Practices In Islam Flashcards
Five Pillars of Islam
Shahadah - declaration of faith Salah - five daily prayers Zakah - giving wealth as tax to poor (2.5%) Sawm - fasting during Ramadan Hajj - pilgrimage
Shi’a 10 Obligatory Acts (in addition to 5 Pillars)
Khums - taxation (20%) of savings to religious leaders for poor Jihad - struggle to live how God wants Amr-bil-Maroof - promoting good actions Nahi Anil Munkar - duty to stop wrong Tawalla - love towards good Tabarra - hared towards evil
Shahadah
Declaration of faith - ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’
Shows Tawhid (oneness) - only He is worthy to worship
Allah revealed Himself through prophets
Used as first words said to newborn, for conversion, said by dying
Salah
Ritual prayer - 5 times a day - morning, midday, afternoon, after sunset, night time
Indirect communication with God - declaring faith
Adhan - call to prayers
Wudu
Reinforces niyyah - intention to worship with pure heart
- Wash hands
- Mouth rinsed 3
- Nose washed 3
- Face washed 3
- Arms washed 3
- Wet fingers over head, palms on side, fingers on ears
- Feet washed
Rak’ahs
Sequence of 8 movements for each prayer sequence
Sunni touch head to carpeted floor - Shi’a prostate to pure ground
Jumu’ah prayer - every Friday at mosque
Men must attend - women can but separate
Ummah (community)
Need correct qibla - face Makkah
Du’a (supplication)
Private prayer - personal concerns to Allah for guidance - shows transcendence
Use prayer beads - 33/99 - repeating prayers
Zakah - purification
Nisan - min amount - 2.5% (Sunni) / 20% (Shi’a)
Purifies of greed - everything provided by Allah - right to share
Sadaqah
Further voluntary donation
Sincerity to faith
‘Every act of goodness is charity’ (Hadith)
Khums
Obligatory 20%
To help poor and religious organisations
Sawm
Fasting during Ramadan - no food, drink, sex during daylight
Month where Qur’an revealed to Muhammad - he fasted
Don’t need to if endangers health - sick, long journeys, pregnant, menstruating, u12
Islamic countries - hot so harder to work / non-Islamic - social challenges
Why do Sawm
Sins forgiven by Allah - self discipline - thankful to Allah
Appreciate needs of others - greater empathy to help
Muttaqi - greater obedience to Allah
What does Sawm involve?
Suhur - early morning meal - drum beaten in Muslim counties to wake
Fast during day
Iftar - evening meal - small amount with water, then Maghrib prayer, then main meal
Mosques provide meals + Taraweeh prayers - read whole Qur’an by end of Ramadan
Last 10 days of Ramadan
Night of Power - Qur’an revealed to Muhammad
Worship Allah as much as possible - time off work?
Attend Taraweeh prayers missed - advised
End of Ramadan
New moon - month of Shawwal
Id-ul-Fitr - festival of fast breaking
Presents, decorations, food - ‘Id Mubarak’ (happy festival)
Go to mosque in morning - then celebrate
Hajj - one of 5 Pillars / 10 Obligatory Acts
Hajj - to set out for a definite purpose
Pilgrimage to Makkah (Saudi Arabia) to Kaaba - only Muslims can enter (haram - sacred)
630AD - Muhammad led first Hajj - re dedicated Kaaba in name of Allah
Ihram
Required state of holiness before Hajj
Full body wash/wudu before arrive at Makkah
Wear white - purity - don’t sin
Everyone equal - no focus on appearance
Men and women live separately
When in state of Ihram, recite Talbiyah prayer
Kaaba
Large cube structure (13m high) - courtyard of Mosque - built by Ibrahim
Station of Ibrahim - where rebuilding began - pray here
SE corner - black stone - given by Angel Jibril? - kiss stone when circling
Kaaba covered by al-kiswah - black cloth of silk and wool (parts of Qur’an embroidered in gold)
Tawaf
Circle Kaaba 7 times in AC direction - closer to Allah
Start by saying niyyah - prayer of intent
Then begin from corner of black stone - 1st 3 brisk, last 4 normal pace
Try to touch/kiss black stone - impossible since ppl - salute
Recite Qur’an verses
Muslim unity + desire to worship Allah
When done, go to Station of Ibrahim - two rak’ahs
Sa’y
Running/hurrying between As-safa and Al-Marwa (hills) - 420 metres - 7 times
Hagar’s search for water when left with Isma’il (son)
Spring of water rose when dug heel - well of zamzam - visited + take water
Arafat
Fajr (dawn prayer) at Mina - travel 24km E to Mount of Mercy
Face Kaaba + plead forgiveness - from midday to dusk - very hot
Very important ritual - some set aside day
The to Muzdalifah - sunset + night prayers - camp in open
Collect 49 stones to use at Mina
Mina
Stoning of Iblis - three pillars - symbolise Iblis (Satan)
Throw 7 pebbles at ‘jamrah’ (great devil) - then seven pebbles at all 3 for following 2 days (49 pebbles)
Animal sacrifice if can afford - 1/3 given to poor
Ibrahim sacrificing son Isma’il - Iblis persuadé not to - both threw stones at him
Allah testing faith - gave ram to sacrifice
Men shave head / women cut lock of hair - out of ihram state
Why do Hajj?
