Read LR pages 392-398.
Essential practices of the Muslims, or the Five Pillars of Islam or the Five Acts of worship – din (pronounced ‘deen’), considered as ibadah (or worship in the larger sense) are:
Essential practices of the Muslims, or the Five Pillars of Islam or the Five Acts of worship – din (pronounced ‘deen’), considered as ibadah (or worship in the larger sense) are:
a. Confession of faith – shahādah
b. Regular specific prayers – salāh
c. Regular contributing of the specified poor due – zakāh
d. Fasting during the month of Ramadan – saum
e. Pilgrimage to Mecca – hajj
Some Muslims may add the sixth jihad – often wrongly translated as “holy war”. Jihad is the use of all “energies and resources” to establish an Islamic System. It is trying “one’s utmost” to win “the favour of God”. It is a “striving” to control evil within and around ones self. It persuades at the end to give one’s self completely to this cause of Islam. Here are some interpretations of jihad.
Fazlur Rahman defines jihad as a surrendering of “your properties and yourselves in the path of Allah”.
Kenneth Cragg says: “Endeavour in the way of God, on behalf of Islam. Signifies military struggle but also inward discipline in pursuit of Falah.” Cf. Suras 2:246-251; 47:1-13; 22:28-51; 9:73-89; etc.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr admitting the two aspects of jihad, says, “holy war, of which the ‘lesser’ is against external obstacles to the establishment and functioning of the divine order and the ‘greater’ against the inward forces which prevent man from realizing God within the center of his being.”
Five Pillars:
You may not read about all these five essential duties of a Muslim in one single place in the Qur’an. They are scattered throughout – derived from - the Qur’an.
But Hadith puts all the five together: “Islam is based on five things: declaring that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God, the establishment of Salah, the payment of Zakah, the Hajj, the Saum in the month of Ramadan.” (Bukhari)
a. Confession of Faith: Shahaadah – a Muslim declares his/her faith by reciting la ilaha illal lahu muhammadur rasulul lah.
b. Regular Specific Prayers: Salah, the prescribed prayer, we need to explore some of the following: Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Call to Prayer, Ablution, Qiblah, Liturgy, Postures, Dua, (the spontaneous petitions), Intention, Friday Prayer, and Funeral Prayer!
b. Regular specific prayers – salāh
c. Regular contributing of the specified poor due – zakāh
d. Fasting during the month of Ramadan – saum
e. Pilgrimage to Mecca – hajj
Some Muslims may add the sixth jihad – often wrongly translated as “holy war”. Jihad is the use of all “energies and resources” to establish an Islamic System. It is trying “one’s utmost” to win “the favour of God”. It is a “striving” to control evil within and around ones self. It persuades at the end to give one’s self completely to this cause of Islam. Here are some interpretations of jihad.
Fazlur Rahman defines jihad as a surrendering of “your properties and yourselves in the path of Allah”.
Kenneth Cragg says: “Endeavour in the way of God, on behalf of Islam. Signifies military struggle but also inward discipline in pursuit of Falah.” Cf. Suras 2:246-251; 47:1-13; 22:28-51; 9:73-89; etc.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr admitting the two aspects of jihad, says, “holy war, of which the ‘lesser’ is against external obstacles to the establishment and functioning of the divine order and the ‘greater’ against the inward forces which prevent man from realizing God within the center of his being.”
Five Pillars:
You may not read about all these five essential duties of a Muslim in one single place in the Qur’an. They are scattered throughout – derived from - the Qur’an.
