RE Paper 1 - Islam beliefs + practices

oneness of God + supremacy of God’s will ~(beliefs + teachings)

• monotheistic, only one God

• oneness of God ➡ Tawhid

• God’s will is above all things ➡ supremacy of God’s will

• Insha Allah ➡ if God wills

6 articles of faith ➡ Sunni Islam ~

• Caliph should be elected

• Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s advisor was the rightful leader

• Only Qur’an + Sunnah have authority to provide religious guidance

1. Tawhid

2. Malaikah ➡ Angels, pass on God’s msg to prophets

3. Kutub ➡ Authority of Holy Books

4. Nubuwwah ➡ Belief in the Prophets

5. Akhirah ➡ Day of judgement + afterlife

6. Al Qadr ➡ Predestination, God’s will

5 roots of ‘Usul ad-Din ➡ Shi’a Islam ~

• Imam should be descendant of Muhammad

• Qur’an, Sunnah AND Imam have authority to provide religious guidance

• Ali, Muhammad’s cousin + son in law was rightful leader

1. Tawhid

2. Nubuwwah ➡ Belief in the Prophets

3. Adalat ➡ Justice of God, day of judgement

4. The Imamate ➡ Respect for 12 Imams chosen by God

5. Al Ma’ad ➡ Resurrection

2 contrasting Muslim beliefs about God’s nature ~

• Merciful ➡ forgives people, compassionate

• Fair + just ➡ God will punish people for their actions

• Transcendent ➡ beyond + outside the universe

• Immanent ➡ present everywhere in the universe

• can be both because although God created the universe, he is also within all things + able to act within it

• God has 99 names, they each describe his characteristics

Angels ~

• spiritual beings, created by God from light

• pure + sinless

• able to take on human form to pass on msgs to ppl

• no free will + only do as God instructs

• messengers, take care of ppl, record in ‘book of deeds’

• Angel Izrail ➡ Angel of death, will bring people’s souls to the afterlife

• Angel Israfil ➡ will blow trumpet to announce day of judgement

Angel Jibril ~

• Angel of revelation

• purified M’s heart as a child so he could receive the revelation later

• Recited Qur’an to M + guided M for rest of his life

• Communicated final version of Islam to humanity

Angel Mika’il ~

• Angel of mercy

• sends rain, thunder + lightning to Earth

• brings nourishment to Earth, helps provide food for humans

• rewards those who do good deeds

predestination ~

• God knows everything that will happen in universe but people still have free will to make their own choices

• Muslims are responsible for their actions and will be rewarded/punished on day of Judgement

• shirk is greatest sin ➡ meaning to believe in other Gods

• Sunni Muslims believe God has already determined everything that is going to happen

  • they believe he has written down everything in a book of decrees

  • because God created people, they must act according to his will

• Shi’a Muslims believe God already knows everything but he doesn’t decide

  • they believe that as God is the creator of time, he is outside time and so not bound by it, meaning he can see into the past, present + future

  • God knows what choices people will make but eh doesn’t decide them

life after death ~

• Akhirah ➡ everlasting life after death

• after death, enter state of waiting until day of Judgement

• will be sent to Jannah or Jahannam

• encourages Muslims to take responsibility for their actions

• gives hope to Muslims who suffer

• helps Muslims accept unjust situations

1. Barzakh ➡ state of waiting, directly means barrier. While waiting God sends 2 Angels to question them about their faith

2. The day of Judgement ➡ when God’s purpose for the universe has been fulfilled, the world will be destroyed, everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected, book of deeds. If given in right hand - heaven

3. Heaven + Hell

Prophethood + Adam ~

• Risalah ➡ belief in Prophets + their importance as messengers of God

• have been around 124000 prophets

• Adam ➡ father of human race + first prophet

1. God made A from dust in the ground + breathed spirit into him'

2. Gave A knowledge + taught A the names of all things

3. God told angels to bow down to A out of respect for his knowledge

4. Iblis (satan) refused to bow so God threw him out of paradise, Iblis vowed to always tempt humans to sin

5. God created Hawaa (Eve) to keep A company, lived together in Garden of Bliss

6. Eat anything except forbidden fruit, tricked by Iblis

7. God expelled A + H from Garden + their actions brought sin into the world

8. God forgave A after he accepted his mistake + he became first prophet

Ibrahim ~

• when he was a young man, ppl worshipped several Gods + Idols

• Took an axe + destroyed all Idols in temple of his town

• People furious, Ibrahim was thrown into a huge fire but he walked out alive with only his chains burned

