Muslim practices

Muslim beliefs are lived out in five core practices known as the Five Pillars of Islam (Arkan al-Islam) — Sunni framework — alongside Shi'a Muslims' Ten Obligatory Acts (Furu ad-Din). Other practices include jihad, festivals and the role of the mosque.

The Five Pillars (Sunni)

1. Shahadah — declaration of faith

"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." Recited sincerely (and in Arabic), the Shahadah is the first step in becoming a Muslim. It is the simplest and most important of the Pillars; without it, the others have no meaning.

2. Salah — prayer

• Five daily prayers at fixed times: Fajr (dawn), Zuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), Isha (night).
• Performed facing Mecca (the qibla).
• Preceded by ritual washing (wudu).
• Each prayer follows a precise sequence (rak'ah) of postures including standing, bowing (ruku), prostration (sujud) and sitting.
• On Fridays, midday prayer (Jumu'ah) is congregational at the mosque, with a sermon.

Salah is structured discipline: every Muslim, anywhere in the world, prays the same prayers, in the same direction, at the same times.

3. Zakah — almsgiving

• Compulsory charity. Sunni Muslims give 2.5 % of their savings annually to the poor, orphans, debtors and other categories listed in the Qur'an (9:60).
• Spiritual aim: purifies remaining wealth; reminds the giver that wealth is a trust from Allah.
• Distinct from sadaqah, which is voluntary additional giving.

4. Sawm — fasting in Ramadan

• During the lunar month of Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations from dawn (Suhur) to sunset (Iftar).
• Develops self-discipline, empathy with the poor and gratitude.
• Exemptions: the sick, travellers, pregnant or breastfeeding women, menstruating women, the very young or elderly.
• Ends with the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
• The Qur'an was first revealed during Ramadan, on Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power).

5. Hajj — pilgrimage to Mecca

• Once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those physically and financially able.
• Performed in the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.
• Approximately 2 million pilgrims gather annually.
• Key rites: ihram (state of purity, white garments), tawaf (circling the Ka'bah seven times), running between Safa and Marwah (echoing Hajar's search for water), standing at Mount Arafat (the day of Hajj), stoning the pillars at Mina (rejecting Satan), animal sacrifice at Eid-ul-Adha.
• Symbolises the unity of the ummah — pilgrims of every race and background dressed identically before Allah.

Ten Obligatory Acts (Shi'a)

Shi'a Muslims observe ten obligatory acts — they include all five Sunni Pillars, but framed differently, plus: 6. Jihad — striving in the way of Allah. 7. Amr bil Ma'ruf — enjoining good. 8. Nahi anil Munkar — forbidding evil. 9. Tawalla — loving the family of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt). 10. Tabarra — disassociating from the enemies of the Prophet's family.

Jihad

The word jihad means "struggle" or "striving". Two types:

• Greater jihad (jihad al-akbar) — the inner struggle against personal sin and selfishness. Considered more important by mainstream Muslim scholars.
• Lesser jihad (jihad al-asghar) — outward struggle, including the defence of Islam. Strict ethical conditions: declared by legitimate authority, only in defence, never against innocents (women, children, civilians, religious figures), proportional, environment respected.

Modern Muslim scholars overwhelmingly reject violent extremism as a misuse of jihad, citing Qur'an 5:32 — to kill an innocent person is "as if he had slain the whole of mankind".

Festivals

• Eid-ul-Fitr — celebrates the end of Ramadan; feasts, family visits, special prayers, charity (zakat al-fitr).
• Eid-ul-Adha — "Festival of Sacrifice" during Hajj. Commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail at Allah's command — Allah substituted a ram. Muslims sacrifice an animal and share the meat with family, neighbours and the poor.
• Ashura — the 10th of Muharram. For Shi'a, mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (Prophet's grandson) at Karbala (680 CE). For Sunnis, often a day of fasting, recalling Allah saving Musa from Pharaoh.
• Lailat al-Qadr — the Night of Power, in the last 10 days of Ramadan, when the Qur'an was first revealed; Muslims pray intensively.

Role of the mosque

A mosque (masjid) is more than a building — it is a community hub.

• Worship — congregational prayer, especially Jumu'ah on Fridays.
• Education — Qur'an classes (madrasa); Arabic teaching.
• Community — weddings, funerals, festivals, support for the poor.
• Charity — collection of zakah; help for vulnerable.
• Civic engagement — mosques often coordinate community responses to local needs.

Architectural features include the qibla wall (facing Mecca), the mihrab (a niche showing the qibla), the minbar (pulpit for sermons), minarets (towers from which the call to prayer is given) and ablution facilities. There are no images of living things, in line with the prohibition on representing Allah or his prophets.

Examiner tips

For 5-mark and 12-mark questions on practices, always link the practice to a belief it expresses (e.g. zakah expresses the belief that wealth comes from Allah; sawm develops empathy for the poor). Cite the Qur'an. Distinguish Sunni and Shi'a where relevant.