Lesson video

I'm Mrs. Afshan.

It's so great to see you today.

We're going to explore "Diversity in Muslim community today" from the unit "What are the joys and challenges of being Muslim in Britain?" By the end of today's session, you'll be able to explain different Muslim communities in the UK and how migration and history have helped shape them.

Let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can describe different Muslim communities in the UK and how migration and history have helped them.

Before we dive into our lesson, I would like to share some special words.

These are the keywords which will help us understand everything better.

The words are Sunni, Shi'a, halal, and community.

Let's look at what they mean.

The word Sunni represents Muslims who observe the Sunnah, referring to the traditions and practises of Prophet Muhammad.

Shi'a Muslims are also Muslims who honour the family of the Prophet Muhammad, particularly his cousin Imam Ali.

Halal refers to what is lawful according to the Qur'an to eat or drink.

And finally, community.

A group of people who have things in common.

A community can be a neighbourhood, a city, or join people around the world.

We have two cycles in our lesson today.

First, we will be looking at, "Which Muslim communities do we find in the UK?" Let's dive in.

Alex explains how we use social science in religious education.

Alex says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live and how contexts like where they live or when they live affects this.

We can better understand people's worldviews by looking at photographs or analysing data.

We can survey or interview people to find out more about their worldviews." And in this lesson today, we will be looking at data and examining case studies to better understand the diversity we see in the Muslim community today.

Let's now meet two Muslims who live in the UK.

Here is Ahmed.

Ahmed has a Muslim worldview, he's a Sunni Muslim.

And Hassan is a Shi'a Muslim.

He also has a Muslim worldview.

Ahmed and Hassan discuss Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. Let's find out what they say.

Hassan says, "Worldwide, 86% of Muslims are Sunni and 14% are Shi'a, so Sunni Muslims form the majority." And Ahmed says, "I wonder what percentage of British Muslims are Sunni or Shi'a?" He's thinking about the communities in the UK.

And he says, "I wonder if it is similar or different to the number worldwide." How could we find this information out? Have a think.

That's correct, we can look at some data.

Here are some recent data that has been collected about the percentages of Sunni Muslims and Shi'a Muslims in the UK.

Have a look at it closely.

What does this data tell us? Correct, there's about 95% of Sunni Muslims in the UK compared to 5% Shi'a Muslims. But we need to remember, Shi'a and Sunni both are Muslims, but they follow slightly different traditions.

Ahmed and Hassan analyse the data and Ahmed says, "The data tells me that the majority of Muslims in the UK are Sunni.

95% of British Muslims are Sunni." Isn't that correct? And according to the data, which tells that a majority of Muslims in the UK are Sunni, but Hassan says, "There's a minority of Shi'a Muslims too.

5% of British Muslims are Shi'a." Fill in the missing percentage to show how many Shi'a Muslims there are in the UK.

Have a look very carefully.

You've already got Sunni Muslims as 95% in the UK.

That's correct, well done.

There is about 5% Shi'a Muslims in the UK.

You got that right.

Ahmed and Hassan describe Sunni and Shi'a communities.

Ahmed says, "My family links are to India.

The majority of Sunni Muslims in the UK have families linked to communities in the countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, but there are Muslims with links to many other countries." Hassan talks about his community, his Shi'a community.

He says, "My family links to Pakistan.

More Shi'a Muslims in the UK have family links to Pakistan, Iraq and Iran.

There are smaller communities from Afghanistan and East Africa." Time for a check.

True or false? All Muslims in the UK have family links to the same country.

True or false? What do you think? False, that's correct.

It is false because Ahmed's family links were to India and Hassan's to Pakistan.

Muslims in the UK have links to many different countries.

Well done if you chose false as your answer.

Let us now listen to Ahmed, who's describing what the Sunni community means to him.

Listen very carefully and think about, what does he say helps the Sunni community belong together? <v Ahmed>Hi, I'm Ahmed,</v> and I'm part of the Sunni Muslim community in the UK.

Our community is really important to me because it gives me a sense of belonging and support.

