Practices In Islam

Question 1

Five Pillars of Islam

Answer 1

Shahadah - declaration of faith
Salah - five daily prayers
Zakah - giving wealth as tax to poor (2.5%)
Sawm - fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - pilgrimage

Question 2

Shi’a 10 Obligatory Acts (in addition to 5 Pillars)

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Shahadah

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Salah

Answer 4

Ritual prayer - 5 times a day - morning, midday, afternoon, after sunset, night time
Indirect communication with God - declaring faith
Adhan - call to prayers

Question 5

Wudu

Answer 5

Reinforces niyyah - intention to worship with pure heart

1. Wash hands
2. Mouth rinsed 3
3. Nose washed 3
4. Face washed 3
5. Arms washed 3
6. Wet fingers over head, palms on side, fingers on ears
7. Feet washed

Question 6

Rak’ahs

Answer 6

Sequence of 8 movements for each prayer sequence

Sunni touch head to carpeted floor - Shi’a prostate to pure ground

Question 7

Jumu’ah prayer - every Friday at mosque

Answer 7

Men must attend - women can but separate
Ummah (community)
Need correct qibla - face Makkah

Question 8

Du’a (supplication)

Answer 8

Private prayer - personal concerns to Allah for guidance - shows transcendence
Use prayer beads - 33/99 - repeating prayers

Question 9

Zakah - purification

Answer 9

Nisan - min amount - 2.5% (Sunni) / 20% (Shi’a)

Purifies of greed - everything provided by Allah - right to share

Question 10

Sadaqah

Answer 10

Further voluntary donation
Sincerity to faith
‘Every act of goodness is charity’ (Hadith)

Question 11

Khums

Answer 11

Obligatory 20%

To help poor and religious organisations

Question 12

Sawm

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Why do Sawm

Answer 13

Sins forgiven by Allah - self discipline - thankful to Allah
Appreciate needs of others - greater empathy to help
Muttaqi - greater obedience to Allah

Question 14

What does Sawm involve?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Last 10 days of Ramadan

Answer 15

Night of Power - Qur’an revealed to Muhammad
Worship Allah as much as possible - time off work?
Attend Taraweeh prayers missed - advised

Question 16

End of Ramadan

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Hajj - one of 5 Pillars / 10 Obligatory Acts

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Ihram

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Kaaba

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

Tawaf

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Sa’y

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Arafat

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Mina

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Why do Hajj?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Id-ul-Adha - preparation

Answer 25

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!’

Question 26

Id-up-Adha - celebration and meaning

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Id-ul-Fitr

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Id-ul-Ghadeer

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Ashura

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Jihad

Answer 30

‘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

Question 31

Greater Jihad

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Lesser Jihad

Answer 32

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