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They are the framework of
the Muslim life: faith, prayer, concern for the needy,
self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who
are able.
1) FAITH
"There
is no deity
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.
Shahada inscribed at Ottoman Topkapi Palace, Istanbul.
2) PRAYER
Salah
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
God is most
great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God. |
New Mexico, U.S.A.
Prayer Call from Abiquiu Mosque.
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3) THE 'ZAKAH'
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
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)
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.
Pilgrims praying at the mosque in Makkah.
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.
Pilgrim tents during Hajj.
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
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