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 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.
2)
PRAYER
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:
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.
3) THE 'ZAKAT'
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.
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.