Religious Beliefs and teachings & Practices

KS3 REIslam –

Practices

Key words

Almsgving- giving of charity/ assistance.Ashura- a Shi’a festival which commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson Hussayn in 680CE.Du’a- a personal prayer made by a Muslim, a calling to God.Jihad- to strive or struggle in the way of Allah.Ihram- a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform pilgrimage.Id-ul-Adha- the festival of sacrifice at the end of Hajj. Origins in Ibrahim’s sacrifice of a lamb instead of his son, Isma’il.Id-ul-Fitr- celebrated at the end of Ramadan. Id-ul-Ghadeer- a Shi’a festival that celebrates the appointment of Ali as successor to Muhammed and Muhammed’s last sermon. Hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca.Pilgrimage- a journey made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion.Salah- performing ritual prayer in the proper way five times each day.Sawm- fasting during the months of Ramadan.Shahadah- sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith.Shirk - the sin of worshiping more than one God and putting other things on equal measure with God.Tawhid - the belief in one God and the uniqueness of God.Zakah- paying an alms (charity) tax to benefit the poor and needy.

The Importance of Practice

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Every male and female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty is required to perform the Five Pillars of Islam. They must follow these in order to fulfil their obligations to the One and Only God – Allah.

What do you understand by this quote from the Hadith? What is Islam built upon?

The Five Pillars of Islam

ShahadahShahadah is the most important pillar of Islam as it is the declaration a person makes that they are a Muslim and that they believe in the One 2

HadithOn the authority of Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (radiyallahu ‘anhuma), who said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, say: “Islam has been built upon five things – on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing Salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadan.” ’

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God – Allah. Simply saying the Shahadah does not make a person a Muslim; having the conviction and true belief in what is said is what makes someone a Muslim: ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’

SalahThe Salah are the five obligatory prayers set at different times throughout the day. This means that a Muslim lives their life around God rather than God fitting into their life.

ZakahZakah is the purification of wealth by paying an annual tax of 2.5 per cent on accumulated assets or savings. All Muslims must pay zakah, and it is payable to a Muslim who is poor, needy or worthy of it.

SawmMuslims must practise sawm (fasting) during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of great blessings, forgiveness and saving oneself from the hellfire. Muslims must fast from dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink, sexual acts and committing bad deeds. Fasting is also worship, as it represents obedience and enables understanding and appreciation of what Allah gives as gifts and pleasures.

HajjAt least once in their lifetime Muslims must do Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah). This pillar applies only to those who are able, as some people may not be able to afford it or may not be well enough to do it. Historically, it could take several months or even years to travel to Makkah, but modern transport means that people can reach Makkah within a day or even hours.

Do you think it is realistic to expect a person who works from 9am- 6pm every day to perform Salah? Explain your answer.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Draw a spider diagram to show the five most important things in your life.

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You need to add arrows and briefly explain why each of the five things is important to you- e.g. ‘family because they are supportive.’

How are these similar/ different to the Five Pillars?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Summarise the Five Pillars._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Use this summary to help explain to a non-Muslim what the Five Pillars are.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The most important things in my life

______________________________________________________________________________________ Shiah Muslims believe in Ten Obligatory Acts:

Salat – meaning "connection", establish the five daily prayers.Sawm– fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan.Zakat– charity. Zakat means "to purify".Khums– an annual taxation of one fifth of one’s income.Hajj- performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.Jihād– struggling to please God. Amr-bil-Maroof- Commanding what is just/good.Nahi Anil- Forbidding what is evil.Tawalla – expressing love towards God.Tabarra – dissociating oneself from evil.

Public acts of worship

What does

this tell you about why Muslims pray?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Surah 1 Al-FatihahIn the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds.The Compassionate, the Merciful. Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.Guide us on the straight path,the path of those who have received your grace;not the path of those who have brought down wrath, nor of those who wander astray.Amen.

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For Muslims, prayer is a reminder of the concepts of Shirk and Tawhid

Watch the following clip:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zsqvcdm

Write a short report about Muslim prayer rituals.

Make sure you include: what Muslims do to prepare for prayer (for example, wudu is the

ritual washing performed by Muslims before prayer. Muslims must be clean and wear good clothes before they present themselves before God.)

where they pray which direction they face that Muslims follow a sequence of movements when they pray. what each position shows about how the Muslim feels about

themselves and God. an explanation of what Muslims do at the end of their prayers. anything else that you can remember about what Muslims use or

wear when praying._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What is ‘Shirk’ and ‘Tawhid’?

Tawhid is the belief in one God and the

uniqueness of God.Shirk is the sin of

worshiping more than one God and putting other things on equal measure with God.

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Check: Would someone reading my report know how a Muslim prays?

Congregational prayer is obligatory for healthy Muslims- in other words they have to do it!

Congregational prayer is prayer that takes places in groups at a mosque.

The least number required for the congregational prayer is two: the Imaam (leader) and another one with him.

Concerning the importance of congregation, the Messenger of Allah said: “A single prayer in congregation is better than forty years of prayer at home.”

The more the people, the more rewarding is the prayer by Allah. This is a statement of the Messenger of Allah who said: “That which is greater (in number) is more beloved by Allah.”

It is mentioned in another hadith that God and the angels love one who loves congregational prayer.

