Islam and its Five Pillars (week 2) Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is islam
submission to God
what are the two ways in which you can analyse islam
- in terms of its four different senses or ‘levels’
- in terms of key components as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel
what are the four levels of submission
- All creatures to their Creator - (universal/compulsory)
- All monotheists to God
- All Muslims (i.e., those who accept God’s message as revealed to Muhammad) to God
- All Muslims (as defined above) who follow God’s practical instructions
what are the five pillars of islam
shahada
prayer
alms tax
fasting
hajj
what is shahada
to witness or proclaim: ‘there is not god but God; Muhammad is the messenger of God’
- proclamation of monotheism
- affirmation of Muhammads messenger hood
what is salat
blessing and prayer
Muslims pray on a mat at home or in a mosque in a congregation have to face the Kaaba but the ground you clean on has to be clean in essence.
qibla - direction in which you pray - Kaaba
what is the Kaaba
located inside the compound of the grande mosque in Mecca is considered the most sacred space in Islam - believed to have been placed by Abraham and Ismail as a symbol of God’s covenant with them and the Muslim community.
how often do they pray
five times a day and the timings are dependent on the placing of the sun
what do muslims do before each prater
wudu - ritual prurity - have to be in a state of physical and spiritual purity.
what is zakat
purifying yourself and submitting the best version of yourself which you do by not spending this extra 2.5% on something unecessary.
why is this significant
it is somewhat purifying your possessions. doing this and actively making yourself pure means you are thinking of others and a greater jihad
reminding yourself that Allah has given you this money and you are giving this away and humbling yourself.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan -
Not just abstaining from eating (but also drinking, smoking and sex)
Teaches you gratitude rather than focusing on material desires
who doesn’t have to fast?
Sick, pregnant or children and there are also special rules for travelers
What did the Hadith say
‘five things break the fast of the faster - lying, backbiting, slander, ungodly oaths and looking with passion’.
what is hajj
pilgrimage - Series of different things - circle around the kaaba seven times, run from the mountains, go to the river, have purified water - cleanse yourself.
what is important about the piligrimage
Everyone is wearing the same thing - sense of unity
Equality, no discrimination, everyone is equal before God
expand on the importance of this equality
Reduces ego - not above or below anyone, and unites you all.
Status becomes insignificant
Eradicating class
Scholars exchanging ideas
Social impact and intellectual impact on the history of Islam
what does the term ‘jihad’ mean
‘Struggle’
Greater and lesser struggle
Greater - against one’s ego
Lesser - external fighting (but conditions validating external fighting are very hard to fulfill
what is sharia
‘broader path leading to water’ - road of right activity that all Muslims must follow
where it is deduced from
the Quran and the Prophets own practices (sunna)
what is sharia often referred to us
‘revealed law’
‘islamic law’
what is the study of sharia called
fiqh - understanding or jurisprudence.
what are the five categories of actions discussed in fiqh
Required - halal
Recommended - halal
Indifferent - halal
Reprehensible - halal
Forbidden - haram
