Salah and Sawm
Five times a day a Muslim turns to prayer, and for one month a year the whole community fasts from dawn to sunset. Explore how Salah and Sawm are kept by Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, and how prayer compares with Christian worship.
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Prayer and fasting ☪️
Two practices shape the rhythm of a Muslim life. **Salah** is ritual prayer, performed five times every day. **Sawm** is fasting during the month of **Ramadan**. Both are among the **Five Pillars** kept by Sunni Muslims and the **Ten Obligatory Acts** kept by Shi'a Muslims. This module explores how each is carried out and why it matters.
The language of practice 🔑
Four ideas run through the topic:
Which way to pray? 🧭
When performing Salah, in which direction does a Muslim face?
- Towards the Ka'bah in Makkah, the direction called the qiblah
- Towards the rising sun each morning
- Towards the nearest mosque building
- Towards Jerusalem at all times
Match each term to its meaning 🔗
- Wudu
- Qiblah
- Rak'ah
- Jummah
- The ritual washing done to be clean before prayer
- The direction of prayer, towards Makkah
- A single unit of the movements and recitation in prayer
- The Friday midday congregational prayer at the mosque
Salah and Christian worship ⚖️
Salah can be compared with worship in Christianity. Both set aside regular, structured time for God, yet they differ in rhythm and form.
True of Salah? ✅
Select the TWO statements that are true about Salah.
- A Muslim performs wudu, a washing, before praying
- Salah is performed five times each day
- Salah may only ever be performed inside a mosque
- Salah is performed only once a year
Fasting in Ramadan 🌙
Sawm is fasting during **Ramadan**, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. From dawn until sunset Muslims abstain from food and drink; they eat a meal before dawn, called Suhur, and break the fast at sunset, called Iftar. The Qur'an teaches that fasting is prescribed for believers, as it was for those before them (Surah 2:183). Not everyone must fast: the **ill**, the **elderly**, **young children**, **travellers** and **pregnant or nursing** women are excused. Near the end of the month Muslims mark **Laylat al-Qadr**, the Night of Power, remembering the first revelation of the Qur'an.
Complete the summary 🧱
Before Salah a Muslim performs _____, a ritual washing. Prayer is offered five times a day, facing the _____ in Makkah. During the month of _____, Muslims keep _____, fasting from dawn until sunset. Both practices are among the Five Pillars for Sunni Muslims and the Ten Obligatory _____ for Shi'a Muslims.
The steps of Salah 🪜
An interactive activity.
A family in Ramadan 🕌
An interactive activity.
Who is excused? 🍽️
Who is excused from fasting during Ramadan?
- People who are ill, very young, elderly, travelling or pregnant
- Anyone who simply does not feel like fasting
- Only people who live outside a Muslim country
- No one is ever excused from fasting
Spot the true statements 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Why Salah matters ✍️
An interactive activity.