So as I mentioned in the previous chapter, there are 5 pillars in Islam. These pillars metaphorically hold up the religion.

They are:

Shahada: Faith
Salat: Prayer
Zakāt: Charity
Sawm: Fasting
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca

Shahada

Shahada is the belief that Allah (SWT) is the only god and that Muhammad (SAW-PBUH) is his messenger.

The shahada has been shown above↑

This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.

When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet
That they personally accept this as true
That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
The Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Becoming a Muslim

Reciting this statement three times in front of Islamic scholars is all that anyone need do to become a Muslim.

A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.

The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:

Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah
Transliteration of the shahadah from the Arabic

The Shahadah is written in Arabic on the flag of Saudi Arabia, the state that contains Islam's holiest places.

Salat

Salat is the obligatory Muslim prayers, performed five times each day by Muslims. It is the second Pillar of Islam.

God ordered Muslims to pray at five set times of day:

Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise
Salat al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highest
Salat al-'asr: the late part of the afternoon
Salat al-maghrib: just after sunset
Salat al-'isha: between sunset and midnight

Despite having these set times, Muslims can pray at any time as well as doing these. The extra prayers done are called Nofl Namaz.

All Muslims try to do this. Muslim children as young as seven are encouraged to pray.

A male must start praying at the age of seven but a female must pray only after they become a certain age. If a male does not pray by the age of 12, then it will be counted as a sin.

Prayer sets the rhythm of the day

This prayer timetable gives Muslims the pattern of their day.

In Islamic countries, the public call to prayer from the mosques sets the rhythm of the day for the entire population, including non-Muslims.

A universal Muslim ritual

The prayer ritual, which is over 1400 years old, is repeated five times a day by hundreds of millions of people all round the world.

Carrying it out is not only highly spiritual, but connects each Muslim to all others around the world, and to all those who have uttered the same words and made the same movements at different times in Islamic history.

Prayers of body, mind and soul

The set prayers are not just phrases to be spoken.

Prayer for a Muslim involves uniting mind, soul, and body in worship; so a Muslim carrying out these prayers will perform a whole series of set movements that go with the words of the prayer.

Muslims make sure that they are in the right frame of mind before they pray; they put aside all everyday cares and thoughts so that they can concentrate exclusively on God.

If a Muslim prays without the right attitude of mind, it as if they hadn't bothered to pray at all.

Woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their prayer, or who pray only to be seen by people
Qur'an 107:4-6

Muslims don't pray for God's benefit

Muslims do not pray for the benefit of Allah.

Allah does not need human prayers because he has no needs at all.

Muslims pray because God has told them that they are to do this, and because they believe that they obtain great benefit in doing so.

Muslims pray direct to God

A Muslim prays as if standing in the presence of Allah.

In the ritual prayers each individual Muslim is in direct contact with Allah. There is no need of a priest as an intermediary. (While there is a prayer leader in the mosque - the imam - they are not a priest, simply a person who knows a great deal about Islam.)

Praying in the mosque

Muslims can pray anywhere, but it is especially good to pray with others in a mosque.

Praying together in a congregation helps Muslims to realise that all humanity is one, and all are equal in the sight of Allah.

Ritual washing

Muslims must be clean before they pray. They make sure of this by performing ritual washing, called wudhu. Mosques have washing facilities.

Zakat

Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one's wealth to charity. It is regarded as a type of worship and of self-purification. Zakat is the third Pillar of Islam.

Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts given out of kindness or generosity, but to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one's wealth each year to benefit the poor.

The benefits of Zakat, apart from helping the poor, are as follows:

Obeying God
Helping a person acknowledge that everything comes from God on loan and that we do not really own anything ourselves
And since we cannot take anything with us when we die we need not cling to it
Acknowledging that whether we are rich or poor is God's choice
So we should help those he has chosen to make poor
Learning self-discipline
Freeing oneself from the love of possessions and greed
Freeing oneself from the love of money
Freeing oneself from love of oneself
Behaving honestly

The 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold and silver, and commercial items. There are other rates for farm and mining produce, and for animals.

Sawm

Sawm is fasting. It's the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

During the 29/30 days of Ramadan all adult Muslims must give up the following things during the hours of daylight:

Food or drink of any sort
Smoking, including passive smoking
Sexual activity
Muslims who are physically or mentally unwell may be excused some of these, as may those who are under twelve years old, the very old, those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, menstruating, or travelling.

If an adult does not fast for the reasons above they should try to make up the fast at a later date, or make a donation to the poor instead.

Muslims do not only abstain from physical things during Ramadan. They are also expected to do their best to avoid evil thoughts and deeds as well.

There are many good reasons for this fast, including:

Obeying God
Learning self-discipline
Becoming spiritually stronger
Appreciating God's gifts to us
Sharing the sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for them
Realising the value of charity and generosity
Giving thanks for the Holy Qur'an, which was first revealed in the month of Ramadan
Sharing fellowship with other Muslims
Eating in Ramadan

During Ramadan many Muslims will try to eat a large meal called suhur just before dawn.

When daylight is over, most Muslims will break or open the fast with dates or water, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, before having a proper meal later.

The evening meals during Ramadan are occasions for family and community get-togethers.

Eid ul-Fitr

The month of Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. This is marked by dressing up and visiting the mosque for prayer, and with visits to family and friends for celebratory meals.

Ramadan and the Western calendar

Because Islam uses a lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan comes around 11 days earlier each successive year, so there is no Western season associated with Ramadan.

Hajj

A Muslim should perform Hajj at least once in their life.

It isn't compulsory though. If one is able to afford the expenses of Hajj, then he can Perform it. But, if one doesn't have enough money or is physically/mentally unable to person Hajj (due to illnesses and diseases) then it isn't obligatory for him.

Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, and culture gather together in Mecca and stand before the Kaaba praising Allah together.

It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah.

The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth, and the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth, and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal.

The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram. During the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose in the world.

Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is so holy that no non-Muslim is allowed to enter.

For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It occurs in the month of Dhul Hijjah which is the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is the journey that every sane adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able.

History of Hajj

Four thousand years ago the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place.

Muslims believe the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed to bring his wife, Hajira (Hagar) and their child Is'mail to Arabia from Palestine to protect them from the jealousy of Ibrahim's first wife Sarah.

Allah told the Prophet Ibrahim to leave them on their own, and he did so, with some supplies of food and water. However the supplies quickly ran out and within a few days Hajira and Is'mail were suffering from hunger and dehydration.

In her desperation Hajira ran up and down two hills called Safa and Marwa trying to see if she could spot any help in the distance. Finally she collapsed beside Is'mail and prayed to Allah for deliverance.

Is'mail struck his foot on the ground and this caused a spring of water to gush forth from the earth. Hajira and Is'mail were saved. Now they had a secure water supply they were able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies.

After a while the Prophet Ibrahim returned from Palestine to check on his family and was amazed to see them running a profitable well.

The Prophet Ibrahim was told by Allah to build a shrine dedicated to him. Ibrahim and Is'mail constructed a small stone structure - the Kaaba or Cube - which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in Allah.

As the years passed Is'mail was blessed with Prophethood and he gave the nomads of the desert the message of surrender to Allah.

After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving city thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zam Zam. This water is now special holy water called Zam Zam water. It is used as medicine and just to keep away evil eye.

Gradually, the people began to adopt polytheistic ideas, and worship spirits and many different gods. The shrine of the Prophet Ibrahim was used to store idols.

After many years, Allah told the Prophet Muhammed that he should restore the Kaaba to the worship of Allah only.

In the year 628 the Prophet Muhammed set out on a journey with 1400 of his followers. This was the first pilgrimage in Islam, and would re-establish the religious traditions of the Prophet Ibrahim.

Guide to going to Mecca

It's best to travel light, so only take essentials.

Many pilgrims fly to Jeddah, and then travel to Mecca by bus.

Once you get to Mecca, there are two rituals which you can perform; the lesser pilgrimage or Umra, and the main pilgrimage or Hajj.

The Umra is an extra, optional pilgrimage and does not count as the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj. Although it includes some of the rituals of the Hajj, they are shortened and there are fewer of them.

Most pilgrims who come for the Hajj arrive a few days before it actually starts and perform Umra first. Combining the Hajj with the Umrah is called a Hajji-Tamattu.

Being pure

To carry out the pilgrimage rituals you need to be in a state of Ihram, which is a special state of ritual purity.

You do this by making a statement of intention, wearing special white clothes (which are also called ihram) and obeying the regulations below.

The person on the Hajj may not:

Engage in marital relations
Shave or cut their nails
Use cologne or scented oils
Kill or hunt anything
Fight or argue.
Women must not cover their faces, even if they would do so in their home country.
Men may not wear clothes with stitching.
Bathing is allowed but scented soaps are frowned upon.

Umra

The Hajj is a real pilgrimage - a journey, with rites and rituals to be done along the way.

You begin at a place just outside Mecca called the Miqat, or entry station to the Hajj.

There you bathe, put on the Ihram (the special white clothes), make the intention for Umra and begin reciting the Talbiya Du'a (prayer).

Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at your service! You have no partner. Here I am at your service. All praise and blessings belong to you. All dominion is yours and You have no partner.
Talbiya Du'a
Then you go to the Masjid al Haram and walk around the Ka'ba seven times repeating du'as and prayers. This is called the Tawaf. Afterwards you should sip some Zam Zam water.

Zam Zam water is water from the Zam Zam well, the sacred well which opened in the desert to save Hajira and Is'mail from dying of thirst.

Next you go to the walkway between the hills of Safa and Marwa and walk back and forth between them seven times.

This completes the Umra portion of the Hajj rituals and some of the Ihram restrictions are relaxed.

Now make your intention for the Hajj and put on the Ihram garments again.

Travel to Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah (a date in the Islamic calendar) and remain there until Fajr (dawn) next morning.

Then you travel to the valley of Arafat and stand in the open praising Allah. The heat of Arabia at midday provides a hint as to what the Day of Judgement will be like.

At the end of the day, travel to Muzdalifa for the night. Gather together 49 or 70 small stones together to use the next day.

In the morning you return to Mina and throw the stones at pillars called Jamraat. These represent the devil. Then a sacrifice called a Qurbani should be made in which a lamb or sheep is slaughtered and the meat distributed among the poor. After this, men's heads are shaved and women cut a lock of their hair.

Then return to Mecca and make a Tawaf (this is the ritual of walking around the Ka'aba seven times). Then it's back to Mina for 3 or 4 days, stoning the pillars each day.

Finally do a farewell Tawaf in Masjid-al Haram on the twelfth day of the month of Dhul Hijjah, ask Allah's forgiveness, make du'a and the Hajj is finished.

Many people then go to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, but this is optional.

A man who has completed the Hajj is called a Hajji, a woman who has completed it is called a Hajjah.

At the end of the Hajj, Muslims from all over the world celebrate the holiday known as the Eid ul Adha or Festival of the sacrifice.

This festival commemorates the obedience of the Prophet Ibrahim when he was ordered to sacrifice his son Is'mail.

Ibrahim proved his love and devotion to Allah by showing his willingness to kill his beloved son if Allah wished it. In the end Ibrahim sacrificed a lamb because Allah SWT moved his son to a lamb at the last minute.