We come from many different backgrounds and I have neighbours here who speak different languages and follow different traditions, but we all share the same core beliefs, like following the teachings of the Qur'an and the Hadith.

It's amazing to see how we come together to help each other pray and celebrate special times like Ramadan.

Even though we're different in many ways, we all feel connected through our faith here in the UK.

<v ->Let's quickly recap</v> and think about what Ahmed shared with us about what the Sunni community means to him.

Community gives him a sense of belonging.

He says he has neighbours with many different backgrounds and languages.

Even though they have different traditions, they share the same core beliefs.

They pray together and celebrate special times like Ramadan.

Time for another check.

What core belief did Ahmed say unites Sunni Muslims? Is it following the teachings of the Qur'an and the Hadith? Or believing in many gods? Or following only one teacher's teachings? What is the correct answer? That's correct, well done.

Following the teachings of the Qur'an and the Hadith.

Well done if you got that right.

Hassan describes what Shi'a Muslims do to keep the community together.

Hassan says, "We have many things throughout the year that are unique to the Shi'a community.

We gather weekly on a Thursday evening for a prayer and to meet.

We also have the festival of Ashura, which brings the Shi'a community together.

We have times when we celebrate the birth of Imams." Time for our task, I hope you're ready.

What does data tell us about Muslim communities in the UK? That would be the first part of your task.

Label the pie chart with the labels Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. Add the correct percentages and explain what it tells us.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answers.

Let's check the answers.

Let's look at the data about the Muslim communities in the UK.

Your answer should be, "There are 95% Sunni Muslims and 5% Shi'a Muslims in the UK." I hope you've labelled them on your pie chart.

Also you might have said about the data, "The data tells us that Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the Muslims in the UK.

Shi'a Muslims are the minority in the UK." Well done if you added that information correctly.

Great work.

Now the second part of your task.

How do Sunni and Shi'a Muslims show they belong to a community? Use the case studies of Hassan and Ahmed to explain two things they both do to belong to a community.

We've already heard Ahmed and read what Hassan said about their communities.

Use the case studies.

You can pause the video now and come back to check your answers with me.

Let's check your answers.

Ahmed talked about the importance of Sunni Muslims sharing core beliefs about the Qur'an and the Hadith.

He mentioned sharing special times such as fasting during Ramadan making him belong to a community.

And Hassan talked about Thursday evening being an important time for Shi'a Muslims and they come together as a community.

He also mentioned celebrating festivals such Ashura.

Well done if you included those answers, great work.

Let's now go and find out, "How has migration shaped Muslim communities here?" Alex reflects on the data and whether there are many tools a social scientist might use to find out more.

Alex says, "The data about Sunni and Shi'a Muslims is really useful so that we can see the sizes of the Muslim communities.

But I want to find out more about how Sunni and Shi'a Muslims feel about living in the UK.

Now, to do that, I need to investigate maps and interview people so I can get their thoughts and opinions." Here is a map of the UK, and it shows where the Muslim communities have settled in the UK.

Do you see the darker colour? Let's find out what it means.

It's a map of England and Wales.

It uses 2021 census data to show where Muslims live.

The darker colour on the map, the larger the Muslim community that can be found there.

What do you notice from looking at this map? Where do most Muslims live? Can you see the names of the cities and the places on the map? Let's find out.

Jacob is helping us with this today.

Jacob says, "I can see that most Muslim communities in England and Wales are in major cities such as London and Birmingham." And Aisha says, "This is really interesting.

The data tells us where Muslims live, but not why they live in that place.

I wonder how we find that out?" Jacob and Aisha are going to find out why Muslims, or most Muslims, settled in these major cities.

Let's join them and find out.

Time for a check.

What does the census data tell us about where Muslim communities are found in England and Wales? Whether Muslim communities are mainly in the countryside, or Muslim communities are spread equally around England and Wales, or most Muslim communities are found in major cities.

What does the census data tell us? Have a think.

That's correct, it tells us that most Muslim communities are found in the major cities like London and Birmingham.

Well done.

