Islam: Practices | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Islam: Practices
- 158 questions
- 13 subtopics
- Group 1 papers
- Group 1 papers
Islam: Practices is examined in Component Group 1, the Islam beliefs and teachings & practices paper (J625/02), if Islam is one of the two religions studied.
It covers the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi'a Islam, salah and wudu: how and why Muslims pray, Shahadah, Jummah prayer and the khutba, du'a: private prayer in Islam, Hajj: origins, obligation and ihram, the rituals of Hajj and their meaning, Zakah: meaning, origins and nisab, khums, sadaqah and the distribution of alms, Sawm: fasting in Ramadan, Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Ghadeer and Ashura in Shi'a Islam and greater and lesser jihad.
Sample questions from Islam: Practices
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam
What is Salah as a pillar?
Show the answer
Salah is the ritual prayer performed in the proper way five times each day. Salah follows set words and movements while facing Makkah. -
The Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi'a Islam
What is Nahi Anil Munkar?
Show the answer
Nahi Anil Munkar means forbidding what is evil. Shi'a Muslims should discourage wrongdoing by word or action. -
Shahadah, Jummah prayer and the khutba
Why is the Shahadah called the only non-action pillar?
Show the answer
The Shahadah is a statement of belief, while the other four pillars are actions. The Shahadah gives the other pillars their meaning. -
Du'a: private prayer in Islam
What do Muslims believe about how Allah answers du'a?
Show the answer
Muslims believe Allah answers every sincere du'a in the way He knows is best. The answer may come now, be saved for the hereafter, or turn aside a harm. -
The rituals of Hajj and their meaning
Why is the day at Arafat the most important part of Hajj?
Show the answer
Pilgrims stand in prayer on the plain of Arafat from midday to sunset, asking for forgiveness. Muhammad said that Hajj is Arafat. -
Zakah: meaning, origins and nisab
What is the Muslim attitude to wealth?
Show the answer
Wealth is a gift and trust from Allah, not something a person truly owns. Muslims must use wealth responsibly and share it with those in need. -
Sawm: fasting in Ramadan
How is the fast an act of devotion to Allah?
Show the answer
A fasting Muslim gives up lawful pleasures purely to obey Allah. A hadith qudsi says the fast is for Allah, who will reward it Himself. -
Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr
How do Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr?
Show the answer
Muslims attend Eid prayers, exchange gifts and cards, and share festive meals. Children are often given new clothes and money.
The 13 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam | Islam as submission, Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj, the hadith behind the list, the house-and-pillars analogy, how the pillars span a lifetime, and Sunni and Shi'a differences. | 12 |
| The Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi'a Islam | Shi'a Salat and Zakah, Khums, jihad as an obligation, Amr-bil-Maroof and Nahi Anil Munkar, Tawalla and Tabarra, and why commanding good and forbidding evil concerns the whole community. | 12 |
| Salah and wudu: how and why Muslims pray | Surah 4:103, the five daily prayers, the steps of wudu and Shi'a differences, niyyah and the qibla, the movements of a raka'ah, Salah and Tawhid, and where Muslims may pray. | 14 |
| Shahadah, Jummah prayer and the khutba | The words of the Shahadah at birth, conversion and death, what many Shi'a add, why congregational prayer matters, who must attend on Friday, Shi'a views of it today, Surah 62:10, and the sermon's purpose. | 13 |
| Du'a: private prayer in Islam | Surah 2:186, how du'a differs from salah, what Muslims ask for and how, dhikr, how Allah answers, Sunni and Shi'a practice, and why Muslims make du'a for other people. | 10 |
| Hajj: origins, obligation and ihram | Who is excused, Hajj and Umrah compared, the link to Ibrahim and Surah 22:26–38, Muhammad's restoration of the pilgrimage, what is worn and forbidden in ihram, and Shi'a pilgrimages beyond Makkah. | 12 |
| The rituals of Hajj and their meaning | Tawaf and sa'i, the Zamzam well, Mina, the standing at Arafat and what it anticipates, Muzdalifah, stoning the jamarat, the sacrifice and Surah 22:37, cutting the hair, and life after Hajj. | 13 |
| Zakah: meaning, origins and nisab | The origins of Zakah, the threshold for paying, the usual rate and how it is calculated, how it should be given, the Muslim attitude to wealth, benefits to giver and society, and Surah 2:215. | 11 |
| Khums, sadaqah and the distribution of alms | Where Khums comes from and the two readings of Surah 8:41, who receives each half, sadaqah compared with Zakah, the recipients in Surah 9:60, discreet giving, and Zakat al-Fitr. | 10 |
| Sawm: fasting in Ramadan | The Night of Power and how it is kept, suhur and iftar, duties of the fast, benefits for the individual and the ummah, exemptions, making up missed days, and why British fasts run long. | 13 |
| Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr | The origin of Eid-ul-Adha and Surah 37:102–103, sharing Qurbani meat, Surah 2:196, the meaning and start of Eid-ul-Fitr, and how Eid is kept in Britain and in Muslim countries. | 12 |
| Eid-ul-Ghadeer and Ashura in Shi'a Islam | Ghadir Khumm and the Sunni reading of it, how Eid-ul-Ghadeer is celebrated, the verse linked with it, Karbala, Ashura commemorations in Britain, Sunni observance of the day, and disputes over mourning. | 13 |
| Greater and lesser jihad | Why greater jihad comes first, the conditions for and conduct of lesser jihad, Surahs 2:190 and 8:61, ma'ruf and munkar, Shi'a views on offensive war, and objections to translating jihad as holy war. | 13 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,800 questions with their answers.