Shahadah, Salah, Du’a, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj

• Five Pillars of Islam


  • Shahadah - declaration of faith
  • Salah - prayer five times a day
  • Zakah - the giving of money
  • Sawm - fasting during the month of Ramadan
  • Hajj - the obligatory pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime
• Shahadah


  Declaration of faith, containing two statements: 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'
• Shahadah


  • It embodies the Muslim belief in Tawhid
  • It is through declaring the shahadah that a person professes the Muslim faith
  • The shahadah is whispered to a newborn baby so they are the first words the child hears
  • They should be the last words on a Muslim's lips before they die
  • Saying this declaration of faith is also the way for non-believers to convert to Islam
  • Saying the words must be accompanied by the intention to live by the will of Allah
  • Anyone who abandons this belief commits the sin of apostasy
• In Islamic countries the commitment to their belief in Allah as the only true God means that other religions are usually forbidden from evangelising and gaining converts
• Salah


  The ritual Muslim prayer that is carried out at five times every day
• Salah prayer is the first duty believed to have been imposed by Allah
• By offering salah prayer Muslims seek to gain Allah's favour
• Five daily prayers


  • Fajr - morning prayer between dawn and sunrise
  • Zuhr - midday prayer in the early afternoon
  • Asr - late afternoon prayer
  • Maghrib - prayer just after sunset
  • Isha - night-time prayer
• Muslims are individually responsible for praying at these times
• Adhan


  The call to prayer made from the minarets of mosques, recited in Arabic by the muezzin, reflecting the declaration of the shahadah
• Iqmah


  The second call to prayer made in the mosque's main worship hall, letting worshippers know that prayer is about to begin
• Wudu


  The ritual washing that a Muslim must do before salah prayer, including washing of arms, hands, feet and mouth
• When no water is available a Muslim is permitted to carry out a dry form of washing, called tayammum, using fine sand or dust
• After completing wudu a Muslim will recite the phrase, 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and he is one and has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and messenger'
• Rak'ah


  A complete sequence of prayer, involving the recitation of phrases along with a sequence of eight movements, each with a religious significance
• Jummah prayer


  The congregational prayer offered at mosques during Zuhr (midday) prayer time every Friday, where the imam delivers a sermon called a khutbah
• Joining together at Jummah prayer time helps the Muslim community to be cohesive as a sense of unity is developed, and provides a time for the community to discuss any issues and resolve any problems
• Shi'a prayer


  Shi'a Muslims pray five times a day but they are allowed to join together the midday (Zuhr) and afternoon (Asr) prayers, and the evening (Maghrib) and night-time (Isha) prayers
• Shi'a prayer


  • Shi'a Muslims prostrate, or go face down, on things which are counted as part of the earth, such as a piece of wood or a slab made of clay from Kerbala
  • Shi'as believe the ground is considered a pure material and fulfils the need for the place of prayer to be clean
  • Shi'a Muslims believe that in prostrating to Allah it is wrong to do so on something man-made and artificial
• Sunni Muslims may be concerned at the specific use of clay from Kerbala as it seems to suggest a certain level of holiness to that city, even more so than Mecca
• Du'a prayer


  Private prayer, the word du'a simply means 'asking'
• Du'a prayers


  • Muslims bring their special concerns to Allah
  • May include thanksgiving, asking for forgiveness, or requests for help
  • Seeking Allah's guidance as commanded
  • Showing faith in Allah's closeness and immediacy
• Saying du'a prayers


  1. Can be in own language

  2. Can be after finishing salah

  3. Can recite other Arabic prayers

  4. Can be said at any time of day

  5. May include use of prayer beads
• Prayer beads have 33 or 99 beads, used to recite the 99 names of Allah or repeat phrases that glorify Allah
• Some Muslims do not agree with the use of prayer beads because the prophet Muhammad did not use them
• Some Muslims will use their fingers to count recitations during their personal prayers instead of using prayer beads
• Zakah


  Obligatory almsgiving (charity donation) in Islam, means 'purification'
• Zakah


  • Purifies a person's heart of greed
  • Paid on net worth above a certain amount (nisab)
  • Paid on range of possessions, not just monetary savings
  • Amount varies, often 2.5% of earnings above nisab
  • Each Muslim individually accountable for correct amount
• Collecting zakah


  1. In Muslim countries, collected by government like a tax

  2. In other countries, collected at local mosques

  3. Money distributed to help needy in Muslim community and for religious purposes
• Zakah is not considered charity giving, but the sharing of wealth given by Allah that all Muslims have a right to
• Sadaqah


  Voluntary donations in addition to zakah, no limits or guidelines
• Allah is aware of what is done (Surah 2:215)
• Khums


  Islamic tax on 20% of a person's excess earnings, paid by Shi'a Muslims
• Paying khums


  1. Paid once every year

  2. Given to the religious scholar a person follows

  3. Money goes to help the poor and support Islamic organisations
• Originally collected by the prophet Muhammad, but Sunni Muslims ceased to pay it after his death while Shi'a Muslims continued
• Shi'a Muslims believe anyone who keeps money they should have paid as khums has money that is haram
• Nisab


  Minimum net worth required to pay zakah
• Fasting (sawm) in Ramadan


  1. Commemorates Muhammad's first revelation of the Qur'an

  2. Muslims go without food and drink during daylight hours for the whole month

  3. Sick, travelling, pregnant, and menstruating women are exempt
• Last 10 days of Ramadan


  • Especially important, believed to be when Night of Power occurred
  • Some Muslims take these 10 days off work to focus on worship
  • Practice of Muhammad to spend these days at mosque studying Qur'an and praying
• End of Ramadan

  1. New moon of Shawwal brings end to sawm

  2. Marked by celebration of Id-Ul-Fitr, 'Festival of Fast Breaking'