What do you notice about the people here? That's correct, if you found that they're wearing different things on their heads.

They are Muslims living in the UK.

You got that right.

Muslims have lived in Britain for many hundreds of years.

They come from a variety of countries and cultures.

Muslims might dress and look very differently from each other.

What might be some of the reasons people from so many different countries came and settled in Britain? Let's find out with Aisha, Jacob, and Andeep.

Aisha thinks that some people came from different countries for better jobs and to trade things like food or clothes.

Andeep thinks others moved to be with their family and friends who were already here.

And according to Jacob, many people also came for better education, to give their children a brighter future.

Interviewing different Muslims will help us to better understand why people have chosen to live where they do.

Here we have Mustafa.

Mustafa is a Sunni Muslim from Birmingham and he has a Muslim worldview.

Mustafa's family settled in Birmingham.

His family was originally from Albania.

Mustafa describes why he chose to live in a community like this in Birmingham.

"My family decided to live in a community where we felt connected to other Muslims. Birmingham has a large and historic Muslim community.

There are Muslims with links all over the world, mosques nearby and a variety of halal shops." This is a halal shop in Birmingham, and Mustafa shares how his family goes to the shops to buy some halal food.

Mustafa says, "My family love to look for dates to break fast during Ramadan.

We also buy halal meat and other food to cook at home.

The local shops stock food from all over the world." Time for a check.

Muslims from only one country came to live in Britain.

True or false? What do you think? False, because Muslims came from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds to live in Britain, with the majority coming due to the British Empire.

Well done if you chose false as you answer.

Let's now meet Nadia.

Nadia is a British Sunni Muslim from London.

She also has a Muslim worldview.

When Nadia's family moved to London, they decided to live close to a mosque.

Here is Nadia's Ibrahim mosque in London.

For Nadia, it's not just a place of worship, but also a centre for learning and community activities.

Nadia explains why her family chose to live near a mosque.

She says that her family chose to live near a mosque because it made it easier for them to practise their faith.

She continues to say how she goes to a mosque each week to do her Pilates class with other Muslim women and she volunteers at the food bank.

Great work, Nadia.

Izzy and Alex are discussing how Muslims show they're part of the Muslim communities in the UK.

Izzy says, "Living near halal shops, mosques, and fellow Muslims make it easier for families to practise their faith." And Alex says, "Being part of a community with shared beliefs and practises strengthens their bond with the Muslim community." Time for another check.

Where do many Muslims prefer to live in a community? Is it near halal shops and mosques, or near schools and hospitals, or near beaches and parks? What do you think? That's correct, Muslims prefer to live near halal shops and mosques, great.

Time for our next task.

Izzy is thinking about why some areas in the UK have a lot of people from Muslim communities.

"I'm not sure why Muslims often chose to live in the communities they do." Can you help her with an explanation? You can use these sentence starters to help your explanation, and then in the end you can conclude the information together.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answers.

Let's check your answers and help Izzy understand why Muslims often choose to live in the communities they do.

You might have said, "The data shows that many Muslims prefer to live in major cities like London and Birmingham.

Interviewing Muslims can help us better understand why Muslims choose to live somewhere.

Mustafa lives in Birmingham because it has a large Muslim community and he's near restaurants and halal shops.

Nadia lives in London because she's close to a mosque where she prays and does Pilates.

In conclusion, we can see many Muslims choose to live in community with other Muslims in major cities." Well done if you wrote all your sentences and helped Izzy understand, great work.

You did a brilliant job today.

Well done.

Let's recap.

The Muslim population in the UK comes from many different countries and cultures.

About 95% of all Muslims in the UK are Sunni Muslims and the other 5% are Shi'a Muslims. This is different from the worldwide figures.

The UK has less Shi'a Muslims. Some places in the UK have a large Muslim community because of people moving there in the past and today.

Some Muslims may choose to live near a mosque, their local communities coming together as they often have halal shops and mosques that help them live out their Muslim faith.

That's all for today's lesson and I will see you in our next lesson, goodbye.