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The First Pillar of Islam: The Muslim Profession of Faith
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Description: An introduction to the first pillar of Islam: the Muslim Profession of Faith, or the shahada, that no-one deserves worship except God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and the various meanings they contain.
By IslamReligion.com
- Published on 13 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 02 Apr 2008
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Category: Articles
> Worship and Practice
> The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship
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 All practicing Muslims accept belief in the ‘Six Articles
of Faith’ and are obliged to follow the ‘Five Pillars.’ They are:
1. Muslim profession of faith or shahada.
2. Ritual Prayer or salah.
3. Obligatory Charity or zakah.
4. Fasting or sawm.
5. Pilgrimage or hajj.
The First Pillar
Muslim Profession of Faith
The Shahada is the Muslim profession of faith and
the first of the ‘Five Pillars’ of Islam. The word shahada in Arabic
means ‘testimony.’ The shahada is to testify to two things:
(a) Nothing deserves worship except God (Allah).
(b) Muhammad is the Messenger of God (Allah).
A Muslim is simply one who bears witness and testifies
that “nothing deserves worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
One becomes a Muslim by making this simple declaration.
It must be recited by every Muslim at least once in a
lifetime with a full understanding of its meaning and with an assent of the
heart. Muslims say this when they wake up in the morning, and before they go
to sleep at night. It is repeated five times in the call to prayer in every
mosque. A person who utters the shahada as their last words in this
life has been promised Paradise.
Many people ignorant of Islam have misconceived notions
about the Allah, used by Muslims to denote God. Allah is the proper
name for God in Arabic, just as "Elah", or often "Elohim",
is the proper name for God in Aramaic mentioned in the Old Testament. Allah
is also His personal name in Islam, as "YHWH" is His personal
name in Judaism. However, rather than the specific Hebrew denotation of "YHWH"
as "He Who Is", in Arabic Allah denotes the aspect of
being “The One True Deity worthy of all worship”. Arabic speaking Jews
and Christians also refer to the Supreme Being as Allah.
(a) Nothing deserves worship except God (Allah).
The first part of this testimony states that God has the
exclusive right to be worshipped inwardly and outwardly, by one’s heart and limbs.
In Islamic doctrine, not only can no one be worshipped apart from Him,
absolutely no one else can be worshipped along with Him. He has
no partners or associates in worship. Worship, in its comprehensive sense and all
its aspects, is for Him alone. God’s right to be worshipped is the essential
meaning of Islam’s testimony of faith: Lā ‘ilāha ‘illā
llāh. A person becomes Muslim by testifying to the divine right to
worship. It is the crux of Islamic belief in God, even all of Islam. It is
considered the central message of all prophets and messengers sent by God - the
message of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and
Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon them. For instance, Moses
declared:
“Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4)
Jesus repeated the same message 1500 years later when he
said:
“The first of all the commandments is, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)
…and reminded Satan:
“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship
the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” (Matthew 4:10)
Finally, the call of Muhammad, some 600 years after
Jesus, reverberated across the hills of Mecca, ‘And your God is One God:
there is no god but He.’ (Quran 2:163). They all declared clearly:
“Worship God! You have no other god but Him.” (Quran 7:59, 7:73;
11:50, 11:84; 23:32)
But by a mere verbal profession alone, one does not
become a complete Muslim. To become a complete Muslim one has to fully carry
out in practice the instruction given by Prophet Muhammad as ordained by God. This
brings us to the second part of the testimony.
(b) Muhammad is the Messenger of God (Allah).
Muhammad was born in Mecca in Arabia in the year 570 CE.
His ancestry goes back to Ishmael, a son of Prophet Abraham. The second part
of the confession of faith asserts that he is not only a prophet but also a
messenger of God, a higher role also played by Moses and Jesus before him. Like
all prophets before him, he was a human being, but chosen by God to convey His
message to all humanity rather than one tribe or nation from among the many
that exist. For Muslims, Muhammad brought the last and final revelation. In
accepting Muhammad as the “last of the prophets,” they believe that his
prophecy confirms and completes all of the revealed messages, beginning with that
of Adam. In addition, Muhammad serves as the preeminent role model through his
life example. The believer’s effort to follow Muhammad’s example reflects the
emphasis of Islam on practice and action.
