The five roots of Shi'a Islam
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the five roots of Usul ad-Din, their importance and how they link to Twelver and Sevener Shi'a Islam.
Key learning points
- The five roots of Usul ad-Din are foundational beliefs for Shi'a Muslims.
- There is crossover between the five roots and the six articles of faith.
- Tawhid, prophets and the last day are common to Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
- The five roots also include divine justice and the Imamah.
- Two groups within Shi'a Islam are the Sevener and Twelver branches.
Keywords
Adalat - God’s justice, one of the five roots of Usul ad-Din
Imamah - the authority of the Imams as Allah's chosen guides after the prophets, starting from Ali as a member of the Prophet’s household
Resurrection - when someone is raised again after death
Shi'a Islam - Muslims who believe in the successorship of Imam Ali and other Imams from the Prophet Muhammad's bloodline
Tawhid - belief in Allah’s oneness and unity
Common misconception
That Sevener Shi'a Muslims believe there have only been seven Imams.
The name Sevener comes from the recognition in Sevener Shi'a Islam of Imam Ismail as an Imam. Twelver Shi'a Islam recognises his brother, Musa, as the seventh Imam in contrast.
Teacher tip
If students have not covered the different narratives about the succession of a leader for the Muslim community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, then teachers are advised to cover this before this content is taught.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Which belief in Sunni Islam is the foundation of the Islamic faith?
Q2.Who do Sunni Muslims believe are messengers of God, created from light, who are always obedient and serve God's will?
Q3.Who is the final prophet in Islam?
Q4.What two things do Muslims believe will happen on the Last Day?
Q5.Which of the following statements are true?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definition.
God’s justice, one of the five roots of Usul ad-Din
the authority of Allah's chosen guides, from the Prophet’s house
when someone is raised again after death
belief in the line of prophets
Q2.Which of these statements are true for Sevener Shi’a Muslims?
Q3.What does Usul ad-Din translate as?
Q4.Which of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din is supported by Surah 112?
Q5.Muhammad is reported to have said he was leaving two things behind. One was the book of Allah, the other was the members of his …
Q6.How would a belief in adalat influence Shi’a Muslims today?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The five roots of Shi'a Islam, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The five roots of Shi'a Islam, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Muslim beliefs unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.