1) FAITH
There is no god
worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger.
This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple
formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the
first part is la ilaha illa Llah - 'there is no god except
God'; ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may be
tempted to put in place of God - wealth, power, and the
like. Then comes illa Llah: 'except God', the source of
all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun
rasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of God.' A message
of guidance has come through a man like ourselves.
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| 2) PRAYER ( Prayer Performance
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Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers
which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between
the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam,
and no priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows
the Quran, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain
verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the
Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own
language.
Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall,
and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is
preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost
anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities.
Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers
in daily life.
A translation
of the Call to Prayer is:
Allah is most great. Allah is most great.
Allah is most great. Allah is most great.
I testify that there is no god except Allah.
I testify that there is no god except Allah.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
Allah is most great.Allah is most great.
There is no god except Allah. |
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3) THE 'ZAKAT' ( Zakat Information
Center )
One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things
belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings
in trust. The word zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'.
Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for
those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back
balances and encourages new growth.
Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For
most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a
half percent of one's capital.
A pious person may also give as much as he or she
pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although
this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider
meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful
face is charity.'
The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. '
He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied:
'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give
something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked:
'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should
help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What
if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others
to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?'
The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That
is also charity.'
4) THE FAST ( Ramadan Information Center )
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first
light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.
Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are
pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up
an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically
unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day
missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from
puberty, although many start earlier.
Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded
principally as a method of self purification. By cutting oneself
off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person
gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth
in one's spiritual life.
5) PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)
( Hajj Information Center )
The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an obligation
only for those who are physically and financially able to
perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah
each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique
opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another.
Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual
Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which
is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes
in summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes:
simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and
culture, so that all stand equal before God. |
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The rites of the
Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the
Ka'ba seven times, and going seven times between the mountains
of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar during her search for water.
Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafa
and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often
thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.
In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking.
Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides millions of people
with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-date health
facilities.
The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival,
the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the
exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This,
and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of
Ramadan, are the main festivals of the Muslim calendar. |
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