The five pillars of Islam
[edit]Shahadah
The
Shahadah the declaration of faith, i.e. the professing that there is only one
God (Allah) (monotheism) and that
Muhammad is God's messenger.
[9] The
shahadah is a set statement normally recited in Arabic:
ash'hadu an lā ilāha illà-llāh, wa-ash'hadu anna muḥammadan rasūlu-llāh "I testify that there is no god except God and I testify that Muhammad is a messenger of God." Reciting this statement is obligatory in daily prayer
(salāh) as well as on other occasions; it is also a key part in a person's conversion to Islam.
[10]
[edit]Salat: Prayer
View of the prayer hall of the
Mosque of Uqba also called the Great Mosque of Kairouan (in
Tunisia); performing the prayer or
Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam.
[11]
Salat (ṣalāh) is the Islamic prayer.
Salat consists of five daily prayers according to the Sunna; the names are arcording to the prayer times:
Fajr(morning dawn),
Zuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (after-sunset), and
'Isha' (late evening, night). The Fajr prayer is performed before sunrise, Zuhr is performed in the midday after the sun has surpassed its highest above you, Asar is the evening prayer before sunset, Maghrib is the evening prayer after sunset and Isha is the night prayer. All of these prayers are recited while facing the
Ka'bah in Mecca. Muslims must wash themselves before prayer, this washing is called
wudū' ("purification"). The prayer is accompanied by a series of set positions including; bowing with hands on knees, standing, prostrating and sitting in a special position (not on the heels, nor on the buttocks). Salat is the second of the five pillars of Islam.
[edit]Zakāt
Zakat or
alms-giving is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all who are able to do so. It is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality.
[12] Zakat consists of spending 2.5% of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor or needy, including slaves, debtors and travelers. A Muslim may also donate more as an act of voluntary charity (
sadaqah), rather than to achieve additional divine reward.
[13] There are two main types of Zakat. First, there is the kajj, which is a fixed amount There are five principles that should be followed when giving the Zakat:
- The giver must declare to God his intention to give the Zakat.
- The Zakat must be paid on the day that it is due.
- After the Offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual means.
- Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy then he or she needs to pay 2.5% of their income. If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior toward others.
- The Zakat must be distributed in the community from which it was taken.[14]
[edit]Sawm of Ramadan: Fasting
Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of
Ramadan.
[19] Muslims must abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other sins.
[19] Fasting is necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty (unless he/she suffers from a medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so.)
[20]
The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness to God, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy.
[21] During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, profane language, gossip and to try to get along with fellow Muslims better. In addition, all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided.
[22]
Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory, but is forbidden for several groups for whom it would be very dangerous and excessively problematic. These include pre-pubescent children, those with a medical condition such as
diabetes,
elderly people, and
pregnant or
breastfeeding women. Observing fasts is not permitted for menstruating women. Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast are those who are ill or traveling. Missing fasts usually must be made up for soon afterward, although the exact requirements vary according to circumstance.
[23][24][25][26]
[edit]Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
The
pilgrim, or the
haji, is honoured in the Muslim community. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God, not a means to gain social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine their intentions in performing the pilgrimage. This should lead to constant striving for self-improvement.
[29] A pilgrimage made at any time other than the Hajj season is called an
Umrah, and while not mandatory is strongly recommended. Also, they make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem in their alms giving feast.
[edit]
The five pillars of Islam
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