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Islam

KS3 Homework Pack

Name:

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What is Islam?

• Islam is the world’s second largest religion, after Christianity.

• Muslims are people who follow Islam, just like Christians are people

who follow Christianity.

Similarities with Christianity:

• Muslims share a lot in common with Christians. For example:

o Muslims believe in the same God. Muslims call this God

‘Allah’.

o Islam and Christianity, along with Judaism, are known as the three Abrahamic religions. This is

because they all come from the same man – Abraham – who was the first person to believe

that there was only one God, instead of many gods.

o Muslims also believe that Jesus was special. They do not think that he was the Son of God

(like Christians do) but they do believe that God gave him special powers to perform miracles

during his time on earth.

o Muslims also believe that Jesus was born to a Virgin, named Mary, who only knew about her

pregnancy because of a visit from the Angel Gabriel. In Islam, Mary is called Maryam and

Angel Gabriel is called Angel Jibril.

Where does this fit in with our previous learning?

We have already looked at ‘Prejudice and Discrimination’. Unfortunately, Islam is a misunderstood religion

in today’s world. There is a stereotype attached to Islam because of the media and public ignorance (lack of

education). This stereotype is that ‘Muslims are terrorists’, which is absolutely not the case.

In our previous units, we have learned:

• Stereotyping is when a belief about a group of people is over-

generalised, and believed about everyone within that group. For

example, “all tall people are good at basketball.”

• Prejudice is pre-judging people without any evidence. For example,

“all blondes are stupid”.

• Discrimination is treating people differently because of a prejudice.

For example, leaving someone out of a game because they speak a

different language.

• Islamophobia is the unfair pre-judging of Muslims, because of the

actions of a minority who claim to be Muslim.

Why are we learning this now?

This unit follows on well from our unit on Prejudice and Discrimination. We are able to approach the religion

of Islam with greater appreciation for the religious beliefs and practices, now that we have stripped away

any remaining pre-judgements we might have had about the topic

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Task: Answer the following questions based on the information on the next page. Please answer

these in full sentences on a piece of lined paper:

1. Why do you think some people believe that Muslims are terrorists?

2. Read Quote 1. In your opinion, what does this mean?

3. Read the rest of the ‘Myth 1’ box. What does jihad not mean?

4. Read ‘Myth 2’. What does the Qur’an state about the equality of men and women?

5. Why are Muslims told to wear certain clothing in the Qur’an?

Week 1: Key Facts, and Myths

TASK: Sort the following statements into either “True” or “False”

Statement True False

The word Islam means, “To surrender (give up) to the will of God.”

Islam is the world’s second largest religion.

Only Arabs (people from the Middle East) are Muslims.

Muslims worship a different God to Jews and Christians.

The holy book of Islam is the Qur’an.

Women have been leaders in four Islamic countries.

Muslims have only come over to England in the past 100 years.

There are 5.7 million Muslims who live in the USA.

Islam promotes violence and terrorism.

Muslims believe in forced marriage (your parents decide who you’re going to marry and force you to marry them).

Task: Use the information on page 15 to mark your answers to the table above.

Task: Which false statement surprised you the most and why? (Use the information on page 15 to help).

The false statement that surprised me the most was….……………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Final Task: In the past, Muslims have suffered “Islamophobia” because of the way that the media (the

news) have portrayed the religion.

Islamophobia is when a person is prejudged (suffers prejudice) or treated differently (discriminated)

because they are Muslim.

Write a short letter to your local newspaper explaining why Islamophobia is wrong; convince them by

stating myths about Islam and explaining why they are wrong. (Complete on a piece of lined paper).

MYTH 1: “All Muslims are Terrorists”

QUOTE 1: The Qur’an (the Muslim holy book) states: "...Whoever kills an innocent soul it is

as if he killed the whole of mankind, and whoever saves one, it is as if he saved the whole of

mankind..."

Any form of murder is wrong according to Islam.

Jihad

Jihad means struggle. The most important Jihad to Muslims is the struggle against evil in

your-self, or the struggle to become a better Muslim.

Lesser jihad means struggle against oppression or harm against the Islamic faith. It does not

mean war or violent action.

