Living the Muslim life

Shi'a Muslims believe in the Ten Obligatory Acts-Sunni Muslims believe in the Five Pillars. 

Nature and purpose of the acts: The Acts are duties that all Shi'a Muslims must perform. 

• guide them how they should live their lives
• allow them to get closer to Allah in performing the actions he wants
• help them achieve the rewards if paradise after death by following the rules of Allah
• help them continually focus actions in their lives towards Allah
• unite all Shi'a Muslims and give meaning to their lives

History of the Acts

• were given by the Twelvers, who Shi'a Muslims believe were chosen by Allah to lead after the death of Muhammad- they are also known as the Twelve Imams. 
• After the death of Muhammad, Shi'a Muslims believe it was Ali Talib, Muhammad's son-in-law, who was the successor to Muhammad. 
• They were established as the foundational practices in Islam for Shi'a Muslims. 

• Salah-compulsory prayer five times a day. Shi'a Muslims combine prayers and pray 3x. 
• Sawm-fasting during daylight hours in the ninth Islamic month (Ramadan). 
• Zakah-donating 2.5 percent of wealth to help the needy.
• Hajj-pilgrimage to Makkah made by every Muslims once in their lifetime. 
• Khums-annual taxation was the historical obligation of Muslims to pay one-fifth of the spoils of war. Today, this money is given to the descendants of Muhammad and Shi'a Muslims but is also used to help the needy and Shi'a Islamic leaders. 
• Jihad-striving to overcome evil e.g. defending an individual, holy war and personal struggles to resist daily temptations. 
• Amr-bil-Maroof-commandment from the Qu'ran that instructs Shi'a Muslims on how they should act and behave.
• Nahi Anil Munkar-forbidding what is evil - the need to resist temptation and not sin against Allah.
• Tawalla-expressing love towards what is good, following the examples of the prophets.
• Tabarra-moving away from evil, such as staying away from those who choose to turn away from Allah.

Qu'ran-"establish prayer and give Zakah and obey Allah and His messenger."  

The Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam - the statement of belief or declaration of faith that is accepted by all Muslims. It is believed to uphold all other beliefs of Islam.

• "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger." 

Nature of the Shahadah: The Shahadah is the basic statement of Islamic faith and Muslims consider that anyone who cannot recite this is not a Muslim. Muslims believe it demonstrates their loyalty to Allah, the Prophet Muhammad and the religion of Islam. 

Role of the Shahadah today: 

• Recited out loud in front of witnesses to profess the Muslims faith
• Whispered into the ears of newborn babies and dying people so it is the first and last thing a person hears. 
• Recited throughout the day to remind Muslims of the basic beliefs of Islam. 

Importance: 

• Mentioned in the Qu'ran-demonstrates importance. Central to the Islamic faith.
• Recognises the importance of Muhammad in bringing the unaltered words of Allah.

• "prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing." 
• Salah is the second of the Five Pillars and it is the compulsory prayer that takes place five times a day. Before prayer, Muslims perform wudu, which is a ritual cleansing that ensures they are spiritually and physically clean for Allah. It also puts them in the correct frame of mind.
• Nature of Salah-demonstrates unity.
• History of Salah-prophets of Allah performed daily prayers and it was commanded by Muhammad.
• Purpose of Salah-brings Muslims closer to Allah.

Divergent understandings: 

• Shi'a Muslims-pray three times a day instead of five, raise hands three times at end of prayers and they touch foreheads directly to the floor when prostrating.
• Sunni Muslims-pray five times a day, move the head from left to right and may rest their head on a piece of wood while prostrating. 

Muslim men are expected to attend the mosque to pray, women are not. Prayer can happen anywhere that is clean and if wudu is performed. 

• "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you..." 
• Sawm is the Fourth Pillar of Islam. The main period of fasting is during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. 
• Muslims believe that the Qu'ran was revealed to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan, which gives Sawm importance. Fasting is an act of worship of Allah and has a long history. It is completed because it is a duty in Islam, but it also helps Muslims to develop discipline and understand the problems other may face. 
• The elderly, young children, pregnant women and those who are physically or mentally unwell are exempt of Sawm.
• What is forbidden: food, smoking, sexual activity and no bad thoughts or deeds (during daylight hours only). 

