Download BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF ISLAM The word Islam means

BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF ISLAM
The word Islam means “peace through submission to God.” Muslim practice is defined by the Qur’an (holy
scripture) and the Sunnah, or example set by Prophet Muhammad and transmitted through the Hadith (recorded
words and deeds). Islam is a universal religion, meaning that anyone may accept its beliefs and become a
Muslim, or follower of Islam. A Muslim is “one who seeks peace through submission to God.” To be a devout
a Muslim, a person must carry out certain acts, and live a moral life.
THE FIVE PILLARS
The basic acts required of a Muslim are called the Five Pillars. The Five Pillars of Islam are formal acts of
worship—essentials of practicing Islam. Islamic teachings also require a person to live according to moral
values and to work toward just relations among people in the family, community, and the world. Simply put,
Muslims are supposed to live in knowledge that every act happens in the sight of God.
Even though there is much more to living as a Muslim than the Five Pillars, these universal acts have influenced
Muslim societies in many ways. The Five Pillars are individual acts, but they have social effects. Each has a
spiritual meaning, but it also has worldly significance. During more than 1400 years of Muslim history, practice
of the Five Pillars has shaped the places where Muslims live, the form of their homes and cities, their buildings
and cultural institutions, and even the links between regions of the world where Muslims live and travel.
1. Shahadah (Declaration of Faith = a statement of belief)
The first Pillar of Faith is called Shahadah, which means a declaration of faith. The declaration of faith in Islam
is a simple statement that begins “I witness that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of
God.” The first part of the shahadah affirms monotheism. Like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that one
all-powerful God, whom they call Allah, created the universe. They believe that the truth of one God was
revealed to humankind through many prophets. These prophets include Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus, who
appear in Jewish and Christian scriptures. The Qur’an honors all of these prophets.
The second part of the shahadah identifies Muhammad as God’s messenger. According to the statement,
Muhammad announced the message of Islam, which is God’s final message to humankind.
The meaning of shahadah is that people not only believe in God, but also pledge their submission to him. For
Muslims, God is the center of life. The shahadah follows Muslims through everyday life, not just prayers.
Parents whisper it into their babies’ ears. Muslims strive to utter the shahadah as their last words before death.
Students taking a difficult test say the shahadah to help them through the ordeal.
2. Salat (Daily Prayer)
The second Pillar of Faith is salat which are the five required daily prayers for every Muslim. Muslims perform
the recitations (words) and physical movements of salat as taught by their prophet Muhammad. Each of the five
prayers can be performed within a window of time. The first is between dawn and sunrise; the second is
between noon to mid-afternoon; the third is between mid-afternoon and just before sunset; the fourth is at sunset;
and the fifth is after twilight until nighttime. Prayer time is determined by the sun’s position, which Muslims
today calculate by clock time, using charts that change with the longer and shorter days of each season.
A crier, called a muezzin (or mu’addin) chants a call to prayer from the tall minaret (tower) of the mosque
(Muslim house of worship). The mosque is a simple, enclosed space oriented towards the city of Mecca where
Islam’s holiest place, the Ka’ba, is located. There is no furniture except mats or rugs. Before praying, Muslims
perform a brief ritual washing. All mosques have fountains where worshippers wash their hands, face, arms, and
feet. This purification prepares the worshipper for entering the state of prayer, of standing before God. It is a
symbol of the cleansing effect of prayer. With a sense of being purified, Muslims enter the prayer area. There
they stand shoulder to shoulder in lines behind a prayer leader called an imam and follow the movements of the
imam in unison (together). Because of these movements and the closeness of the worshippers, women pray
together in rows behind the men.
No matter what language they speak, all Muslims pray in the Arabic language. In the salat, Muslims recite
specific words and selected verses from the Qur’an while standing, bowing, kneeling with the hands and
forehead touching the ground, and sitting. Each cycle of movements is one rak’at, or unit of prayer, and each of
the five prayers has between two and four units. At the end of the prayer, and throughout their lives, Muslims
pray informally, asking for guidance and help in their own words. They also recite special prayers passed down
as the words of the prophets.
