What are the Five Pillars of Islam and the Ten Obligatory Acts?
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam, and their importance as the foundation of Muslim practice.
A focused answer on the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering each pillar, the Shia obligatory acts, and why they are the foundation of Muslim life, with sources of wisdom and authority.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to explain the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam: the core duties that structure Muslim life. The Pillars are the framework on which the rest of this module hangs, since each pillar is then studied in detail. The topic feeds the evaluation question on which pillar is most important, so you need the content, the Sunni-Shia comparison, and the sources.
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam
The Pillars are called the foundations because they hold up the Muslim's faith and life, just as pillars hold up a building. They are listed in the famous Hadith of Jibril, where the angel questions Muhammad and he names them. Each one is examined in its own dot point in this module.
The Ten Obligatory Acts of Shia Islam
The Shia list shows the same devotion to prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage, but expresses the distinctive Shia emphasis on the Prophet's family (Tawalla and Tabarra) and adds duties such as khums and commanding good. Both traditions agree these acts put faith into practice.
Why the Pillars and Acts matter
For Muslims, these duties are not optional extras but the practical heart of Islam. They turn belief into a way of life: declaring faith, remembering Allah throughout the day, sharing wealth with the poor, disciplining the body, and joining the worldwide community at Makkah. They build the ummah (the global Muslim community), since Muslims everywhere perform the same acts, and they express the meaning of the word Islam itself: submission to Allah. This is why the evaluation question, "which pillar matters most?", is so rich: each pillar is essential, yet the Shahadah underlies them all.
Try this
Q1. Name the Five Pillars of Islam. [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer), Zakah (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah).
Q2. Explain why the Pillars are called the "foundations" of Islam. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Like pillars holding up a building, they hold up a Muslim's faith and life, turning belief into daily practice (declaring faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage) and binding the worldwide ummah together.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J625 20182 marksName two of the Five Pillars of Islam.Show worked answer →
This is the 2-mark AO1 question, 1 mark per point. Give two distinct pillars, for example Salah (prayer five times a day) and Sawm (fasting in Ramadan). Other acceptable answers are Shahadah (declaration of faith), Zakah (giving to charity) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah). Markers want two separate pillars, so do not repeat. Using the Arabic names shows secure knowledge.
OCR J625 20216 marksExplain why the Five Pillars are important to Muslims. Refer to sources of wisdom and authority in your answer.Show worked answer →
This is the 6-mark extended AO1 question. Explain that the Five Pillars are the foundations of Muslim life: they express submission to Allah, build the worldwide community (ummah), and put faith into daily practice. Develop with how they shape life (daily prayer, yearly fasting and charity, the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj). Anchor in sources: the Hadith of Jibril, in which Muhammad lists the pillars, and the Qur'an's commands to pray, give Zakah and fast. The top band rewards developed points with accurate sources.
OCR J625 202315 marks"The Shahadah is the most important of the Five Pillars." Discuss this statement. In your answer you should: refer to religious teachings and sources of wisdom and authority; give reasoned arguments to support this statement; give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view; reach a justified conclusion.Show worked answer →
This is the 15-mark AO2 evaluation question. Argue both sides. Arguments for the statement: the Shahadah (declaration of faith) is the foundation; without believing there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger, the other pillars have no meaning, and saying it sincerely makes a person a Muslim. Arguments for other views: Salah (prayer) is performed five times every day and keeps the believer constantly aware of Allah; Hajj and Sawm are major acts of devotion; some argue the pillars are a unity and ranking them is artificial. Use specialist terms (Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, ummah). A justified conclusion can argue the Shahadah is foundational because the others express it, while noting all five are obligatory.
Related dot points
- The Shahadah (declaration of faith) as the first pillar, and Salah (prayer five times a day), including wudu, the rak'ah and Jummah prayer.
A focused answer on the Shahadah and Salah for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering the declaration of faith, the five daily prayers, wudu, the rak'ah, prayer in the mosque and at home, and Jummah, with sources of wisdom and authority.
- Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and its purpose, and Zakah and khums (giving to charity) and their importance in Muslim life.
A focused answer on Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Zakah (almsgiving) for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering how and why Muslims fast, the Night of Power, Zakah and khums, and the importance of charity, with sources of wisdom and authority.
- Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, including its origins, the main rituals (ihram, tawaf, Arafat, stoning the pillars) and its importance for Muslims.
A focused answer on Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering its origins with Ibrahim, the main rituals (ihram, tawaf, Arafat, stoning the pillars), and why it matters to Muslims, with sources of wisdom and authority.
- The meaning of jihad (greater and lesser), and the celebration and significance of the festivals Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Adha and Ashura.
A focused answer on jihad and Muslim festivals for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering greater and lesser jihad, the rules of lesser jihad, and the festivals Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Adha and Ashura, with sources of wisdom and authority.