The significance of Sawm: 

• It is one of the Five Pillars and is compulsory - it shows a Muslims is obeying God. 
• It helps Muslims to learn self-discipline.
• It helps Muslims to appreciate what Allah has provided, develop sympathy with the poor and realise the importance of charity.
• It helps Muslims to remember the importance of the Qu'ran which was revealed during Ramadan.

Nature and history:

Sawm is performed to commemorate the moment when Muhammad received a religious experience while meditating in a cave on Mount Nur during Ramadan. The Angel Jibril appeared to him and revealed the Qu'ran from Allah. This event is known as the Night of Power = Laylat al-Qadr. 

Purpose: 

• To remember the gift of the Qu'ran being given to humanity.
• To give Muslims the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for the things they have done wrong and worship Allah.
• To commemorate Muhammad receiving revelation from Allah. 
• "Worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months."

Muslims believe that they will be rewarded for marking this important occasion. 

• "Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy" 
• Zakah is the third Pillar of Islam and involves the obligatory act of giving money to charity.
• Nature-Zakah is a type of worship or self-purification involving obligatory almsgiving. 
• Role-It involves giving 2.5 percent of one's wealth each year to benefit the poor.
• Significance-This duty is contained in the Qu'ran and has a long history within Islam.
• Purpose-Benefits of Zakah are to obey Allah, to show that everything a Muslim owns comes from Allah, and to support the idea of sharing and charitable actions. 

Importance of Zakah for Sunni Muslims: 

• It is one of the Five Pillars, so it is a duty.
• Wealth is believed to be a gift from Allah that should be shared.
• Muslims believe it is what Allah wants them to do and they will be judged on their actions and the way they helped others after death.
• It is a sign of unity and supports the ummah. 
• It helps a Muslim to grow spiritually and frees them from greed and selfishness. 
• It helps those who need it most - some Zakah money is used by Islamic charities such as Islamic relief or Muslim Aid to respond to disasters around the world. 

• "anything you obtain of war booty-Allah is one-fifth of it" 
• Khums is a religious tax-only for Shi'a Muslims.
• Nature-In Shi'a Islam, khums is one of the Ten Obligatory Acts.
• Role-Khums is paying 20 percent of one's surplus income-half to the ummah, half to the poor. 
• Significance-This form of giving is mentioned in the Qu'ran. 
• Purpose-Traditionally, the recipients of khums have been the descendants of Muhammad and those within the Shi'a Islamic faith. 

Importance of khums for Shi'a Muslims: 

• It gives special recognition to Muhammad, his descendants and leaders within Shi'a Islam. 
• It is used to help build Islamic schools or Islamic projects. 
• It is used to help the poor or those who may be suffering.
• It is used to promote the religion of Islam through education.
• It is one of the Ten Obligatory Acts. 

• The Fifth Pillar of Islam=annual Muslim pilgrimage that takes place in and around Makkah. All Muslims are obligated to make this journey once in their lifetime if they are physically fit and can afford to do so. 
• Nature-Hajj is a holy journey that Muslims are expected to make to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is held annually in the month of Dhul-Hajjah, lasts five days and over two million Muslims attend. Makkah is the holy city for Muslims as it is where Muhammad was born and lived, and where Muslims face when they pray. 
• Role-Hajj is intended to allow Muslims to get closer to Allah, as well as follow the example of Muhammad, who began the ritual. 
• Origins-Hajj is built around many events and people who hold importance in Islam. The rituals completed during Hajj were established by the Prophet Muhammad, who demonstrated the actions to his followers shortly before his death.
• The Qu'ran-talks about the story of Ibrahim, who, it is believed, built the first Ka'bah (House of Allah). 
• Significance-Hajj is important to Muslims as it is one of the Five Pillars. It reminds them of the importance of recognising that all Muslims are equal and equally part of the ummah. It is a struggle to complete Hajj, but Muslims believe it teaches them to be patient and gives them time to reflect on Allah and their faith. 

