Foundations of faith: Shi'a Islam
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the five roots of Usul ad-Din, their importance and how they link to other key beliefs in 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.
- The belief in tawhid, prophets and the last day are common to Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
- The five roots of Usul ad-Din also include the belief in divine justice and the imamate.
Keywords
Adalat - God’s fairness; one of the five roots of Usul ad-Din
Imamate - the authority of the Imams as 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 the Imam Ali and other imams from the Prophet Muhammad's bloodline
Tawhid - belief in Allah’s oneness and unity
Common misconception
The Prophet Muhammad chose Ali to be his successor.
Shi'a Muslims believe that Allah chose Ali to be the successor to the Prophet Muhammad, and that the Prophet Muhammad announced this to the Muslim community before he died.
Teacher tip
If pupils have not covered the different narratives about the succession of a leader for the Muslim community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, it is advisable to cover this topic before this lesson is taught.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the meaning of ‘tawhid’?
Q2.Which of the following is not one of the six articles of faith?
Q3.Which of the following is not a source of authority for the six articles of faith?
Q4.How does belief in akhirah (life after death) influence Muslims?
Q5.The belief in means that Muslims accept prophets as Allah’s messengers.
Q6.The belief in al-Qadr means that Allah has supreme over everything, but humans still have free will.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Shi’a Muslims believe that means that Allah is one, unique, and has no partners.
Q2.What are the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din?
Q3.What is the imamate in Shi’a Islam?
Q4.What do Shi’a Muslims believe about the successorship of Ali?
Q5.How does belief in resurrection (mi'ad) affect Shi’a Muslims?
Q6.The belief in means that Allah is always just and fair, no matter what happens in the world.
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Foundations of faith: Shi'a Islam, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Foundations of faith: 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.
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Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Islam: Beliefs and teachings unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.