In Islam there are five basic duties which Muslims must perform. They are known as the five pillars of Islam (Arkanul Islam). These are: Shahadah, the establishment of prayer (Salah), the payment of Zakah (paying the poor due), the Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah and Sawm Ramadan (fasting the month of Ramadan).
SHAHADA (The First Pillar of Islam)
ﷲ ﺍ لﻭﺴﺭ ﺩﻤﺤﻤ ﷲ ﺍ ﻻﺇ ﻨﻟ
ﺇ ﻻ
“La llaha illal-lahu Muhammad resululah“
“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah“
This declaration is called “Shahadah”.
1. Shahadah means that there is only One Lord, Allah, the Creator, the Organizer, the Planner and the Sustainer of the Universe.
2. Shahadah means that Allah has the most Beautiful Names and Qualities mentioned by the Qur’an or Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
ALL names and qualities of Allah are taken without changing their meanings or neglecting them. We should keep in mind that
”Nothing is like unto Allah” (Qur'an 42:11). Therefore, it does not meet with Majesty of Allah to be confined with a time or a place and it is not accepted that Allah existed in any of His creation including Jesus Christ (peace be upon him).
3. Shahadah means that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah, Allah Says: “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets” (Qur'an 33:40). “And whatever the messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it”. (Qur'an 59:1). “Say (O Muhammad) if you love Allah follow me Allah loves you” (Qur'an 3:31).
Therefore, whatever any one says may be taken or rejected as to whether his sayings are in accordance with the Book of Allah (the Qur'an) or with the tradition of prophet Muhammad (SAW) (Sayings and deeds).
٤
In order to become a Muslim, you have to utter “Shahadah” by your tongue and your actions should confirm the meanings of Shahadah.
SALAH (The Second Pillar of Islam)
The second pillar of Islam is performing Salah (prayer). The Muslim is enjoined to perform five obligatory prayers every day to keep himself in relation with his Lord, to invoke and implore Him, and to refrain himself from committing lewdness or indecency. These prayers not only ensure psychological rest to the Muslim in this present life, but they also pave the way to him to gain eternal happiness in the hereafter.
To perform prayer, one should be clean, wearing clean clothes and perform prayer in a clean place.
The Muslim should always cleanse himself by pure water. He should remove all traces of stool, urine, or any other dirt. Before prayer the Muslim should perform Wudu (ablution).
Prayer is the pillar of religion. It succeeds in importance the Shahadah Therefore, it is not only a duty on the Muslim to observe performing prayers from his maturity up to his death, but he should also order his household to perform it. He should also order his children to start practicing it from the time when they are 7 years old so that they may be accustomed to perform it. Allah Says:
" ١٠٣ ﺔﻴ
ﺁ
ﻥﻤ :ﺀ ﺎﺴ
ﻨ
ﻟ
ﺍ " ﺎﺘﻭﻗﻭﻤ ﺎﺒﺎﺘﻜ ﻥﻴ
ﻨ
ﻤﺃﻤﻟ
ﺍ ﻭﻠ
ﻋ ﺕﻨ
ﺎﻜ ﺓﻼﺼﻟ
ﺍ ﻥﺇ
“enjoined on the believers.” (Qur’an 4:103).Performing prayers at fixed times has been
The prophet (SAW) said: “The obligation which distinguishes betus and the unbelievers is prayer”. Therefore, whosoever resists prayer, becomes unbeliever. Prayer is a duty on the Muslim in all circumstances. Even if he is sick or frightened he should perform his daily prayers, standing, sitting or even lying.
The five obligatory daily prayers are the Morning Prayer (Fajr), the noon prayer (Zuhr), the afternoon prayer (Asr), the evening prayer (Maghrib) and the night prayer (Ishaa).
٥
The time due to Morning Prayer begins at true dawn and extends until the sun rises. It should not be delayed beyond this span of time. The time for noon prayer starts from the Zawal (a little after the sun passes the meridian) and extends till one’s shadow becomes equal to its own length plus the length of its noon- time shadow. The time enjoined for afternoon prayer starts after the end of noon-prayer time and extends until the sun turns yellow. One must hasten to perform it while the sun is still bright.
The time for Maghrib prayer begins soon after sunsets and lasts till the disappearance of the twilight. Its performance should not be delayed. The time for Ishaa prayer begins after the disappearance of the twilight and lasts till midnight. If a Muslim delays one of these five prayers, he commits a grievous sin. He should turn to Allah in repentance and refrain himself from recommitting it. The Qura’n warns those who delay their prayers from its fixed times.
