Islam is a complete way of life. It is the guidance provided by Allah(SWT), the Creator of the Universe, for all mankind. It covers all things people do in thier lifetime. Islam tells us the purpose of our creation, our final destiny and our place among other creatures. It shows us the best way to conduct our private, social, political, economic, moral and spiritual affairs of life.
Islam is an Arabic word which means submission and obedience. Submission is acceptance of Allah's commands. Allah(SWT), another Arabic word, is the proper name of God.
The basic beliefs in islam are:-
Islam has five basic duties which Muslims must perform. They are known as the five pillars of Islam (Arkan ul Islam).
The five pillars of Islam are:-
A Muslim decalres his/her faith by reciting:-
These Arabic words mean : "There is no god but Allah(SWT), Muhammad(PBUH) is the messanger of Allah(SWT)". This decalaration is called Kalimah Tayyibah. It summarizes the whole of Islamic belief.
Salah is the second pillar of Islam. It refers to the five compulsory daily prayers. Salah is offered five times a day individually or in a congregation. We offer Salah to remember Allah(SWT). It brings us closer to Him.
Salah is practicle proof of our faith in Allah(SWT) and Islam. It has been made compulsory at centain fixed times. (To view Salah prayer times for Glasgow, click here).
The five daily prayers are:-
To say your Salah you must be clean and pure. Cleanliness of the body and clothes is called Taharah or purification. How can we be clean? We can have a full wash of the body with pure water or we can have a part wash, cleaning only parts of the body. The full wash is called Ghusl, and the part wash is Wudu (ablution), in Arabic. (Keep in mind that Muslims are not allowed to have a shower in the in the nude in the presence of others).
Before we can begin Wudu, we must have Niyyah (intention) by saying Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (In the name of Allah the most Merciful, the most Kind). The picture belows shows how to perform Wudu.
(Note: If you did complete a Wudu before putting on your socks, it is not necessary to take them off everytime you repeat Wudu. It is enough to wipe the upper part of of the socks with wet hands. Such Wudu lasts for twenty four hours only (three days for a journey) but a fresh Wudu must be made after the socks are taken off).
At the end of the steps recite:
This means:
Fresh Wudu is needed after:
it is trongly recommended that wherever possible Muslims should offer thier compulsory (fard) prayers in the mosque. To call Muslims to prayer, the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) introduced the system of Adhan.
The person who gives the Adhan is called the Mu'azzin (Caller). While calling for prayer, he stands in the Minaret or in the courtyard of the mosque, facing the Qiblah and raises his hands to his ears and calls out:
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
Ashadhu an la ilaha illallah(I bear witness that there is no god but Allh)
Ashadhu an la ilaha illallah(I bear witness that there is no god but Allh)
Ashadhu anna muhammadar rasulullah(I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's messenger)
Ashadhu anna muhammadar rasulullah(I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's messenger)
Hayya alas salah(Rush to prayer)
Hayya alas salah(Rush to prayer)
Hayya alas falah(Rush to success)
Hayya alas falah(Rush to success)
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
Allahu Akbar(Allah is the Greatest)
La ilaha illah lah(There is no god but Allah)
Click
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The picture below shows how to perform Salah.
Click here to listen to Surah Al-Fatiha which is recited during Salah.
Salah is the most important of the five basic duties of Islam. The lessons of Salah are:
If your Salah does not not improve your conduct you must think seriously and find out where you are going wrong.
Zakah is the third pillar of Islam. The Arabic word Zakah means to purify or cleanse. Zakah is to be paid once a year on savings at the rate of two and a half percent. This rate applies to cash, bank savings and gold and silver jewellary. The rate for cattle and agricultural produce is different.
Payment of Zakah is a means of keeping our wealth clear of greed and selfishness. It also incourages us to be honest in our earnings and expenditure.
Zakah is a compulsary payment and it is neither charity nor a tax. Charity is optional and taxes can be used by the state for any purpose, but Zakah has to be spent under fixed headings like helping the poor and the needy, to free captives and debtors, for travellers in need and for the cause of Allah(SWT).
Zakah is an act of Ibadah. Ibadah is an Arabic term which means worship and obedience. It includes all activities of life, if we do them we please Allah(SWT). We pay Zakah in Allah's(SWT) favour.
Zakah provides us withe the opportunity of sharing our excess wealth with those less fortunate than ourselves. In fact we and our wealth belongs to Allah(SWT). He is the real owner and we are merely the trustees of His wealth. We do our duty as trustees if we pay Zakah as an obligatory part of Ibadah.
We learned earlier that Islam is a complete code of life which includes among other things, the economic side of life. Islam has its own economic priciples. Zakah is one of the basic principles of the Islamic economy, based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. In addition to the compulspory payment of Zakah, Muslims are encouraged in the Quran to make voluntary contributions to help the poor and needy, and for other social welfare purposes. This voluntary contribution is called Sadaqah (charity).
Through the payment of Zakah, the rich share the wealth with the poor and thus the process of concentration of wealth is checked and fair distributuion ensured.
