http://www.islamicnet.com/ - Islam means Submission and obedience
(to Allah), Humility, submissiveness and conformance (to the Laws of Allah),
Safety, security, immunity or freedom from evil, Peace. Islam is a way of life
whereby one takes upon oneself what Allah Has ordained and His Messenger
practically demonstrated and conveyed to the mankind. It entails total
submission and obedience to Allah that leads one to peace, and safety, security,
immunity and freedom from evils and afflictions of any kind form within or
without.
The framework of the Muslim life:
faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to
Makkah for those who are able.
1) FAITH
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 ourselves.
2) PRAYER
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 http://www.islamicnet.com/learn-quran.htm - - Learn Quran ,
chosen by congregation. These 5 prayers contain verses from the http://www.islamicnet.com/quran.htm - - Quran , and are in Arabic,
the language of 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.
3) ZAKAT
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. Zakat keeps the money flowing within a society, Cairo. 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.'
4) THE FAST
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.
5) PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)
The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the
Hajj - is an obligation only for those who are physically, financially able to
perform it. Nevertheless, about 2 million people go to Makkah each year from
every corner of 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 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.
Courtesy: http://www.islamicnet.com/ - www.islamicnet.com
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