ISLAMIC PRACTICES Flashcards
5 pillars of islam
hajj-pilgrimage zakah- charity shahdah- statement of faith salah- prayer sawm- fasting
what did it say in muhammads final sermon
listen to me very carefully worship god, be steadfast in prayer, fast during Ramadan pay alms to the less fortunate
why are they known as pillars
they are five things which are said to uphold the faith
all pillars are needed for the practice of the Islamic faith just like all pillars are needed for a structure
all pillars have to be equal height like all pillars are of equal importance
why are the pillars important
they were instructed to be followed by the prophet Muhammad
they are known as the five things which uphold the Islamic faith
they outline how a muslim should worship and revere allah
they were mentioned by Muhammad in his final sermon
shahadah
the declaration of faith- there is no god except allah and Muhammad is the messenger of allah
it is a summary of the Islamic faith in two parts - the 1st part acknowledges the unique divinity of god (tawhid)
2nd part defines the positon of Muhammad as truly human and the messenger of god
the shahdad is part of the fiest…. and the last
words that a new born baby hears and the last statement a muslm will try to say before he dies
shahadah has to be professed unitl …. otherwise…..
death otherwise a person who abandons this commits the sin of apostasy
what does shahdah help to reinforce
belief in monotheism and to abstain from the sin of shirk
what does the shahdah reflect
it reflects belief in tawhid and it shows a muslims continued commitment to allah
it also highlights the importance of the prophet Muhammad as a role model of the faith
SALAH
prayer
carried out five times a day
what are the five daily prayers
fajr- morning prayer zuhr- midday prayer asr- late afternoon prayer maghrib- prayer after sunset isha- night time prayer
what is wudu and why is it symbolic
is the ritual washing a muslim must do before salah prayers it is an symbolic action to reinforce the niyyah declaration that the beliver makes as they begin
what is said after wudu
I bear witness that there is no god but allah and he is one and has no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and messenger
what do salah prayers involve
the recitation of phrases along with a sequence of movements in each prayer sequence and each one has a religious significance
what are jummah prayer
prayers during zuhr
muslims will line up in rows to carry out the rakahs
face direction of mecca
once salah is finished the imam delivers a sermon called khutbah
shia prayer
pray 5 times a day
allowed to join prayers together
pray of piece of wood
why do muslims perform rakaha
help structure the prayers
each one has special symbolism eg takbir - raising your hands to your ears and stating allah akbar symbolises the intention to focus on allah blocking out all other thoughts
importance of salah
5 pillars of islam
instructed to complete this duty by Muhammad in his last sermon
instructed to pray in the quran (62;9) (5:16)
method of communication with the one true god allah
dedicate time to allah
importance of jummah prayer
its important as it is stated in the quran when call for prayer on Friday hurry towards the remembrance of allah and leave all business
furthermore jum prayer is important as having prayed together there is a sense of unity and cooperation
also being able to spend time talking together in the mosque after prayer discussions can be had about issues that affect the ummah
Muhammad stated how important Friday is – the sun has neither risen nor set on a better day than friday
du’a
private prayer
during private worship what are muslims encouraged to do
call upon allah for forgiveness, guidance and strength
praying with prayer beads
touches 1 bead at a time reciting words often the 99 names of allah or phrases
many muslims do not agree with the use of prayer beads because the ptophet Muhammad did not use them
ZAKAH
zakah means purification
whether or not a muslim can afford to pay zakah is determined by whether their net worth is more than a certain amount- min amount nisab
in addition to this some muslims may choose to make further voluntary donations sadaqah
what do shia pay
they pay 20% of their wealth
they pay khums as one the ten ogbligatory acts
khums is an Islamic tax on 20% of a persons excess earning
why is zakah important
Muhammad linked giving to charity to being saved from hell itself
zakah is a way of making society fairer and showing practical concern for those in need
SAWM
sawm is the fourth pillar of islam and one of the ten obligatory acts for shia islams
sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan when muslims cannot eat drink or have sex during daylight hours
where does it say to fast
in muhammads final sermon it says- listen to me very carefully, worship god, be steadfast in prayer, fast during Ramadan, pay alms to the less fortunate
‘so whoever of you lives to see (this month of Ramadan) should fast through it’ (surah baqrah 2;184)
who is exempt from sawm
pregnant women and very young children
benefits of sawm
sins forgiven by allah
develop self discipline in the obedience to allah
how does allah show his goodness during ramadan
during Ramadan the gates of hell are locked and iblis is prevented from tempting muslims this shows allahs goodness as he aids muslims in their struggle against temptation
iftar-
suhui-
maghrib-
iftar- meal that ends a days fast
suhui- pre dawn meal eaten during Ramadan
maghrib- is the evening prayer said before iftar
why are the last ten days of Ramadan significant-
it is significant because the hadith states at this time the laylat al qadr (night of power) occurred- this is when Muhammad received the first revelations of the quran and the divine message of allah directing the ummah on Islamic beliefs and practice.
