islamic practices

Question 1

what are the five pillars?

Answer 1

• shahadah
• salah
• zakat
• sawm
• hajj

Question 2

what is the shahadah?

Answer 2

declaration of faith

Question 3

what is salah?

Answer 3

5 daily prayers

• fajr: just before sunrise
• zahr: just after midday
• asr: late afternoon
• maghrib: just after sunset
• isha: between sunset and midnight

Question 4

what is zakat?

Answer 4

charity / 2.5%

Question 5

what is sawm?

Answer 5

fasting

Question 6

what is hajj?

Answer 6

pilgrimage

Question 7

what are the 10 obligatory acts?

Answer 7

• salah
• zakat
• sawm
• hajj
• jihad
• khums
• amr-bil maruf
• nahi anil munkar
• tawallah
• tabarra

Question 8

what is jihad?

Answer 8

the struggle to keep belief in Allah and follow his rules

Question 9

what is lesser jihad?

Answer 9

the struggle to defend islam against its enemies

Question 10

what is greater jihad?

Answer 10

each muslims personal struggle to live a good life

Question 11

what is khums?

Answer 11

20% annual tax with any profit earned by shi’a muslims - split between charities for islamic education and anyone decended from muhammad

Question 12

what is amr-bil maruf?

Answer 12

encouraging people to do what is good

Question 13

what is nahi anil munkar?

Answer 13

forbidding evil by discouraging people from doing what is wrong

Question 14

what is tawallah?

Answer 14

showing love, for God and for those who follow him

Question 15

what is tabarra?

Answer 15

disassociation, shi’a muslims are taught not to associate with God’s enemies

Question 16

quote for this?

Answer 16

“Enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.”

Question 17

what do they have to do to prepare for prayer?

Answer 17

• wudu (washing hands, face, feet - with water or sand)
• face the city of Makkah
• niyyah, intention to pray

Question 18

sunni practices?

Answer 18

• ONLY combine 5 daily prayers if needed

Question 19

shi’a practices?

Answer 19

• more freedom to combine prayers - only pray 3x a day

- natural praying (clay etc)

Question 20

what is jummah?

Answer 20

• communal prayers held on fridays just after noon at a mosque
• develops feeling of unity amongst muslims

Question 21

do men or women have to go to Jummah?

Answer 21

men - obliged to go, unless too ill or old

women - dont have to go,, unless may choose to pray at home

Question 22

when do muslims have to fast?

Answer 22

between sunrise and sunset during ramadan

Question 23

who is not obliged to fast?

Answer 23

• children under 12
• old people
• people with medical conditions
• pregnant or menstrating women
• people who are travelling

Question 24

what do muslims do if they miss a few days of fasting?

Answer 24

they make up for it after ramadn ends

Question 25

what, other than eating or drinking, should muslims not do in ramadan?

Answer 25

- listen to music - smoke - alcohol - sex

Question 26

what is the night of power?

Answer 26

when angel jibril first appears to muhammad and began revealing the qur'an

Question 27

what is the holiest night of the year?

Answer 27

night of power

Question 28

what do muslims do on the night?

Answer 28

- stay awake - study qur'an - praying - come together in mosque to celebrate

Question 29

what is it said that happens to muslims on the night?

Answer 29

Allah will forgive sins

Question 30

how much do muslims pay for zakah?

Answer 30

2.5% of wealth over time - they see wealth as a lone from allah, so they give back

Question 31

literally, what does khums mean?

Answer 31

'a fifth'

Question 32

what is pilgrimage?

Answer 32

a compulsory event, unless unhealthy or poor, for muslims to do only in the month of dhu'l-hijja (12th month)

Question 33

origins of hajj?

Answer 33

- God told ibrahim to take his wife and son to arabia on a journey - he then left them with food and water - after they ran out of water, the wife ran between 2 hills - she prayed to god and water came from the ground - the source was called the 'zamzam' well - then he built the ka'aba (box)

Question 34

key events of hajj?

Answer 34

- dressing in pieces of white cloth - circling ka'aba 7 times anticlocwise - drinking from zamzam well - walking between hills 7 times - asking allah for forgiveness at mount arafat - collecting pebbles - throwing pebbles at jamarat - sacrifice a sheep/goat for eid ul adha - visit muhammad mosque/burial site

Question 35

what is id-ul-adha?

Answer 35

commemoration of sacrifice and marks end of hajj - reminder of allahs blessings

Question 36

origin for id-ul-adha?

Answer 36

- allah telling ibrahim to scrifice his son isma'il - then being told to sacrifice a ram - so now muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat

Question 37

whats done on id-ul-adha?

Answer 37

- men and women attend morning prayers at mosque - slaughter animal - -- 1/3 is kept - -- 1/3 is given to relative or neighbour - -- 1/3 is given to poor - wear new clothes - presents exchanged

Question 38

what is id-ul-fitr?

Answer 38

- end of ramadan, day of thanksgiving - celebrates finishing sawm - zakah is held - exchange gifts

Question 39

what is ashura?

Answer 39

- special day for shi'a to commemorate death of hussein - wear black - reminder of suffering