What
do Muslims believe?
Muslims believe in
the Arkan-ul-Islam, the Five Pillars of Islam and Arkan-ul-Iman,
The Six Pillars of Iman. These are very important duties given by Allah through
the Holy Prophet. These Five Pillars stands on Islam .
They are:
1.
To firmly
believe in the heart and declare:
(“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”).
This is what is meant by Iman (belief).
2.
To pray five
times a day (perform Salat).
3.
To pay Zakat.
4.
To fast during
the month of Ramadan.
5.
To go on Hajj
(pilgrimage) to Makkah once in a lifetime if one can afford it.
A Muslim is
required to do all that Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) have asked to do, and to
keep away from doing things, which Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) have told not
to do.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah
This is to firmly believe in the heart and declare:
Ashhadu anllaa ilaaha illallaahu, wa ashhadu anna
Muhammadar-Rasulullaah.
“ I bear witness that there is no God except Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger”.
The meaning of Shahadah
The Shahadah is the very basis of Islam.
Once a person declares it, he becomes a Muslim.
The Shahadah has two parts. The
first part is a declaration that Allah is the only Lord and Ruler, and He Alone
is worthy of worship. Allah is
Sustainer, Protector, Helper, Omnipresent, All-hearing, Omniscient and
All-Powerful. His Commandments are
true and are for practicing.
He has no partner, and He cannot be compared with any other
thing. Everything which is in this
universe is under His Control and works according to His Command.
Mankind is also required to live according to the commands
of Allah. Allah loves those who
follow His Command. Allah dislikes
those who disobey Him.
The second part of the Shahadah is the declaration that
Muhammad [pbuh] is the Messenger of Allah.
He is the last Prophet and that no Prophet will be send by Allah till the
Doomsday. His teachings are the
teachings of Allah. To love him
(Muhammad) is to love Allah and to follow his teachings are to follow the
Commands of Allah. He was the one
who brought the Qur’an to us. Muslims
are required to obey the Prophet [pbuh] and follow his example without any
hesitation.
Muslims are also required to honour and respect him, and
ask Allah to give him blessings and salutations.
Whenever his name is mentioned we must say: Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallum. “Allah’s peace
& blessing be upon him”.
The
Demand of Shahadah
Anyone who truly believes in the meaning of Shahadah
becomes a pious man (Momin). It
becomes obligatory for him to refrain himself from evil deeds.
Our kind Prophet (pbuh) has decreed that to recite sincerely laa ilaa-ha
il-lal laa-hu will assist in the performance of lawful acts and will put a
stop to all the undesirable and prohibited deeds.
A true Muslims will strictly follow the Commands of Allah
in his daily life. He will abide
with the orders of Allah on all occasions such as marriages, buying and selling
(Trade) cremation, earnings and expenses etc.
His life should be in accordance with the Commands of Allah which must be
adhered to unconditionally. He must
behave like a dutiful servant who refrains himself from all the evil deeds which
have been prohibited by Allah.
The Reward of Shahadah
Those who surrender themselves to the Will of Allah and His
Prophet (pbuh) and firmly believe in its trueness, Allah promises that they will
be rewarded handsomely in the Hereafer and Paradise will be their abode.
Those who do not believe in God (Allah) and His Prophet (pbuh),
Doomsday, Paradise and Hell will be punished and will be put in Hell (A nasty
place) forever. Perpetual remembrance of Laa-i-laa ha il lal laah brings
enormous rewards. According to a
Hadith (Traditon) the Prophet (pbuh) has said: Remembrance of Laa-i-laa ha il
lal laah keeps faith fresh. It has
also been said that its recitation is most vulnerable.
Its recitation for hundred times a day nullifies sins and no other
recitation supersedes it.
2. Prayer (Salat)
This is to pray (perform Salat) five times a day.
It is the distinguishing feature of Islam. The servants of Allah who
offer their prayers regularly confirm their pledge of being loyal to Allah.
Those who do not offer their prayers regularly deny their pledge. Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) has said:
“The one who abandons his prayers commits infidelity
(kufr).”
Prayers should therefore be offered with full attention
regularly on prescribed timings.
In prayer, a person leaves everything and devotes himself
to the worship of Allah. He does
exactly what he has been instructed by Allah’s Messenger (pbuh).
He changes from one posture to another in a composed manner, focusing his
mind on Allah. He feels that he is
standing before Allah the Almighty. Prayer
is indeed a means of bringing mankind closer to Allah.
