What do I need to know?

1. Ten Obligatory Act

2. Shahadah
3. Salah
4. Zakat
5. Sawm
6. Hajj
7. Jihad
8. Commemorations and festivals
1) Ten Obligatory Acts
These are the most important duties of a Shi’a Muslim. They are based on the Qur’an, the
Hadith and the work of early Shi’a scholars.
- Salah – prayer five times a day ‘keep up regular prayer’
- Sawm – fasting during the month of Ramadan ‘fasting is prescribed for you.’
- Hajj- Pilgrimage to Makkah- ‘pilgrimage to the House is a duty’
- Zakah- 2.5% money to charity- ‘whatever you give in charity…will earn multiple rewards.’
- Khums- 20% to Shi’a leaders- ‘one fifth of your battle gains belongs to God and the Messenger.’
- Jihad- striving in the way of Allah- ‘strive for his cause.’
- Amr bil ma’roof- encouraging good actions ‘order what is right.’
- Nahi anil munkar – discouraging evil actions- ‘forbid what is wrong.’
- Tawalla- expressing love for Allah
- Tabarra- showing hatred towards the devil/evil
What is the purpose of the Ten Obligatory Acts?
• They guide a Muslim to fulfil Allah’s will. By following Salah, Jihad, Zakat and Hajj, for
example, Muslims ensure they are living their lives in the way Allah wishes them to.
• They help to connect them to Allah. This is because Salah (prayer), Sawm (fasting during
Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) in particular, focus on developing their relationship
with Allah.
• The Ten Obligatory Acts purify their hearts and ease the suffering of the poor. This is
especially through Zakat, Khums and Sawm.
• They also help Muslims to gain a better afterlife in Jannah. The Qur’an states ‘enter paradise
for what you were doing.’ This demonstrates that by praying, fasting, going on pilgrimage,
giving money to charity and loving Allah, these practices will help them gain eternity in
Jannah.

A) Outline three purposes of the Ten Obligatory Acts (3)

B) Explain two purposes of the Ten Obligatory Acts (4)
 SHAHADAH
This is important because it is the first pillar of Sunni Islam, which describes the essence of Islam. It consists of two statements:
‘I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone and he has no partner. And I bare witness that
Muhammad is His servant and His messenger.’

PURPOSES OF SHAHADAH:
- It is necessary to keep the faith alive as it is the declaration of a Muslim’s belief, which has to come before all the other pillars. If
anyone converts to Islam, these are the words they must recite.

- The purpose of Shahadah is that it reminds a person about the important commitment they have made to Allah. By regularly
declaring Shahadah, it will make them more likely to honour their commitment.

- It reminds them of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and that Allah is 'the one and only.' This will ensure they do not commit Shirk,
worshipping any other God but Allah.

-It maintains the history of Islam as Muslims have recited the Shahadah since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. It is the first
phrase a new-born hears illustrating its significance and it marks the start of their journey as a Muslim.
 c) Explain two reasons why Shahadah is important to Muslims. You must refer to a source
of wisdom or authority. (5 marks).

Shahadah is important to Muslims as it declare their most important beliefs. The Shahadah
states ‘there is no God but Allah’ and it also states ‘Prophet Muhammad is his messenger.’
Therefore, Shahadah is important as it reinforces Tawhid (oneness of Allah) and Risalah (belief
in the Prophets).

Also, Shahadah is important because you cannot be a Muslim without declaring Shahadah
three times in Arabic in front of two witnesses. Therefore, Shahadah is essential to keep the
faith alive.
 SALAH
The Qur’an says that humans have been created to worship Allah. Anything that
involves devotion for the sake of Him is considered worship.

The highest form of worship in Islam is Salah. Salah is a daily act of prayer and it is
the second pillar.

FEATURES OF SALAH

Muslims perform ‘Wudu’ before prayer which is a form of washing.

Muslims will often pray on a prayer mat and will face Makkah when they pray.
Muslims will recite the prayers in Arabic.
Muslims will perform rak’ah (prescribed movements and words) during prayer.
 SALAH
Why do Muslims pray? (PURPOSES)
- A purpose of Salah is to ask Allah for guidance. The Qur’an states prayers are
said ‘so they may be guided’. This illustrates that communicating with Allah
helps them lead a life according to the will of Allah.
- A purpose of Salah is to show dedication to Allah. As Salah is done five times a
day and Salah has existed since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, it is a way
to ensure their worship is respectful to Allah.
- Also, they can communicate with Allah to build their relationship with him. The
Qur’an states ‘keep up regular prayer’. This shows that Salah is significant as it
enables them on a daily basis to strengthen their relationship with Allah.
- They also pray to seek the forgiveness of sins. This helps them say sorry for the
things they have done wrong and promise they will continue to try to follow
the will of Allah.
 SAWM
This is the pillar that means Muslims should fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting involves giving up things for the
sake of Allah. This includes food and drink for a number of hours every day but also anything else that may cause them
distraction from remembering Allah.
Fasting starts when the sun rises to when the sun sets.
‘Fasting is prescribed for you’ (Qur’an)
‘whoever does not give up lying and evil deeds and saying bad words to others then God is not in need of their leaving
food and drink.’ (Hadith)

Why is Sawm important to Muslims?