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The Second Pillar of Islam: The Prayer
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Description: An introduction to the Second Pillar of Islam:,the Ritual Prayer, its spiritual dimensions, the Adhan (the ‘Call to Prayer’), and the Friday Prayer (Jumuah).
By IslamReligion.com
- Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 21 May 2006
Viewed: 22348 - Rating: 4.3 from 5 - Rated by: 30
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Category: Articles
> Worship and Practice
> The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship
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Salah is the daily ritual prayer enjoined upon
all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam. It is performed five times a
day by all Muslims. Salah is a precise worship, different from praying
on the inspiration of the moment. Muslims pray or, perhaps more correctly,
worship five times throughout the day:
·
Between first light and sunrise.
·
After the sun has passed the middle of the sky.
·
Between mid-afternoon and sunset.
·
Between sunset and the last light of the day.
·
Between darkness and midnight.
Abdullahi Haji-Mohamed kneels during evening prayers while
waiting for fares at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, May 4, 2005. (AP Photo/The
Plain Dealer, Gus Chan)
Each prayer may take at least 5 minutes, but it may be lengthened
as a person wishes. Muslims can pray in any clean environment, alone or
together, in a mosque or at home, at work or on the road, indoors or out. Under special circumstances,
such as illness, journey, or war, certain allowances in the prayers are given to
make their offering easy.
Having specific times each day to be close to God helps
Muslims remain aware of the importance of their faith, and the role it plays in
every part of life. Muslims start their day by cleaning themselves and then standing
before their Lord in prayer. The prayers consist of recitations from the Quran
in Arabic and a sequence of movements: standing, bowing, prostrating, and
sitting. All recitations and movements express submission, humility, and
homage to God. The various postures Muslims assume during their prayers
capture the spirit of submission; the words remind them of their commitments to
God. The prayer also reminds one of belief in the Day of Judgment and of the
fact that one has to appear before his or her Creator and give an account of their
entire life. This is how a Muslim starts their day. In the course of the day,
Muslims dissociate themselves form their worldly engagements for a few moments
and stand before God. This brings to mind once again the real purpose of life.
These prayers serve as a constant reminder throughout
the day to help keep believers mindful of God in the daily stress of work,
family, and distractions of life. Prayer strengthens faith, dependence on God,
and puts daily life within the perspective of life to come after death and the last
judgment. As they prepare to pray, Muslims face Mecca, the holy city that
houses the Kaaba (the ancient place of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael).
At the end of the prayer, the shahada (testimony of faith) is recited,
and the greeting of peace, “Peace be upon all of you and the mercy and
blessings of God,” is repeated twice.
Though individual performance of salah is
permissible, collective worship in the mosque has special merit and Muslims are
encouraged to perform certain salah with others. With their faces
turned in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, the worshipers align themselves
in parallel rows behind the imam, or prayer leader, who directs them as
they execute the physical postures coupled with Quran recitations. In many
Muslim countries, the “call to prayer,” or ‘Adhan,’ echo out across the rooftops.
Aided by a megaphone the muezzin calls out:
Allahu Akbar (God
is the greatest),
Allahu Akbar (God
is the greatest),
Allahu Akbar (God
is the greatest),
Allahu Akbar (God
is the greatest),
Ash-hadu an-laa ilaaha ill-Allah
(I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu an-laa ilaaha ill-Allah
(I witness that none deserves worship except God).
Ash-hadu anna
Muhammad-ar-Rasool-ullah (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Ash-hadu anna
Muhammad-ar-Rasool-ullah (I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God).
Hayya ‘alas-Salah (Come
to prayer!)
Hayya ‘alas-Salah (Come
to prayer!)
Hayya ‘alal-Falah (Come
to prosperity!)
Hayya ‘alal-Falah (Come
to prosperity!)
Allahu Akbar (God is
the greatest),
Allahu Akbar (God is
the greatest),
La ilaaha ill-Allah
(None deserves worship except God).
Men are joined by some of the students from the Noor-ul-Iman
School for afternoon prayer at the Islamic Society of New Jersey, a mosque in
suburban South Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, May 13, 2003. Many Muslims
communities across the United States are spreading out from the cities to the
suburbs. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)
Friday is the weekly day of communal worship in Islam. The
weekly convened Friday Prayer is the most important service. The Friday Prayer
is marked by the following features:
·
It falls in the same time as the noon prayer which
it replaces.
