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AQA GCSE Religious Studies

Islam: practices — AQA GCSE Religious Studies revision

Free revision notes, key terms, common exam traps and 5 practice questions with answers. About 7 minutes to read.

The Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Acts

  • The Five Pillars are the core practices for Sunni Muslims: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Zakah and Hajj.
  • Shi'a Muslims follow the Ten Obligatory Acts, which include the Five Pillars plus Jihad, Khums, Amr-bil-Maroof (encouraging good), Nahi-anil-Munkar (discouraging wrong) and Tawallah/Tabarra (loving/distancing from the righteous/unrighteous).
  • Shahadah is the declaration of faith: 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah' — saying it sincerely is enough to become a Muslim.
  • These practices structure Muslim daily, weekly and yearly life, reinforcing devotion and community identity.

Salah, Sawm and Zakah

  • Salah is ritual prayer performed five times a day facing the Ka'aba in Makkah, preceded by wudu (ritual washing) to achieve purity.
  • Jummah is the special congregational Friday prayer performed at the mosque, considered particularly important for Muslim men.
  • Sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food, drink and other physical needs to develop self-discipline and empathy for the poor.
  • Zakah is obligatory charity, usually 2.5% of savings above a minimum amount (nisab), given annually to purify wealth and help the needy.
  • Shi'a Muslims also pay khums, a 20% tax on surplus income, split between charitable and religious purposes.

Key terms

Shahadah
The declaration of faith in Islam.
Salah
The ritual prayer performed five times daily.
Wudu
Ritual washing performed before prayer.
Jummah
Special congregational Friday prayer.
Sawm
Fasting, especially during Ramadan.
Zakah
Obligatory charity, usually 2.5% of savings.

Common exam traps

  • Confusing the Five Pillars (Sunni) with the Ten Obligatory Acts (Shi'a) — the Ten Obligatory Acts include the Pillars plus more.
  • Thinking Zakah and khums are the same — Zakah is 2.5% of savings, khums is a Shi'a 20% tax on surplus income.
  • Believing Jihad only means violent struggle — the Greater Jihad (inner struggle) is considered more important by most Muslims.

Practice questions with answers

  1. 1. What are the Five Pillars core to?

    • • Sunni Islam
    • • Shi'a Islam only
    • • Christianity
    • • Judaism

    Answer: Sunni Islam

    The Five Pillars are the core practices of Sunni Islam.

  2. 2. What is the Shahadah?

    • • The declaration of faith
    • • The pilgrimage
    • • The fast
    • • The charity tax

    Answer: The declaration of faith

    Shahadah is reciting belief in one God and Muhammad as His messenger.

  3. 3. State the Shahadah in your own words.

    Answer: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

    This is the core declaration of Islamic faith.

  4. 4. How many times a day do Muslims perform Salah?

    • • Five
    • • Three
    • • Seven
    • • Once

    Answer: Five

    Salah is performed five times daily.

  5. 5. What is wudu?

    • • Ritual washing before prayer
    • • Charity giving
    • • Fasting
    • • Pilgrimage

    Answer: Ritual washing before prayer

    Wudu prepares Muslims physically and spiritually for prayer.

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