In prayer, one stands facing the direction of the kaabah,
bows and kneels before his Lord. He
recites the Opening Chapter of the Qur’an (Surat Al-Fatihah) praising and
glorifying Allah, and asking for His Support and Help.
This is Al-Fatihah:
Because of its importance, every Muslim male or female must
learn how to perform Salat. Children
should start performing it from the age of seven. When they reach the age of ten, their parents should
discipline them if they do not do it.
Prayer must be done by all Muslims and it all conditions.
Those who cannot stand, can pray sitting down.
Those who cannot sit, can do it lying down.
The servants of Allah who offer their prayers regularly confirm their
pledge of being loyal to Allah as contained in kalimah.
Those who do not offer their prayers regularly deny their pledge.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said:
“ the
one who abandons his prayers commits infidelity (kufr).”
Prayers should therefore be offered with full attention
regularly on prescribed timings.
There are five prayers each day. These are:
-
Fajr, which is observed at dawn before the sun rises.
-
Zuhr, which is observed at noon when the sun starts
to decline from the meridian.
-
‘Asr, which is to be observed in the late
afternoon.
-
Maghrib, which is to be observed when the sun sets.
-
‘Isha’, which is offered at night before going to
bed.
One can therefore see that a Muslim’s day starts and ends
with prayer. The first thing a
Muslim does when he/she awakes in the morning is to think of Allah, praising Him
and giving Him thanks. At the close
of the day after doing all his/her daily activities he/she remembers Allah
his/her prayer, praising and thanking Him before he/she sleeps.
Prayer is a virtue and when offered, the whole body of the
worshipper is engaged in worship. Each
limb of his body performs its function as prescribed and ordered by Allah.
If a man or a woman offers prayers attentively they will be safe from
sins.
The
Almighty says:
“Surely prayer protects against
Shamelessness and other misdeeds”.
Prayer
has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an at many places. It has been stressed in Traditions that prayer has to be
offered correctly and regularly.
The emphasis for offering prayers and its proficiency, our
Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“If five times obligatory prayers are offered with
utmost care on time with correct and proper Bowing and Prostration, Allah will
forgive the offerer as promised by Him.”
If one has offered his prayers carelessly and
uninterestingly his forgiveness will depend on His mercy.
Once the Prophet while talking said about the prayers:
“one who offers his prayers regularly, for him
prayer will become light on Doomsday and would be a testimony of his faith and
a source for his salvation”.
Prayer
will not turn into light, for one who did not offer his prayers regularly, nor
would it prove his faith. It will
not be a source of salvation either. Such
person will be in a company of Qaroon and Haamaan and the noted infidel Abi bin
Khalf on the Doomsday. Every Muslim
should, therefore, offer his prayers regularly to avoid the possibility of
having an end with the infidels on Doomsday.
Accountability of Salat (prayers) will be first.
The Prophet (pbuh) has also said:
“No doubt the servants (slaves) of God would first be
asked to account for their prayers. If
the prayers are according to requirements, they will be victorious, else they
would be deprived of the Blessings of Allah and would be losers."
Offering Prayers at odd times.
The Prophet (pbuh) has stated:
“Those who offer prayers without considering its
timings, deliberately delaying and to prostrate in haste at the last minute
are imposters.
The value of Salat (Prayers).
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Once who misses one of his prayers, he should
consider that all his property and household have been lost.”
Those men and women who abandon their prayers while caring
for their children or evolve in business engagements should ponder over these
Traditions.
Theft in Prayer.
Once the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said:
“The worst type of thief is he who steals his own
prayers.”
The Companions asked for its elucidation.
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Stealing of prayer means the avoidance of full
performance of Ruku (bowing) and sajood (Prostrations).”
The status of prayer in Islam
The kind Prophet (pbuh) said:
“One who avoids prayer, is not a staunch believer.
The status of prayer in religion is the same as that of a head in the
body. Without a head once can not
live, in the same way without prayer one is not a true Muslim.”
Parents are Responsible to make their
children
pray.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said:
“ask your progeny to offer their prayers when they are seven
years old. Admonish them when
they attain the age of ten, and ask them to sleep on separate beds on their
own.”
The great Reward for Nafl (additional) prayers.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Accountability of prayer is on top on Doomsday.
Prayers rightly offered will be rewarded, if the Prayers are not upto
the requirements one will be a loser.” Mercy is the Grace of Allah and will
allow concessions to His servants and will ask Angels to include Nafl prayers
if there is a shortfall in obligatory Prayers and likewise other deeds will
also be accounted for.