·
It must be performed in a congregation led by a
prayer leader, an ‘Imam.’ It can not be offered individually. Muslims in the
West try to arrange their schedules to allow them time to attend the prayer.
·
Rather than a day of rest like the Sabbath, Friday
is a day of devotion and extra worship. A Muslim is allowed normal work on
Friday as on any other day of the week. They may proceed with their usual
activities, but they must break for the Friday prayer. After the worship is
over, they can resume their mundane activities.
·
Typically, the Friday Prayer is performed in a
mosque, if available. Sometimes, due to unavailability of a mosque, it may be
offered at a rented facility, park, etc.
·
When the time for prayer comes, the Adhan is
pronounced The Imam then stands facing the audience and delivers his sermon
(known as khutba in Arabic), an essential part of the service of which
its attendance is required. While the Imam is talking, everyone present listens
to the sermon quietly till the end. Most Imams in the West will deliver the
sermon in English, but some deliver it in Arabic. Those who deliver it in
Arabic usually deliver a short speech in the local language before the service.
·
There are two sermons delivered, one distinguished from
the other by a brief sitting of the Imam. The sermon is commenced with words
of praise of God and prayers of blessing for Prophet Muhammad, may God praise
him.
·
After the sermon, the prayer is offered under the
leadership of the Imam who recites the Fatiha and the other Quranic passage in
an audible voice. When this is done, the prayer is completed.
Special, large congregational prayers, which include a
sermon, are also offered at late morning on the two days of festivity. One of
them is immediately following the month of fasting, Ramadan, and the other after
the pilgrimage, or hajj.
Although not religiously mandated, individual devotional
prayers, especially during the night, are emphasized and are a common practice
among pious Muslims.
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The Third Pillar of Islam: Compulsory Charity
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Description: An introduction to the third pillar of Islam, the compulsory charity or zakat, the spiritual dimensions of zakat and charity, and how Islam views money in general.
By IslamReligion.com
- Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 02 Apr 2008
Viewed: 16380 - Rating: 4.7 from 5 - Rated by: 16
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Category: Articles
> Worship and Practice
> The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship
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 Charity is not just recommended by Islam, it is required
of every financially stable Muslim. Giving charity to those who deserve it is
part of Muslim character and one of the Five Pillars of Islamic practice. Zakat
is viewed as “compulsory charity”; it is an obligation for those who have
received their wealth from God to respond to those members of the community in need.
Devoid of sentiments of universal love, some people know only to hoard wealth
and to add to it by lending it out on interest. Islam’s teachings are the very
antithesis of this attitude. Islam encourages the sharing of wealth with
others and helps people to stand on their own and become productive members of
the society.
In Arabic it is known as zakat which
literally means “purification”, because zakat is considered to purify
one’s heart of greed. Love of wealth is natural and it takes firm belief in
God for a person to part with some of his wealth. Zakat must be paid on
different categories of property — gold, silver, money; livestock; agricultural
produce; and business commodities — and is payable each year after one year’s
possession. It requires an annual contribution of 2.5 percent of an individual’s
wealth and assets.
Like prayer, which is both an individual and communal
responsibility, zakat expresses a Muslim’s worship of and thanksgiving
to God by supporting those in need. In Islam, the true owner of things is not
man, but God. Acquisition of wealth for its own sake, or so that it may
increase a man’s worth, is condemned. Mere acquisition of wealth counts for nothing
in the sight of God. It does not give man any merit in this life or in the
hereafter. Islam teaches that people should acquire wealth with the intention
of spending it on their own needs and the needs of others.
“‘Man’, said the Prophet, ‘says: My wealth! My
wealth!’ Have you not any wealth except that which you give as alms and thus
preserve, wear and tatter, eat and use up?”
The whole concept of wealth is considered in Islam as a
gift from God. God, who provided it to the person, made a portion of it for
the poor, so the poor have a right over one’s wealth. Zakat reminds Muslims
that everything they have belongs to God. People are given their wealth as a
trust from God, and zakat is intended to free Muslims from the love of
money. The money paid in zakat is not something God needs or receives.
