Islamiat - Fundamental Concepts for Exams

Islamiat for Competitive Exams

Islamiat is a compulsory subject in CSS (100 marks) and features prominently in PPSC, FPSC, and other commission exams. This guide covers the most tested areas.

1. Pillars of Islam

• Shahadah - Declaration of faith
• Salah - Five daily prayers
• Zakat - 2.5% annual charity (Nisab-based)
• Sawm - Fasting during Ramadan
• Hajj - Pilgrimage to Makkah (obligatory once if able)

2. Articles of Faith (Iman-e-Mufassal)

• Belief in Allah (Tawheed)
• Belief in Angels (Malaika)
• Belief in Holy Books (Kutub)
• Belief in Prophets (Rusul)
• Belief in Day of Judgment (Akhirah)
• Belief in Divine Decree (Taqdeer)

3. Seerat-un-Nabi (Life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

• Birth: 570 CE, Makkah (Year of the Elephant)
• First revelation: 610 CE in Cave Hira (Surah Al-Alaq)
• Migration to Madinah (Hijra): 622 CE
• Key battles: Badr (624), Uhud (625), Khandaq/Trench (627)
• Treaty of Hudaibiya: 628 CE
• Conquest of Makkah: 630 CE
• Last Sermon (Khutba Hajjatul-Wida): 632 CE

4. The Holy Quran

• Total Surahs: 114 (86 Makki, 28 Madani)
• Total Ayahs: 6,236
• Longest Surah: Al-Baqarah (286 ayahs)
• Shortest Surah: Al-Kausar (3 ayahs)
• Compiled during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (R.A.)
• Standardized during Usman (R.A.)'s caliphate

5. The Khulafa-e-Rashideen

• Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) - 632-634 CE, compilation of Quran, Ridda Wars
• Umar ibn Al-Khattab (R.A.) - 634-644 CE, vast expansion, established Baitul Mal
• Usman ibn Affan (R.A.) - 644-656 CE, standardized Quran, naval expansion
• Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A.) - 656-661 CE, moved capital to Kufa

6. Islamic Governance Concepts

• Shura (consultation) - Principle of collective decision-making
• Ijma (consensus) - Agreement of scholars on religious matters
• Ijtihad (independent reasoning) - Deriving rulings for new issues
• Qiyas (analogical reasoning) - Applying established rulings to new cases

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Key Points

• Five Pillars and Six Articles of Faith are exam basics
• Know key events in chronological order - Seerat
• Quran has 114 Surahs (86 Makki, 28 Madani)
• Know all four Khulafa-e-Rashideen and their contributions
• Understand Islamic governance concepts - Shura, Ijma, Ijtihad

Preparation Tips

• Create a chronological timeline of Seerat events with dates
• Memorize Surah names, their order, and key characteristics
• Study Hadith collections - Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim especially
• For CSS, prepare essay-length answers on Islamic governance topics