Islamic Practices Flashcards
5 Pillars of Sunni Islam
1- Shahadah - the declaration of faith
‘‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger’’
‘‘He is God the one, God the eternal’’
2- Salah - prayer
‘‘Believers when the call to prayer is made, hurry towards the reminder of God’’
‘‘This is my path leading straight so follow it’’
3- Zakah - Charitable giving
‘‘We will not let the reward of anyone who does a good deed go to waste.”
4- Sawm - fasting
‘’It was in the month of Ramadan the Quran was revealed as guidance to mankind’’
5- Hajj - Pilgrimage
‘’This is my path leading straight, so follow it’’
‘‘Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to God’’
10 Obligatory acts of Shia Islam
- Salah - prayer
- Sawm - fasting
- Zakah - charity
- Hajj - Pilgrimage
- Khums - 20% off tax on income once expenses deducted, from this 10% go to Shia Leaders and 10% go to charity.
- Jihad - The struggle to maintain faith
- Tabarra - Dissociation from enemies of God
-* Tawalia* - showing love to those who love Allah - Nahi anil Munkar - discouraging bad deeds
- Amr bil Maruf - encouraging good deeds.
Greater and Lesser Jihad
Jihad:
- the meaning and significance of greater and lesser jihad;
- origins, influence and conditions for the declaration of lesser jihad.
Jihad - the struggle against evil
- Part of the 10 obligatory acts of Shia Islam
Lesser Jihad; the outward struggle to defend one’s faith, eg thru Holy war,can be linked to battle of Karbala.
Greater Jihad; the personal inward struggle of all muslims to follow Allah’s teachings.
- There must be threat
- must be last resort
- proportional retaliation
^^Links to free-will
Hard to be a muslim in modern society?
FOR
- Free will ‘‘God does not change the positions of people unless they change what is in themselves’’
- Even Adam sinned ‘‘he first created man from clay’’ - interpreted as impure etc.
AGAINST
- Instructed to follow Allah:
‘‘This is my path leading straight, so follow it’’
- Belief in the after-life should comfort muslims:
‘‘Those who believe will have their reward with the Lord’’
Salah and its significance:
- Significance - importance and influence
- How do muslims pray (Wudu, Rak’ahs and recitations.
- Salah at home vs in the Mosque vs elsewhere
Salah is important because
- Muslims can get closer to Allah
- Forgiveness
- Instructed
- Reminder of Makkah
- Display gratitude
- Demonstrate devotion
- Cleanliness
Wudu; ritual cleansing - muslims wash parts of their body ie hands, feet before prayer
- Respecting Allah - being clean before praying to Him
- Instructed in qu’ran
‘’‘’You who believe, when you’re about to pray, wash your faces’’ - Muslims perform certain Rak’ahs eg prostration etc - and face the Ka’aba in Mecca, this is indicated by the Qibla wall in the mosque.
- Muslims can pray in mosque
FOR MOSQUE
- ‘‘Believers when the call of prayers is made hurry towards the reminder of God’’
‘’This is my path leading straight, so follow it’’
FOR ANYWHERE
- ‘‘’Those who believe will have their reward with the Lord’’
- ‘‘Allah wishes to lighten your burden’’
Friday midday (Zuhr) prayer is called Jummah prayer - men MUST go but women and children don’t have to.
Key differences in the practice of salah in Sunni and Shi’a Islam x2
- Shia Muslims only pray 3 times (combine Zhur and Asr/noon and afternoon prayer, Sunni pray 5 times a day.
- Sunni and Shia muslims perform different number of Rak’ahs
Different muslims views about the importance of prayer.
- Muslims can get closer to Allah
- Forgiveness
- Instructed
- Display gratitude
- Demonstrate devotion
- Cleanliness
Role and Significance of Sawm, Zakah and Hajj.
-2 scriptures for each
- 2 things done during pilgrimage
SAWM - fasting (common to 5 pillars and 10 OA)
- Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, during this month Muhammad was revealed the Quran by Jibril from Allah.
'’It was in the month of Ramadan the Qu’ran was revealed as guidance to mankind’’
‘’This is the scripture in which there is no doubt’’
- During this month, muslims fast and abstain from activities such as smoking and drinking
- Zakah is given (charity)
NIGHT OF POWER ‘‘Better than a thousand months’’ this marks the beginning of the revelation of the Qu’ran to Muhammad.
IMPORTANCE
- display of Allah’s omnipotency (Mhmd was illiterate)
- Closer to Allah
- Forgiveness
- Reinforces discipline
- Reminder of the impoverished
ZAKAH
- Charitable givings (common to both) = 2.5% of assets to the poor
- Khums in shia = 20% of income after expenses deducted
SCRIPTURES
- ‘‘This is my path leading straight so follow it’’
- ‘’Those who believe will have their reward with the Lord’’
HAJJ - Pilgrimage
Importance
- community
- instructed
- grow closer to Allah
- demonstrates dedication
2 things you do there:
- Circle the Ka’aba
- Throw stones at the devil at the Jamarat bridge in Mina
SCRIPTURES
‘’This is my path leading straight, so follow it’’
‘’Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God’’
Id-ul-Adha
- How is it celebrated?
- Importance and significance
- Honours Ibrahim’s obedience and willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah
- The festival forms part of Hajj
HOW IS IT CELEBRATED
- Animals such as lambs are slaughtered OR animals are bought from slaughterhouses
- Muslims go to the mosque.
INFLUENCE
- Commemorates Ibrahim’s obedience so muslims want to be obedient- stewardship.
- Influences muslims to feel closer to Allah as they come together as a community
SCRIPTURES
’‘’God took Abraham as a friend’’
‘‘This is my path leading straight so follow it’’ - forms part of Hajj, instructed to do this.
^^Ibrahim also followed this path
Id-ul-Fitr
- How is it celebrated?
- Importance and significance
- Celebrated at the end of Ramadan where muslims thank Allah for strength, provision and mercy.
- Muslims gather in mosques
- Charitable donations, Zakah
- Special feasts are eaten
Influence
- Influences muslims to be grateful; reminder of impoverished
- Influences muslims to feel closer to Allah as they are a community.
'’It was in the month of Ramadan the Qu’ran was revealed as guidance to mankind’’
‘‘This is my path leading straight so follow it’’
Festival of Ashura
- How is it celebrated?
- Importance and significance
WHAT IS IT?
For Sunni muslims, it is the day Isrealites were freed ‘‘Indeed, Allah is to the people kind and merciful’’ ‘‘God wishes to lighten your burden’’
For Shia muslims, it is the day of the death of Hussayn, Muhammad’s grandson in the battle of Karbala - they mourn him.
'’You who believe will have their reward with the Lord’’
‘‘Muhammad is the seal of all prophets’’
HOW IS IT CELEBRATED BU SUNNIS?
- Go to mosque to worship
- Charity
HOW IS IT CELEBRATED BY SHIAS?
- Self flagellation
- Reenactments
- Fasting
- Give to the poor/Charity.
SIGNIFICANCE;
- Sunni feel closer to Allah because He freed the Isrealites and this demonstrates his omnipotency.
- Charity to stand against persecution of impoverished
- Shia Muslims feel closer to Allah as community mourns.
- Taught to also be obedient and dignified just like Hussayn was in the battle of Karbala.
Prayer times:
Fajr: Dawn prayer
Dhuhr: Noon prayer
Asr: Afternoon prayer
Maghrib: Sunset prayer
Isha: Night prayer