Myth 2: “All Muslims are sexist”

The Qur’an states that women and men are equal in the eyes of God. Many people are

surprised to find out that Islamic Law guaranteed unprecedented rights to women over 1400

years ago. For example, early Islamic clearly states that women have the right to vote, seek

an education, own property, financial independence, operate a business and receive equal pay

for equal work. The very same rights that were only granted to women in Europe and America

recently. “If women in the Muslim World today don't have their rights and if a particular

society oppresses women, it does so in spite of Islam, not because of it.” Muslim Association

of Great Britain

The veil (hijab): The Qur’an tells men and women to wear loose clothing and for women to

cover their heads. This is to make sure that people are not judged by their bodies or what

they look like, but who they are.

Some Muslims believe that women are often shown in films, television, advertising and other

media, as objects: that we focus on how they look not on who they are. They say that this is

more damaging to women than wearing a veil.

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Week 2: The Nature of Allah

Task: Fill in the blanks in the paragraph below, using the words in bold in the box below.

Task: Mark your answers using the MAD time section for “lesson two” on page 15.

The ………………….. for God in Islam is Allah. God, or ………………….., is the same God as the God of

………………….. and Jewish people. However, the way or ………………….. to God is different.

Muslims believe that there is only ………………….. God, who is eternal, which means he

exists …………………... Allah is also absolute, meaning that he cannot be ………………….. into smaller parts.

Forever Divided Word One Allah Christians Path

As stated above, Allah is the Arabic word for God. Allah is the same God as the Jewish and Christian God. You

learned about the nature of the Christian God earlier on in year 7, and the ‘omni’ associated with God.

Use the information you learned earlier in the year to complete the activity on the next page.

In Islam, it is wrong to draw or characterise God or any of the prophets. This is because we do not know (and

cannot know) what they look like, therefore it is disrespectful.

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Task: Connect the words to their definitions and sorting evidence from the Qur’an.

Allah is… This means that Allah is…

The evidence for this is in the Qur’an which says that…

Omnipotent

All Knowing

“…Allah is closer to you than your own veins! This shows that Allah is close to everyone at all times.”

Omniscient

Everywhere

“…Allah sent prophets, e.g. Muhammad, to guide humans in the right direction as he wants a relationship with us.”

Omnipresent

Loving and caring

“…Allah created the world, including humans. Allah made Adam out of clay using his limitless power.”

Beneficent

All Powerful

“…Allah knows what is in your hearts and your minds. This shows that Allah knows everything.”

Task: Use a green pen to mark the above activity. Use the table on the MAD time section for “lesson

two” on page 16.

Explain two of Allah’s characteristics (use quotes from the Qur’an to back up your points).

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Week 3: The Six Articles of Faith

The first article of faith is ‘Tawhid’. Muslims believe in The Oneness of Allah is the idea of

tawhid meaning ‘oneness, absolute, alone’ – God is One. The Qur’an says: “He is Allah, the One,

Allah is Eternal and Absolute. None is born of Him, He is unborn. There is none like Him.”

This means that Allah is the creator and sustainer of all life on earth. He is beyond any human

limitations, like age and death, because Allah was not born and He cannot die. He has no

partners or children and nothing is like him.

The second article of faith is belief in Angels. Angels do the work of Allah. They deliver

revelations or messages through the prophets, so that Muslims know what Allah wants them to

do. They record the words and actions of each individual person so that they have a book with

all of their good and bad actions in it. They receive souls at death, taking them on to the next

world. Angels do not have free will like humans and they obey Allah’s commands.

The third article of faith is belief in the holy books. Five sources of authority are the five holy

books: the Torah of Moses; the Psalms of David; the Gospels of Jesus; the Scrolls of Abraham;

the Qur’an. According to Muslims, the first four books have been lost in their original form or

changed. This means that their message is no longer perfect. The Qur’an is the only revealed

holy book that is still in its original form. It is the direct Word of Allah as given through Angel

Jibril, who is known to Christians as Angel Gabriel, who told Mary, Jesus’ mother, that she was

pregnant with Jesus.

The fourth article of faith is belief in Al Qadr (Predestination). Muslims believe in the authority of

Allah’s will. Muslims believe that Allah knows everything (omniscient). ‘Qadr’ means that

everything is ordered by Allah; nothing is random or by chance. Everything happens according to

Allah’s will. Humans do have free will though, but as Allah knows the past, present and future

their choices are already known to Him, but not to them.

