New
New
Year 10
AQA

How and why Muslims complete sawm

I can explain how and why Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

How and why Muslims complete sawm

I can explain how and why Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan is known as 'sawm'.
  2. The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
  3. Fasting involves abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sunset.
  4. The Night of Power is when the first revelations of the Qur'an came to Muhammad in the cave of Hira.
  5. Sawm can have a great impact on the life of a Muslim as an act of discipline.

Keywords

  • Fasting - not doing certain actions such as eating or drinking

  • Iftar - a meal in the evenings, which is the breaking of the fast for that day during the month of Ramadan

  • Night of Power - the night that the first revelation of the Qur'an came to the Prophet Muhammad

  • Ramadan - the month when Muslims take part in an obligatory fast

Common misconception

All Muslims must fast without exceptions or exemptions.

Those who are ill, elderly, younger than puberty, pregnant, breastfeeding, menstruating, and travelling do not have to fast. Missed fasting days can be made up after the month of Ramadan and/or donations made to charity in their place if needed.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: How and why Muslims complete sawm, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Students can research how different Muslim sports personalities manage their fasting obligations. Some may choose to break their fasts during competitions and on games days and make up that fast later, or make a charitable donation, while others may not.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Zakah is used to support people in such as the poor, the indebted, and travellers.
Correct Answer: need, Need
Q2.
Paying zakah is a sign of a Muslim’s obedience and submission to .
Correct Answer: Allah
Q3.
Why do Muslims pay zakah?
to earn interest on savings
Correct answer: to follow one of the Five Pillars of Islam
to receive government rewards
Q4.
Which of the following is an additional charitable tax paid only by Shi’a Muslims?
sadaqah
Correct answer: khums
zakah
Q5.
What is the nisab in relation to zakah?
a list of people who receive zakah
a special prayer said before giving zakah
Correct answer: the minimum amount of wealth required to pay zakah
Q6.
Which of these is a voluntary act of giving, which is not required like zakah?
Correct answer: sadaqah
khums
zakah

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Muslims fast during the month of , when the first revelation of the Qur’an was received.
Correct Answer: Ramadan
Q2.
The Night of is believed to be when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Correct Answer: Power, power
Q3.
What is sawm?
giving money to the poor
reading the Qur’an aloud
Correct answer: Fasting during Ramadan
Q4.
What meal is eaten to break the fast at the end of the day during Ramadan?
suhoor
Correct answer: iftar
zakah
Q5.
Why does the month of Ramadan move each year in the Gregorian calendar?
it follows the solar calendar
Correct answer: it is based on a lunar calendar
it starts on the same date every year
Q6.
Which of these people would be exempt from fasting during Ramadan?
a healthy adult Muslim
a 16-year old Muslim student
Correct answer: a pregnant Muslim woman

Additional material

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