mpt · CSS study notes
Pillars & Beliefs
High-yield core beliefs, the Five Pillars, Zakat rules, and the Fiqh schools/terminology cluster that FPSC repeats almost every year. Each fact is tagged with the paper year(s) it was asked in.
Core Islamic beliefs
- Tawheed — Oneness of Allah, the foundational belief of Islam
- Risalah — belief in the Prophethood, sealed by Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as the final Messenger
- Akhirah — belief in the Hereafter and accountability
- Angels, Divine Books, and Qadar (destiny) — remaining pillars of Iman (belief)
- "Rabbi Zidni Ilma" ("My Lord, increase me in knowledge") is a Qur'anic verse, not a Hadith or Asar (2022)
The Five Pillars
| Pillar | Key exam fact | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Shahadah | Declaration of faith — the entry point to Islam | — |
| Salah | The key method of self-purification in Islam | 2024 |
| Zakat | Obligatory almsgiving — see detailed rules below | 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 |
| Sawm | Fasting, esp. in Ramadan; the Night of Qadar (better than 1000 nights) falls within it | 2023 |
| Hajj | Pilgrimage; at the Farewell Hajj the Prophet (ﷺ) addressed a large gathering at Arafat (numbers recalled as 140k/150k — key uncertain, verify independently) | 2023 |
Related worship rulings
- Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) is classified as Farz-e-Kifaya (a communal obligation) (2022)
- Distance for Qasr (shortening) in prayer while travelling = 85 km (2022)
Zakat — the highest-repeat topic on this page
- Nisab of Zakat in gold = 7½ tola — asked in 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 — the single highest-confidence repeat in Islamic Studies MCQs
- 8 heads of Zakat expenditure are specified in the Qur'an — asked in 2022, 2023
- For Zakat's role in the wider Islamic economic system (alongside Mudaraba), see Islamic System & Ethics
Fiqh Schools (Fiqhi doctrines)
- Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali are classified as Fiqhi doctrines (not creed-based/Kalami doctrines) (2022)
| School | Founder / key fact | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Hanafi | Founder Imam Abu Hanifa — real name Nauman bin Sabit | 2022 |
| Maliki | Introduced in Spain (Al-Andalus) under Abdul Rehman | 2023 |
| Shafi'i | Founded by Imam Shafi'i | — |
| Hanbali | Founded by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal | — |
Fiqh terminology cluster (2025 & 2026 — asked verbatim in both years)
- Ijma literally means Consensus (2022)
- Ijma has four recognized types:
- Ijma Sukuti — silent consensus
- Ijma Qauli — verbal/explicit consensus
- Ijma Faili — consensus by action/practice
- Ijma Taqriri — consensus of one community adopted/tacitly approved by another community's scholars
- ⚠️ Watch the year-to-year swap: "Consensus of one community adopted by another community's scholars" was keyed as Ijma Taqriri in 2025 but Ijma Sukuti in 2026 — know both terms and expect FPSC to keep alternating
- Zihar — declaring one's wife as being in a muharramat (forbidden-degree) relation (2025, 2026). Full glossary entry: Important Terms
- Ilm-ul-Faraiz — the Islamic law of inheritance (2025, 2026)