Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the Five Pillars of Islam through retrieval practice, exam-style questions, and extended evaluative writing
How much can you recall from the entire unit on Islam Practices Part 1?
Shahadah — Declaration of faith: 'No god but Allah, Muhammad is His messenger.' Foundation of all practice. Affirms Tawhid and Risalah.
Salah — Five daily prayers (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha). Preceded by wudu. Involves rak'ahs facing the qiblah. Jummah on Fridays.
Zakah — 2.5% of savings above nisab. Eight categories of recipients. Purifies wealth. Shi'a also pay Khums (20%).
Sawm — Fasting dawn to sunset in Ramadan. Develops taqwa. Exemptions for children, ill, pregnant. Laylat al-Qadr. Ends with Eid ul-Fitr.
Hajj — (Coming in Unit 26!) Pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a lifetime if able.
Answer each question in one clear sentence.
Answer: The oneness of God — the most fundamental belief in Islam.
Answer: 'To purify' — paying zakah purifies wealth and the soul.
Answer: The minimum threshold of wealth above which zakah must be paid.
Answer: The Night of Power — the night the Qur'an was first revealed, in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Answer: Ritual washing performed before salah to achieve spiritual purification.
'The Five Pillars are equally important — no single pillar matters more than the others.' Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you should refer to Muslim teaching and belief, give developed arguments to support this statement, give developed arguments to support a different point of view, and reach a justified conclusion. [12 marks + 3 SPaG]
For equal importance: All are commanded by Allah — who are humans to rank God's commands? Each addresses a different need: belief (Shahadah), worship (Salah), social justice (Zakah), self-discipline (Sawm), unity (Hajj). Missing any one creates a gap.
Against — some are more important: The Shahadah is the foundation — without it, nothing else counts. Salah is daily; the Prophet called it the first thing asked about on Judgement Day. Some Muslims cannot perform Hajj or are exempt from Sawm, but the Shahadah and Salah are universal.
Review your extended writing answer. Check against these criteria:
AO1 (Knowledge): Did you name specific pillars and explain their significance accurately?
AO2 (Evaluation): Did you give developed arguments on both sides?
Sources: Did you use Qur'anic quotes or Hadith to support your points?
Conclusion: Did you reach a justified conclusion that doesn't just repeat your arguments?
You have now studied four of the Five Pillars in detail: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, and Zakah. In Unit 26, you will complete your study of Islamic practices with Hajj, Jihad, and the major Islamic festivals.
Key skills developed: 1-mark definitions, 4-mark explanations, 6-mark developed responses, 12-mark evaluations with sources of authority.