The fifth article of faith is belief in the Day of Judgement. Muslims believe that there will be a

day (the Day of Judgement) when all humans (both Muslims and non-Muslims) stand in front of

Allah, who decides whether they go to heaven or hell based on their actions. Everyone must

answer for themselves and must accept the consequences of their thoughts and actions on

earth. Human life is a test for the eternal life to come.

The sixth article of faith is belief in the prophets. Prophets and messengers are chosen by Allah to

deliver His message to humankind. Muslims believe that Allah has revealed messages throughout

time to guide humanity and that Prophet Muhammad (PHUH) was the last (Seal) of the prophets;

he was given the ultimate guidance in the Qur’an. As a result of this, there is no need for any

more prophets.

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“Muhammad (PBUH) is not the father of any of your men, but the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the

Prophets.” (Qur’an 33:40)

Task: Using the information on page 7, write three notes about each belief in the boxes below:

Tawhid

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

•

Angels

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

Holy Books

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

Al Qadr (Predestination)

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

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Day of Judgement

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

Prophets and messengers

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

• …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

We often say that people are influenced by their faith. This means that they choose to act or behave in a certain

way because of what they do or do not believe about God.

Task: You are going to explain how Muslims are influenced to act today, because of their belief in each article of

faith. Complete the sentences below.

Muslims might show a belief that Allah is the only God by……………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Having a belief in Angels will motivate Muslims to…………………..………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Muslims would be most motivated to live their lives by the teachings of the Qur’an because…………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Muslims believe that everything happens according to Allah’s will, this means that they might be comforted when

they are ill because…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Muslims will want to go to paradise on the Day of Judgement, so they will be influenced to……………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Muslims are influenced to write PBUH after Muhammad’s name because ………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Week 4: The Five Roots

Key word: An analogy is when other symbolism or imagery is used to help explain another idea.

Task: Why do you think that Shi’a Muslims use the analogy of roots? Your answer must include:

• What would happen to a tree if you cut off its roots?

• How stable a tree would be if it has no roots.

• How the above answers could relate to key beliefs in a faith.

Roots are important to trees because if you cut them off………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This analogy is trying to show that if you removed these beliefs from Islam then……………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

There are different types just as there are different types of Christians or Jews.

The main types we study at school are Sunni Muslims and Shi’a Muslims. Today we will be learning about the

Five Roots of Shi’a Islam. These are the basic and fundamental beliefs of Shi’a Islam.

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Task 2: Fill in the blanks.

Task: Mark your answers using the MAD time section for “lesson four” on page 16. Use a green pen.

Question: Which of the Five Roots do you think would be easiest to follow? Explain why you chose your

answer.

I think the easiest of the Five roots to follow would be……………………………………………………………………………………………

This is because………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The first of the Five Roots is “Follow Tawhid”; Tawhid refers to the ……………………. Of God. This

means that Muslims should only pray to or worship ……………………

The second root is “Follow Adalat”; Adalat refers to ……………………… this is the idea of whether

something is right or fair. Shi’a Muslims believe that Allah is just, so he treats everyone on earth as

……………………

The third root is “Follow Nubuwwah”; Nubuwwah refers to prophethood, this is the idea that Allah

has appointed ……………………. and messengers to instruct Muslims on how they should live their

lives. They believe that ……………………… (PBUH) was the final prophet to deliver Allah’s message, and

is therefore the most …………………

The fourth root is “Follow Imamate”; Imamate refers to …………………… . This is the belief that after

Muhammad died (PBUH), Allah sent down Twelve leaders, or Imams to teach and …………………… the

people of Earth. …………………… Muslims do not believe in this.

The fifth and final root of Shi’a Islam is “Believe in Day of Judgement.” This is the belief that there

will be a day of ……………………. . Allah will raise the whole of ……………………….. , Muslims and non-

Muslims alike. Allah will then decide who gets to go and spend eternity in ……………………… .

Justice Muhammad Sunni Mankind Paradise Oneness Equals Allah

Teachers Leadership Important Judgement Guide

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Week 5: Prophets

Use the following words to write a definition for the word prophet. You can refer to the work you did on

the Five Roots from last week to help you.

Chosen, teach, guide, people, Allah

Prophets are………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Task: Check your answer using the MAD time information on page 17.

Task: You are going to use the information cards below to create a leaflet or PowerPoint presentation to

teach others on who the prophets are in Islam.

