head 3
ears are cleaned
7) both feet, starting with the right foot, are washed thoroughly.
shi’a muslims do not wash feet but instead wipe them with wet hands
what is a complete sequence of prayer called?
rak’ah
what happens during jummah prayer
Muslims line up in rows, shoulder to shoulder, to carry out rak’ahs. They face the mihrab, which faces towards Mecca. The imam delivers a sermon called a khutbah.
What might a Shi’a Muslim rest their head on during prostration?
a piece of wood or clay from Karbala
Why do Shi’a Muslims believe that it is wrong to prostrate on something man-made?
Muhammad prostrated on a mat of natural fibres, so something man-made would be wrong.
what is du’a
a private prayer in which muslims bring their concerns to Allah
state what du’a prayer may include
Du’a prayer may include thanksgiving to Allah and asking for Allah’s forgiveness.
what does performing du’a show
they are showing faith in Allah’s closeness and immediacy to them
how do some Muslims use prayer beads
Prayer beads are passed between the believer’s thumb and forefinger. They are used to recite the 99 names of Allah or to repeat phrases to glorify Allah.
describe why some Muslims disagree with the use of prayer beads
because prophet Muhammad do not use them. instead they use their fingers
what is zakah believed to do to a person?
purify a person’s heart of greed
what is the minimum amount that can be paid known as
Nisab- the minimum net worth of an individual required to pay zakah
state what zakah is paid on
- momentary savings
- wide range of possessions
why do muslims not consider zakah as charity
muslims believe it is just sharing of wealth given by Allah, and all muslims have a right to share in this
why is zakah important
it is a way of making society fairer and showing practical concern for those in need
give an example of what the money collected through zakah may be used for
distributed to the needy within the muslim community as well as being used for religious purposes.
state the name that is given to additional voluntary actions
sadaqah
what in the surah teaches a muslims about the timing of sawm each day
‘resume the fast till nightfall’
state what sawm commemorates
Muhammads first revelation of the Qur’an
why is the final days of ramadan the most important
the Hadith says that it was during this time that the night of power occurred
what does it say that Muhammad did on the last 10 days of ramadan
staying at the mosque in study of the Qur’an and prayer
what is taraweeh
prayers said every night at the mosque during ramadan
how is the end of ramadan and the end of sawm celebrated
id-ul-fitr (festival of fast breaking)
list effects of sawm on a believer
- muslims believe that their sins will be forgiven by Allah
- develops a greater sense of empathy and ideally a greater willingness to help.
- helps a muslims to be completely obedient to Allah (muttaqi)
- increases their sense of closeness with Allah
- heightens awareness and understanding of their faith
when can hajj only be completed
8th and 13th days of the last month in the islamic year
what is the title given to men and women who complete the hajj?
men- hajji
women- hajja
what is ihram
is a state of holiness that muslims are required to be in before beginning on hajj
for men two piece of unseen white cloth must be worn
list 4 stages of hajj
1) in Mecca
2) sa’y- the running
3) Arafat
4) Mina
what happens in ‘mecca’
- pilgrims circle around the Kaaba 7 times in an anti-clockwise direction in an act of drawing closer to god
- during the tawaf each muslims will be reciting a verse from the Qur’an
- muslims will then move to the station of Ibrahim to pray
what is tawaf
the circling of the Kaaba by pilgrims
what happens in “sa’y”
- running in between the two hills(as-safa and al-marwa)
- muslims will move 7 times between the 2 hills as a re- enactment of Hagar’s search for water
what happens during Arafat
- after dawn prayer at mina, muslims travel to the mount of mercy
- the pilgrims have to be there from midday to dusk
- they face towards Kaaba, just like Muhammad
- it is here that the pilgrims stand before Allah and plead for the forgiveness of their sins
what happens during mina
- ‘stoning of Iiblis’ takes place
- 7 stones are thrown to each pillar over three days (recalls time he told Muhammad not to sacrifice ‘
- those who can afford will sacrifice, roast and eat an animal at least 1/3 are thrown away to those who cannot afford to make their own sacrifice
what are the pilgrims demonstrating when they throw stones at iblis
their own rejection of evil and iblis.