How Hajj is performed: 

• Put on ihram (white, seamless robes). 
• Perform Tawaf - circling of the Ka'bah seven times.
• Complete the sa'y - running between the hills of Safa and Marwa in remembrance of Hagar searching for water in the desert. 
• Stand on Mount Arafat and pray and read from the Qu'ran. 
• Throw stones at the pillars to symbolise rejecting the devil.
• Celebrate the festival of Id-ul-Adha on the last day to remember the sacrifice Ibrahim was willing to make of his son. 
• Perform Tawaf - circling the Ka'bah seven times again. 

Benefits (B) and Challenges (C) of Hajj: 

• Shows commitment to Allah - Muslims believe they will be rewarded in al-Jannah. (B)
• Strengthen the ummah and the faith of individual Muslims. (B)
• Gives an opportunity to focus on Allah, ask for forgiveness and get closer to him. (B)
• Muslims have to be physically fit and financially stable. (C)
• Over two million Muslims attend Hajj every year, making it difficult to have a personal experience. (C) 
• There have been incidences due to the large volumes of people. (C) 
  

• "We are finished with the lesser jihad; now we are starting the greater jihad" - Prophet M
• "Fight in the cause of Allah, those who fight you" - Lesser Jihad
• Jihad = struggle and has its origins in the Qu'ran. It is used to describe the personal struggle of every Muslim to follow the teachings of Allah. There are two types (greater and lesser). 

Greater Jihad- the Inner struggle to be a better Muslim and closer to Allah by studying the Qu'ran, doing good deeds, attending the mosque regularly and resisting temptation, greed and envy. 

Lesser Jihad- the outer struggle to defend Islam. Can be violent or non-violent, is fought for a just cause, fought as a last resort, authorised and accepted by Muslim authority, the minimum amount of suffering should be caused, ends when enemy surrenders, innocent civilians are not attacked and aims to restore peace and freedom.  

Divergent understandings of jihad: 

• Most Muslims agree that the greater jihad is the most important as this is stressed in the Qu'ran.
• The greater jihad is a personal battle, which many Muslims understand to be the true meaning of the term.
  
• Even though Muhammad was involved in military battles, he supported greater jihad as being more important. 
  
• There may be occasions when the religion of Islam or the name of Allah is threatened and it would be appropriate to defend Islam, but Islam does have set conditions for this. 

Why Muslims have celebrations and commemorations: 

• to remember past events and important people within Islam.
• to strengthen the ummah and unite Muslims together
• to share beliefs that they have in common
• to have a cycle of special days and events that are marked throughout the year.

Id-ul-Adha - end of Hajj: 

• Known as the Festival of Sacrifice.
• Remembers Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God asked him to - it reminds Muslims of the test of faith Ibrahim faced and how they should apply this to their own lives.
• Muslims remember their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God's wishes. They celebrate with the sacrifice of an animal, which is shared among family, friends and the poor.
• Prayers, cards and presents are given. 

Id-ul-Fitr - end of Ramadan: 

• A time to celebrate and thank Allah for his help in getting through the month of fasting.
• The first Id is believed to have been celebrated by Muhammad, so it commemorates this historical event.
• Homes are decorated. There will be special services and a celebratory meal is shared. 

Ashura - tenth day of Muharran, the first month of the Islamic calendar:

• Sunni Muslims- A day of fasting and mourning to remember how Nuh (Noah) left the Ark and how Musa (Moses) and the Israelites were saved from the Egyptians. People wear black and no music is allowed. 
• Shi'a Muslims- The same as Sunni, but the event is also one of mourning to remember the martyrdom of Karbala in 680ce of Hussain, who was a grandson of Prophet Muhammad. 

Id-ul-Ghadeer - Occurs eight days after Id-ul-Adha: 

• Sunnis do not celebrate this festival as they do not recognise Iman Ali as the successor to Muhammad. 
• Shi'as celebrate this day to celebrate the appointment of Imam Ali as successor to Muhammad.