• This Miracle prompted people to follow Islam

• rebuilt the Ka’aba

• original built by Adam but destroyed in the great flood so following God’s command Ibrahim rebuilt it on the same site

• willing to sacrifice Son to God

• He had a dream in which God asked him to sacrifice his son to him

• Just before he sacrificed his son, God stopped him and told him he has passed the test

• Id-ul-Adha celebrated in memory, Muslims kill an animal to remember Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice

The Imamate ~

• Shi’a muslims believe in the importance of the Imamate

  • they believe that as Imams have been appointed by God, they’re able to interpret Islamic teachings w/o fault

• descendant of Muhammad + chosen by God

• 12 Imams in total, the twelfth Imam has been kept alive by God and hidden somewhere on Earth. He will return in the future to bring justice to all

• necessary to provide divine guidance on how to live correctly

Muhammad ~

• Revelation of the Qur’an

  • grew up in Makkah + would sometimes visit a cave in the mountains nearby to pray

  • one day he was praying + experienced a revelation from Jibril

  • over the next 22 years he continued to receive revelations from Jibril which were combined together to make the Qur’an

• Conquering Makkah

  • After revelation, M started challenging people in Makkah to follow God’s teachings

  • M was persecuted for his preaching + fled with his followers to Madinah

  • In Madinah he united the warring tribes + with their help he conquered Makkah, converting the city to Islam ➡ helped bring harmony to region + firmly established Islam as a religion

• The night journey

  • Before Muhammad fled to Madinah, angel Jibril took him on a miraculous journey to Jerusalem + then into Heaven where he spoke to prophets and saw great signs of God

  • In Heaven, M agreed with God that Muslims should pray 5 times a day

  • Sunni Muslims still follow this practice

Holy books ~

• The Qur’an is the most important Holy Book in Islam

• Other Holy Books include, The Torah, Psalms, Gospels + scroll of Abraham

• contains 114 surahs (chapters) roughly arranged in order of length

• mixture of historical accounts + advice on how to follow God

• nearly every chapter starts with ‘In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the giver of Mercy’

• Muhammad learned by heart every revelation he received + recited them to his followers. Scribes later wrote them down

• As Islam spread, danger of original words being distorted. 3rd Caliph asked team of Muslim scholars to compile an official version which was completed in 650 CE (AD)

• The Torah ➡ revealed to Moses(Musa). Some Muslims think the Torah is the first 5 books of the Bible but altered from original text

• The Psalms ➡ revealed to David. Psalms mentioned in Qur’an are similar to Bible

• The Gospel ➡ revealed to Jesus (Isa). Gospel has been lost but some of its message is still found in Bible

• The scrolls of Abraham ➡ revealed to Ibrahim. One of the earliest scriptures in Islam + no longer exist

The 5 pillars ~(practices)

• 5 most important duties for all Muslims. Key to perfect Muslim life.

1. Shahadah ➡ declaration of Faith

2. Salah ➡ prayer

3. Zakah ➡ charitable giving

4. Sawm ➡ fasting

5. Hajj ➡ pilgrimage

Should Salty Zebras Scream Happily

10 obligatory acts

• combine 5 pillars with additional duties, followed by Twelver Shi’a Muslims

1. Salah

2. Sawm

3. Zakah

4. Khums ➡ 20% tax (½ to charity, ½ to religious leader)

5. Hajj

6. Jihad ➡ struggle to maintain faith + defend Islam

7. Amr-bil-Maruf ➡ encourage to do good

8. Nahi Anil Munkar ➡ discouraging wrong

9. Tawallah ➡ showing love for God + those who follow him

10. Tabarra ➡ not associating with enemies of God

Shahadah (1)

• Muslim declaration of faith

• expresses core beliefs of Islam

• to become a Muslim u must sincerely recite the Shahadah in front of Muslims

• whispered into baby’s ear when they’re born (first thing they hear) + if possible should be last thing said

• foundation for the other 4 pillars

• “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah“ Shi’a Muslims also add “and Ali is the friend of God“

Salah ➡ the daily prayers (2)

• Fajr ➡ just before sunrise

• Zuhr ➡ after midday

• Asr ➡ afternoon

• Maghrib ➡ just after sunset

• Isha ➡ night

For Zee Afternoon May Inspire

• Shi’a muslims combine Zuhr + Asr, and Maghrib + Isha whereas Sunni pray all 5

• Shi’a muslims place a clay tablet/brick to prostrate on during prayer whereas Sunni pray on carpet

preparing for prayer + the direction of prayer (2)

