Al Shahaadah, Testimony of Faith:
The Credal Statement:
Laa ilaaha illallaahu Muhammadur Rasuulullaah,
There is no go but Allah, Muhammad is th messenger of Allah.
The articles of Faith:
" O you who beleive! Beleive n Allah and His Messenger and the Book Which He revealed ti His messenger, and the Book which He revealed afore-time. Whos disbeleives in Allah, His angels and His Books and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily has wandered far astray" (4: 136)
"He has created everything and has meted out for it measure." ( 25: 2)
AL SALAAH, The Ritual Prayer
- Rak'aah, a cycle of the ritual Prayer includes qiyaam standing, ruku'(bowing down), Sajdatayn( two prostrations and qa'adah (sitting).
- In all these postures certain perscribed invocations in Arabic are said, praising Allah, glorifying His name and seeking His blessing, favours, mercy and guidance.
- There are five ritual Prayes: Fajr, before sunrise
, Zuhr, noon, 'Asr, afternoon, Maghrib, after sunset and 'Isha', at night.
- All ritual prayers are established by Muslim throughout th globe as they were taught by the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him).
The Important Prayers:
Five daily obligatory Prayers, Friday Congrgaional Prayer, 'Id Prayers: ( 5: 6; 2: 43; 4: 101; 62: 9; 2: 239; 20: 130; 4: 103; 17: 78; 2: 238; 11: 114; 40: 55; 50: 39; 52: 49; 29: 45; 19: 59; 27: 3; 2: 45; 9: 18; 62: 9).
Prerequisite:
- Purity of intention, body, dress and environment.
- Wudu' ablution (5:6).
- facing ka'bah in Makkah.
Benefits:
Creates discipline, piety, unity, equality, obedience, patience, justice, punctuality, consciousness of duty and other virtues.
Characteristic:
Direct link and dialogue with Allah. It can be said as far as possible in mosque or anywhere provided the place is clean.
AL ZAKAH, The Welfare Due
(2: 177, 256; 9: 60; 30: 39; 23: 4; 31: 4).
- Zakah in arabic means purity.
- Whatever exists in the Universe belongs to Allah. A man/woman is trustee of all of Allah's bounties and he/she is accountable to Him.
- Allah has prescribed Welfare due, on currency, gold and silver, farm produce and livestock. A certain portion of these are the legal, annual right of those who are less privileged in the society provided such items have been in the possesion of a person for a complete year and these have reached the required nisab, a fixed amount by law on which Zakah is due.
- It enbles a person to purify his/her waelth and encourges him/her to be generous and feel the need of those members of the society who, on account of their proverty, are unable to fulfil their basic requirements.
AL SAWM, Fasting
- Fasting during the month of Ramadan ( 2: 183-185, 187)
- Sawm means to abstain from food, drink, sex nd all unlawful acts from dawn to dusk for the sake of Allah. A person is also required ti abstain from bad perceptions and thoughts.
- An annual, month-long training for purification af the soul.
- The establishment of close links with Allah.
- Creates discipline, endurance, Godliness, piety, forgiveness.
- Encourages a person to repent to Allah, to sacrifice those worldly thins which a person loves ,ost and reflect on the creation and on message of the Qur'an.
- Muslim celebrate 'Id al Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast. They pray two cycles of Prayer in a large congregation in the morning on 1st of Shawwal ( the 10th month of the Islamic Hijra lunar calendar).
AL HAJJ, The pilgrimage
- For those who can undertake the journey, the performance of pilgrimage at Makkah, once in lifetime, is an obligatory duty.
- It was the Prophet Abraham who constructed, with the help of his son the Prophet Ishmael( peace be upon him) the Ka'bah, a cubical building made of stone as the house of the One True God. The Qur'an calls it the first House of Worship appointed for mankind( 3: 96). It is a resort for mankind and a place of safety (2: 125). Mnkin have been asked to perform pilgrimages to the House of Allah (3: 97; 22: 27)
- All rites performed at Makkah around the Ka'bah, at Mina, Muzdalifah dan 'Arafat are the revival of the concepts of Abrahamic worship of one God only and these are accomplished in an international gathering of thousands of beleivers in one God, in absolute equality, discipline, brotherhood and uniformity (2: 125, 194, 196-203; 3: 96, 97; 5: 94,95; 22: 25, 28, 34, 36, 37;).
- Muslim celebrate 'Id al Adha, The Festival of Sacrifice on the 10th of Dzulhijjah ( the last month of the Hijra calendar) the world over.