The believers are advised to offer as many Nafl Prayers as
possible including the emphasised and unemphasised (Prophets precepts) before
and after the obligatory Prayers. This
will enhance the stock of Prayers.
Thanksgiving Prayer for Ablution.
It is desirable to offer two (2) Rakah Nafl after ablution.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“A believer who performs ablution correctly and
offers 2 Rakah with utmost concentration, Paradise is a must for him.”
Ishraq Prayers.
When the sun rises and is clear, offer two Rakah Nafl
Prayers, which is known as Ishraq Prayer. Three
hours after Ishraq prayer, two, four or eight Rakah Nafl Prayer known as Chaasht
Prayer is very much appreciated. Hazrat Aiyasha (R) used to offer eight Rakah of Chaasht
Prayers regularly. She used to say
“I shall not abandon them, even if my parents come out of their graves”. The
Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Whose offers tow Rakah Chaasht regularly, all his
sins will be forgiven even if they are equal to the foams of an ocean.
Awwabeen Prayers.
This prayer consists of twenty Rakah (minimum of six) is to
be offered after Maghrib Prayers. It
has been mentioned in a Hadith that whoso offers six Rakah after Maghrib (sun
set) Prayers whole-heartedly, these six Rakah would equal his twelve years of
Prayers. It has also been mentioned
in the Traditions that whoso offers twenty Rakah, Allah would construct a house
in Paradise for him.
Tahajjud Prayers.
Dua (supplication) is specially accepted at the time of
Tahajjud. One should get up an hour
or two earlier than Fajr (morning) cal for prayers, perform the ablution and
offer Nafl Tahajjud Prayers as many as you can from 2 (minimum) to 12 Rakah.
The Prophet (pbuh) says
“When one third of each night is left, Allah
proclaims: Is there anyone who presents his supplication to me for acceptance,
I (Allah) will accept it. Is
there anyone who begs me, I (Allah) will extend forgiveness.
Is there anyone who extends leans to me (Allah) who is All-giving and
Merciful”. This declaration
continues till dawn.
3. Zakat
Zakat is the third Pillar of Islam.
It is a way of doing our duty to other Muslims.
Zakat is also to remind a person that his wealth is not his own, but its
real owner is Allah. This should
make a person ready to spend it in accordance with Allah’s Command.
The one who does not pay Zakat, his wealth will be
transformed in the shape of a big venomous snake on Doomsday.
That snake will have two black dots on his eyes and will encircle the
neck like a necklace, would prick the jaws of the non-prayer and will say:
“I am your wealth, I am your treasure.” This
has also been mentioned in the holy Qur’an.
The Prophet (pbuh) has also said:
“Whoso possesses gold or silver and does not pay His
(Allah) dues, on the Doomsday tablets of fire will be made for him which will
be heated up in Hell and will be placed on his fore-head, sides and backs to
torment him. This punishment will
be perpetual, the duration of which will be equal to fifty thousand years till
the accountability is over."
May Allah save us.
In the light of the above. Can one afford the torment of
God for the sake of little saving which in itself is mortal?
It is a great sin and shamelessness not to spend money in the name of God
and that too which has been given by him. If
Zakah is due, one should pay it and induce his relatives and near ones
accordingly. This should be a great favour for them and to save them from
the wrath of God on the Doomsday. Many
women possess gold and silver ornaments and do not pay Zakat, they do not
realize the punishment which they may receive on the Doomsday.
God has repeatedly Commanded in Qur’an to pay Zakat.
The scholars mention that the subject of Zakat has appeared thirty three
(33) times in Qur’an with Salat and has also appeared singularly in the Holy
Book.
Allah – glory be to Him and may He be exalted! says:
“ Establish Salat and Pay Zakat and whatever you
send for your good in advance you shall find it there with your God (Allah)”
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Surely God (Allah) has prescribed Zakat to purify
the rest of your wealth.” In another tradition it has been indicated.
“Surely the fulfilment of Islam, lies in the payment of Zakat”.
Zakat wipes the vices of Wealth.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“One who pays Zakat on his wealth saves himself from
the ills caused by wealth. The evil
effects of wealth are a source of distress and also the gains earned from
unlawful money”.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“ Payment of Zakat dispels the evils wealth.
The wealth (after the payment of Zakat) with neither cause you the
punishment of Doomsday nor would be a waste in this world and no ill-affects
will befall”.
The Prophet (pbuh) has also said:
“The payment of Zakat will secure your wealth.
