Worship in Sunni & Shi'a Islam (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

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

• 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