Prayer in congregation is considered to have more social and spiritual benefits than praying by oneself.

The Jummah prayers are held on Fridays and all adult males must attend.

Can you think of some reasons why Muslims engage in congregational prayer?Can you think of some problems which Muslims may face with regards congregational prayer? Fill in your ideas in the table below- one has been done for you.Purpose/ benefits of congregational prayer – why do Muslims do it?

Problems of congregational prayer

Congregational prayer is a

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requirement of all Muslims

Shahadah is the declaration of faith which is the first of the five pillars of Islam and the only non-action pillar.

“I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim. When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet. That they personally accept this as true.

That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life.

The words of the Shahadah are whispered to the new-born child at the beginning of life. These same words are declared by a new Muslim when choosing to embrace Islam, and are ideally the last words said or heard by a Muslim.

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Explain the importance of the Shahadah. (3 marks) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Look back at page 2 of your booklet, what is the second pillar of Islam?

Salah is regarded as direct communication with God.

Private acts of worship

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Have you…Explained what the Shahadah is?Explained what it means and why this is important to Muslims?Described at what important points in a Muslims life may they use it?

What is the purpose of communication?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________How do you communicate with people you care about?

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__________Why is it important for Muslims to communicate with God?

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A du'a is a prayer made by a Muslim. A du'a is one of the most important acts of worship to Allah because

it is more personal. It is calling out to God. Du’a can be said at any time without wudu'(ablution) or qibla

(specific direction.)

In the Quran, Allah says:

‘The best way for Muslims to understand God is to practise salah.’ Evaluate this statement. (12 marks)In your answer you should:• refer to Islamic teaching• give developed arguments to support this statement

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How is du’a different to salah?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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When My servants ask about Me, I am indeed close to them. I listen to the prayer of every supplicant, when he calls on Me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me, so that they may walk in the right way" (Qur'an 2:186).

• give developed arguments to support a different point of view• reach a justified conclusion.

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HajjHajj is the fifth of the five Pillars of Islam

Look back at page two. What is Hajj? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z29hyrd

Watch the clip above and study the image.What is Makkah and why is it important to Muslims?__________________________________________________________________ _________________________________

___________________________________________________________ What is ‘ihram’ and how do Muslims behave while in ihram?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/hajj_1.shtmlWatch the clip above - Why is pilgrimage important for Muslims?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain the religious significance of hajj for Muslims. (6 marks)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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ZakahZakah is the third of the five Pillars of Islam.

Look back at page two. What is Zakah?___________________________________________________________________________

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Look back at page four. What is khums?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/poverty/i

sconcernrev1.shtmlRead the information from the website above.Using the information from the website and this image, answer the question below.

Why is giving alms (e.g through Zakah) important to Muslim? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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This giving of charity/ assistance is also known as ‘almsgiving’

SawmSawm is the fourth of the five Pillars of Islam.

Look back at page two. What is Sawm?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There are a number of reasons for Sawm:

Learning self-discipline. Becoming spiritually stronger. Appreciating God's gifts to us. Sharing the sufferings of the

poor and developing sympathy for them.

Realising the value of charity and generosity.

Giving thanks for the Holy Qur'an, which was first revealed in the month of Ramadan.

Sharing fellowship with other Muslims.https://www.truetube.co.uk/film/great-british-ramadanWatch the video clip above about British muslims during Ramadan. Note down the positive things they say about fasting (what they like about it, as well as some of the problems/ difficulties involved.Positive things about Sawm Problems/ difficulties of obeying

Sawm

Jihadhttps://www.truetube.co.uk/film/what-jihad

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Laylat Al Qadr (The Night of Power) is considered the holiest night of the year for Muslims, and is traditionally celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan. It is known as the “Night of Power,” and commemorates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/war/islamrev2.shtml

Under what conditions can Lesser Jihad take place? In other words, what rules exist around the conduct of Lesser Jihad?Use the information on the website and the verse from the Quran (above) to help.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Using the links above, research ‘Jihad’ and answer the questions on the next two pages.

‘Jihad’ means ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The image above shows an interpretation of ‘greater Jihad’ and ‘Lesser Jihad’- what do these two terms mean?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Which of the two is considered most important by most scholars?________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.’Qur’an 2:190

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Explain two contrasting Muslim understandings of Jihad. (4 marks) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Festivals/ special days

Id-ul-Adha: the festival of sacrifice at the end of Hajj. Origins in Ibrahim’s sacrifice of a lamb instead of his son, Isma’il.

Id-ul-Fitr: celebrated at the end of Ramadan. A public holiday in Muslim countries where gifts and cards are exchanged, and new clothes are brought for children.

Id-ul-Ghadeer: a Shi’a festival that celebrates the appointment of Ali as successor to Muhammed and Muhammed’s last sermon. Presents are given, there are special prayers and celebratory meals.

Ashura: a Shi’a festival and it commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson Hussayn in 680CE. British Muslims gather in London for a mourning procession.

Exam Practice

Name three religious festivals that Muslims might celebrate. (3)

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Extension task: How do you think the celebration of festivals and special days for Muslims living in Muslim countries might be different from the

experiences of Muslims living in non-Muslim countries? (5 marks)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Id-ul-Fitr celebrations London 2015

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