But Hadith puts all the five together: “Islam is based on five things: declaring that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God, the establishment of Salah, the payment of Zakah, the Hajj, the Saum in the month of Ramadan.” (Bukhari)
a. Confession of Faith: Shahaadah – a Muslim declares his/her faith by reciting la ilaha illal lahu muhammadur rasulul lah.
b. Regular Specific Prayers: Salah, the prescribed prayer, we need to explore some of the following: Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Call to Prayer, Ablution, Qiblah, Liturgy, Postures, Dua, (the spontaneous petitions), Intention, Friday Prayer, and Funeral Prayer!
i. Place for prayer – cleanliness absolute! Masjid is the Mosque for congregational worship! A Jumma Masjid – Friday Worship with a sermon! An idgah – larger community festival worship!
ii. Prayer times – five – fajr (from dawn until just before sunrise); zuhr (after mid-day until afternoon); ‘asr (from late afternoon until just before sunset); maghrib (after sunset until daylight ends); and isha (night until midnight or dawn).
iii. Call to prayer – adhaan and iqamah! “God is the greatest – I bear witness that there is no god except God – I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God – Rush to prayer – Rush to success – (Prayer is better than sleep for the early morning prayer!) – God is the greatest! The addition: the prayer has begun for iqamah!
iv. Ablution – water or sand or stone (?)!
v. Qiblah – the physical direction for prayer is towards Mecca!
vi. Liturgy – Qur’an is the source! Fatihah – the opening chapter of the Qur’an is recited. Postures: Standing, bending, prostrating, (somewhat) kneeling – (sitting on your knees)!
vii. Here is a piece of dua to explore the Muslim mind: “O Allah, forgive me and my parents and my teachers and all the believing men and women and all muslim-men and women with your mercy. O Most Merciful of all who have mercy”. Ghulam Sarwar, Islam: Beliefs and Teachings, London: The Muslim Educational Trust, 1984. p.65.
viii. Intention – focussing on God – increasing the motivation – creating interiority – making it “less a mere cult” is important in Islamic prayer.
ix. Friday prayer and Funeral prayer – congregational worship! Khuttba- Sermon!
c. Regular Contribution Towards the Specified Poor Due - Zakah, (or zakat) is translated as “welfare contribution”, “the poor due”, “obligatory donation”, “compulsory charity”, “obligatory alms tax”, “alms giving” and may be more! But the word means basically means “purity”, meaning a way to keep your wealth “pure” and free of “greed”!
i. Paid once a year at the rate of 2½% of your savings. And this applies to cash, bank savings, gold and silver. The rate for cattle and agricultural produce is different.
ii. Zakah has to be spent for helping the poor and the needy – payment for the collectors of zakah, to free captives and debtors, the travellers in need, “to win over hearts and cause for the cause of Allah” (9:60).
iii. Muslims believe zakah brings (a) favour from God, (b) provides an opportunity for the rich to take care of the poor, and (c) keeps the giver free of greed!
iv. In other words, zakah has a spiritual significance and a socio-economic function for the Muslims.
v. Zakah is also a reminder “all that one holds” actually belong to God! It is also considered as a way of “lending to God”!
vi. In addition to this Muslims have sadaqah, a voluntary giving!
d. Fasting During the Month of Ramadan - Sawm, “fasting” is the fourth pillar in Islam. Fasting is expected from every adult from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan – 9th month of the Islamic Calendar.
i. This requires abstaining from “eating, drinking, smoking, and conjugal relations” during the time of fasting! Travelers and the sick can defer fasting and make up for it later.
ii. Sawm, Muslims believe develops “self-control” and helps us to overcome “selfishness”. Some look upon this as an annual training programme. For some it helps them to feel the hunger of the poor and the needy, putting them in solidarity with the less fortunate among us!
iii. Apart from fasting during the month of Ramadan, the Muslims may fast during the other times as well! But the orthodox Muslims do not encourage extreme forms of fasting. Certainly fasting is not permitted during idul fitr and idul adha.
e. Pilgrimage to Mecca – Hajj is the visit to Ka’bah in Mecca, House of God (Bait Allah).
i. It needs to be performed only once in lifetime and by those who can afford and have fulfilled all other responsibilities. Has to be done during the month of Hijjah (12th month of the Islamic Calendar).
ii. Visits to Ka’bah outside the month of Hijjah is known as ‘Umrah, lesser pilgrimage.
Questions to Explore:
1. Explain the five pillars of Islam.
2. Explain in detail the Islamic ritual of salāt or salah.
3. What is jihad? Explain in detail.