He is above any type of dependency. God, in His boundless mercy, promises
rewards for helping those in need with one basic condition that zakat be paid in
the name of God; one should not expect or demand any worldly gains from the
beneficiaries nor aim at making one’s names as a philanthropist. The feelings
of a beneficiary should not be hurt by making him feel inferior or reminding him
of the assistance.
Money given as zakat can only be used for certain
specific things. Islamic Law stipulates that alms are to be used to support
the poor, orphans, and widows, to free slaves and debtors, and others in need,
as specifically mentioned in the Quran (9:60). Zakat, which developed
fourteen hundred years ago, functions as a form of social security in a Muslim
society.
Neither Jewish nor Christian scriptures praise slave
manumission by raising it to worship. Indeed, Islam is unique in world
religions in requiring the faithful to financially help slaves win their
freedom and has raised the manumission of a slave to an act of worship - if it
is done to please God.
Under the caliphates, the collection and expenditure of zakat
was a function of the state. In the contemporary Muslim world, it has been
left up to the individual, except in some countries in which the state fulfills
that role to some degree. Most Muslims in the West disperse zakat
through Islamic charities, mosques, or directly giving to the poor. Money is
not collected during religious services or via collection plates, but some mosques
keep a drop box for those who wish it to distribute zakat on their
behalf. Unlike the zakat, Giving other forms of charity in private,
even in secret, is considered better, in order to keep one’s intention purely
for the God.
Apart from zakat, the Quran and Hadeeth (sayings
and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon
him) also stress sadaqah,
or voluntary almsgiving, which is intended for the needy. The Quran emphasizes
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping those who are in need, and the
more one helps, the more God helps the person, and the more one gives, the more
God gives the person. One feels he is taking care of others and God is taking
care of him.
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The Fourth Pillar of Islam: The Fast of Ramadan
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Description: An introduction to the fourth pillar of Islam, the fast of Ramadan, its spiritual benefits, and the concept of fasting in world religions.
By IslamReligion.com
- Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 01 Jul 2007
Viewed: 15095 - Rating: 4.3 from 5 - Rated by: 19
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Category: Articles
> Worship and Practice
> The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship
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 Fasting is not unique to the Muslims. It has been
practiced for centuries in connection with religious ceremonies by Christians,
Jews, Confucianists, Hindus, Taoists, and Jains. God mentions this fact in the
Quran:
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may develop God-consciousness.”
(Quran 2:183)
Some Native American societies fasted to avert
catastrophe or to serve as penance for sin. Native North Americans held tribal
fasts to avert threatening disasters. The Native Americans of Mexico and the
Incas of Peru observed penitential fasts to appease their gods. Past nations of
the Old World, such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians, observed fasting as a
form of penance. Jews observe fasting as a form of penitence and purification
annually on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. On this day neither food nor
drink is permitted.
Early Christians associated fasting with penitence and
purification. During the first two centuries of its existence, the Christian
church established fasting as a voluntary preparation for receiving the sacraments
of Holy Communion and baptism and for the ordination of priests. Later, these
fasts were made obligatory, as others days were subsequently added. In the 6th
century, the Lenten fast was expanded to 40 days, on each of which only one
meal was permitted. After the Reformation, fasting was retained by most
Protestant churches and was made optional in some cases. Stricter Protestants,
however, condemned not only the festivals of the church, but its traditional
fasts as well.
In the Roman Catholic Church, fasting may involve
partial abstinence from food and drink or total abstinence. The Roman Catholic
days of fasting are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In the United States, fasting is observed mostly by Episcopalians and Lutherans among Protestants,
by Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and by Roman Catholics.
Fasting took another form in the West: the hunger
strike, a form of fasting, which in modern times has become a political weapon
after being popularized by Mohandas Gandhi, leader of the struggle for India’s
freedom, who undertook fasts to compel his followers to obey his precept of
nonviolence.
