Pillars Of Islam (Must Read And Forword)

I begin with the Name of Allaah

Pillars of Islaam

"So know that Laa ilaaha ill Allah (that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women. And Allah knows well your moving about, and your place of rest (in your homes)." [Soorah Muhammad (47):19]]

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):

1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle.

2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.

3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) .

4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)

5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

(Sahiah Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 7)

Shahadah

"Say: Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are (all) for Allah the Cherisher of the Worlds." [Surah Al An'am (6):162]

There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa Llah - 'there is no god except Allaah'; ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God - wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa Llah: 'except Allaah', the source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun rasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah.' A message of guidance has come through a man like ourselves.

Certainty: Condition of "La ilaha ill Allah" Shaykh `Obaid bin `Abdullah bin Sulaiman al-Jabiri

The Shahaadah and Its Importance Shaykh Saleh al-Fouzan

Tauheed (Oneness of ALLAH) Highly Recommended

Prayers

"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Prayers with humility and attentiveness." [Soorah al-Mu'minoon (23):1-2]

Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Quran, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.

Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.

A translation of the Call to Prayer is:

God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God.

About Salah (The Obligatory Prayer of the Muslim)

Why Do We Pray…?

The Importance of the Prayer

18 Benefits of Prayer

Abandoning the Prayer: A Major Sin in Islam

The Prophet’s (S.A.W) Prayer According to Hanafi madhab

Zakaat

"Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it." [Soorah at-Tauba 103]

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half (2.5) percent of one's capital.

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.'

The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'

Az-Zakat Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

The Importance of Zakat

Charity and Relief Works by Imaam Al-Haram 'Abdur-Rahmân As-Sudais

Fighting those who Refuse Zakaah By Shaykh Fadl Elahi

Fasting

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwaa." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):183]

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of self purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one's spiritual life.

70 Matters related to Fasting

Reality and Obligation in Ramadan

The Goals of Fasting

The Inner Secrets of Fasting

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Makkah
"And proclaim to mankind the Hajj." [Soorah al-Hajj (22):27]

The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

Background of Hajj

Special Guide to Hajj and Umrah

The Superiority and Virtue of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

So That Our Hajj May Be Accepted

Rites Of Hajj And Umrah

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