While praying at the mosque is preferable, Muslims may worship anywhere. In groups or by themselves, they
may perform their prayers at home, at work, in airports, in parks, or on sidewalks. A qibla compass may help
them locate the direction of Mecca. Some Muslims carry a prayer rug to have a clean spot to pray.
3. Sawm (Fasting)
The third Pillar of Faith is Sawm, or fasting (going without food). Muslims were not the first people to fast as a
way of worshipping God. Both the Old and New Testaments praise the act. But the Qur’an instructs Muslims to
fast for an entire month during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. According to Islamic
teachings, Ramadan was the month that God first revealed his message to Muhammad. Muslims use a lunar
calendar (one based on the phases of the moon). A year on this calendar is shorter than a 365-day year. Over
time, as a result, Ramadan cycles through all the seasons of the year.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from the break of dawn to the setting of the sun. Pregnant women, travelers, the
sick, the elderly, and young children do not have to fast. During the daylight hours of Ramadan, Muslims do
not eat any food or drink any liquid, including water. During this time Muslims are supposed to fast in spirit as
well, and make extra efforts to avoid arguments, conflicts, and bad words, thoughts, and deeds. Fasting during
the holy month of Ramadan encourages generosity, equality, and charity within the Muslim community. Fasting
teaches Muslims self-control and makes them realize what it would be like to be poor and hungry. Well-off
Muslims and mosques often provide food to others at this time.
Muslims break their daily fast at sundown with dates and other food and beverages, as Muhammad did. They
will also perform the sunset prayer. After a meal shared with family and friends, Muslims attend special prayer
sessions. Each night 1/30th of the Qur’an is read aloud. By the end of Ramadan, Muslims have heard the entire
holy book.
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims remember the Angel Gabriel’s first visit to Muhammad. A celebration called
Eid al-Fitr takes place when Ramadan ends. People attend prayers. They wear new clothes, decorate their
homes, and prepare special foods. They exchange gifts and give to the poor.
4. Zakat (Charity as a duty)
The fourth Pillar of Faith is Zakat, or almsgiving (giving to those in need). Islamic traditional sources mention
charity often. A hadith of the Prophet said, “Charity is a necessity for every Muslim.”
The word zakat means “purification.” Muslims believe that wealth becomes pure by giving some of it away
and that sharing wealth helps control greed. Zakat also reminds people of God’s great gifts to them. According
to the teachings of Islam, Muslims must share about one fortieth (2.5 percent) of their income and possessions
with their poorer neighbors. They are encouraged to give even more. Individuals decide the proper amount to
pay. Then they either give this sum to a religious official or distribute it themselves.
Zakat helps provide for many needs. In the middle ages, zakat often went to constructing public fountains so
that everyone had clean water to drink or to inns so that pilgrims and travelers had a place to sleep. Today, in
Muslim communities, zakat helps to pay for soup kitchens, clothing, and shelter for the poor. Orphanages and
hospitals are built and supported through zakat. Poorer Muslims may receive funds to pay off their debts. Zakat
provides aid to stranded travelers. Zakat also helps other good causes that serve the Muslim community. For
instance, zakat can cover school fees for children whose parents cannot afford to send them to Muslim schools.
It can be used to pay teachers.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)
The fifth Pillar of Faith is hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca (Makkah). The hajj is performed
annually by over 2 million people during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. All adult Muslims who are
financially and physically able are expected to make the hajj once in their lifetime. The hajj is a symbol of the
Muslim ummah (community), because pilgrims gather from all corners of the earth promoting fellowship and
equality. It is a symbol of the past, because the pilgrims visit places where Abraham and his family faced the
challenge of their faith, and where Muhammad was born and preached.