• perform wudu (ritual washing) before prayer to spiritually cleanse themselves

  • wash their face, hands + feet under water/sand

  • mosques have 2 rooms, one for men, the other for women

  • wudu helps muslims fully focus on God during prayer

• face city of Makkah

  • the mihrab is a small niche in the qiblah wall which faces Makkah

  • Muslim’s can also use a special compass to indicate the right direction

  • all focus on one place associated with God

prayer inside a mosque (2)

• carpets that look like rows of prayer mats

• led by Imam

• Imam will lead in men’s room but voice is broadcasted into women’s room

The rak‘ah (2)

• each prayer consists of a certain number of rak’ah

1. stand + recite the first chapter from the Qur’an

2. bow and recite in Arabic ‘Glory be to my lord who is the very greatest’ x 3

3. stand and make a recitation praising God

4. prostrate ➡ forehead, nose, hands, knees, toes touching floor. recite ‘How perfect is my Lord the most high’

5. recite ‘God is the greatest’ first while sitting, then while prostrating

• a prayer cycle

The Jummah prayer (2)

• special communal prayer held at midday every Friday

• all men expected to attend mosque for this, women do so if they wish

• after prayer, Imam will give a sermon that remind Muslims about their duties to God

• Muslims must still perform wudu at home

significance of prayer (2)

• actions like bowing + prostrating remind Muslims that God is greater than them

• Muslims have been commanded by God to pray

• helps Muslims become closer to God'

• motivates Muslims to do God’s will

• unites Muslims around the world

Sawm ➡ fasting during Ramadan (3)

• command to fast was revealed to M and is found in the Qur’an

• get up every day before sunrise to eat + drink

• fast is broken at sunset

• ill people, children, pregnant/breastfeeding can be excused from fasting

• people who miss out on their fast are expected to make it up later

• self-discipline shown by fasting demonstrates obedience + dedication to God

• inspires Muslims to help those in poverty

The night of power (3)

• when Jibril first appeared to M and started revealing the Qur’an

• exact date is unclear but it’s believed to be on one of the odd numbered dates in the 2nd half of Ramadan

• Muslims try + stay awake on each of the dates, studying the Qur’an

• observing Night of Power is said to give Muslims the benefits of worshipping for 1000 months

Zakah ➡ almsgiving (4)

• Only Muslims with savings greater than a certain amount (the nisab), are required to give Zakah

• 2.5% of their savings once a year

• can be donated directly to charity like Islamic Relief/Muslim Aid

• can be collected by a Mosque which will distribute money to those in need

• helps strengthen Muslim community by supporting the poorest

• encourages Muslim to have a good attitude towards Money + use their money in a way that would please God

Khums (4)

• Shia’ Muslims give 20% of their savings

• ½ to religious leaders, ½ to charity/poor

• in addition to Zakah, Muslims encouraged to voluntarily give their money + time to charity at any point of the year ➡ Sadaqah

Hajj ➡ pilgrimage - origins (5)

• 4000 years ago, God told Ibrahim to take his wife Hajira + son Ishmael to Arabia

• God then told Ibrahim to leave Hajira + Ishmael alone with some food + water

• after a few days, the supplies ran out + they were hungry/thirsty

• Hajira ran up and down 2 hills called Safa + Marwah. looking for help/water. After running between them 7 times, she collapsed beside her son

• Hajira prayed to God for help, Ishmael then struck his foot on the ground and water began to gush p from the earth

• Hajira + Ishmael survived by trading some of the water for food + supplies. This water source became known as the Well of Zamzam

• when Ibrahim returned, God told him to build a shrine dedicated to him ➡ The Ka’aba, and to call people to perform Hajj there

• over the years, people forgot God’s instructions + people worshipped Idols + stored them in the Ka’aba

• in 628 CE, M journeyed from Madinah to Makkah with a large group of Muslims to convert the city to Islam. First pilgrimage in Islam

Hajj ➡ significance (5)