- It is compulsory for all Muslims. Therefore, it is a good demonstration of greater Jihad.
- Fasting should bring Muslims closer to Allah. This is because during the month they spend additional time in prayer and
reflection.
- It makes them grateful for what they have. By not eating and drinking during daylight hours, it reminds them of how
lucky they are.
- Fasting helps them empathise with the poor. This means they are more likely to want to give Zakat.
- It teaches them self-restraint. This is a quality Allah desires of his creation.
- Muslims believe it helps to purify them both spiritually and physically. Therefore, it will help them to become more pure.
 a) Outline three features of Sawm (3)

FEATURE= What they do???

One feature of Sawm is Muslims will not eat or drink during daylight hours.

Another feature is Muslim will spend additional time praying and reading the Qur’an.

Finally, Muslims will try to give up bad habits during Ramadan.

 The Night of Power
There is a link between this night and Ramadan. The night of Power was when Angel Jibril
revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet, which occurred during Ramadan.

c) Explain the purpose of Laylat Al-Qadr. Refer to a source of wisdom or authority (5 marks)
Laylat Al-Qadr (Night of Power) is important because it remembers when Angel Jibril first revealed
the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. Jibril said ‘Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One’.
Therefore, this night is significant as it remembers the start of the Prophet Muhammad’s
Prophethood.

The Night of Power is also important because it is a time where a person can have all their prayers
answered and angels are able to come to the support of someone. It is described as ‘better than a
thousand months’ in the Qur’an. It is important because it is a time in Ramadan when Muslims
seek to be blessed and strengthen their relationship with God.
 ZAKAT
There are some types of charity in Islam that are optional called Sadaqah. There are others
that are compulsory such as Zakat for Sunni Muslims and Zakat & Khums for Shi’a Muslims.
FEATURES:
Zakah is compulsory for both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
They give 2.5%of their wealth to charity.
Zakah is be used for relieving poverty, helping those in debt, providing comfort for travellers,
providing ransom for prisoners of war and other beneficial things for society.
Zakat is given during Eid Ul-Fitr during the end of the Month of Ramadan.
It is only given when a Muslim has reached the threshold (nisab) and has enough excess
wealth at the end of the year.
Zakah is important to Muslims because:
- It helps create a peaceful society as it ensures everyone has enough to survive. The word
Islam derives from the word ‘peace’, therefore, this is the ultimate goal a Muslim wants.
- Zakah is seen as a form of worship. Giving 2.5% of earnings to charity is an act for God.
- All acts of charity will be rewarded by Allah. The Qur’an states ‘enter paradise for what you
were doing.’
- Follows in Prophet’s footsteps. The Prophet gave money to charity every year.
- It is important as it ensures that the heart of the person paying Zakah is purified and
blessed.
 KHUMS
This is a Shi’a practice of giving 20% of money to other causes.
The Qur’an states ‘One fifth of your battle gains belongs to God and the messenger.’ This
demonstrates that your excess wealth doesn’t belong to you but actually belongs to Allah so should not
be kept.
The Imam receives the money and spends it in whatever way necessary for the the Muslim community.

Khums is important to Muslims because:

- It serves others as part of their faith. This is a good demonstration of their commitment to the Ummah
(Muslim community).
- The Prophet encouraged others to give to charity. Therefore, it is important you follow his example of
it being more important to give than receive.
- Owning money that should have gone to charity is not pure. The excess money belongs to Allah and
not them so they should give it to those who need it.
 HAJJ
Makkah is a city in Saudi Arabia where Prophets like Ibrahim, Isma’il and Muhammad lived and preached. For
Muslims this is the holiest place on earth.
They must visit the Ka’ba (believed to be the first place dedicated to the worship of Allah) at least once in their life.
Hajj takes place on the eight day of the month Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts about five days.
‘Purify my house for those who walk around it.’ Qur’an
‘Proclaim the pilgrimage to all people.’ Qur’an
What happens during Hajj?:
- Perform Tawaf (walk around the Ka’ba 7 times anticlockwise)
- Move to Mina
- Pray on mount Arafat/Mount of Mercy
- Collect pebbles
- In Mina, throw pebbles at the wall representing Satan
- Sacrifice an animal and shave their heads to symbolise forgiveness
of past sins
 Why do Muslims perform Hajj? (BENEFITS)
- It is compulsory. The Qur’an states Hajj is a ‘place of security.’ A Muslim must go on Hajj at least once in
their lifetime as it will keep them safe in the afterlife.
- It demonstrates equality and bonds the Ummah (Muslim
brotherhood/community). This is because all pilgrims enter a state of Ihram (purity) and all wear white to
show equality.
- It allows sins to be forgiven. This is because they will pray on Mount Arafat (the mount of mercy) to
seek the forgiveness of sins.