Before arriving in the holy city, Muslims enter a pure state of being called ihram that involves both a physical
and a mental transformation for each pilgrim. They remove their ordinary clothes and put on the simple dress of
pilgrims -- two seamless white sheets for men, and usually, white dresses and head covering for women. The
pilgrims are dressed in the same simple clothes. No one can tell who is rich, famous or powerful. White clothes
are a symbol of purity, unity, and equality before God. While in the state of ihram, all Muslims must
demonstrate complete patience, tolerance, and respect for all others.
Upon arrival in Mecca, Muslims announce their presence with the words,“Here I am at your service, O God,
here I am!” They go straight to the Great Mosque, which houses the Ka’ba. Muslims believe that Abraham
built the Ka’ba as a shrine to honor God. The pilgrims circle the Ka’ba seven times, which is a ritual mentioned
in the Qur’an. Next, they run along a passage between two small hills, as did Hagar, Abraham’s wife, when she
searched for water for her baby Ishmael. Muslims believe that a spring called Zamzam miraculously appeared
at Hagar’s feet. The pilgrims drink from the Zamzam well. Later, pilgrims leave Mecca to sleep in tents at a
place called Mina. In the morning, they move to the Plain of Arafat to pray until sunset, asking for God’s
forgiveness. A hadith of Prophet Muhammad says that a pilgrim “will return as free of sin as a newborn baby.”
Some pilgrims climb Mount Arafat, where Muhammad preached his Last Sermon. After spending another
night camped in the desert, the pilgrims reject evil by casting stones at pillars representing Satan. Afterwards,
pilgrims may celebrate with a four day feast. In honor of Abraham’s sacrifice, they sacrifice animals, usually
sheep or goats, and share the meat with family, friends, and the poor.
Once completing the hajj, pilgrims leave the state of ihram by trimming or cutting their hair and dressing in
their own clothes again. Before leaving Mecca, each pilgrim circles the Ka’ba seven more times. Muslims
around the world celebrate this “farewell” day as Eid-al-Adha. The hajj brings Muslims from all around the
world, of different nationalities, languages, races, and regions, to come together in a spirit of universal humanity
to worship together.
JIHAD
In addition to the main practices of Islam (the Five Pillars), another fundamental belief for Muslims is the
concept of jihad. The word jihad means “to strive.” Jihad represents the human struggle to overcome
difficulties and do things that would be pleasing to God. Muslims strive to respond positively to personal
difficulties as well as worldly challenges. For instance, they might work to become better people, reform society,
or correct injustice.
Jihad has always been an important Islamic concept. One hadith, or account of Muhammad, tells about the
prophet’s return from a battle. He declared that he and his men had carried out the “lesser jihad.” The “lesser
jihad” is the external struggle against oppression. The “greater jihad,” Muhammad said, was the fight against
evil within oneself. Examples of the greater jihad include working hard for a goal, giving up a bad habit, getting
an education, or obeying your parents when you may not want to.
Another hadith says that Muslims should fulfill jihad with the heart, tongue, and hand. Muslims use the heart to
struggle to resist evil. The tongue may convince others to take up worthy causes, such as funding medical
research. Hands may perform good works and correct wrongs.
Sometimes, however, jihad becomes a physical struggle to protect oneself against enemies. The Qur’an tells
Muslims to fight to protect themselves from those who do them harm or to right a terrible wrong. Early
Muslims considered their efforts to protect their territory and extend their rule over other regions as a form of
jihad. However, the Qur’an forbade Muslims to force others to convert to Islam. As a result, any non-Muslims
who came under Muslim rule were allowed to continue practicing their faiths.
Although the Qur’an allows for war, it sets specific terms for fighting. Muhammad told his followers to honor
agreements made with enemies. Muslim fighters must not mutilate (remove or destroy) the dead bodies of
enemies or harm women, children, old people, and civilians. Also Muslim fighters should not destroy property,
orchards, crops, sacred objects, or houses of worship.
Excerpts from History Alive!: The Medieval World & Beyond and World History For Us All (http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/)