Studied by 18 people
The five pillars of Islam
Shahada - declaration of faith.
Salah - prayer.
Zakah - charity.
Sawm - fasting.
Hajj - pilgrimage.
Shahadah
The Shahadah is the declaration of faith, or the key statement of belief of Muslims.
All Muslims know the declaration of faith and it is repeated multiple times during the day.
For Sunni Muslims, the Shahada is there is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is the prophet.
For Shi’a Muslims, they add an extra phrase to the Shahada, they say Ali is the friend of God.
The Shahadah is usually said a few times a day.
It is always whispered into the babies ear at birth.
The Shahadah forms the foundation of the other four pillars.
Zakah
Zakah refers to a Muslim giving 2.5 per cent of their earnings to charity, after they have paid for what is necessary to support themselves and their family.
People who are too poor are not required to suffer hardship in order to give Zakah.
Muslims see wealth as ultimately belonging to Allah, and giving Zakah helps to make people more equal.
Helping one another is seen as helping Allah.
Zakah donations help Muslims to purify their souls by not being greedy.
Some Muslims perform Zakah by giving directly to a charity.
Others contribute to donations in the mosque, which then distributes the money to people in need.
Sadaqah
Sadaqah is voluntary giving in addition to Zakah.
Muslims are encouraged to give their money and time to good causes whenever possible.
Sawm
Sawm is fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
Muslims believe they are obeying God and exercising self-discipline.
They believe they become spiritually stronger.
It helps appreciating God’s gift’s, which may otherwise be take for granted.
It helps Muslims to help develop empathy for the poor.
Salah
It teaches Muslims to pray five times a day, giving praise and thanks to Allah.
Muslims believe that Salah is commanded by Allah in the Qur’an.
Prayer is seen as daily communication with Allah.
Salah encourages self-discipline and keeps Muslims in close contact with Allah.
This gives them the strength to remain committed to living a good and purposeful life.
Praying the same set prayers to the same routine is a sign of solidarity with all other Muslims all over the world, it shows that everyone is equal.
“So exalt with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostate. And worship your Lord until there comes to you a certainty”.
Hajj
It is the pilgrimage to Mecca.
It is compulsory for all Muslims to undertake this journey at least once in their lifetime as long as they are healthy and can afford to do so.
Pilgrims wear ihram to symbolise unity and equality, for men it’s 2 sheets of white cloth wrapped around the body, while women dress in simple clothes that are usually white.
Up to 25000 British Muslims go to Mecca every year.
What happens at Mecca
Tawaf - walking 7 times anti-clockwise around the ka’bah, and often trying to tough the black stone, this was the practice of Muhammad.
Sa’ee - walking between two hills in memory of Ibrahims wife Hagar, who was left in the desert with their son Isma’il, searching for water,
Standing at Abrahat - a day of repentance and prayer, the place where Muhammad gave his final sermon.
Ramy-Al Jimar - stoning of pillars that represent Satan, in memory of Ibrahims confrontation with the devil.
Sacrifice - animals sacrificed to remember Ibraham’s son Isma’il’s readiness to give his life to God, the meat it distributed to the poor.
Hair cutting - men shave their head, and women cut a few hairs to symbolise a new beginning.
Features of prayer
Wudu - Muslims wipe their whole head and wash their and wash their feet, Shi’a Muslims wipe the front of the head and the top of their feet.
Timings - there are 5 daily prayers, Muslims pray these at set times, some Shi’a’s Combine some of the prayers and pray three times a day.
Recitations - words recited during salah are taken mainly from the Qur’an and the Hadith.
Movements - each salah is made up of a sequence of actions and prayers known as rak’ah including standing, kneeling, bowing and prostrating.
Direction - Muslims face Mecca where the Ka’bah is located.
Most Muslims go to a mosque but it can be done at home.
The ten obligatory acts in Shi’a Islam
Salah - committing to daily prayers.
Sawm - fasting from just before dawn to sunset.
Zakah - giving a proportion of your wealth to help the poor.
Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca.
Jihad - the struggle to keep belief in Allah and follow his rules, to follow the five pillars successfully and to defend their religion.
Khums - 20% annual tax.
Amr-bil-Maroof - encouraging people to do what is good. Enjoin what is right and forbid wrong.
Nahil Anril Munkar - forbidding evil by discouraging people from doing what is wrong.
Tawalia - showing love.
Tabarra - disassociation.
Greater Jihad
It is the greater, personal inner struggle to be a good Muslim and to improve spiritually.
It is a constant duty and seen as an act of worship.
It involved following the 5 pillars, forgiving others, working for social justice, studying the Qur’an, helping those in need, avoiding negative traits and avoiding temptations.
Lesser Jihad
It is about defending Islam from threat.
Whilst most Muslims see Islam as a religion of peace, sometimes, Muslims have found it necessary to take up arms against enemies when they, or other Muslims have been persecuted.
While the Qur’an allows violence to defend Islam, it warns against going beyond the limits of what is necessary for this defence.
It must be in defence of Allah.
No harm must be done.
Peace must be restored.
Mercy must be shown.
It can never be used to justify terrorist attacks.
Id-Ul-Adha
Commemoration of sacrifice.
Marks the end of Hajj.
Reminder of Allah’s blessings and how important it is to obey Allahs will.
Everyone wears new clothes.
People spend time with family and friends.
Presents and cards are exchanged.
Id-Ul-Fatr
Happens at the end of Ramadan.
Day of thanksgiving to Allah.
Celebrates the fact that Muslims have completed the fourth pillar of Islam.
There is a service of prayers and a sermon.
Ashura
Shi’a Muslim celebration.
Commemoration of the anniversary of the death of Husayn, one of Muhammad’s grandsons.
Day of reflection.
He died in battle.
Ten days before is a period of mourning, on the day fasting is discouraged.
Many wear black,
There are parades on the street.
Night of power
It is believed Angels came down to Earth.
Prayer on this night is better than one thousand months.
Celebrated during Ramadan.
Muslims come together to celebrate in a Mosque.
It is believed that it is a time where Allah forgives sins.
During Ramadan the Qur’an is read from beginning to end.