Islam is the only religion that has retained the outward
and spiritual dimensions of fasting throughout centuries. Selfish motives and
desires of the base self alienate a man from his Creator. The most unruly
human emotions are pride, avarice, gluttony, lust, envy, and anger. These
emotions by their nature are not easy to control, thus a person must strive hard
to discipline them. Muslims fast to purify their soul, it puts a bridle on the
most uncontrolled, savage human emotions. People have gone to two extremes
with regard to them. Some let these emotions steer their life which lead to
barbarism among the ancients, and crass materialism of consumer cultures in
modern times. Others tried to deprive themselves completely of these human
traits, which in turn led to monasticism.
The fourth Pillar of Islam, the Fast of Ramadan, occurs
once each year during the 9th lunar month, the month of Ramadan, the
ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which:
“…the Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people.” (Quran
2:185)
God in His infinite mercy has exempt the ill, travelers,
and others who are unable from fasting Ramadan.
Fasting helps Muslims develop self-control, gain a
better understanding of God’s gifts and greater compassion towards the deprived.
Fasting in Islam involves abstaining from all bodily pleasures between dawn and
sunset. Not only is food forbidden, but also any sexual activity. All things
which are regarded as prohibited is even more so in this month, due to its
sacredness.. Each and every moment during the fast, a person suppresses their passions
and desires in loving obedience to God. This consciousness of duty and the
spirit of patience helps in strengthening our faith. Fasting helps a person
gain self-control. A person who abstains from permissible things like food and
drink is likely to feel conscious of his sins. A heightened sense of
spirituality helps break the habits of lying, staring with lust at the opposite
sex, gossiping, and wasting time. Staying hungry and thirsty for just a day’s
portion makes one feel the misery of the 800 million who go hungry or the one
in ten households in the US, for example, that are living with hunger or are at
risk of hunger. After all, why would anyone care about starvation if one has
never felt its pangs oneself? One can see why Ramadan is also a month
of charity and giving.
At dusk, the fast is broken with a light meal popularly
referred to as iftaar. Families and friends share a special late
evening meal together, often including special foods and sweets served only at
this time of the year. Many go to the mosque for the evening prayer, followed
by special prayers recited only during Ramadan. Some will recite the entire Quran
as a special act of piety, and public recitations of the Quran can be heard
throughout the evening. Families rise before sunrise to take their first meal
of the day, which sustains them until sunset. Near the end of Ramadan Muslims
commemorate the “Night of Power” when the Quran was revealed. The month of
Ramadan ends with one of the two major Islamic celebrations, the Feast of the
Breaking of the Fast, called Eid al-Fitr. On this day, Muslims joyfully
celebrate the completion of Ramadan and customarily distribute gifts to
children. Muslims are also obliged to help the poor join in the spirit of
relaxation and enjoyment by distributing zakat-ul-fitr, a special and
obligatory act of charity in the form of staple foodstuff, in order that all
may enjoy the general euphoria of the day.
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The Fifth Pillar of Islam: The Pilgrimage (Hajj)
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Description: The Merits and various rites performed in Hajj, the fifth of the five obligatory fundamental Muslim practices.
By IslamReligion.com
- Published on 13 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 27 Dec 2006
Viewed: 14504 - Rating: 4.4 from 5 - Rated by: 27
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Category: Articles
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> The Five Pillars of Islam and Other Acts of Worship
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_001.jpg) The Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is the fifth of the
fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the five pillars of
Islam. Pilgrimage is not undertaken in Islam to the shrines of saints, to monasteries
for help from holy men, or to sights where miracles are supposed to have occurred,
even though we may see many Muslims do this. Pilgrimage is made to the Kaaba, found
in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudia, the ‘House of God,’ whose sanctity rests
in that the Prophet Abraham built it for the worship of God. God rewarded him
by attributing the House to himself, in essence honoring it, and by making it
the devotional epicenter which all Muslims face when offering the prayers (salah).
The rites of pilgrimage are performed today exactly as did by Abraham, and
after him by Prophet Muhammad, may God praise them.
