OA'Level StudyGuides : Pillars Of Islam

Pillars Of Islam

The Declaration of Faith, Shahada:

Shahada is the first pillar of Islam. It is the declaration:
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah”
This is the testimony or profession of faith, containing knowledge, commitment and declaration. It consists of two parts.
The first, that there is no god but Allah, attests not only to the oneness and uniqueness of Allah, but it also signifies the oneness of Lordship, the sovereiegnty, and the authority in the universe. Allah is accountable to no one, He creates what He pleases, giving each of His creation the role He desires. The Quran says:
“You do we worship and your aid we seek”
True unity of Allah means that Allah is unique in person, that there is no other god but Him, unique in attributes, that man cannot acquire perfection in the attributes of Allah, and unique in action, that no one can do the works that Allah has done or may do.
Associating partners with Allah is called shirk. Shirk is not only the worship of idols but also offering prayers and supplications to anyone dead or living, believing that they hold the same attributes as Allah.
Thus the belief that Allah is not sovereign or independent or that deities can intercede with Him and any attempt to implore any other being besides Allah.
The Quran considers shirk to be an unpardonable sin. It says:
“Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him”
The second part of this declaration is that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah.
For Muslims, it is necessary to believe that Prophet (SAW) was the last in the line of messengers sent by Allah, and he is the seal of Propjets.
He is distinguished in many ways from the previous prophets.
For example, his prophet hood is universal and eternal i.e. he was not sent for a particular nation or country but the entire human kind.

Prayer, Salat:

Timings of Prayer:

Fajr: from dawn until just before sunrise
Zuhr: after midday until afternoon
Asr: from afternoon until just before sunset
Maghrib: after sunset until the end of daylight
Isha: from evening until just before dawn

Preparation of Prayer:

Wudu: washing of hands, mouths, nostrils, face, arms, across the head, ears, back of the neck and feet.
Satar: proper dress code i.e. from navel to knees men must be covered and for women whole body except hands, feet and face
Qiblah: facing the Ka’bah
Niyat: intention of prayer

Performance:

After saying the niyat, worshipper stands still with his hands on his sides and feet on the ground, only slightly apart
Then he raises his hands up to his ears and says Allah u Akbar
He then folds his hands on the navel and recites the Sana followed by Tasmia and the Qirat
He then bows down in ruku by placing both his hands on his knees and says: “Glory to the God, The mighty” thrice
He then stands erect, hands by his side, in wuquf
After saying Allah u Akbar again, the worshipper prostrates by touching his forehead on the ground
In this position, he says: ”Allah is the highest” at least thrice
He then sits up in the jalsa position and the prostrates again
The second prostration completes one rakat

Importance of prayer:

The importance of Prayer in Islam is great as it is the fore most duty of the Muslims, and the chief of the pillars on which the structure of Islam stands. It is the first thing that was made obligatory on Muslims and the first thing they will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment.

Congregational Prayers:

1. Friday Prayers:

Take place of the Zuhr prayers of Friday
Cannot be offered as qaza
Must be offered in congregation
Obligatory on all adult men
Women, slaves, minors, sick are exempted
2 azaans
Sermon (Khutba) is delivered
Listening to it is obligatory
While the sermon is being delivered no conversation is allowed, not even reciting the Quran
The sermon consists of 2 parts
In the first part the Imam recites and explains Quranic passages and then after a short rest stands up again to deliver the 2^nd part which includes general prayers for the welfare of Muslim Ummah
2 obligatory rakat are offered after the khutba

2. Eid prayers:

2 eids in one Islamic calendar
Eid-ul-Fitr on 1^st Shawal
Eid-ul-Azha on 10^th Zilhajj
A day of thanksgiving when Muslims assemble in a brotherly atmosphere
Congregational prayer for men only
Women, minors, travelers, sick are exempted
Can be offered from sunrise to noon
Offered in large empty grounds
No replacement of any other prayer
Cannot be offered as qaza
Consists of 2 rakats
After rakats, imam delivers khutba in two parts which focuses on Sadqah tul Fitr in Eid ul Fitr and importance of sacrifice on Eid ul Azha
Muslims exchange greetings after offering prayers
Take alternate routes while coming and going to meet as many people as possible