HAJJ
pilgrimage to mecca
fifth pillar of islam
what are muslims recommended to do before pilgrimage
discharge debt
seek forgiveness of anyone they have upset and restablish good relations with all
it is a duty for
muslims to go on pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime
what do muslims believe about pilgrimage
they believe if pilgrimage is accepted all of their sins are washed away
what are men required to wear
ihram
2 sheets of white cotton, cloth
irahm is..
the state of holiness that muslims are required to be in before beginning on hajj
1st stage of hajj
in mecca- muslims say a prayer of intent, the niyyah
pilgrims circle round the Kaaba seven times in anticlockwise direction- during circling (tawaf) each muslim will be recting a verse from the quran
2nd stage
say the running
running between two hills known as al safa al mama
muslims will move 7 times between the two hills as a reanctment of hagars search for water
3rd
Arafat
after dawn prayer at mina, muslims travel to the mount of mercy at the plain or Arafat
they face towards the Kaaba as it is believed that the prophet Muhammad did
here they plead for the forgiveness of their sins
4th
mina
pilgrims travel to mina and it is here that the stoning of iblis takes place there are three pillars that represent iblis muslims throw stones at each of the pillars
as pilgrims throw stones they are also demonstrating their own rejection of evil and iblis
pilgrims who can afford it are required to offer an animal sacrifice- reminder of allahs sacrificial ram for Ibrahim in place for ismail
effect of hajj
greater sense of ummah among the pilgrims as they have worshipped together with more than 2 million muslims
many muslms will feel relieved of their weight of sin as they have pleaded with allah for forgiveness. this may dive them to be more obedient muslims in their everyday life
JIHAD
JIhad is an Arabic word which literally means striving or struggling
greater jihad
greater jihad is an inward, internal jihad or struggle. This is instructed in the quran ‘do greater jihad with the help of the quran (25:52) muslims may give to charity, give up smoking or follow 5 pillars of islam, to complete greater jihad
evidence in the quran for greater jihad
do greater jihad with the help of the quran (25:52)
more about greater jihad
inward jihad a continuous process all muslims must struggle with to try and keep to the ‘straight path’ and to please allah. they must control their personal desires and show complete obedience and commintent to allah their reward will be to enter al jannah
what are the ways in which a muslim engages in greater jihad
learning the quran by heart, or engage in other religious study
overcoming things such as anger, greed, hatred or pride
giving up something
lesser jihad
outward jihad, creating a fair and equal muslim society. this does not mean the world should be a muslim society. it means within the world the muslim society should be fair and equal
quote for lesser jihad
let them be no compulsion in the religion of islam (2:256)
conditions for lesser jihad
the opponent must always have started fighting it must not be fought togain territory it must be launched by religious leader it must be fought to bring about good- innocents must not be killed
