The Five Pillars Of Islam

The five pillars of Islam are: faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah.

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 things similar. 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.

Prayer:  Salat is the name for the compulsory 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 a learned person who knows the Quran, chosen by the congregation, leads the prayers. These five prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal prayer 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.

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A translation of the Call to Prayer is:

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 portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each year Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this involves payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.

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