Worship in Islam is an all inclusive term for all action and sayings that
God loves. Every virtuous action which is performed with the
intention of carrying the commandments of God and seeking His pleasure is
considered as an act of worship. However, the very specific acts of worship
are five. They stand as the framework of spiritual life on which the structure
of Islam rests. They are the following:
1. The two Declarations of faith of which the Arabic transliteration is
(Ashhadu an la elaaha illa Allah, wa Ashhadu anna Muhammad Rasool
Allah) which means: I testify that there is no god worthy of worship but
God, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. The sincere
declaration of God’s unity and the acceptance of Muhammad’s prophethood
and adherence to his teachings automatically brings one within the fold of
Islam and guarantees him Paradise. Hence, Monotheism is the cornerstone
of Islam. The acceptance of this belief differentiates the Muslim from the
non-Muslim.
2. Prayers: Formal Prayers are prescribed five times daily as a duty to God
at the following times: dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and nightfall. A
Muslim may offer formal prayers almost anywhere as long as the location is
clean. Muslim males are enjoined to pray in congregation in a mosque,
while females are encouraged to pray in their homes. Prayer provides
human beings with a regular contact with God, which helps them avoid evil.
Furthermore, it is symbolic of equality, for the poor and the rich, the ruler
and the ruled, the black and the white stand together, united in rows,
shoulder to shoulder and prostrate themselves before God. Prayer
strengthens the belief in God and elevates man to a higher morality. It helps
to purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong – doing and evil.
3. Zakah (Charity): Every Muslim whose net annual savings are above a
certain specified minimum must pay an annual amount of 2.5% of his
savings to the poor and needy people in the community. Zakah fosters
generosity and helps purify the soul of selfishness and greed. Zakah also
helps reduce resentment and envy between poor and rich members of the
society.
4. Fasting the month of Ramadhan: Fasting in Islam means abstention
from food, drink and sexual acts from dawn to sunset. It is an annual
obligation during the month of Ramadhan, the ninth month of the lunar
calendar. Fasting teaches sincerity and engenders devotion. It develops a
sense of social conscience, patience, self-restraint, will power and
compassion for the needy members of the society. Furthermore, it has been
medically proven that fasting helps to maintain good health.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah): Hajj is obligatory for every Muslim once
in a lifetime, if one can afford it financially and bear it physically. During
Hajj, Muslims from all corners of the world meet in an international
congregation dedicated to the worship of God. It is a great lesson in
patience. The huge gatherings in Hajj remind one of the Day of Judgment
when people will gather for their reckoning. It emphasizes the belief that all
Muslims are brothers, irrespective of their geographical, cultural or racial
origins.
IX. ISLAM AND OTHER RELIGIONS
ne may ask: “If all true religions came with the same message, namely
the worship of God alone, why then do we find differences between
them?” The answer is that the original forms of these earlier messages were
either lost or distorted by later generations. Consequently, the pure
messages of monotheism became polluted with myths, superstitions,
idolatry and irrational philosophical beliefs and hence, those religions are no
more valid. But God, the Compassionate, did not leave human beings astray.
He sent, ultimately, Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon
him) to revive the original message and to call human beings back to the
correct path: belief in the unique oneness of God and worship of Him
according to His teachings mentioned in the Qur'an. Consequently, Islam is
the seal of all religions, and the Qur'an is the seal of all revealed books, and
Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon him) is the seal of all
prophets.
SOURCE: DR. BILAL PHILIP
God loves. Every virtuous action which is performed with the
intention of carrying the commandments of God and seeking His pleasure is
considered as an act of worship. However, the very specific acts of worship
are five. They stand as the framework of spiritual life on which the structure
of Islam rests. They are the following:
1. The two Declarations of faith of which the Arabic transliteration is
(Ashhadu an la elaaha illa Allah, wa Ashhadu anna Muhammad Rasool
Allah) which means: I testify that there is no god worthy of worship but
God, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. The sincere
declaration of God’s unity and the acceptance of Muhammad’s prophethood
and adherence to his teachings automatically brings one within the fold of
Islam and guarantees him Paradise. Hence, Monotheism is the cornerstone
of Islam. The acceptance of this belief differentiates the Muslim from the
non-Muslim.
2. Prayers: Formal Prayers are prescribed five times daily as a duty to God
at the following times: dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and nightfall. A
Muslim may offer formal prayers almost anywhere as long as the location is
clean. Muslim males are enjoined to pray in congregation in a mosque,
while females are encouraged to pray in their homes. Prayer provides
human beings with a regular contact with God, which helps them avoid evil.
Furthermore, it is symbolic of equality, for the poor and the rich, the ruler
and the ruled, the black and the white stand together, united in rows,
shoulder to shoulder and prostrate themselves before God. Prayer
strengthens the belief in God and elevates man to a higher morality. It helps
to purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong – doing and evil.
3. Zakah (Charity): Every Muslim whose net annual savings are above a
certain specified minimum must pay an annual amount of 2.5% of his
savings to the poor and needy people in the community. Zakah fosters
generosity and helps purify the soul of selfishness and greed. Zakah also
helps reduce resentment and envy between poor and rich members of the
society.
4. Fasting the month of Ramadhan: Fasting in Islam means abstention
from food, drink and sexual acts from dawn to sunset. It is an annual
obligation during the month of Ramadhan, the ninth month of the lunar
calendar. Fasting teaches sincerity and engenders devotion. It develops a
sense of social conscience, patience, self-restraint, will power and
compassion for the needy members of the society. Furthermore, it has been
medically proven that fasting helps to maintain good health.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah): Hajj is obligatory for every Muslim once
in a lifetime, if one can afford it financially and bear it physically. During
Hajj, Muslims from all corners of the world meet in an international
congregation dedicated to the worship of God. It is a great lesson in
patience. The huge gatherings in Hajj remind one of the Day of Judgment
when people will gather for their reckoning. It emphasizes the belief that all
Muslims are brothers, irrespective of their geographical, cultural or racial
origins.
IX. ISLAM AND OTHER RELIGIONS
ne may ask: “If all true religions came with the same message, namely
the worship of God alone, why then do we find differences between
them?” The answer is that the original forms of these earlier messages were
either lost or distorted by later generations. Consequently, the pure
messages of monotheism became polluted with myths, superstitions,
idolatry and irrational philosophical beliefs and hence, those religions are no
more valid. But God, the Compassionate, did not leave human beings astray.
He sent, ultimately, Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon
him) to revive the original message and to call human beings back to the
correct path: belief in the unique oneness of God and worship of Him
according to His teachings mentioned in the Qur'an. Consequently, Islam is
the seal of all religions, and the Qur'an is the seal of all revealed books, and
Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon him) is the seal of all
prophets.
SOURCE: DR. BILAL PHILIP
BOOK: IS ISLAM YOUR BIRTHRIGHT
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