Islam THE WILL OF ALLAH The Five

Islam THE WILL OF ALLAH

The Five Pillars THE FIVE ACTS OF WORSHIP

The Five Pillars of Islam Creed - Shahadah Prayer - Salat Charity to the Poor - Zakat Fasting during Ramadan - Sawm Pilgrimage to Mecca - Hajj

The First Pillar Creed - Shahadah There is no God but God and Muhammad is His Prophet The Shahadah in Arabic

The Second Pillar Prayer - Salat - Five daily prayers facing the Holy City of Mecca one prays before dawn, midday, midafternoon, sunset and at night. Ritual cleansing is involved. times for prayer are announced by a muezzin who calls out from the top of a tower called a minaret. Hundreds of Muslims pray in Kolkata (Calcutta), India (AP PHOTO) http: //i. cnn. net/cnn/SPECIALS/2001/trade. center/islam/images/group. prayer. jpg

Prayer When there is a prayer group one acts as the leader. Passages from the Qur’an are recited. Friday is the public day of prayer usually in the midafternoon. Men are at the mosque and women are at home. The Friday public prayer usually includes a sermon. Prayer Movements

The Third Pillar Giving of Alms - Zakat - One gives 2. 5 percent of one’s total income to the poor usually dispensed by the government. A Muslim is also expected to perform acts of charity as part of one’s everyday life. http: //www. emelmagazine. com/images/final_hand_i 25. gif

The Fourth Pillar Fasting during Ramadan One abstains from eating during the daylight hours for a whole month. One also avoids liquid, tobacco and sex from dawn until dusk. It is the holiest month in Islam http: //arxxiduc. files. wordpress. com/2007/09/ramadan. jpg

Ramadan Purpose discipline develop sympathy for the poor give to others what one would have eaten It is the ninth month of You Can Buy Hundreds Of Meals For The Needy At These Outlets. the Muslim calendar (lunar) cycle It is the time during which Muhammad received his revelations. http: //images. google. com/imgres? imgurl=http: //www. hilaliya. com/ramadan_crowds_t n. jpg&imgrefurl=http: //www. hilaliya. com/2007/09/ramadan-nights-theumrah. html&h=375&w=500&sz=70&hl=en&start=49&tbnid=Xc. JUxn. Yk. C 691 j. M: &t bnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3 Fq%3 Dramadan%26 start%3 D 36%26 gbv%3 D 2 %26 ndsp%3 D 18%26 hl%3 Den%26 sa%3 DN

The Fifth Pillar Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca - Hajj It is a religious journey by a believer. All Muslims, unless not able due to sickness and poverty, are expected to make the journey. Only Muslims may visit the city. http: //www. hajjandumrahusa. com/Images/hajj. jpg

The Grand Mosque

The Pilgrimage The greater pilgrimage is made during a special month dhu’l-Hijjah The lesser pilgrimage is made during other times of the year. There is ritual and purification involved. Uniformed clothing, special prayers, and refraining from sex and violence.

The Ka’ba It is located in the center of the Great Mosque of Mecca. It is approximately 50’ high and 40’ wide and covered with a black cloth. The inside is empty and is ritually purified. The Black Stone which is believed to be a meteorite is embedded in one of the walls. The interior of the Ka’ba http: //www. sacred-destinations. com/saudi-arabia/images/mecca/resized/kaba-interiorwp-pd. jpg