" -
٥
٤ﺔﻴ
ﻲﺍ ﻥﻭﻋﺎﻤﻟ
ﺍ ﺓﺭﻭ
ﺴ " ﻥﻭﻫﺎﺴ ﻡﻬﺘﻼﺼ ﻥﻋ ﻡﻫ ﻥﻴ
ﺫﻟ
ﺍ ﻥﻴ
ﻠ
ﺼﻤﻠ
ﻟ
لﻴ
ﻭﻓ
“Woe unto those who pray but delay their prayers from its stated fixed time” (Qur'an 107: 7-4).
Performance of Wudu (Ablution)
Wudu is the act of washing those parts of the body that are generally exposed. The water should be pure clean and fresh with no change in its colour, taste and smell. Wudu is done as follows: 1. Make a full intention of performing the Wudu for offering prayer and recite.
" ﻡ
ﻴ
ﺤﺭﻟ
ﺍ ﻥﻤﺤﺭﻟ
ﺍ ﷲ ﺍ ﻡﺴﺒ "
“Bismillahir – rahmanir – rahim“, (in the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful).
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2. Wash hands up to the wrists three times, passing the fingers in between each other.
3. Rinse your mouth with water three times.
4. Rinse the nostrils with water, sniffing up water and blowing it out.
5. Wash the face from the forehead to the chin bone and from ear to ear three times.
6. Wash the right arm followed by the left up to elbows three times.
7. Brush up the whole head with wet hands.
8. Pass the wet tips of the index fingers inside and the wet tips of the thumbs outside the ears.
9. Wash the feet up to the ankles three times. The right foot is washed first and then the left, taking care to wash in between the toes.
The same Wudu may be used for several prayers. However, if a Muslim urinates, defecates, passes wind or loses his consciousness for any reason after Wudu he should re-perform it again before prayer.
If a Muslim is in a state of major impurity (discharged semen in erotic dreams, or practiced intercourse … etc), he should clean his body by taking a bath. Women also should carry out this cleansing bath to purify themselves after menstruation or childbirth. Allah has disburdened women and exempted them from performing prayer during menstruation and childbirth till blood stops (for a maximum of 40 days according to some scholars or 60 days according to others).
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If a Muslim is in a desert area or on a journey and finds no water, or if he fears that using water will harm him (because of sickness), he is permitted to purify himself by using good clean earth or sand instead of water. This is called, Tayammum, (purification with earth). It is done in the following way: you intend by heart to perform it, then you strike the dust (or sand) with your hands and wipe your hands over your face, your right hand by your left hand and your left hand by your right hand.
Purification with earth is also permissible to women after the period of menstruation or confinement if water is not available, or if its could harm them.
Athan (call to prayer)
The person who gives the Athan is called the Mu’azzin (The Caller for prayer).
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.
ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﷲ ﻻ
ﺍ ﺇ ﻨﻟ
ﺍ ﻻ ﻥﺃ ﺩﻬﺸﺃ (Ashhadu alla ilaha illa Allah) (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)
ﷲ ﻻ
ﺍ ﺇ ﻨﻟ
ﺍ ﻻ ﻥﺃ ﺩﻬﺸﺃ (Ashhadu alla ilaha illa Allah) (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)
ﷲ ﺍ لﻭﺴﺭ ﺍﺩﻤﺤﻤ ﻥﺃ ﺩﻬ ﺃ
ﺸ (Ashhadu anna Muhammadur rasoolu Allah) (Ibear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
ﷲ ﺍ لﻭﺴﺭ ﺍﺩﻤﺤﻤ ﻥﺃ ﺩﻬ ﺃ
ﺸ (Ashhadu anna Muhammadur rasoolu Allah) (Ibear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
ﻼ
ﺓ ﺼﻟ
ﺍ ﻭﻠ
ﻋ ﻲﺤ (Hayya ala-salah) (Rush prayer)
٨
ﺓ ﺼﻟ
ﺍ ﻭﻠ
ﻋ ﻲﺤ (Hayya ala-salah) (Rush prayer)
ﺡﻼﻔ
ﻟ
ﺍ ﻭﻠ
ﻋ ﻲﺤ (Hayya alal-falah) (Rush to success) ﺡﻼﻔ
ﻟ
ﺍ ﻭﻠ
ﻋ ﻲﺤ (Hayya alal-falah) (Rush to success) ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﺭﺒﻜﺍ ﷲ ﺍ (Allahu Akbar) (Allah is the Greatest) ﷲ ﻻ
ﺍ ﺇ ﺇ
ﻨ ﻻ
ﻟ (la ilaha illa Allah) (here is no god but Allah ) During the Athan for Fajr Salah, the following is added after Hayya alal-falah:
ﻡﻭﻨ
ﻟ
ﺍ ﻥـﻤ ﺭـﻴ
ﺨ ﻼ
ﺓ ﺼـﻟ
ﺍ (Assalatu khairun minan naum) (Salah is better than sleeping)