• produces inner peace

• brings a person closer to God

• leads to a person’s sins being forgiven

• religious obligation

• self discipline + dedication to God

• reminds Muslims of example set by prophets

Hajj ➡ how is it performed

• Entering state of Ihram

  • state of purity

  • perform wudu, put on Ihram clothes

    • men wear 2 sheets of white cloth + women wear a single colour - usually white

  • white symbolises purity

  • everyone wearing similar clothes emphasis equality + unity, equal before God

• Circling the Ka’aba

  • pilgrims walk in a circle 7 times anticlockwise

  • try to touch the Ka’aba or raise their hands up to it

  • some Muslims believe the Ka’aba came from paradise + was given by God to Adam

  • the Ka’aba is believed to be the only surviving stone from the original Ka’aba

• Walking between Safah + Marwah

  • walk 7 times between them

  • then collect water from the well of Zamzam

  • remembers Hajira’s search for water + the miraculous appearance of the well of Zamzam

• Standing at Arafat

  • pilgrims travel to Arafat where Muhammad preached his last sermon

  • spend an afternoon praying under the hot sun

    • reminder of what day of judgement will be like

    • some Muslims stand while they pray to show their depth of faith

  • God is believed to forgive everyone’s sins at Arafat, providing they are sincerely sorry

• Throwing pebbles at Mina

  • walk to Muzdalifah where they spend the night, on their way they collect a handful of pebbles

  • at Mina, throw these pebbles at 3 stone walls ➡ Jamarat

  • wall represents devil + temptation

  • throw pebbles to show rejection to evil

• Sacrificing an animal

  • as part of celebration of Id-ul-Adha

  • leftover meat is given to poor

  • sacrifice remembers Ibrahim

Jihad

• greater Jihad ➡ constant struggle that Muslims undertake to improve themselves spiritually + deepen their relationship with God by living according to the teachings of Islam

  • considered to be more important than less jihad

  • avoid temptations

  • avoid negative traits

  • putting God above everything else

  • studying the Qur’an

• less Jihad ➡ outward struggle to defend Islam from threat

  • important when Muslims were being persecuted

  • also referred to as Holy war

    • approved by religious leader

    • fought in self defense

    • not used to gain territory or wealth

    • not used to convert people

    • fought only after all peaceful methods have been tried

Id-ul-Fitr

• started by Muhammad after he arrived in Madinah having fled from persecution in Makkah

• Muhammad told people that God had set aside 2 days for festivities (Id-ul-Fitr + Adha)

• gather in mosques, say special prayers, decorate homes, new clothes, eat special food, visit cemetery

• celebrates end of fasting, thank God for strength to fast, thank God for wisdom + guidance in the Qur’an which was first revealed during ramadan

Id-ul-Adha

• started by Muhammad (see prev)

• special prayers, those taking part in Hajj will try slaughter an animal

  • buy from local slaughterhouse + share meat with family + friends

  • traditionally some meat given to poor but today money is usually donated

• celebrates Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice his son, importance of showing obedience

• celebrates completion of Hajj

Festival of Ashura

• important for Shi’a muslims, day of great sorrow

• remembers death of Husayn ➡ son of Imam Ali = grandson of Muhammad

• died in battle of Karbala, fought between Husayn + his supports and a much larger army of Caliph Yazid

• Husayn’s death is seen by Shi’a muslims as a symbol of the struggle against injustice, tyranny + oppression

• Sunni Muslims observe Ashura as the day of Atonement

  • celebrates the day the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt

  • or celebrates day Noah left the ark after the flood

• Shi’a Muslims perform re-enactments to tell the story of Husayn’s death

• Shi’a Muslims take part in public expressions of grief and mourning

  • in some cities Shi’a men gather in streets + beat their chests

  • some Muslims cut themselves + shed blood while wearing white clothes

  • Shi’a religious leaders condemn this action + encourage Muslims to donate blood to blood transfusion services instead

• In Iraq, Shi’a Muslims visit Husayn’s tomb

  • believed to be located in the Mashhad al-Husayn which is a shrine in Karbala

  • Shi’a Muslims go on pilgrimage to the Mashhad Al-Husayn each year for Ashura

• Sunni Muslims observe ashura by fasting for the day, may give to charity etc

risalah

• concept of messengership

the injil

• reveals the coming of Muhammad

• believed to have been given to Isa

khalifah

• Adam was given this role

• successor, inheritor, representative

The Hadith

• words + actions of Muhammad as recorded by his followers

• guidance on how to live but not words of Allah

• Shi’a Muslims follow the Hadith of the Imams ➡ sayings of Imams such as Ali

The Sunnah

• writing about Muhammad’s way of life

Muslims believe Allah will forgive sins on …

• The night of Power