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.
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 us.
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. Because shalat is transliterated from arabic word, so
it has multiple english spellings such as salat, salah, sholat, sholah or
shalah.Some peoples also called shalat as namaz
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.
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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.'
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.
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.
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Faith is a spiritual substance on the inside of you that can either grow or wane. Here is the main verse from our Bible which will tell us exactly what faith is:
ReplyDelete“Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
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