Islam practises

• There are five pillars in Islam. These are: Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj.
• Shahadah: the declaration of faith that all Muslims must make.
• Salah: daily prayers
• Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan, which is a month of self-discipline and self-control.
• Zakat: almsgiving (charity)
• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
• The ten obligatory acts in Shi’a Islam:

  Salah (prayer)

  Sawm (fasting)

  Zakah (almsgiving)

  Kuhms (20% tax on income)

  Hajj (pilgrimage)

  Jihad (struggle to defend/ maintain one’s faith)

  Amr-bil-maruf (encouraging to do good)

  Nahi Amil Munkar (discouraging what is wrong)

  Tawallah (loving towards God’s friends)

  Tabarra (disassociating with God’s enemies)
• Wudu: A wash before prayer, washing of the body and face
• Mihrab: A niche in the wall of a mosque that faces Mecca.
• Qiblah wall: a wall in the Mosque that contains the Mihrab
• Rak’ah: A sequence of movements in ritual prayer
• Prostration: kneeling with the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes touching the floor, in submission to God
• Jummah prayer: a weekly communal prayer performed after midday on Friday, which includes a sermon
• Fajr: prayer before sunrise
• Zuhr: prayer just after midday
• Asr: afternoon prayer
• Maghrib: prayer after sunset
• Isha: prayer at night
• What makes Muslims loose Wudu?

  Passing gas, touching your private area, sleeping or losing consciousness and any excretion of liquid from your genitals and backside
• In Wudu, Muslims must:

  1. Wash their hands to wrists three times, left to right

  2. Wash their mouth three times

  3. Wash their nose three times

  4. Wash their face three times

  5. Was their forearms three times each arm

  6. Wipe their hair

  7. Wipe both ears

  8. Wash both their feet three times
• Prayer positions:

  First Rak’ah:

  Takbir (standing with their arms to their head)

  Qiyam (standing with their arms at their hips)

  Ruku (standing to the side)

  Second Rak’ah:

  Sajdah (prostration)

  Tashahhud (kneeling)

  Peace to the right and left whilst kneeling
• What do Muslims recite during prayer?

  During Takbir and Qiyam: they recite the first chapter from the Qur’an.

  During Ruku: they say in Arabic “Glory to be my Lord who is the very greatest” three times

  While standing: they recite something to praise God

  During Sajdah: they recite “how perfect is my Lord the most high”

  During Tashahhud: they recite “God is the greatest”

  During peace to the right and left: they recite “Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God”
• Prayers in the Mosque are lead by the Imam. Men and women pray at the same time but in different spaces.
• If a Muslim wishes to pray at home, they must still perform Wudu and can pray wherever as long as the room is clean and the prayer mat is facing Mecca.
• It is easier for Women to pray at home because they don’t have the trouble of bringing their children or leaving their children at home.
• The Jummah prayer is considered to be special. All male Muslims are expected to attend a Mosque for this prayer and women may do so if they wish.
• Once the Jummah prayer is complete, the Imam will deliver a sermon that reminds Muslims of the obligations and duties to God.
• Muslims fast during Ramadan, which occurs on the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
• Muslims who cannot fast are people who are too young, pregnant people and those who are ill. Some people can make up for not fasting later if they can.
• Muslims are also not allowed to smoke, do drugs, drink alcohol or have sex during Ramadan.
• Muslims focus on fasting, charity and pleasing God during Ramadan.
• Ramadan reminds Muslims of those who are poor and feel hungry throughout the day. It strengthens their self-discipline and teaches them to be grateful for what they have.
• Ramadan spreads greater awareness of the importance of charity and the importance of helping those in need.
• The night of power marks the beginning of God’s revelation to Muhammad. The first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibril.
• The exact date of the night of power is unknown, so many Muslims try to keep awake throughout the night on each of the possible dates.
• Muslims usually break their fast with dates, just as Muhammad did. They can eat before sunrise and after sunset, but not during the day.
• For Muslims that have enough savings, they have to give 2.5% of their wealth to charity to help the poor.
• Zakah literally means to purify or cleanse.
• Zakah is given by Sunni Muslims.
• Nisab: a figure that tells a Muslim if they have enough money to give Zakah