OCR GCSE Religious Studies Islam Practices: a complete J625 overview
A complete overview of OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625) Islam Practices. Covers the Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts, the Shahadah and Salah, Sawm and Zakah, Hajj, and jihad and the festivals (Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Adha, Ashura), plus the 1, 2, 3, 6 and 15 mark question pattern and sources of wisdom and authority.
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What this module demands
Islam Practices is the second half of the OCR J625/02 paper. It asks how Muslims live out the beliefs of the beliefs module, above all through the Five Pillars, the duties that structure Muslim life. As always, OCR rewards accurate use of sources of wisdom and authority (the Qur'an, the Sunnah and Hadith) and balanced evaluation. Use the Arabic terms precisely: they earn the SPaG marks. This overview ties the dot-point pages together.
The Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Acts
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam are Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer five times a day), Zakah (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah). They are the foundation of Muslim life. Shia Muslims keep the same core acts within the Ten Obligatory Acts (Furu ad-Din), which add duties such as khums, jihad and loving the Prophet's family (Tawalla). Both express the meaning of Islam: submission to Allah.
The Shahadah and Salah
The Shahadah ("There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger") is the first pillar; saying it sincerely makes a person a Muslim. Salah is the second pillar: prayer five times a day, facing the Qiblah (Makkah), preceded by wudu (ritual washing) and made up of rak'ahs (standing, bowing, prostration, sitting). Muslims may pray anywhere clean, but congregational prayer in the mosque, especially Jummah (Friday prayer), builds the ummah.
Sawm, Zakah and charity
Sawm is the fourth pillar: fasting from dawn to sunset in Ramadan (the month the Qur'an was first revealed), building self-discipline, taqwa and empathy with the poor. Zakah is the third pillar: giving a set portion (traditionally 2.5%) of surplus wealth to the poor, which purifies the giver's wealth and heart; Shia Muslims also pay khums. Sadaqah is voluntary giving. Both pillars turn faith into discipline and generosity.
Hajj, the pilgrimage
Hajj is the fifth pillar: the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime if able, re-living the faith of Ibrahim. Pilgrims enter ihram (equality before Allah), perform tawaf (circling the Kaaba), walk between Safa and Marwah, stand at Arafat (the central rite, seeking forgiveness) and stone the pillars at Mina, then celebrate Id-ul-Adha. Hajj brings unity, equality and forgiveness.
Jihad and festivals
Jihad means to strive in Allah's way: the greater jihad is the inner struggle to be a good Muslim, the lesser jihad the outward, strictly limited defence of Islam (never terrorism). The festivals are Id-ul-Fitr (end of Ramadan), Id-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice, during Hajj, recalling Ibrahim) and Ashura (especially Shia, mourning Husayn).
Check your knowledge
A mix of recall questions covering the whole module. Attempt them, then check the solutions.
- Name the Five Pillars of Islam. (5 marks)
- What is the Shahadah? (1 mark)
- How many times a day do Muslims pray, and what must they do first? (2 marks)
- In which month do Muslims fast, and why is it special? (2 marks)
- What does Zakah purify, and roughly what portion is given? (2 marks)
- Name two rituals of Hajj. (2 marks)
- What is the difference between the greater and lesser jihad? (2 marks)
- Which festival marks the end of Ramadan? (1 mark)