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There are five simple but essential observances that all
practicing Muslims accept and follow. These “Pillars of Islam” represent the
core that unites all Muslims.
1) The ‘Declaration of Faith’
A Muslim is one who testifies that “none deserves
worship but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This declaration is
known as the “shahada” (witness, testimony). God is the Arabic name for
God, just as Yahweh is the Hebrew name for God. By making this simple
proclamation one becomes a Muslim. The proclamation affirms Islam’s absolute
belief in the oneness of God, His exclusive right to be worshipped, as well as
the doctrine that associating anything else with God is the one unforgivable
sin as we read in the Koran:
“God does not forgive anyone for associating something with
Him, while He does forgive whomever He wishes to for anything else. Anyone who
gives God partners has invented an awful sin.” (Quran 4:48)
The second part of the testimony of faith states that
Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, is a prophet of God like Abraham, Moses and Jesus
before him. Muhammad brought the last and final revelation. In accepting
Muhammad as the “seal of the prophets,” Muslims believe that his prophecy
confirms and fulfills all of the revealed messages, beginning with Adam’s. In
addition, Muhammad serves as the role model through his exemplary life. A
believer’s effort to follow Muhammad’s example reflects the emphasis of Islam
on practice and action.
2) The Prayer (Salah)
Muslims worship five times a day: at daybreak, noon, mid
afternoon, sunset, and evening. It helps keep believers mindful of God in the stress
of work and family. It resets the spiritual focus, reaffirms total dependence
on God, and puts worldly concerns within the perspective of the last judgment
and the afterlife. The prayers consist of standing, bowing, kneeling, putting
the forehead on the ground, and sitting. The Prayer is a means in which a
relationship between God and His creation is maintained. It includes recitations
from the Quran, praises of God, prayers for forgiveness and other various
supplications. The prayer is an expression of submission, humility, and
adoration of God. Prayers can be offered in any clean place, alone or
together, in a mosque or at home, at work or on the road, indoors or out. It
is preferable to pray with others as one body united in the worship of God,
demonstrating discipline, brotherhood, equality, and solidarity. As they
prepare to pray, Muslims face Mecca, the holy city centered around the Kaaba -
the house of God built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
3) The Compulsory Charity (Zakah)
In Islam, the true owner of everything is God, not man.
People are given wealth as a trust from God. Zakah is worship and
thanksgiving to God by supporting the poor, and through it one’s wealth is
purified.. It requires an annual contribution of 2.5 percent of an individual’s
wealth and assets. Therefore, Zakah is not mere “charity”, it is an
obligation on those who have received their wealth from God to meet the needs
of less fortunate members of the community. Zakah is used to support
the poor, orphans, and widows, help those in debt, and, in olden times, to free
slaves.
4) The Fast of Ramadan (Sawm)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar
which is spent in fasting. Healthy Muslims abstain from dawn to sunset from
food, drink, and sexual activity. Fasting develops spirituality, dependence
upon God, and brings identification with the less fortunate. A special evening
prayer is also held mosques in which recitations of the Quran are heard. Families
rise before sunrise to take their first meal of the day to sustain them till
sunset. 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, which is
marked by joyfulness, family visits, and exchanging of gifts.
5) The fifth Pillar is the Pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca
At least once in a lifetime, every adult Muslim who is
physically and financially able is required to sacrifice time, wealth, status,
and ordinary comforts of life to make the Hajj pilgrimage, putting himself
totally at God’s service. Every year over two million believers from a diversity
of cultures and languages travel from all over the world to the sacred city of
Mecca
to respond to God’s call.
Who are Muslims?
The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is
in a state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God)”. The message of
Islam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message
becomes a Muslim. There a over a billion Muslims worldwide. Muslims represent
the majority population in fifty-six countries. Many people are surprised to
know that the majority of Muslims are not Arab. Even though most Arabs are
Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. Only 20
percent of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims come from Arab countries. There are
significant Muslim populations in India, China, Central Asian Republics, Russia, Europe, and America. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who
live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic
groups, cultures and nationalities. Islam has always been a universal message
for all people. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and will
soon be the second largest religion in America. Yet, few people know what
Islam is.
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