it is an action which symbolises their desire to withstand any temptations and to remain faithful to Allah
what do muslims recognise during mina
they recognise what Allah has provided for them, developing a even greater sense of humility in the pilgrims
list 2 effects of hajj on a muslim
1) greater sense of ummah among the pilgrims as they have worshipped together with more than 2 million other muslims
2) feeling of relief of their weight of sin as they have asked for forgiveness. this may drive them on to being more obedient muslims in their everyday life
state why the ‘well of zamzam’ is significant to muslims
The well of Zamzam is where the spring of water appeared that was used by Hagar and Isma’il.
what is the focus of prayer on the plain of arafat
muslims prayer pleads for forgiveness for their sins
quote to show prayer of intent, the niyyah
‘O Allah, i perform Taraf of umrah to please You.’
what is id-ul-adha
‘festival of sacrifice’ it remembers the time when Allah provided a ram to Ibrahim to sacrifice
how do muslims prepare for id-ul-adha (festival of sacrifice)
- an animal is selected for sacrifice
- bismillah is said over it
- meat roasted and divide into three parts (family, friend,poor)
why id-ul-adha important to muslims?
It is important to Muslims because it shows that Allah is the provider of all good things. It is important for Muslims to demonstrate that they are willing to make sacrifices for Allah. Also develops the sense of ummah.
what is id-ul-fitr
3 day festival of fast breaking, beginning on the first day of the month ‘shawal’
what is the imam’s khutbah likely to focus on during id-ul-fitr
focuses on duty to care for the needy
what name did Muhammad give to the festival of id-ul-fitr
‘the day of reward’ as it is followed after the hardship of sawm
why is id-ul-fitr important to muslims
- forgetting past disagreements and being thankful to Allah
• being thankful for the success Allah has given them in the completion of the fasting
• looking forward to their reward on the Day of Judgement
• unity achieved through the celebrations.
what is id-ul-ghadeer
the day that the prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon
what do shi’as believe happened on id-ul-ghadeer
Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor
state what is revealed in the verse of announcement
it says that in order for Muhammad to complete his mission as the prophet of Allah, he has an important message to proclaim
how do sunni muslims interpret the events at ghadir khumm
- they do not accept shi’as interpretation.
- they argue Muhammad was calling for Ali to be respected but not to be seen as his successor.
- so sunni’s do not celebrate this event
how do muslims celebrate it
- wudu or bath in the morning
- complete specific prayers at mosque
- the account of the event is narrated in mosques as a reminder
significance of id-ul-ghadeer?
allows shi’as to re-affirm their commitment to their first imam, Ali
what is ashura?
the day that the prophet Muhammad dedicated as a day of fasting
what two events are celebrated on ashura?
- Noah left the ark
- Moses was saved from the Egyptians by Allah
whose death do shi’as remember during asura?
death of hussayn (son of Ali, grandson of Muhammad and second imam for the shi’as)
state how did Hussayn die?
massacred by sunni forces at a battle in Karbala
list two ways shi’a muslims celebrate during ashura
- public expressions of mourning and greed
- some whip themselves on the back with chains, beating their head or ritually cutting themselves
- pilgrimages to the shrine in karbala - mashad al-hussayn
state 3 ways that ashura is significant to shi’a muslims
- understood by shi’a as a symbol of the struggle against injustice and oppression
- the morning and whipping enable muslims to link themselves with hussayn’s suffering
- many muslims believe this will help on day of judgement
how is ashura celebrated in London
around 3000 shi’a muslims gather at Marble Arch on ashura for a mourning procession and speeches
what does jihad mean
striving- there are two forms: greater jihad
lesser jihad
what is greater jihad
inner struggle that a muslims strives with to control bad desires and intentions
- a continuous process to follow ‘the straight path’ to please Allah
what is lesser jihad
outer struggle and often linked with a military struggle
- is about creating a good and fair muslim society
how does the duties in greater jihad help a muslim
- increasingly live a faithful life, be prepared to die for their faith
- their reward will be entering paradise after death
- help to overcome many negative qualities like greed and anger
what does the Qur’an teach if lesser jihad is in the form of war
it should either be defensive or a war against un unjust regime (way of doing things)
what does kafir mean
anyone who is not a muslim
summarise a quote from the Qur’an that tells muslims not to begin fight or wars
“But begin not hostilities’- surah
