Islam

Islam > Basic Info

In Islam, worship is part of daily life and is not limited to mere rituals. The formal acts of worship are known as the five “pillars” of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage.

1. Testimony of Faith:

This is called the Shadah and proclaims that “ Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah.”, meaning “There is no deity worthy of worship except God (Allah), and Muhammad is His Messenger (‘’Prophet of God”). The Declaration of Faith is more than just a statement; it must be demonstrated by one’s actions. To revert to the faith of Islam this is the testimony one must proclaim.

2. Daily Prayer or Salah:

Salah is a method by which Muslims connect to God and gather spiritual strength and peace of mind. Muslims perform five formal prayers a day.

3. Charity or Zakah:

Zakat is the Islamic charity. Muslims recognize that all wealth is a blessing from God, and certain responsibilities are required in return. In Islam, it is the duty of the wealthy to help the poor and needy. The value of the Zakat to be paid is means based.

4. Ramadan Fasting or Sawm:

Each year, Muslims fast for an entire month from dawn to sunset. This period of intense spiritual devotion is known as the fast of Ramadan in which no food, drink and marital relations is allowed during the said hours. These restrictions are lifted at the end of the fasting day. During this month Muslims practice self-control and focus on prayers and devotion. During the fast, Muslims learn to sympathise with those in the world who go without food out of necessity.

5. Pilgrimage or Hajj:

Every Muslim strives to make once-in-a-lifetime Hajj to the sacred sites in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. It is the most intense spiritual experience for a Muslim. Interestingly, everyone, regardless of their worldly status, wealth or colour wear the same two pieces of white unstitched garments. Nothing symbolises the equality of people before the Creator more than this. Typically, 2-3 million perform hajj every year.

The more than one point seven billion Muslims all share a common set of fundamental beliefs that are described as “Articles of Faith or the Pillars of Imaan” These articles of faith form the foundation of the Islamic belief system.

1. Belief in the Oneness of God:

Islam, being truly monotheistic, advocates that there is only God is to be served and worshipped. The Arabic word for this unique God is Allah. Also, in Islam, the biggest sin is to associate partners with God or to worship any being or thing other than God. Not believing in the oneness of God is the only sin that God does not forgive a person who dies before repenting for holding such a belief.

2. Belief in Angels:

God created unseen beings called angels who work tirelessly to administer His kingdom in full obedience. Some well-known angels mentioned in the Quran are Jibraeel (Gabriel), Mikail, Israfil and Izraeel. The angels surround us at all times, each having a duty such as recording our words and deeds.

3. Belief in Prophets of God:

Muslims believe that God communicated His guidance through human prophets sent to every nation. These prophets start with Adam and include Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. The central message of all the prophets has always been that there is only One true God and He alone is worthy of being supplicated to and worshipped.

4. Belief in Revealed Books of God:

Muslims believe that God revealed His wisdom and instructions through ‘books’ to some of the prophets like the Psalms, Torah, and the Gospel. Over time, however, the original teachings of these books got distorted or lost. Muslims believe the Quran is God’s final revelation revealed to Prophet Muhammad and has been fully preserved.

5. Belief in the Day of Judgment:

The life of this world and all that is in it will come to an end on an appointed day which only Allah knows. On that day every person will be raised from the dead. God will judge each person individually, according to his faith and his good and bad actions. God will show mercy and fairness in judgment. According to Islamic teachings, those who believe in God and perform good deeds will be rewarded with an eternal abode in Heaven. Those who reject faith in God will be punished eternally in the fire of Hell.

6. Belief in Destiny and Divine Decree:

Muslims believe that since God is the Sustainer of all life, nothing happens except by His Will and with His full knowledge. This belief does not contradict the idea of free will. God does not force us to make the choices we make; our choices are known to God beforehand because His knowledge is complete. This recognition helps the believer through difficulties and hardships.

For Muslims the most important of scriptures is the Holy Quran which was revealed by Allah to the seal of Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over a span of 23 years.

Some of the verses were brought down by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) whilst others were direct revelations to the Prophet.

Stories therein teach us morals and lessons, and how we as humans, should conduct our lives.

The second most important source is referred to as the Ahadith. These are the actual sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and things we consider acceptable or not based on how he reacted to events in his lifetime. If there is a new situation that was not covered in the Ahadith then there is the concept of Ijma, the consensus of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).