Pilgrimage is viewed as a particularly meritorious
activity. Pilgrimage serves as a penance - the ultimate forgiveness for sins,
devotion, and intense spirituality. The pilgrimage to Mecca, the most sacred
city in Islam, is required of all physically and financially able Muslims once
in their life. The
pilgrimage rite begins a few months after Ramadan, on the 8th day of the last
month of the Islamic year of Dhul-Hijjah, and ends on the 13th day. Mecca is
the center towards which the Muslims converge once a year, meet and refresh in
themselves the faith that all Muslims are equal and deserve the love and
sympathy of others, irrespective of their race or ethnic origin. The racial
harmony fostered by Hajj is perhaps best captured by Malcolm X on his historic
pilgrimage:
‘Every one of the thousands at the airport, about to
leave for Jeddah, was dressed this way. You could be a king or a peasant and
no one would know. Some powerful personages, who were discreetly pointed out
to me, had on the same thing I had on. Once thus dressed, we all had begun
intermittently calling out “Labbayka! (Allahumma) Labbayka!” (At your service,
O Lord!) Packed in the plane were white, black, brown, red, and yellow people,
blue eyes and blond hair, and my kinky red hair - all together, brothers! All
honoring the same God, all in turn giving equal honor to each other . . .
That is when I first began to reappraise the ‘white man’.
It was when I first began to perceive that ‘white man’, as commonly used, means
complexion only secondarily; primarily it described attitudes and actions. In America, ‘white man’ meant specific attitudes and actions toward the black man, and toward
all other non-white men. But in the Muslim world, I had seen that men with
white complexions were more genuinely brotherly than anyone else had ever been.
That morning was the start of a radical alteration in my whole outlook about ‘white’
men.
There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over
the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned
Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual displaying a spirit
of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe
never could exist between the white and the non-white... America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the
race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked
to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white -
but the ‘white’ attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam.
I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors
together, irrespective of their color.”
Thus the pilgrimage unites the Muslims of the world into
one international fraternity. More than two million persons perform the Hajj
each year, and the rite serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing
followers of diverse backgrounds together in worship. In some Muslim
societies, once a believer has made the pilgrimage, he is often labeled with
the title ‘hajji’ ; this, however, is a cultural, rather than religious
custom. Finally, the Hajj is a manifestation of the belief in the unity of God
- all the pilgrims worship and obey the commands of the One God.
At certain stations on the caravan routes to Mecca, or when the pilgrim passes the point nearest to those stations, the pilgrim enters
the state of purity known as ihram. In this state, the certain ‘normal’
actions of the day and night become impermissible for the pilgrims, such as
covering the head, clipping the fingernails, and wearing normal clothing in
regards to men. Males remove their clothing and don the garments specific to
this state of ihram, two white seamless sheets that are wrapped around
the body. All this increases the reverence and sanctity of the pilgrimage, the
city of Mecca, and month of Dhul-Hijjah. There are 5 stations, one on the coastal
plains northwest of Mecca towards Egypt and one south towards Yemen, while three lie north or eastwards towards Medina, Iraq and al-Najd. The simple garb
signifies the equality of all humanity in God’s sight, and the removal of all
worldly affections. After entering the state of ihram, the pilgrim proceeds to
Mecca and awaits the start of the Hajj. On the 7th of Dhu al-Hijjah the
pilgrim is reminded of his duties, and at the commence of the ritual, which
takes place between the 8th and the 12th days of the month, the pilgrim visits
the holy places outside Mecca - Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Minaa - and sacrifices
an animal in commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice. The pilgrim then shortens
or shaves their head, and, after throwing seven stones at specific pillars at
Minaa on three or four successive days, and heads for the central mosque where
he walks seven times around the sacred sanctuary, or Kaaba, in the Great
Mosque, and ambulates, walking and running, seven times between the two small
hills of Mt. Safaa and Mt. Marwah. Discussing the historical or spiritual
significance of each rite is beyond the scope of this introductory article.
Apart from Hajj, the “minor pilgrimage” or umrah is
undertaken by Muslims during the rest of the year. Performing the umrah
does not fulfill the obligation of Hajj. It is similar to the major and
obligatory Islamic pilgrimage (hajj), and pilgrims have the choice of performing
the umrah separately or in combination with the Hajj. As in the Hajj,
the pilgrim begins the umrah by assuming the state of ihram. They
enter Mecca and circle the sacred shrine of the Kaaba seven times. He may then
touch the Black Stone, if he can, pray behind the Maqam Ibrahim, drink the holy
water of the Zamzam spring. The ambulation between the hills of Safa and Marwah
seven times and the shortening or shaving of the head complete the umrah.
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