What are "practices" in Islam?

OCR calls this topic Islam — Practices. It asks how Muslims put their faith into action through worship, duties, festivals and moral struggle. Sunni and Shia Muslims share most practices but organise their key duties a little differently:

• Sunni Muslims centre their duties on the Five Pillars of Islam.
• Shia Muslims follow the Ten Obligatory Acts, which include most of the same duties plus a few more.
• Both celebrate festivals and both understand jihad as a struggle to live faithfully.

Spec focus: the specification asks you to describe the Five Pillars, the Ten Obligatory Acts, the major festivals, and the meaning of greater and lesser jihad — and to explain why these matter to Muslims.

Words you must be able to define

• Shahadah — the Muslim declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
• Salah — ritual prayer, performed five times a day facing Makkah.
• Zakah — giving 2.5% of one's yearly savings to those in need.
• Sawm — fasting during the month of Ramadan, from dawn to sunset.
• Hajj — the pilgrimage to Makkah, made once in a lifetime if a Muslim is able.
• Jihad — struggle in the way of Allah: the inner struggle to be good (greater) and the outer struggle (lesser).

Common mix-up: the Five Pillars are the duties of Sunni Islam. Shia Muslims keep the same core duties but list them as the Ten Obligatory Acts (more on that soon).

Name the pillar

The five duties of Sunni Islam

The Five Pillars are the five key duties that support a Muslim's faith and daily life. Together they hold up the "house" of Islam:

Why it matters: the pillars keep faith at the centre of daily life. Prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage remind Muslims of Allah, build self-discipline and unite the worldwide community (ummah).

Pillar → meaning

Tap a pillar on the left, then its meaning on the right.

Prayer five times a day

Salah is ritual prayer, performed five times a day at set times, always facing Makkah (the direction called the qiblah). Before prayer Muslims perform wudu — a ritual washing to be clean and focused. On Fridays, many attend congregational Jummah prayer at the mosque.

Charity and fasting

Zakah means giving 2.5% of one's yearly savings to those in need. It purifies wealth and helps the poor. (In Shia Islam an additional payment called Khums — one fifth of surplus income — is also given.)

Sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan: from dawn to sunset, adult Muslims who are able go without food, drink and other pleasures. Fasting builds self-discipline, gratitude and empathy for the hungry.

Say it like this: "Zakah is giving 2.5% of savings to those in need; Sawm is fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan." Precise wording earns the marks.

Understanding Zakah

Pilgrimage to Makkah

Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah, which every Muslim should make once in a lifetime if they are physically and financially able. It takes place during the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Millions of pilgrims dress in simple white garments to show that all are equal before Allah.

How often is Hajj required?

The Ten Obligatory Acts

Instead of listing Five Pillars, Shia Muslims follow the Ten Obligatory Acts. These include most of the same duties plus a few extra:

• Shared with the pillars: Salah (prayer), Sawm (fasting), Zakah (charity), Khums (a fifth of surplus wealth) and Hajj (pilgrimage).
• Also included: Jihad (struggle in Allah's way), Amr-bil-Maruf (encouraging good) and Nahi Anil Munkar (forbidding evil).
• And two acts of loyalty: Tawalla (loving those who follow Allah) and Tabarra (dissociating from Allah's enemies).

Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha

The two great festivals ("Id" or "Eid") of Islam are joyful days of prayer, family and charity:

• Id-ul-Fitr — the "festival of breaking the fast", marking the end of Ramadan. Muslims gather for special prayers, share meals and give charity (Zakat-ul-Fitr) so the poor can also celebrate.
• Id-ul-Adha — the "festival of sacrifice", which falls during Hajj. It remembers the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, and Allah's mercy in providing a ram instead. Many families share meat with the needy.

Careful: Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha are different festivals — one ends Ramadan, the other happens during Hajj and recalls Ibrahim's obedience.

What does Id-ul-Adha remember?

Ashura

Ashura is a day that is especially important in Shia Islam. It commemorates the death of Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed at the Battle of Karbala while standing against injustice.

For many Shia Muslims, Ashura is a solemn day of mourning and reflection — a reminder to stand up for what is right even at great cost. Some Sunni Muslims also observe Ashura, often by fasting, remembering how Allah rescued Musa (Moses) and his people.

Note: Ashura carries a mournful, reflective tone rather than a celebratory one — different in mood from the joyful Id festivals.

Greater and lesser jihad

Jihad means "struggle" — the effort a Muslim makes to live in the way of Allah. It does not mean "holy war of aggression", and it certainly does not mean terrorism. Islam teaches two forms:

• Greater jihad — the inner, personal struggle to be a good Muslim: to pray, resist temptation, be honest and follow Allah. This is treated as the more important of the two.
• Lesser jihad — the outer struggle, which can include military defence. It is permitted only under strict conditions: declared by proper authority, for a just cause such as self-defence, proportionate, and never harming innocent civilians.

Say it clearly: greater jihad is the inner struggle to be good (the more important one); lesser jihad is the tightly limited outer struggle. Jihad is never a licence for aggression or violence against innocents.

A Pillar of Islam — or not?

Tap a practice, then tap the box that fits it.

A map of Islamic practices

Here is the whole topic on one page — pillars, acts, festivals and jihad:

Explain a pillar

Greater and lesser jihad

Two forms of jihad that are easy to muddle — get the order of importance right:

• Greater jihad — the inner, personal struggle to be a good Muslim: prayer, self-control, honesty and following Allah. This is the more important form.
• Lesser jihad — the outer struggle, including defence, allowed only under strict conditions (proper authority, just cause, proportionate, no harm to civilians).

Understanding this protects you from the biggest error in the topic: assuming jihad simply means "war". For most Muslims, the daily inner struggle matters most of all.

Memory hook: greater = the greater everyday struggle inside you; lesser = the limited, last-resort outer struggle.

Which jihad?

How these practices shape lives

Exam questions often ask about the impact of Islamic practices. The pillars, acts and festivals are not just rituals — they shape how Muslims live:

• Salah (five daily prayers) keeps Allah at the centre of the day and builds discipline.
• Zakah and Khums support the poor and remind Muslims that wealth is a trust from Allah.
• Sawm (fasting) develops self-control and empathy for those who go hungry.
• Hajj unites the worldwide community (ummah) and reminds pilgrims that all are equal before Allah.
• Greater jihad — the inner struggle — encourages honesty, patience and good character every day.

Pillar/Practice or Festival?

Tap an item, then tap the box it belongs to.

One more festival

The practices to know

You've covered the OCR GCSE topic of Islam — Practices. Press Finish to see your score.