What does the Islam Practices unit cover?

It covers the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam (Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj) and the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam, the meaning of greater and lesser jihad, the festivals of Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Adha and Ashura, and worship including the mosque, wudu, Salah and Friday Jummah prayers.

What is the difference between greater and lesser jihad?

Greater jihad is the inner, personal struggle to be a good Muslim and resist sin, and is considered the more important. Lesser jihad is the outward struggle to defend Islam, which can include military action only under strict conditions and never the harming of innocent people.

How is the Islam Practices unit assessed?

It is one of the religion sections on Paper 1, examined with the standard 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 mark question pattern. The 12 mark question evaluates a statement with arguments for and against and reference to Muslim teaching.

EnglandReligious Studies

Islam: Practices overview - AQA GCSE Religious Studies A

An overview of the Islam Practices unit for AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062), covering the Five Pillars, the Ten Obligatory Acts, jihad, festivals and worship in the mosque.

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What the unit covers
How it is assessed
How to study it
For the official specification

This unit, Islam: Practices, is the second Islam section on Paper 1 of AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062). It examines how Muslims put their faith into action through the pillars, jihad, festivals and worship.

What the unit covers

The Five Pillars: Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj, plus the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam.
Jihad: the meaning of greater and lesser jihad, and the conditions for lesser jihad.
Festivals and commemorations: Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Adha and Ashura, and their importance for Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Worship and the mosque: the mosque and its features, wudu, Salah, the call to prayer and Friday Jummah.

How it is assessed

Islam Practices is one section of Paper 1. Questions test knowledge of practices and require you to explain their meaning and importance, ending with a 12 mark evaluation question that refers to Muslim teaching.

How to study it

Learn the Five Pillars and what each does for the believer, master the greater and lesser jihad distinction and its conditions, and know the origins of each festival. Learn the parts of the mosque and the steps of wudu, and pair practices with short Qur'anic references.

For the official specification

AQA publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at aqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and AQA past papers.

Sources & how we know this

AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062) specification — AQA (2016)