Private Prayer.Dua

No Qiblah
No wudu
No satar
No fixed language
No Niyat
Not obligatory

Delayed Prayer:

If a Muslim misses an obligatory prayer, he must make up for the loss
These qaza prayers must be offered as soon as possible
Only Farz and Witr can be offered as Qaza
Conditions in which it is allowed to miss a prayer:

In battle field

Taking care of seriously ill patients

If a person sleeps with necessary arrangements but fails to wake up on time

If a person is sick or injured

Mosque:

A place where believers get together for religious purposes
Educational, political and social centres of society
House of Allah
One should enter the mosque with respect, in clean clothes and footwear must be removed.
Indulging in wordly affairs is not allowed in mosque

Alms-giving, Zakat:

How it is performed:

Zakat consists of giving set proportions of possessions for the poor
Compulsory on all adult rich muslims to gibe zakat which they’ve had in their possession for more than one calendar year
Its rate on annual savings is 2.5%
If a person has 7.5 tolas or more of gold, 2.5% of it is due as zakat
If a person has 52.5 tolas or more of silver, 2.5% of it is due as zakat
If a person has 40-120 goats, then one goat is due in zakat
No fixed date of payment
However, usually paid in the month of Ramzan
Reciepients of zakat:

Poor

Needy

Newly converts to Islam

Travelers

Slaves

Those appointed by state to collect Zakat

Those who are in bondage or in debt

Those who can’t fulfill an obligation

2. Significance in the community:

Helps poor people stop starving
Sense of brotherhood develops between rich and poor
It reduces financial difference between rich and poor
Encourages a bond of social responsibility
Brings the society closer
Encourages unity in society

Fasting, Sawm:

1 The Way it is Observed:

Carried out in the month of Ramzan
Starts from the sighting of the moon of Ramzan and ends at the sighting of the moon on Shawal
All adult Muslims should fast suring day light hours i.e. from dawn to dusk
They take their sehr before dawn
After that they refrain from eatinf or drinking until sunset
During a fast, Muslims abstain from smoking, indulging in evil and indecent acts, abusing etc
They remember Allah throughout the day by offering prayers and reciting the Quran
However, they cannot ask for concessions is their work and must lead the normal daily routine
At the Maghrib prayers, they break their fast with dates and water
After the Isha prayers they offer 20 rakat of taraweeh prayers
During the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramzan, they search for Laila tul Qadr, the night when Quran was revealed
Muslims even withdraw to mosques and sit in Aitkaaf for the last ten days, i.e. they avoid any contact with the world and submit themselves to Allah

Those exempted:

Sick
Pregnant women
Travelers
Elderly people
Minor

Pilgrimage, Hajj:

1. The Main Observances Involved:

DATE	PLACE	OBSERVANCE
8^th Zilhajj	Meeqat	- perform wudu - wear Ihram - offer 2 rakat - make niyat - recite Talbiah
8^th Zilhajj	Ka’abah	- perform tawaf-e-qudum, encircling Ka’abah 7 times - kiss the black stone
8^th Zilhajj	Multazim	- say private prayer
8^th Zilhajj	Maqaam-e-Ibrahim	- offer 2 nafal
8^th Zilhajj	Safa and Marwa	- sayee, starting at Safa and ending at Marwa, 7 times
8^th Zilhajj	Mina	- offer Zuhr, Asar, Maghrib, Isha prayers
9^th Zilhajj	Arafat	- listen to sermon - offer combined Zuhr and Asar prayers - perform wuquf-e-arafat
9^thZilhajj	Muzdalifah	- perform Maghrib and Isha prayer combined -collect pebbles for rami - spend night in rememberance of Allah
10^th Zilhajj	Mina	- stone Jamarat-ul-uqba 7 times with pebbles -offer sacrifice - men cut their hair and women clip a lock
11^th – 12^th Zilhajj	Mina	- perform rami, symbolic stoning of satan - perform tawaf-e-ziyarat between one of these days in Ka’abah - perform tawaf-e-wida before leaving Makkah