Islam practices

• Ibadah


  Worship; any permissible action performed with the intention to obey God
• The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam

  • Shahadah
  • Salah
  • Zakah
  • Sawm
  • Hajj
• Niyyah


  Intention; having the right intention to worship God
• Shahadah


  The declaration of faith which says 'There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet'
• The Shahadah sums up the religion of Islam: the belief in the one and only Almighty God and the acceptance of Muhammad as the final messenger, a man sent by God to reveal the divine path to life (the Shari'ah)
• Monotheism


  • Muslims reject belief in many gods (polytheism) and they also oppose the atheist concept of a world without God
  • Muslims have deep respect for Jesus (Isa), but to them he is a great prophet, not a divine being
• Conversion or reversion


  Becoming a Muslim by reciting the Shahadah
• Salah


  The practice of prayer, five times a day
• Preparation for prayer


  • Declaration of intent (niyyah)
  • Wudu (ablution, washing specific body parts)
• How to pray


  1. Find a clean place to stand, bow and prostrate

  2. Face towards Makkah (Qibla)

  3. Perform a sequence of movements (rak'ahs)
• The aims of prayer are: as a constant reminder of the presence of God, to show submission to the will of God, to cleanse away the corruption of the world, to unite all Muslims, to bring about peace in the world, to remove sins
• Jumu'ah prayers


  Congregational prayers on Fridays at the mosque, with a sermon (khutbah) given by the imam
• Du'a prayers


  Personal prayers which may be said at any time of the day
• Muslims should try to pray at the allocated times, but if they miss a prayer then it is acceptable to catch up later. However, it would be seen as a sin to miss prayers regularly without a valid reason
• The night journey story explains why Muslims pray five times a day - originally it was 50 times a day, but this was reduced to five after intervention from Moses
• Zakah


  The practice of charity, giving 2.5% of one's wealth every year to the poor
• Zakah is an obligation and a form of worship, to be generous and kind for the benefit of humanity
• Five Pillars of Islam

  • Shahada (declaration of faith)
  • Salat (daily prayer)
  • Zakah (charity)
  • Sawm (fasting during Ramadan)
  • Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)
• Mosque (masjid)


  A 'place of prostration' for Muslims; it is a communal place of worship for a Muslim community
• Zakah


  Charity, giving to the poor
• All Muslims are expected to be charitable as a regular duty, giving 2.5 per cent of their wealth every year
• The Qur'an makes a clear command: to give to those in need, to widows, orphans and travellers
• Zakah


  A sign of cleansing and purity, giving us the opportunity to share our wealth and offering us a means of purification
• According to Islam, our wealth and our property are not ours; wealth is given to us by God, for the benefit of all humans
• Islam disapproves of gambling as it makes people dependent on chance rather than relying on God to provide
• Humans as khalifahs (stewards)


  We are stewards or trustees of the world; we do not own it, we are looking after it in trust, for God, to hand it on to our children and to future generations
• The practice of giving Zakah began when Prophet Muhammad was the ruler in Madinah
• Sawm (fasting during Ramadan)


  The fourth pillar of Islam, a time dedicated to self-discipline and spiritual reflection
• Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year, Muslims follow a lunar calendar which lasts 354 days
• Fasting during Ramadan

  • Refraining from eating, drinking (including water), smoking and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk for 29/30 days
  • Abstaining from evil thoughts, harmful actions and unkind speech
• The beginning of Ramadan is marked by the appearance of the new (crescent) moon in the sky, signalling the start of the new month
• According to the Qur'an, the fast must begin each day at first light and continue until dusk
• Suhur is the special meal eaten before dawn, and iftar is the meal eaten at dusk to break the fast
• Benefits of fasting during Ramadan

  • It is commanded in the Qur'an by God
  • It follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad (Sunnah)
  • It celebrates the fact that God has given humans the Qur'an
  • It brings people closer to God
  • It is a reminder of the mercy and blessings of God
  • It helps Muslims to identify with the poor
  • It promotes self control
  • It helps to recharge spiritual batteries
  • It unites Muslim communities (ummah)
• God has instructed all adult Muslims to fast during Ramadan, but those who are ill or travelling are exempt
• Some Muslims argue that fasting times should be standardised, as Muslims in the Middle East only fast for a maximum of 15 hours, while in an English summer it can be up to 19 hours
• Hajj


  The fifth pillar of Islam, the pilgrimage to Makkah
• Hajj is compulsory for those who have enough money to leave their homes for a lengthy period and are physically and mentally fit enough
• Makkah


  • The holiest city on earth for Muslims, where many significant events in Islamic history took place
• Ihram


  The sacred state of purity, symbolised by the white garments worn on Hajj, where Muslims make a special intention to dedicate themselves to worshipping God