To regain health for the sick, pay charity and pray to God.
Present yourself before God with submission”.
Withholding the Zakat causes famine.
The prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Those people who with-hold the Zakat invite famine
for themselves”. It has been
said in another tradition: “Withholding
Zakat causes aridity and the rain which falls is due to the presence of
quadrupeds”.
Withholding the Zakat destroys merchandise.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Goods which are lost on land or in the
sea due to withholding Zakat”. It
has also been said: “Surely the goods on which Zakat was due (but not paid)
and that money/goods were mixed with other stock will ruin the whole lot”.
On
whom Zakat is obligatory
It is not necessary that one should be very rich.
Zakat is an annual payment made by people.
Zakat becomes due on savings which have been kept for one full
year. Two and a half percent of the
total money is given to those who are in need
4. Fasting
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam.
It is obligatory for every Muslim person during the month of Ramadan.
Fasting means to keep away from eating, drinking, smoking and the sexual
act from sawn to sunset.
Those who Fast are honourable before Allah. The Prophet (pbuh)
Has said:
“The smell coming out of the mouth of the one who
Fasts is more agreeable to Allah than the smell of Musk”. The Prophet (pbuh)
has also said: “There are two
glad tidings for those who Fast. Fast when he breaks his Fast and secondly
when he will meet Allah”.
Fasting are so graceful that the Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“If one leaves Fasts of Ramadan without a solid
reason, he cannot make it up even if he Fast all his life”.
Although one equals them in numbers but can not be equal in
the bliss which the Ramadan Fasts bring.
The month of Ramadan is a highly blessed month.
It has been mentioned in Hadith that the Reward for obligatory deeds is
seventy times more in Ramadan as against the Reward awarded ordinarily and the
Reward of Nafl deeds equal the Reward of Obligatory deeds.
The satan is confined in a cage during this month and the
gates of Bliss are opened. To achieve the Blessings of Allah, do not miss
obligatory Prayers, Nafl Prayers Recite the Qur’an, offer Tarawih (Prophet
Precepts). Keep your self busy to earn the Blessing of Allah.
Do not engage in any evil behaviour. Do not say anything bad or quarrel
with anyone. If you do not control
your self and avoid evil deeds, your fast will not bring you any benefit nor
reward from Allah.
Fasting throughout Ramadan trains one to control the
desires. It also teaches one to
discipline the behaviour. Fasting
helps one to strengthen his will-power. It
also develops a person’s endurance and steadfastness.
Fasting provides Muslims with the opportunity to experience
the hunger and thirst suffered by many starving people in this world.
Only in this way can Muslims learn and understand what it really feels
like not to have food or drink. A
Muslim will then be able to show sympathy, and be prepared to help and support
them. This is why the fasting month
of Ramadan is called “The Month of Endurance and Sympathy”.
Laylat-ul-Qadr
The night of Power also falls in this holy month.
The night of Power is better than thousand
months.
Search of the Night in odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan i.e.
21, 23, 25, 27, 29. The devotional
duty of Aitikaaf is also appreciable during the last days of Ramadan.
Aitikaaf is one of the devotional duties pertaining to the
month of Ramadan. Aitikaaf in this
context means “Confining oneself in the House of Allah (a little before sunset
till the appearance of Shawwal moon”. The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“Aitikaaf brings complete protection sinful acts.
A mutakif (one who confines in Aitikaaf) is also rewarded for the good
deeds of those who are not mutakif”
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The fifth Pillar of Islam is to perform Hajj or pilgrimage
to the Holy Land of Makkah from the 8th to the 13th of the
month of Dhul-Hajj.
It is compulsory on Muslims who can afford the expenses and are
physically able to undertake the journey. It
is obligatory only once in a Muslim’s life.
Hajj was performed for the first time by the Prophet
Ibrahim and his son Isma’il (Allah’s peace & blessings be upon them).
Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to call people for pilgrimage.
It is in response to his call that Muslims rush to Makkah every year. They carry out the acts of Hajj with devotion and sincerity.
They confirm their readiness to forsake worldly enjoyment and comfort for
the sake of Allah.
Hajj is the largest annual gathering of Muslims.
They come from all over the world to assemble in the Holy Land. 
They meet one another and exchange good wishes.
Hajj is a true demonstration of the fact that Islam is a
universal religion and all Muslims are brothers and equal to one another.
Excellence of Hajj:
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“One who performed Hajj cleanly, i.e. did not
indulge in sins shall return purified as if he is born today”.
