Five pillars of faith

Central muslim practices, upholds Islam like how pillars uphold building

Good muslim life

1. Shahdah - declaration of faith

2. Salah - prayer

3. Zakah - charitable giving

4. Sawm - Fasting during ramadan

5. Hajj - Pilgrimage to Makkah

10 obligatory acts - for Shi’a muslims by the Twelvers

1. Salah - Prayer

2. Sawm - Fasting

3. Zakah - Charitable giving

4. Khums - 20% tax on wealth after expense

5. Hajj - Pilgrimage to Makkah

6. Jihad - Struggle to be a good muslim and defend Islam

7. Amr-bil-Maruf - encouraging pepople do do good

8. Nahi Anil Munkar - Discouraging people from doing wrong

9. Tawallah - Being loving to friends of God (Muhammad, Imams…)

10. Tabarra - distancing yourself from enemies of God (iblis)

Shahadah = “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet”

• Shi’a adds “And Ali is the friend of God”

• Is used for converting to Islam (say it three times in front of a witness)

• Said when baby is born so begins their life in faith

• Can be said before a muslim dies

• Said in each of 5 daily prayers

Effects of Shahdah:

• Taqwa - aware that God is there bc shahadah said everyday

• Submission to God

Salah - praying 5 times a day

• Fajr (before sunrise), Zuhr (after midday), Asr (midday to sunset), Mahgrib (after sunset before dusk), Isha (night)

• Huge commitment bc sun may rise very early

• Shi’a prays three slot but combines Zuhr and Asr together

• Make up of Rak’ahs (set of movements and words)

  • Stand and recite first chapter of Qu’ran

  • Bow and say “Glory be to my Lord is who the very greatest” three times

  • Stand upright and praise God

  • Prostate/kneel and say “God is the greatest”

  • Repeat appropriate number of times for prayer

  • Kneel to left and say “Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God.”

• Can do Du’a afterwards (personal/informal prayers)

• Pray at home/mosque, anywhere clean and facing the Makkah

• Do Wudu/washing before God

• Qiblah wall shows direction of makkah (in mosques)

• Jummah (Friday midday prayer) is a prayer all adult male muslims are expected to attend

Zakah - alms giving (2.5% of savings) to the poor

• Nisab is the minimum amount of savings u need to have to pay for Zakah

• ppl with wealth under nisabdont need to pay Zakah

• sadaqah is the voluntary charity on top of Zakah and muslims are encouraged to do this

Khums is 20% of savings that SHI’A MUSLIMS have to give

• spent on religious leaders/God’s works

Sawm - Fasting during ramadan

• Month where Qur’an was revealed

• muslims will fast and avoid sins

  and do good deeds

• Fasting is COMPULSORY

  • except for very old, very young, ill, menstruating, pregnant, travelling long distances…

  • Make up after Eid

  • “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months”

Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah with Ka’aba for religious reasons

• a muslim has to do it once in a lifetime

• islamic funds can help people attend Hajj if they cannot afford it

• follows story of Ibrahim (water from Zamzam well, going to Ka’aba…)

• Ihram = first state of Hajj, purity inside and out. Do Wudu. Men where white sheets and women wear a single colour to cover whole body. Symbolises equality and purity.

• Declear intention to do Hajj with Niyyah prayer

• Recite Talbiyah prayer

• Tawaf - circle Makkah seven times anti-clockwise

• Sa’y - going between Safa and Marwah hills seven times (=Hajar rushing between hills to find water for IShamael), then collect water from Zamzam well

  • symbolises search for God

• Go to mount Arafat where Muhammad gave last sermon

  • stand and pray the next dau at mount Arafat where they remind themselves what hell will be like, and praying for forgiveness

• Mina - stoning of Jamarats/pillars representing the devil

  • Sacrifice sheep/cow/goat

• Farewell tawaf - circles Ka’aba again for 7 times