islamic practises Flashcards
what’s the definition of shahada?
the muslim declaration of faith
definition for salah/salat
prayer in arabic (second pillar of islam)
definition for zakat
a payment mande annually under islamic law that is used for charitable & religious purposes, usually 2.5% of ones savings
definition for sawm
fasting between sunrise and sunset during the month of ramadan
definition of hajj
the pilgrimage to mecca that every muslim must take at least once in their lives
definition for halal
lawful/permissable
definition for haram
forbidden/unlawful
definition for imam
the prayer leader of a mosque
definition for eid-al-fitr
a holiday of breaking fast at the end of ramadan
definition for eid-al-adha
the feast of the sacrifice, honouring the willingness of ibrahim to sacrifice his son, ishmael
what’s jummah (friday prayer)
a congregational midday prayer on fridays - considered special. all men expected to attend a mosque, women can if they want to too
definition for wudu (ablution)
ritual washing of face & feet before prayer
definition for qibla
the direction muslims face during prayer, towards the ka’aba in mecca
definition for kaaba
the shrine that ibrahim made after he was told to by allah, it is a sacred place and muslims circle it 7 times during hajj
definition for hijab
a religious headscarf/modest clothing worn by muslim women, covering the head & body
definition for iftar
a meal held at the end of the day during ramadan
what do people do in id-ul-fitr?
- marks end of month-long fasting period of ramadan
- origins trace back to muhammad redirecting celebration from pre-Islamic traditions in Madinah
- celebrated for 1-3 days by gathering in mosques for special prayers
- wear new/best clothes & homes are decorated
- festivities include forgiving differences, helping less fortunate, enjoying special foods, remembering deceased by visiting cemeteries
what do people do in id-ul-adha?
- known as “festival of sacrifice” or greater eid, commemorates prophet ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael for allah
- celebrated on 10th day of dhul-hijjah, lasts four days
- festival forms part of Hajj, but celebrated all over the world
- begins w prayers in mosque - imam preaches service about sacrifice
- animals slaughtered to remember Ibrahim’s sacrifice (but not allowed in britain)
- england: some would buy animal from slaughterhouse & keep 1/3 of meat, 1/3 to friends/family, 1/3 to poor (or money given instead)
- cards, presents, community celebrations often organised
what do shi’as do in ashura?
- observe it as day of mourning, remembering tragic death of imam Hussein, prophet muhammad’s grandson, in battle of karbala
- they indulge in fasting, physical expressions of grief (like floggings), donate to charity to signify connection to his suffering
- re-enactments/plays performed to retell story of his death
- London - go to Marble Arch for procession of mourning & listen to speeches
what do sunni muslims do for ashura?
- also celebrate it but refer to it as Day of Atonement & remember it as day when Israelites freed from egypt
- some believe it remembers day Nuh left ark after flood
- many fast voluntarily, give 2 charity, show kindness to family & poor, recite prayers, learn from Islamic scholars
- not such an important festival or solemn an occasion as it is for Shi’as
what are all the movements of a rak’ah in prayer?
- standing: recite 1st chapter of Qur’an
- bowing: say in Arabic “Glory be to my Lord who is the very greatest” 3 times
- return to upright position - make recitation praising god
- kneel: forehead, nose, hands, knees & toes touching floor (prostration)
- sit: recite “god is the greatest”
- once rak’ah complete, finish by saying “peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God” to one other
(types of prayer) prayer at home: muslims allowed to pray at home but must…
perform wudu
why is prayer important?
- it’s what God commanded Muslims to do
- creates greater awareness of God
- unites Muslims worldwide
true or false: daily prayers are made up of one rak’ah
false, made up of a number of them
what is a rak’ah?
a set sequence of actions and recitations (for prayer)
what are the ten obligatory acts in shi’a islam?
- ten duties - include all 5 pillars except shahadah which is covered separately
- jihad
- Khums
- encouraging people to do what’s good
- discouraging them from what’s wrong
- tawallah: loving towards friends of God inc. muhammad & imams
- tabarra: disassociating from enemies of God
how many times to sunni muslims have to pray?
5 set times during a day - worked out from sunrise and sunset so change slightly each day
how many times do shi’a muslims pray in a day?
often combine midday & afternoon prayers so they pray three times a day
what is it important that muslims do before they pray?
wudu, need to be spiritually clean
mosques have _ rooms set aside for washing (____ and ______)
mosques have 2 rooms set aside for washing (male and female)
all mosques have a ______ which shows the _________ of Makkah from the mosque
all mosques have a mihrab which shows the direction of Makkah from the mosque
who leads the prayers at a mosque?
an imam
men and women pray at ____ ____ but in ________ _____
men and women pray at same time but in separate space
why is zakah important?
- acknowledges everything they own comes from God
- literally means 2 purify or cleanse - charity helps to purify the soul by removing selfishness
do all muslims have to give zakah?
no, only muslims w savings greater than certain figure (nisab) required to give zakah
what is khums?
- important part of shi’a islam
- in addition to zakah, they donate 20% of excess income/earnings
- half goes to shi’a religious leaders to be spent on things necessary for religion
- half to poor
which month of the islamic calendar is ramadan?
9th and most important
what do muslims believe happened during ramadan?
qur’an started to be revealed to muhammad
what do muslims do during ramadan?
- fast during daylight hours for whole month (food & water)
- also give up smoking & sex during daylight hours
why is fasting during ramadan important?
- focus is on god, for which purity of thought is required to cleanse the soul & free it from harm
- requires self-discipline: muslims show they can sacrifice physical needs as evidence of submission to God
- use Ramadan to remind selves of suffering & hunger of poor, and to give money as a result
what happens during the Night of Power?
- marks beginning of God’s revelation to Muhammad
- Muslims devote themselves to prayers and studying Qur’an throughout the night if they can
- believed prayers and stuff are more powerful during this night
what are the origins of Hajj?
- prophet Ibrahim told by God to take wife Hajira & son Ishmael to Arabia - then told to leave them on own for few days, but they ran out of food & water
- H ran up 2 hills to look for help then prayed to God for help - I struck foot on ground & water gushed up (well of Zamzam). they then traded water for food & other supplies
- Ibrahim returned & told by God to build a shrine (Ka’aba)
what do muslims during hajj?
- ihram: sacred state before Hajj - ritual washing, praying & putting on Ihram clothing
- circling of Ka’aba: anti-clockwise 7 times & recite pilgrims prayer “Here I am. Oh Lord, at your service. Praise & blessings to you.”
- Arafat: 13 mile walk/ride to Arafat (from Mina) where Muhammad preached his last sermon
- pebbles at Mina: 3 stone walls called the Jamarat at Mins which represent the devil & temptation, they throw pebbles at walls to show rejection of evil
- return to Makkah: circle Ka’aba 7 more times, then spend 2 more nights in Mina b4 Hajj ends
why is Hajj important?
- bc of spiritual transformation it can bring & greater awareness of God
- teaches sincerity & humility, as well as inner peace. many believe it can lead to forgiveness of sins
- shows self-discipline whilst emphasising unity & equality
- ihram clothing ensures no distinction between rich/poor
- reminds them of faith & examples set by I, I and H
what do shi’as add to the shahadah?
the phrase ‘And Ali is the friend of God’ to demonstrate belief that Ali was true successor
what is the shahadah? (like the literal words of it)
‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah’
why is the shahadah important?
- sincerely reciting this statement in front of Muslims is only requirement for joining Muslim community
- said when a baby is born, and, if possible when someone dies
- first & most important of 5 pillars but also foundation for other 4
