Worship in Sunni & Shi'a Islam (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Five Pillars & Jihad
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam
For Muslims actions speak louder than words and therefore every action is a form of worship which they call Ibadah
There are clear actions for all Muslims to follow
The Five Pillars for Sunni Muslims
The Ten Obligatory Acts for Shi’a Muslims
Sunni Muslims are clear that worship is a complete way of life which is reflected in the obligation to follow the Five Pillars which are
Shahadah - statement of belief
Salah - obligation to pray 5 times a day
Sawm - fasting during Ramadan
Zakah - giving alms
Hajj - the pilgrimage to Makkah
For Sunni Muslims, these five duties are seen as pillars holding up the religion
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Importance of the Five Pillars
Islam regards it as pointless to live a life without putting faith into action and practice
They express a Muslim's complete acceptance of and a total commitment to Islam
They show an exercise in self-control
They are designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah
The Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi'a Islam
The importance of the Ten Obligatory Acts for Shi’a Muslims
The Ten Obligatory Acts are followed by Shi’a Muslims
The Ten Obligatory Acts were given by the ‘Twelvers’ (12 imams) who Shi’a Muslims believe were chosen by Allah to lead after the death of Muhhamad (pbuh), with Ali Talib (Muhammad’s cousin) becoming the successor
These combine four of the Five Pillars of Islam with jihad, which applies to all Muslims
The final five obligatory acts differentiate Shi’a religious practices from those of Sunni Muslims
The Ten obligatory Acts are based on the Qur’an, the Hadith and the work of early Shi’a scholars
‘The believers, both men and women, support each other; they order what is right and forbid what is wrong’ (Qur’an 9:21)
Usual as-Din means ‘the foundations of the faith’. These are the principles underpinning Shi’a belief, and from them come the Ten Obligatory Acts
The Importance of the Ten Obligatory Acts
For Shia Muslims, the Ten Obligatory Acts are like the branches of a tree that flourish and grow from strong roots (Five roots of Usul ad-Din)
These acts enable Shia Muslims to connect with Allah, purify their hearts, ease the suffering of the poor, and promote a better society
They also improve their chances of getting into paradise in the next life
The ten obligatory acts
Worked Example
Give two of the Ten Obligatory Acts in Shi’a Islam
[2 marks]
Answer:
Salah or prayer is one of the Ten Obligatory Acts (1 mark)
Another one of the Acts is Khums or payment of 20% of an individual’s surplus income (1 mark)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Although there may be individual questions relating to The Five Pillars or The Ten Obligatory Acts, it is more likely that the questions will relate to an element of them
Try to ensure that you know and understand each of the elements and also how the Ten Acts differ from the Five Pillars and what they have in common
Remember that both the Pillars and Acts are related to worship and describe the ways in which Muslims worship rather than the beliefs that they hold, although the beliefs do inform their worship
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