Sawm(fasting), the fourth pillar of Islam, is another act of Ibadah. All adult Muslims mut fast from dawnm to sunset every day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islam calender. Thsi means abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and conjugal relations during the hours of fasting. Travellers and the sick can defer fasting during Ramandan and make up for it later.
Swam develops self-control and helps us to overcome selfishness, greed, laziness and other faults. It is an annula training programme to refresh us for carrying out our duties towards Allah(SWT), the Creator and Sustainer. Sawm gives us the feeling of hunger ans thirst. We experience for oursleves what it is like to have an empty stomach. This develops our feeling for the poor and hungry people. Fasting teaches us to control the the love of comfort. It also helps us to keep, our sexual desires within control. Hunger, comfort and sex are three factors which must be kept under control to behave as Allah's(SWT) servants.
It helps us to remain truly to Allah's(SWT) commands. A truly obedient Muslim is called a Muttaqi and his true obedience or piety - developed through Sawm - is known as TAQWA in Islam. Taqwa keeps a person away from sin.
The month of Ramadan is a month of forgiveness, mercy and a means of avoiding the punishment of Hell.
The duty of fasting is only for Allah's(SWT) sake and there is a very pleasing and attractive reward for this in the life after death.
The following acts will break the fast:-
The very purpose of fasting is to make a Muslim able to control his passions, so that he becomes a person of good deeds and intentions. Anger - a common human weakness - can also be brought under control by fasting.
In addition to the compulsory fasting during Ramadan, a Muslim may fast during other times during the year. These fasts will be treated as Sunnah.
A Muslim must not fast:
The Quran was revealed in the Month of Ramadan. There is a night in the month which is "better than a thousand months"(97:3). This night is called LAILATUL QADR (night of power). According to Hadith, this night occurs during the last ten days of Ramadan. It is a night of great importance; we should worship as much as we can on this night.
An additional prayer known as TARAWIH (20 rakah or 8 rakah) is offered during Ramadan after Isha. This is a sunnah prayer in which efforts are made to recite as much of the Quran as possible. In many Mosques, the whole Quran is recited in the Tarawih prayer. Those who cannot join a congregation should offer Tarawih at home. A pre-dawn meal known as Suhur is taken in Ramadan.
At the end of Ramadan Muslims celebrate IDUL FITR, a day of thanksgiving and happiness. It is one of the great occasions for the Muslim community. On this day, Muslims offer special prayers in congregation and thank Allah(SWT) for His blessings and mercy.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a visit to Al-Kabah, the house of Allah(SWT) in Makkah, once in a lifetime by those Muslims who can afford to make the journey. It is performed during the period from the 8th to 13th Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calender.
Al-Kabah, known as Baitullah (House of Allah(SWT)), is a cube-like one-storey budling which is built originally by Adamand later rebuilt by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and is son Ismail (Ishmael). It is the first house ever built for the sole purpose of the worship of Allah(SWT). Allah has blessed this Al-kabah. Muslims who can afford to make the journey and are physically fit come here every year from all around the world.
Durin hajj, the Islamic brotherhood becomes particulary evident and can be experienced in a special way by everyone who takes part. Barriers of language, territory, colour and race disappear and those the bond of faith is uppermost. Everyone has the same status in the house of ALlah(SWT) - the staus is His servant.
Hajj has a number of important rituals associated with it, including:
At the time of Hajj, while approaching Makkah, a pilgrim must put on Ihram before reahing a point called MIQAT (station). Ihram is two sheets of unsewn white cloth for men. This a very simple form of dress a pilgrim must wear in place of everyday clothes. For a woman, Ihram is her ordinary dress.
This change is very significant. It reminds the pilgrim of his position in relation to Allah(SWT). He is a humble servant of his creator. It also reminds him that after death he will be wrapped in white sheets and his favourite or expensive clothes will be left behind.
When he puts on Ihram, the pilgrim expresses his intention (Niyyah) by saying "I intend to put on Ihram for Hajj".
There are some restrictions on the pilgrim while in the state of Ihram. He or she must note:
All these restictions make a pilgrim think of Allah(SWT) and his ultimate goal in life - success in the life after death - and nothing else. While in Ihram the pilgrim recites Talbiyah as follows:
Which means:
Hajj has in it al lessons of Salah, Zakah and Sawm. Do you remember why we offer Salah, Zakah and fast? We offer Salah to remember Allah(SWT), pay Zakah to please Him and fast fonly for His sake. Dyring Salah, we present ourselves to Allah(SWT) five times a day, but during Hakk we have to think of Allah(SWT) all the time. At the time of Salah, we face towards Al-Kabah, but during Hajj we actually go there in person. Zakah teaches us to pay part of our savings for welfare and other good causes for Allah's(SWT) sake; but during Hajj we must sacrifice much more of our money for the pleasure of Allah(SWT).
Saw teaches us to control ourselves during daylight hours from eating, drinking or smoking or having conjugal relations. But in the state of Ihram there are many more restrictions. Eating and drinking are not prohibited in the state of Ihram.
What do we learn from all these exercises during Hajj? We learn that we belong to Allah(SWT), we will return to Him and we must do as He commands us.