It is a challenge because:
- It can be expensive.
- It is demanding to complete all the rituals
- It is difficult when a Muslim returns home the lessons from Hajj are
remembered
Greater Jihad involves: (personal and inner struggle for Allah)
Jihad bi al-nafs (striving with the soul) Improving one’s character
Jihad bi al-nisan- (striving with the tongue) Speaking the truth or telling others about Islam
Jihad bi al-qalam (striving with the pen) Writing about or defending your beliefs
The Qur’an states ‘Strive for his cause.’ This demonstrates Muslims should work hard to follow the will of Allah and follow the
practices of Islam.

Lesser Jihad involves: (outward struggle for Allah)

Resisting evil through physical or military means. The Qur’an states ‘Fight them until there is no persecution’ Therefore,
lesser jihad is permitted to end discrimination.
It can be allowed if:
Persecution is reaching an extreme level, religious freedoms are being taken away, it is self-defence, it is authorised by a
Muslim leader.

Jihad is important to Muslims because they were performed by the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an teaches we need to
 COMMEMORATIONS/FESTIVALS
Eid-ul-Adha
This is the festival of sacrifice and commemorates the story of Ibrahim
and Isma’il in the Qur’an
The Qur’an states: “O Ibrahim!” “You have fulfilled the dream!”
This illustrates Eid Ul-Adha remembers Ibrahim being willing to
sacrifice his son for Allah.
- Ibrahim dreamt that he was sacrificing his son and Isma’il was ready in reality to give up his life for Allah. Just
as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, God called out to him to stop but praised
both of their dedication to him.
Why is it important?
This festival is important because it commemorates obedience shown to Allah and reminds Muslims to be as
obedient.
It was started by the Prophet Muhammad and so Muslims continue to celebrate this important day. It is
important as it is a time where meat is shared amongst the poor, animals are sacrificed for Allah and families go
to the Mosque. This shows dedication to Islam and helps the Ummah.
 Eid-ul-Fitr
Commemorates the end of Ramadan!
New clothes are worn, families go to the mosque and a big
meal is had.

Why is it important?
- This was started by the Prophet and takes place at the end of Ramadan as a celebration. The Qur’an
states ‘fasting has been prescribed for you.’ Therefore, it is important as it shows their gratitude to
Allah for allowing them to pass through the month of Ramadan which brought so many blessings.
- It unites the Ummah. This is because extended families and communities gather together to eat the
celebratory meal and worship in the Mosque.
- It is the time where Muslims will give Zakat. The Qur’an states ‘give Zakat’. Therefore, Eid Ul-Fitr is
important because it helps those in need.
 Eid-ul-Ghadeer
- For Shi’a Muslims commemorates the time they believe the Prophet Muhammad officially declared to all Muslims
that Ali was to be his successor.
Shi’a Muslims believe the Hadith states ‘Ali will be the leader’.
Therefore, this festival celebrates an important part of their tradition’s history.

Ashura
- Commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain who was murdered for his
beliefs. Shi’a Muslims commemorate this day by going to the Mosque, which is often draped in black to symbolise
mourning.

Celebrations and commemorations in Islam generally are important because:

• It reminds them of significant events (, Eid-Ul Adha remembering Ibrahim’s sacrifice)
• It helps to bind the Ummah (Eid Ul-Fitr celebratory meal)
• It shows their commitment to Allah (Ashura time of morning)
• It is a celebration of their faith (Eid Ul-Fitr- celebratory time at the Mosque)
• It honours holy figures (Eid Ul-Ghadeer remembering Ali)
Part d) Practice: Evaluate this statement considering more than one perspective.

'Salah is the most important practice in Islam.’

'Eid ul-Fitr is the most important festival in Islam.'

'Giving money to charity should be compulsory.’

‘The benefits of Hajj outweigh the challenges.’

Success:
Quotations
Both perspectives
Overall justified conclusion
No first person