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Islam
Preliminary Course
Revision
Principal Beliefs
Students learn about:
The articles of faith explained in the Aqida as:
• Tawhid
• Angels
• Books of Allah
• Rusul
• Akhira
• Fate/predestination
Principal Beliefs
Students learn to:
• outline the implications of Tawhid for
Muslim belief
• examine the role of the Books of Allah and
prophecy in Islam
• outline the principal beliefs about Angels,
life after death and fate/predestination
Articles of Faith
Tawhid
• The belief in the oneness of Allah as expressed
in the Shahada
• Shahada - There is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his Prophet
• How does this affect Muslims in their lives
and beliefs?
Angels
• They are the instruments of Allah's will; His
messengers
Articles of Faith
Books of Allah
• Revelation (Allah revealing information about himself)
through the prophets
• Four main books are:
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Torah of Moses
Psalms of David
Gospels of Jesus
Qur'an (the final and most complete)
• The first three Books have been corrupted by human
interpretation. The Qur'an is not translated and, so,
cannot be effected by humans
Articles of Faith
Rusul
• These are the prophets of Allah, 28 in total
• Muhammad is the final prophet
Akhira
• Life after death - Everybody will be judged by Allah
according to their actions on earth.
• Reward is Heaven, Punishment is Hell
Fate/Predestination
• Nothing will happen without the will and knowledge of
Allah
• Everybody is given free will as a gift from Allah
Sacred Texts & Writings
Students learn to:
Identify the importance of:
– the Qur’an
– the Hadith
Examine extracts from the Qur’an and
Hadith which demonstrate the principal
beliefs of Islam
Qur’an
• Literally means "recitation"
• Spoken to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel
• Provides a guide to life and information about Allah and
his will
• Its primary message is the supremecy of Allah
• Divided into 114 chapters (sura) and about 6000 verses
(ayat)
• It is written in Arabic and is not translated officially
• It is used by Muslims in prayer and to help decide
shari'ah, guide the actions of adherents and provide a
framework for Muslim ethics
Hadith & Sunna
• The traditional accounts of the sayings
and deeds of Muhammad
• Sunna - the traditions of Muhammad
• The Sunna and Hadith are of secondary
authority to the Qur'an but play a large role
in Islamic life, as does the Qur'an
Core Ethical Teachings
Students learn to:
Outline the principal ethical teachings within
Islam
Outline the process of Islamic jurisprudence
Describe the importance of ethical teachings in
determining that which is:
• halal
• haraam
Definitions
Jurisprudence
• Jurisprudence is the system of laws applied in a
particular country
Shari'ah
• Islamic law
• Differs among different Muslim societies
• Is enforced both politically and spiritually, among
communities and individuals
• Is devised by a specific process (see below)
Process of Islamic Jurisprudence
1. Qur’an
2. Hadith & Sunna
3. Ijma’
4. Qiyas
Categories of behaviour in Shari'ah
Halal - things that are allowed, permitted or lawful, e.g. praying five
times daily
1. Fard - obligatory activities, e.g. adhering to the Five Pillars (see
below)
2. Mustahab - practices that are recommended but not compulsory,
e.g. praying more than 5 times a day
3. Mubah - things that are neither liked nor disliked; actions left for the
individual conscience to decide, e.g. contraception
4. Makrah - actions that are advised against but not forbidden, e.g.
divorce
Haraam - unlawful or forbidden things, e.g. eating pork, drinking
alcohol
Expression of Faith
Students learn about:
• the Five Pillars as the expression of the
faith of Islam
Students learn to:
 outline each of the Five Pillars
Five Pillars of Faith
1 - Shahada
• Belief
• "There is no God but Allah, and
Muhammad is his Prophet"
• To utter this with complete conviction is
enough to make a person a Muslim
Five Pillars of Faith
2 - Salat
• Regular Prayer
• This is ritual prayer at least 5 times a day
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Dawn
Midday
Mid-afternoon
Sunset
Before bed
Expression of one's love and gratitude to Allah
Helps provide guidance and peace of mind
Preparation involves wudu (ritual washing)
Prayers are said while facing Mecca
Personal prayer (Dua) can be performed any time
Five Pillars of Faith
3 - Zakat
• Charity (almsgiving)
• Muhammad prescribed a minimum of
2.5% on money and posessions of those
who had more than enough
• Given to help the faithful, e.g. widows,
orphans and the poor
Five Pillars of Faith
4 - Sawm
• Fasting
• Occurs in the month of Ramadan (ninth monthof the
Muslim year)
• Abstain fro eating, drinking, smoking and sexual
intercourse between sunrise and sunset
• Done to help discipline Muslims spiritually, to remind
them of those without food and as a means of unity
within the Umma (worldwide Islamic community)
• Children, elderly, ill and pregnant women do not fast
Five Pillars of Faith
5 - Hajj
• Pilgrimage to Mecca
• All Muslims must make at least one trip in
their lifetimes
• If they are able to financially and are in
good health
Practice Questions
• Ethics
Outline the effect of the Islamic ethical
system on the lives of believers (5)
• Tawhid
Explain the concept of Tawhid as a principal
belief of Islam (5)
• Muhammad
Discuss how Muhammad is the model for
Muslim life (5)