Greater ummah (community) - ihram with 2 mil other Muslims
Closeness to Allah - awe
Free from sin - pleaded for forgiveness - more obedient in life
Joyous - Hajj commanded by Allah - will go to heaven
Id-ul-Adha - preparation
Festival of sacrifice - Muslims make animal sacrifice
Remembers when Allah gave lamb to Ibrahim to sacrifice instead of son
Muslim countries - slaughtered in back yard / non-Muslim countries - licence needed so go to slaughterhouse
When slaughtering, say ‘in the name of God, God is the greatest!’
Id-up-Adha - celebration and meaning
Dress up in new clothes - prayers at mosque - khutbah (sermon) by imam
Musalla (open air gathering) offered - men go - optional for women
Presents exchanged, send cards, say ‘Id Mubarak’
Animal sacrificed - 1/3 to poor, other to family and friends
Shows willingness to sacrifice for Allah - thankful
Develops ummah - supports those on Hajj sacrificing near Makkah
Id-ul-Fitr
Ends Ramadan fast at crescent moon
Give sadaqat/zakah-ul-fitr - charity to atone for fasting mistakes
Go to mosque for Id prayers - then Khufu from imam about caring for needy
Go home and celebrate - food, gifts, company, thankful to Allah
Allah rewards completion on Day of Judgement
Id-ul-Ghadeer
Day Muhammad gave last sermon - Shi’a believe made Ali successor
M traveling to Medina when message revealed to him to fulfil mission
Gave speech and made Ali successor - all Muslims pledged allegiance
Morning bath - prayers at mosque - account of story - celebrations in street - presents and meals
Ashura
Sunni + Shi’a - when Muhammad dedicated to fasting / Nuh (Noah) left ark / Musa (Moses) saved from Egyptians by Allah
Martyrdom of Hussayn (son of Ali) - family massacred in Karbala battle
Shi’a - public mourning and grief - some whip/beat themselves
London - 3000 Shi’a Muslims gather at Marble Arch
Visit Mashhad al-Hussayn - shrine in Karbala - tomb
Jihad
‘Jihad’ - striving (Arabic) - one of 10 Obligatory Acts
Grater Jihad - inner struggle to control bad intentions
Lesser Jihad - outer struggle - linked with military
Islam about peace - Muhammad spread Islam by peace - migrated away from more
Greater Jihad
Need to obedient + disciplined to Allah - more faithful - heaven
‘Do great Jihad with the help of the Qur’an’ (Qur’an) - holiness from understanding Allah’s words
Nahi Anil-Munkar - striving against what is wrong
Amr-bil-Maroof - seeking to do good
Greater Jihad essential + more important than Lesser Jihad - need to overcome badness within
Lesser Jihad
Some user for war - defence against unjust regime - to free people Kharijites - made 6th pillar - reason to kill/harm non Muslim Guidelines: 1. Opponent started fighting 2. Not to gain land 3. Started by religious leader 4. To bring about something Allah will approve 5. Must be last resort 6. Innocent not killed/harmed 7. Treat enemies with justice 8. Wounded must be treated like own 9. Stop war as soon as asks for peace 10. Don’t damage property 11. No chemical/biological warfare
