The Qur'an mandates six
basic practices for the Muslim. These practices are often called the Six
Pillars of Islam.
The Confession (shahada): "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah." This creed is repeated by every Muslim and marks
one's conversion to Islam.
Prayers (salat): Muslims are required to pray five stated times each
day. These prayers, known as salat, may be done individually or in a mosque.
Prior to entering into prayer, each Muslim must perform ablution. Each prayer
is accompanied by postures and actions, and consists of recitations from the
Qur'an, in Arabic, and individual petitions. All individuals, when they pray,
must face toward Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammad. In addition to the five
stated prayers, the Muslim may also offer informal prayers, called doas. These
may be voiced in any language and are of a more personal nature.
Almsgiving (zakat): This alms-tax is a mandatory donation to charity.
This obligation to share one's wealth with the less fortunate is stressed throughout
the Qur'an, and constitutes about two and a half percent of one's annual income.
An additional tax of the equivalent of one day's food is required to be paid
on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday of feasting that marks the end of
Ramadan. Some Muslims also give a voluntary endowment, called a waqf, for the
building of mosques, schools, libraries and hospitals.
Fasting (sawm): Fasting must be observed during the daylight hours
of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this
time, observers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual intercourse,
and spend time reflecting on the needs of the poor and their obligations to
Allah. Ramadan was observed by some groups prior to the rise of Islam,
and was taken from the Sabaeans.
Pilgrimage (hajj): It is required of every Muslim who is physically
and financially able to go on at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during his lifetime.
During the hajj, all participants, men and women, rich and poor, and all nationalities,
are equal. While non-Muslims are banned from Mecca, the millions who journey
to there for the annual pilgrimage arrive in the same pilgrim dress of unsewn
white material, and perform the same prescribed rituals, including circumambulating
the Ka'ba, kissing the black stone, offering an animal sacrifice, drinking from
the well of Zamzam, and casting stones at the Devil.
Jihad: The struggle
to propagate the faith of Islam throughout the world.
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