Our kind Prophet (pbuh) has also said:
“that the Reward for Hajj performed with sincerity
and whole-heartedly is nothing but Paradise.”
A commendable Hajj is that which is full of piety, free
from hypocrisy and is for none but for Allah and Allah only.
How do Hajjis (pilgrims) perform Hajj.
The hajjis (pilgrims) wear plain white clothes known
as ihram to show that in the eyes of Allah all Muslims are equal.
On the first morning of Hajj they troop into the Holy Haram chanting, ‘Labbaik!
Allahumma labbaike!, which means ‘Here I am, Oh Allah, at your
service!’ Feeling full of happiness, they enter the gates of the Great Mosque
and approach the Kaaba.
Circling around the Kaaba
The Kaaba is the starting and finishing point of Hajj.
Thousands of people crowd around the Kaaba as Hajj begins.
Pilgrims start
from the Hajar-al-aswad, a black rock embedded in the western wall, and circle
seven times around the Kaaba, then pray at the Station of Ibrahim beside it.
Ibrahim is said to have prayed here after building the Kaaba.
Mina
The pilgrims through stones to reject the devil, who is
symbolised by three ancient stone pillars.
This is the last stage of Hajj, and the pilgrims celebrate the festival
of Eid. They sacrifice sheep or
goats to remind themselves that Ibrahim was prepared to show his obedience by
killing his son when Allah asked him to, but instead Allah send him a sheep.
Finally, they return for a last visit to the Kaaba.
Umra
Umra is also performed in Makkah. Some rituals are common to that of Hajj. The Prophet (pbuh)
has said that
“ those who proceed for Hajj or Umra are the
guests of Allah and are of high esteem. Their
prayers will be heard and granted. Their
prayers forgiveness will be accepted.”
It has also been said by the Prophet (pbuh) that
“Hajj is obligatory on those who besides their other
obligations have money for journey to Makkah and back with ease.”
Six
Pillars of Iman
A Muslim must have Iman. Iman means to have firm belief in
six things:
-
The
first to believe in Allah, to believe that He exists, He is One, and He
Alone is the Creator, Sustainer and Lord over everything, and He Alone is
worthy of worship.
- The
second is to believe in the angels who are also the creation of Allah. Allah
created them from light, and they always obey Him.
They have been assigned various tasks which they carry out
faithfully. Some of them were
given the task of carrying the Message to the Prophets.
Others are assigned to record the good and bad actions human beings. The number of angels is known only to Allah, but there
are four who are quite well-known to us.
They are Jibril, Mika’il, ‘Izra’il and Israfil.
- The
third is to believe in
Allah’s Prophets. They were
His Messengers on this earth, and were responsible for teaching Islam to
their people. They came to
teach people to do good, and lived their lives according to what they
preached. The first man was
also the first Prophet, and he was Adam (Allah’s peace & blessings be
upon him) The last Prophet was
Muhammad (pbuh). Some other
famous ones are Nuh (Noah),
Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma’il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Musa (Moses), and Isa
(Jesus) (Allah’s peace & blessings be upon them).
A Muslim must believe in all the Prophets and give them due respect,
but they should not be worshipped.
- The
fourth is to believe in the Books of Allah. Allah revealed Books to His Prophets.
These
Books contain the guidance of Allah for mankind.
The Noble Qur’an is the Book revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The three Books known to us which were revealed before the Qur’an
are the Torah which was revealed to Musa, the Zabur which was sent down to
Dawud (David), and the Injil which was given to ‘Isa (Jesus) (Allah’s
peace & blessings be upon them). Some
people who were disobedient to Allah have distorted some of these Books to
mislead the people. Allah has
protected the Noble Qur’an from any kind of distortion.
- The
fifth is to believe in life after death.
A Muslim has to believe that life in this world will come to an end
one day. Everything in this
world will perish. Then Allah
will bring all human beings back to life and judge them according to their
deeds which they did while they lived on earth.
The people who have obeyed Allah and spent their lives doing good
will go to Paradise. There they
will have everything good that they could possibly want, as a reward for
their good deeds. The people
who have been disobedient to Allah’s Commands and have done bad things
will go to Hell. There they
will be cast into a big fire and punishment for their bad deeds.
- The
sixth is to believe that everything comes from Allah.
This means that Allah knows everything that is going to happen
whether it is a good thing or a bad thing.
Nothing in this world takes place without His permission or
knowledge. If something good
happens to a Muslim, he should thank Allah for it.
He should be patient and ask Allah for relief if something bad
happens to him.
