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GCSE · Islam

RS.IP1 The Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts

AQA 8062 · Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

This question checks key vocabulary used in Muslim teaching about the Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts.

(a)State what is meant by the Five Pillars of Islam.(1)

(b)State what is meant by the Ten Obligatory Acts.(1)

(c)State what is meant by Shahadah.(1)

(d)State what is meant by Furu al-Din.(1)

(e)Give one obligatory act that appears in both the Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 5 marks)

Explain two reasons why the Five Pillars are important for Sunni Muslims. Refer to a hadith in your answer.

(Total for Question 2 is 4 marks)

Give three of the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi'a Islam.

(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)

Explain two contrasting features of Sunni and Shi'a practice of the core obligatory acts of Islam. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority in your answer.

(Total for Question 4 is 5 marks)

Explain two ways the Five Pillars give structure to a Muslim's daily and yearly life.

(Total for Question 5 is 4 marks)

Explain the importance of the Five Pillars for Muslims today.

(Total for Question 6 is 6 marks)

Give three of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam.

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Explain two effects of the Ten Obligatory Acts on the daily life of a Shi'a Muslim believer.

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

Mark scheme · RS.IP1 The Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts

Question 1

(a) B1 the five duties/acts of worship at the heart of Sunni Muslim practice: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Hajj and Zakah, oe
(a) Answer: The five duties of worship central to Sunni Muslim practice: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Hajj and Zakah.
(b) B1 the ten practices Shi'a Muslims regard as the most important duties of faith, oe
(b) Answer: The ten practices regarded by Shi'a Muslims as the most important duties of faith.
(c) B1 the declaration of faith, testifying that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger, oe
(c) Answer: The declaration of faith: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.
(d) B1 literally 'branches of religion'; the term used in Shi'a Islam for the practical duties of faith, including the Ten Obligatory Acts, oe
(d) Answer: The 'branches of religion': the term used in Shi'a Islam for the practical duties of faith.
(e) B1 e.g. Salah/prayer (accept Sawm/fasting, Hajj/pilgrimage, or Zakat/almsgiving)
(e) Answer: E.g. Salah (prayer).

Question 2

B1 point 1: they form the core framework of Muslim practice and obedience to Allah, oe
B1 development: a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Faith) describes the Prophet Muhammad teaching that Islam is 'built on five': testifying that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger, praying, giving zakah, going on Hajj and fasting Ramadan, oe
B1 point 2: performing the same five duties unites Sunni Muslims worldwide, giving a shared identity and sense of belonging to the ummah, oe
B1 development: because every Sunni Muslim, whatever their country or culture, follows the same five pillars, they create common ground and mutual recognition across the worldwide Muslim community, oe
Answer: E.g. the pillars form the core framework of obedience to Allah (hadith of the five pillars, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Faith); they unite Sunni Muslims worldwide around a shared practice.

Question 3

B1 Salat (prayer), oe
B1 Sawm (fasting), oe
B1 Hajj (pilgrimage), oe (accept also: Zakat, Khums, Jihad, Amr bil Ma'ruf, Nahi anil Munkar, Tawalla, Tabarra)
Answer: Any three: Salat; Sawm; Hajj; Zakat; Khums; Jihad; Amr bil Ma'ruf; Nahi anil Munkar; Tawalla; Tabarra.

Question 4

B1 belief/practice 1: Sunni Muslims organise their obligatory worship around the Five Pillars: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Hajj and Zakah, oe
B1 development: this framework is set out in the hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari describing Islam as 'built on five', oe
B1 belief/practice 2: Shi'a Muslims organise theirs around the Ten Obligatory Acts (Furu al-Din), which include the same core duties of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and zakah, but add khums, jihad and four further duties concerned with commanding good, forbidding evil and loyalty, oe
B1 development: khums, a payment of one fifth of certain surplus wealth, and jihad are given the separate status of obligatory acts for Shi'a Muslims in a way they are not within the Sunni Five Pillars, oe
B1 reference to a source of wisdom and authority made accurately, oe
Answer: Contrast: Sunni Five Pillars (Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Hajj, Zakah) vs Shi'a Ten Obligatory Acts (same core duties plus khums, jihad and four further duties).

Question 5

B1 point 1: Salah structures each day around five set prayer times, oe
B1 development: this keeps remembrance of Allah part of a Muslim's routine throughout the day, whatever else they are doing, oe
B1 point 2: Sawm and Hajj structure the yearly and lifetime calendar around Ramadan and pilgrimage to Makkah, oe
B1 development: this gives the whole ummah shared points across the year, and potentially across a lifetime, for spiritual focus and renewal, oe
Answer: E.g. salah structures each day around five prayer times; sawm and Hajj structure the yearly/lifetime calendar.

Question 6

Level 3 (5-6): A detailed, well-organised answer that explains several reasons for the Five Pillars' importance, supported by accurate reference to Islamic teaching and/or the Qur'an or hadith, with clear links made between the reasons given.
Level 2 (3-4): An answer that explains some reasons for the Five Pillars' importance, with some relevant supporting detail, though links between points may be limited.
Level 1 (1-2): One or two isolated relevant points are made about the Five Pillars, with little supporting detail or explanation.
Level 0 (0): No relevant content.
Indicative content:
- They provide a clear, practical framework of worship that structures daily life (salah), yearly life (sawm, zakah) and, where possible, once in a lifetime (Hajj).
- They reinforce Muslim identity and belonging to the worldwide ummah, since Sunni Muslims everywhere practise the same five duties.
- Performing them is an act of obedience to Allah, since Sunni Muslims believe fulfilling all five pillars is a religious obligation.
- Zakah in particular builds compassion and social responsibility towards the wider community.
- They are described in the hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari as the foundation of Islam, giving them significant authority within the tradition.
- Some Muslims argue the pillars need to be lived out with sensitivity to modern circumstances, e.g. balancing prayer times or fasting with work and school; but for most they remain the framework that defines what it is to live as a practising Muslim.

Question 7

B1 Shahadah, oe
B1 Salah, oe
B1 Sawm, oe (accept Hajj, Zakah)
Answer: Any three: Shahadah; Salah; Sawm; Hajj; Zakah.

Question 8

B1 point 1: following the obligation of Salat structures a Shi'a Muslim's day around remembrance of Allah, oe
B1 development: keeping to set prayer times encourages regular reflection and discipline throughout the working day, oe
B1 point 2: the obligations of Amr bil Ma'ruf and Nahi anil Munkar (commanding good and forbidding evil) can encourage a Shi'a Muslim to actively promote good behaviour and speak out against wrongdoing they see in daily life, oe
B1 development: this can affect how a Shi'a Muslim behaves at work, at school or within their family, encouraging them to model and gently correct behaviour, oe
Answer: E.g. Salat structures the day around remembrance of Allah; Amr bil Ma'ruf/Nahi anil Munkar encourages actively promoting good and speaking out against wrongdoing.

The Five Pillars and the Ten Obligatory Acts - Worksheets, Questions and Revision