Christianity plus aspects of at least one other principal religion,

KS1 selecting from Islam or Judaism

Christianity plus aspects of at least two other principal religions

selecting at least one from
KS2  Islam and Judaism (including whichever has not been selected
at KS1) and at least one from
 Hinduism and Sikhism

New!

Depth Core concepts for Islam

Introduction

Islam is an Arabic word meaning ‘peace and submission to the will of God’ and comes from
the root word ‘Salaam’, meaning ‘peace’. Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's
life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart, soul and deed. The same Arabic root word
gives us "Assalaamu alaykum," ("Peace be with you"), the universal Muslim greeting, which
is similar to the Hebrew greeting “Shalom” which also means the same thing.

Islam is a religion founded and based on faith in one supreme God, who is called Allah in
Arabic. It should be noted that the word ‘Allah’ is the same word used for God by Jews and
Christians who speak Arabic. Every Muslim believes in this central doctrine and in Prophet
Muhammad being the last messenger of God, born in the Arabian city of Mecca in 570 CE.

Muslims also believe in all the Prophets mentioned in the Bible, including Noah, Abraham,
Moses and Jesus. Muslims differ from Christians on the divinity of Jesus but otherwise hold
him in extremely high regard. Muslims also believe in the divine books of those Prophets
such as the Torah, Psalms and Gospel.

The Quran, which Muslims regard as the final instalment of God’s revelations, is a
compilation of all of God's revelations to the Prophet over the course of 23 years between
610 and 633 CE. Muslims believe that God revealed his message to the Prophet
Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel, about his oneness, how to worship him, and the
perfected way of life. Therefore, the Quran is considered the unchanged word of God and
the constitution and the guide for Muslims, along with the authenticated Hadith (the sayings,
actions and approvals of Prophet Muhammad).

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Muslim population of the world

Islam is a major world religion, with over 1.6 billion followers worldwide (1/5 of the world
population). It is considered one of the Abrahamic, monotheistic faiths, along with Judaism
and Christianity. Muslims are found all over the world, of every nation, colour and race.

Over fifty countries have Muslim-majority populations, while other groups of believers are
clustered in minority communities on nearly every continent.

 Although Islam is often associated with the Arab world and the Middle East, fewer
than 15% of Muslims are Arab.
 By far, the largest populations of Muslims live in Southeast Asia (more than 60%),
while the countries of the Middle East and North Africa make up only 20% of the
total.
 One-fifth of the world's Muslims live as minorities in non-Muslim countries, with the
largest of these populations in India, China, and Russia.

Sunni and Shia Muslims

Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85-90%) of Muslims all over the world. Both Sunni and
Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The
differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from
spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political
differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to
carry a spiritual significance.

The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to after the death of Prophet Muhammad
and the question of leadership of the Muslims.

The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of
the Prophet." Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by the Prophet's companions at
the time, that the new leader was appointed by the Prophet himself and should be elected
from among those most capable of the job, rather than be limited to the Prophet’s bloodline.
This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's closest friend, adviser and father-in-
law, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation.

Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have
passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali bin Abu Talib because of his blood relation with
the Prophet.

The word "Shia" comes from the Arabic ‘Shi’atu Ali’, meaning the party of Ali. Shia Islam is
this characterised by veneration of Ali, his descendants (particularly his son Hussein) and a
belief in the imamah. This is the succession of divinely-appointed imams or leaders from the
family of Muhammad.

The largest branch of Shia Muslims are known as the ‘Twelvers’, because of their belief that
there were twelve divinely-appointed imams following Muhammad.

Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority
communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.

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 Short definition
Phase Islam Concept (a detailed explanation is in the text following the
table)

EYFS Worship  Religious diversity in the context of Islam

Worship  5 Pillars of Islam

KS1
 God sent Prophets to humanity starting with Adam followed
Prophethood by many others and that Muhammad was the final Prophet.

Worship  Tawhid (Monotheism) and the concept of God in Islam,

Salah (The 5 daily prayers) and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

Knowledge  Books of Revelation from God

KS2 Prophethood  Muhammad: His Life and stories

Community  Ummah in Arabic- commonly used to mean the collective
community of believers, i.e. Muslims worldwide, regardless
of ethnic origins and nationalities

Humanity  To preserve the basic rights of human beings, establishing

security and peace in society and the world as a whole

Judgement &  All humans are born pure and sinless, there is the Day of
Judgment and there is life after death in either paradise or
hell
KS3 Salvation  Muslims believe that all human beings always have the
chance of salvation through repentance to God who is the
Most Merciful

 All humans have free will, God knows everything that has
Divine & Destiny happened and will happen and God is the Creator of
everything

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The concepts can be explored further dependent on pupil age and level, building up their
knowledge accordingly. Below is a guide of how each key stage can be introduced to each
topic/aspect of a topic.

EYFS

Worship – Religious diversity in the context of Islam

 Pupils could gain an insight into Islam by learning that:

 Islam is a religion followed by over a billion people all over the world from all
different nationalities including British
 Muslims believe in and pray to one God who Muslims believe is the same
God of Christians and Jews
 Muslims have 2 main festivals, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha
 The congregational place of worship for Muslims is the Mosque (called
‘Masjid’ in Arabic)
 Useful resource: Song/video ‘Upsy Daisy’ by Yusuf Islam and Friends

KS1

Worship – 5 Pillars of Islam

 The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life and the basic duties
required of every adult Muslim.