Your work MUST include the following:

• Who they are

• What their name is in Arabic

• How they have communicated with Allah

• How they have helped other humans

• Ensure you DON’T draw a picture of Muhammad (PBUH) or any of

the prophets as this is seen as highly disrespectful (This is the same

rule for Allah – in Islam, there are no images of God)

You should also include a Question to ask each prophet and an explanation of why you chose that

question:

e.g. Muhammad (PBUH); “How did you feel when you met the Angel Jibril?”

I have asked this question, because if I met an Angel I think I’d be really scared but also amazed. I would

be scared because I have never seen or experienced anything like an Angel before, but also amazed

because it confirms belief in God or an afterlife, which I am unsure about at the moment.

➢ Moses is a prophet in

Islam. ➢ In Islam, he is called

Musa. ➢ Moses received the Ten

Commandments from God on Mount Sinai.

➢ Moses freed the slaves from Egypt ➢ Moses is the only prophet to have spoken

directly with Allah through the burning bush on Mount Sinai

➢ Jesus is a prophet in Islam

➢ In Islam, he is called Isa ➢ Allah sent Isa (Jesus)

when he thought people had strayed from His teachings

➢ Jesus performed many miracles ➢ Muslims do not believe that Jesus was

crucified because Allah would not let that happen

➢ Allah took Jesus up to heaven after three years’ teaching on earth

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➢ Ibrahim is a prophet

in Islam ➢ To Christians, he is

called Abraham ➢ Ibrahim was the first

man to reject the idea of many gods, and worship only One God

➢ He is known for having great faith in Allah, as he was prepared to sacrifice his own son, Isaac

➢ David is a prophet in

Islam ➢ In Islam, David is

called Dawud ➢ David is known for

killing Goliath with a single pebble

➢ He became a great king after the battle ➢ He was known for his wisdom and loyalty to

Allah

➢ Adam is a prophet in Islam

➢ He was the first prophet and also the first man on earth

➢ Adam and his wife Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit

➢ Adam is considered to have been the first Muslim

➢ Some Muslims believe he built the first Ka’ba (big black box) in Mecca

➢ Muhammad is a prophet in Islam

➢ He is known as the greatest and last of the prophets

➢ Muslims believe there will be no other prophet after Muhammad

➢ Muhammad was given the Qur’an by Angel Jibril. The Qur’an is the special holy book for Muslims and is believed to be 100% accurate.

Week 6: The Afterlife

Task: Answer the questions below on lined paper using the information on the following page.

Questions:

1. What do Muslims believe will happen after death? 2. What is ‘afterlife’ or ‘life after death’ known as in Islam? 3. What is Jahannam? 4. What is Jannah? 5. What do Muslims believe about the soul? 6. Without belief in the afterlife, what do Muslims believe life on earth would be? 7. What does Allah already know when you are judged? 8. How does Allah know what good and bad deeds you have performed?

9. How does belief in life after death affect the way Muslims live? 10. Write an explanation of the similarities/differences between Christian and Islamic attitude

towards salvation. 11. For a Muslim, what is the purpose of life?

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Muslims believe that after death there will be a Day of Judgement, when Allah (God) will decide where

they go to for life after death (akhirah). People who have not followed Allah’s wishes will go to hell

(Jahannam) where they will be punished. Good people will go to a perfect place of rest and pleasure to be

with Allah (Jannah). Muslims do not believe that people have an immortal soul, they believe when we die

the soul waits in the grave until Judgement Day, on this day true believers of Islam are reborn in Paradise.

Muslims believe that without a belief in life after death, life on earth would be

meaningless. Life would have no purpose.

Muslims believe that you only have one chance at life and you are judged on how

you live it. When you are judged by Allah, He already knows everything you have

done (both good and bad), and judgement will be fast and final.

Muslims believe that two Angels have followed you around for your entire life,

writing down all of your good deeds in one book, and all of your bad deeds in

another book.

On the day of judgement these books are weighed, if your Good Deeds book is

heavier than your Bad Deeds book, you are allowed to enter paradise (Jannah),

but if your Bad Deeds outweigh your Good Deeds, then you will enter hell

(Jahannam).

“To God belongeth the mystery of the heavens and the earth and the decision of the Hour (of Judgement)

is as twinkling of an eye, or even quicker: for God hath power over all things.”

