KEY STAGE 2
Mid-term planning
Year 5: Unit 1 / Term: Autumn 1 / Year:
Do Muslims need the Qur’an?
Key Concepts:Sacred Text; Wudu; Hadith; Hafiz; Calligraphy / Learning Objective:to explore different ways of showing belief with special reference to Islam
Brief Background knowledge for teachers
Muslims believe that the Qur’an was dictated to Muhammad by the Angel Jibreel (Muslim spelling of Gabriel) when Muhammad could neither read or write. The words are therefore believed to be the exact words of Allah and so they are not usually translated but learned in the original Arabic. Most Muslims learn at least sections of the Qur’an by heart; those who learn it all are called “Hafiz”. The Qur’an contains some material that is similar to the Old Testament, though the style of retelling differs; most of the people considered prophets by Jews and Christians are also revered as such by Muslims; Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David and Jesus all feature more in the Qur’an than Muhammad. The tales of Muhammad are mostly found in the Hadith, where there is also commentary on his actions and his teaching. It is the interpretations offered in the Hadith that have formed the basis for much Muslim practice. The Qur’an when kept at home is given special treatment; it is kept on the highest possible shelf, wrapped in cloths and people wash thoroughly before touching it. It is usually placed on a stand before being read and touched as little as possible. In the Mosque, the Qur’an is stored on shelves as the whole building is considered holy and pure. Worshippers entering the Mosque perform Wudu – the ritual washing and remove their shoes, preserving the purity of the building. The Mosque is often decorated with quotes from the Qur’an; calligraphy forms the basis of much Islamic art as most Muslims follow the injunction not to make images of people or natural things. The key teachings of the Qur’an are that there is one God, Allah and that Muhammad is his last messenger. The most frequent instructions are to believe and perform good deeds; prayer is expected but apart from good deeds is considered of lesser value. The Qur’an is recited in prayers according to the requirements laid out in the Hadith for the 5 daily prayers as part of the 5 pillars. The revelation of the Qur’an is remembered during the month of Ramadan, with the fast.
Expected Learning
Pupils will know that people who learn the Qur’an by heart are called Hafiz; the will know that the Hadith is a different text, with different intentions and treated differently. They will know how the Qur’an is treated and some of the key teachings. They will evaluate the impact of the Qur’an on Muslim life and be able to link some Qur’anic teaching to Muslim practice; they will make links between the revelation of the Qur’an and the respect with which it is treated. They will make comparisons with other sacred text they have encountered
Developing
Pupils will know that the Qur’an is the sacred text of the Islamic faith; they will know that followers of Islam are called Muslims; that God is known as Allah and identified by 99 names; that the Qur’an is written in Arabic and learned in Arabic, they will know the story of the revelation / Excelling
Pupils will recognise the differences between the Qur’an and the Hadith and evaluate the different impact of the two books on Muslim life; they will evaluate the impact of sacred texts on communities and individuals; they will recognise the challenges in following a sacred text.
Engage:
- Do an activity like the “last piece of paper in the world” activity from the RE Today Publication: Reflections. (Give pupils a blank piece of paper and ask them to imagine that it is the last piece of paper in the world and they need to think of the best way to use it – what would they write. Precede this with a stilling activity.) What do the children think is the most important idea to communicate? Play Chinese whispers – what are the advantages of writing things down?
- What would the children expect to be written in a Sacred Text? Is a Sacred Text useful? In what ways? Discuss and establish what is meant by “sacred” and find examples of what is sacred.
Enquire & Explore:(AT1)
- Find out what is contained in the Qur’an and how it is used. Explore the way the Qur’an is kept, read, memorised and how people prepare to read it. Read and explore some of the stories; compare the Qur’an to the Hadith and discuss which might have more impact on the lives of Muslims. Look at the impact the Qur’an has on the lives of Muslims and their daily routine, schooling etc. Compare this to other influences on Muslims – that of community, family etc. Think about the consequences of Muslims believing that the Qur’an contains the actual words of Allah and that therefore it has to be learned in Arabic rather than any other language. What is the main teaching of the Qur’an?
Evaluate: (AT2 Impersonal)
- What seems to make the biggest difference to the way Muslims live? Do they learn more from the Qur’an or the Hadith?
- Compare what they have learned about the Qur’an with the Bible and the Torah. What do the differences show us about the way the sacred texts are used? Does it matter that they have to learn it in Arabic? What is the main message that Muslims take from the Qur’an? How does this impact on Muslims?
ReflectCommunicate: (AT2 Personal)
- Do you need a Sacred Text? How would you use a Sacred Text? Is it valuable to read a Sacred Text? Would you read one? Why? How would it change you? Re-do the “last piece of paper in the world” reflection. Have you changed your mind? If so, what other changes do you need to decide to make? If you don’t use a text where do you get your ideas about what is right and wrong from?
Evaluation:
- What went well?
- Even better if:
Some suggested resources:
- RE Today Publications: Reflections – “the last piece of paper in the world” reflection
- A copy of the Qur’an, with cloth and stand
- Some Islamic calligraphy – perhaps of the 99 Names of Allah
- Video clips of Muslims at prayer, reading the Qur’an, performing Wudu etc
- Information about the Qur’an: this is a useful source of quotes from the Qur’an along with aninterpretation. Other versions will be available.
RE SCHEME OF WORK
CLASS RECORD SHEET
Assessment opportunities & activities
Year 5: Unit 1 / Term: Autumn 1 / Year:
Islam: Do Muslims need the Qur’an?
Some pupils will have made more progress and be able to use a developing religious vocabulary to:
- Annotate a photograph of a Muslim at prayer or Wudu, showing understanding of what is being shown, linking it to the Qur’an
- Describe how it feels for a young Muslim to recite the Qur’an or perform Wudu
- Suggest meanings for the way the Qur’an is revered and compare it to the way other texts are treated
- Devise four good questions to ask about the differences between the teachings of the Hadith and the Qur’an
- Examine a news story from the point of view of a Muslim, linking to the teachings of the Qur’an
- Create a statement about how Muslims are influenced by the Qur’an and compare it to their own beliefs
Most pupils will be able to use a developing religious vocabulary to:
- Make links between the way the Qur’an is used in a mosque and Muslim beliefs
- Describe three things that Muslims believe in, referring to the teaching of the Qur’an
- Identify the impact of the Qur’an on the lives of believers
- Describe ways in which the Qur’an is treated with respect, suggesting reasons
- Identify what texts influence their own lives and say why
- Ask important questions about their own and Muslim beliefs about Sacred Texts
- Compare the Qur’an to another Sacred Text, or to something that they value
Some pupils will have made less progress and be able to use religious words and phrases to:
- Retell some Islamic stories by sequencing pictures or adding captions
- Suggest two things that matter to a Muslim about the Qur’an
- Identify the importance of the Qur’an for believers; say what makes the Qur’an special or sacred and to whom
- Identify ways and suggest reasons why the Qur’an is handled with respect
- Make up some good questions to ask a Muslim about the Qur’an
- Talk about something that is special or sacred to them
- Recognise that others may have differing views to their own about the way to handle Sacred texts