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Year 10 - Religious education

Zakah and its significance

Islam: Practices

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will learn about specific practices in Islam such as prayer and festivals such as Id ul-Fitr. They will compare Sunni and Shi'a understandings of these practices noting similarities and differences.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the importance and use of zakah and khums as charitable taxes within Islam.

Key Notes

  • Zakah is one of the Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Acts within Islam.
  • Zakah is a compulsory charitable tax paid by Muslims of 2.5% of their wealth in a year.
  • Zakah is used to support those in need in the Ummah and wider world.
  • Khums is an additional tax paid by Shi'a Muslims of 20%.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • giving alms: giving to those in need, e.g., money, food, time; this is a key practice in Islam
  • khums: 'one fifth'; an additional 20% tax paid by Shi'a Muslims as alms
  • zakah: 'to purify'; a charity tax where Muslims give 2.5% of their yearly wealth as alms
  • Ummah: 'community'; the worldwide community of Muslims who share a common religious identity

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Zakah and khums are voluntary donations to charity.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Zakah is one of the Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Acts within Islam. Zakah is a compulsory charitable tax paid by Muslims of 2.5% of their wealth in a year.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'giving alms'

giving to those in need, e.g., money, food, time; this is a key practice in Islam.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Zakah and khums are voluntary donations to charity. Correction: Zakah is obligatory in Sunni Islam and both zakah and khums are obligatory in Shi'a Islam. Additional voluntary donations can be made to charity as well and is known as sadaqah.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 Religious education guide library.