- Surah 16:77 (The Qur’an)

Task 2:

Write a diary entry for the Day of Judgement.

Your diary entry must include:

➢ What the order of events are on the day of judgement.

➢ What is making you feel excited?

➢ What is making you feel nervous?

➢ The other people you are thinking about.

Use the space below to plan your work. Write the diary entry on a separate piece of paper. Alternatively, you

may word process you work!

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Week 1: MAD time page

Facts and Myths activity – Use the following paragraph and the information in bold to mark your answers

from the first activity in the booklet:

The word Islam literally means: “To surrender to the will of God” this acts as a constant reminder to

Muslims that God, or “Allah” is the most important being in the universe.

Islam is the world’s second largest religion. Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with over 2 billion

followers, Islam is second, with over 1.3 billion followers.

Anyone can be Muslim, not just Arabs. Arabs make up 15% of the international Muslims community, 27%

are African, 3% are European with the majority being found in Indonesia.

Muslims, Jews and Christians all worship the same God; as all of their faith are ‘Abrahamic faiths” (read

the introduction page for further explanation).

The holy book of Islam is The Qur’an. It is believed the Angel Jibril revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad.

In recent times there have been female leaders in the Islamic countries of: Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and

Bangladesh.

There has been archaeological evidence of Muslims coming to the UK from over 1,300 years ago, with

Anglo-Saxon coins containing script from the Qur’an.

There are 5.7 million Muslims living in the USA, this is also the same as the Jewish population of the USA.

In 2007 the Muslim Council of Britain issued this statement: “Muslims everywhere consider all acts of

terrorism that murder and hurt innocent human beings as reprehensible and abhorrent. There is no

theological basis whatsoever for such acts in our faith. The very meaning of the word ‘Islam’ is peace. It

rejects terror and promotes peace and harmony” – so Muslims do not support violence.

The Qu’ran states that a woman has the right to choose her own partner and the vast majority of

Muslims do not believe in forced marriages. It is not a religious reason but a cultural reason why some

marriages are forced.

Week 2: MAD time page

The word for God in Islam is Allah. God, or Allah, is the same God as the God of Christian and Jewish

people. However, the way or path to God is different.

Muslims believe that there is only one God, who is eternal, which means he

exists forever. Allah is also absolute,

meaning that he cannot be divided into smaller parts.

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Task 2: Allah is…

This means that Allah is…

The evidence for this is in the Qur’an, which says that…

Omnipotent All-powerful …Allah created the world, including humans. Allah made Adam out of clay using his limitless power.

Omnipresent Everywhere …Allah is closer to you than your own veins! This shows that Allah is close to everyone at all times.

Omniscient All-knowing …Allah knows what is in your hearts and your minds. This shows that Allah knows everything.

Beneficent Loving and caring …Allah sent prophets, e.g. Muhammad, to guide humans in the right direction as he wants a relationship with us.

Week 4: MAD time page

The first of the Five Roots is “Follow Tawhid”; Tawhid refers to the Oneness Of God. This means

that Muslims should only pray to or worship Allah.

The second root is “Follow Adalat”; Adalat refers to Justice, this is the idea of whether something is

right or fair. Shi’a Muslims believe that Allah is just, so he treats everyone on earth as Equals.

The third root is “Follow Nubuwwah”; Nubuwwah refers to prophethood, this is the idea that Allah

has appointed teachers and messengers to instruct Muslims on how they should live their lives.

They believe that Muhammad (PBUH) was the final prophet to deliver Allah’s message, and is

therefore the most important.

The fourth root is “Follow Imamate”; Imamate refers to leadership. This is the belief that after

Muhammad died (PBUH), Allah sent down twelve leaders, or Imams to teach and guide the people

of Earth. Sunni Muslims do not believe in this.

The fifth and final root of Shi’a Islam is “Believe in the Day of Judgement.” This is the belief that

there will be a day of judgement. Allah will raise the whole of mankind, Muslims and non-Muslims

alike. Allah will then decide who gets to go and spend eternity in paradise.

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Week 5: MAD time page Use the following words to write a definition for the word prophet. You can refer to the work you did on

the Five Roots from last week to help you.

Chosen, teach, guide, people, Allah

Prophets are people chosen by Allah to guide and teach people about Allah, and how to live a good life.