 The 5 pillars of Islam are:

 Shahadah (Belief), Salah (Prayer), Zakat (Obligatory Charity), Sawm (Fasting
in Ramadan) & Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)
 Resources:
 5 Pillars of Islam cartoons Part 1 Part 2
 BBC Radio segment on the 5 Pillars of Islam

Prophethood

 Muslims believe that God sent Prophets to humanity starting with Adam, who was the
first man and first Prophet followed by many others sent to every nation and that
Muhammad was the final Prophet sent to all of humanity.
 Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings
who had none of the divine qualities of God.
 Muslims believe in all of the Prophets mentioned in the Bible.
 The 5 greatest Prophets in Islam are: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad.
 Useful resources: The Prophets of Islam DVD

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KS2

Worship:

 Tawhid (Monotheism) and the concept of God in Islam

 Muslims believe in one God, called Allah in Arabic. This is the same name
used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.
 Islam calls for, and nurtures a loving and direct relationship between `God`
and `humans` with no intercessors or intermediaries “It is to Allah that
sincere devotion (and obedience) is due” [The Qur’an 39:3]. When you
pray, you pray directly to God, and when you want to repent from your sins,
you ask God directly for forgiveness. "And when My servants ask you
concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the
suppliant when he calls on Me" [The Qur’an, 2:186].
 Muslims believe that God has the right to be worshipped alone without any
partner, that He does not have any children and is unlike the creation (Explore
Surat Al-Ikhlas of the Qur’an)
 Muslims believe that God has 99 (and more) Names and Attributes, including
‘The Most Merciful’, ‘The Most Compassionate’, ‘The Most Forgiving’, ‘The
Most Loving’, ‘The All-Seeing’, ‘The All-Hearing’, ‘The All-Knowledgeable’,
‘The Ever Living’, ‘The Self-Sufficient’ etc. These names and their meanings
and implications can be looked at in more detail as well as artistic
representations of these names through Arabic Calligraphy
 Resources: ‘God is the light’ by Yusuf Islam

 Salah (The 5 daily prayers)

 Islam prescribes a brief prayer or ritual worship five times a day: at dawn,
noon, late afternoon, sunset and night.
 Muslims perform ablution before prayer -- a brief prescribed washing of the
hands, mouth, nose, face, arms and feet.
 One may pray alone or in a group in any clean location, including a mosque.
 The Friday noon prayer is special to Muslims and is done in a mosque if
possible.
 Muslims face in the direction of Mecca when they pray.

 Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

 Every Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, located in Saudi
Arabia, once in their lifetime if financially and physically able.
 Mecca is home to the first house of worship of God, the Kaaba, built by the
prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael.
 Muslims all over the world face towards the Kaaba when they pray.
 All outward symbols of rank and wealth are erased during the pilgrimage, as
Muslims from every part of the globe come together for the purpose of
worshipping God.
 Muslims who complete the pilgrimage are referred to as "Hajji" and greeted
with great celebration and respect in their communities when they return.

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  Knowledge- Books of Revelation from God
 Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for
mankind and as guidance for them.
 These books include the Pslams revealed to David, the Torah revealed to
Moses, the Gospel revealed to Jesus and finally the Qur’an which was
revealed to Muhammad.
 Useful resources: www.Quran.com

 Prophethood– Muhammad: His Life and stories

 Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570. At the age of forty,
Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel.
The revelations continued for twenty-three years, and they are collectively
known as the Quran.
 Before Muhammad died, at the age of sixty-three, the greater part of the
Arabian Peninsula had become Muslim, and within a century of his death,
Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.
 Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was a perfect example of an
honest, just, merciful, compassionate, truthful, and brave human being.
 Useful resources
 Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by martin Lings
 The Life of the Last Prophet by Yusuf Islam

 Community
 Community (‘Ummah’ in Arabic) is an important concept for Muslims.
 The word ‘Ummah’ is commonly used to mean the collective community of
believers, ie Muslims worldwide, regardless of ethnic origins and nationalities.
 This concept promotes Muslim unity and encourages brotherhood among
Muslims of all backgrounds, as a further extension to the human brotherhood
that Islam promotes among all people irrespective of race and religion, as
‘Children of Adam’.

KS3

 Humanity
 Islam aims to preserve the basic rights of human beings, establishing security
and peace in society and the world as a whole. Islam urges its followers to be
kind, polite, decent, and good citizens in a society. Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him) said : “The best among you are those
who have the best manners and character” [Bukhari, 56].
 Islam places men and women all equal before their Lord regardless of their
race, tongue, national origin, appearance, wealth and social status. The
criterion for differentiation among them arises in their compliance with the
divine regulations. "O mankind! We have created you from a male and a
female, and have made you into nations and tribes so that you may
know one another. Verily, the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the
best in conduct. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware" [The Qur’an, 49:13].
 Islam promotes brotherhood among all people irrespective of race and
religion, as ‘Children of Adam’.

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  Judgement and salvation
 Muslims believe that all humans are born pure and sinless and the age of
accountability in the eyes of God starts after puberty.
 Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment, when all people will be resurrected
for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.
 Muslims believe in life after death and a final abode for all people in either
gardens of paradise as a reward or hell as a punishment.
 However, Muslims believe that this judgement is for God alone and no one
can guarantee salvation for themselves nor should they condemn others
regardless of faith or actions.
 Muslims believe that all human beings always have the chance of salvation
through repentance to God who is the Most Merciful.

 Divine Destiny
 Muslims believe that although human beings have free will and are
responsible for their own choices, there is Divine Destiny, which means that:
o God knows everything that has happened and will happen
o God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen
o Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to
happen does not happen
o God is the Creator of everything

For further information or questions, please contact [email protected]

Wali Rahman, the author of the

Core Concepts for Islam, is the
secretary of the Wiltshire Islamic
Cultural Centre in Trowbridge.
Wali helped set up the centre in
2008 to educate both Muslims and
non-Muslims about Islam.

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