The Five Pillars Of Islam
Salat
The
salat—the five obligatory daily prayers—is also known as
the namaz in Iran, India, and Turkey. These prayers are only
performed after ritual bathing and take place before sunrise, at noon,
in the mid-afternoon, immediately after sunset, and before midnight.
Mainstream Shiites combine the noon and afternoon prayers and also the
sunset and midnight prayers so that they need only pray three times a
day. Praying in Islam is also associated with a specified set of
postures, such as standing, bowing, and prostrating.
Hajj
The
hajj is the "greater" of the two pilgrimages
to Mecca required of all Muslims. All healthy adult Muslim men and
women should perform it at least once in their lifetime if they have
sufficient means and safe transport. Unlike the lesser pilgrimage,
called umra, Muslims must perform the hajj during the first
half of the month of Dhu al-Hijja, the last month of the lunar year.
Those who perform the hajj can use the honorific title Hajji if
male and Hajja if female.
Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam, called
arkan in Arabic, five ritual duties that mainstream Muslims view
as central to their faith. These are (1) pronouncing the
confession of faith (shahada or kalima); (2)
performing the five daily prayers (salat); (3) fasting
during the month of Ramadan (saum); (4) paying the alms
tax (zakat); (5) and performing, at least once in life,
the major pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). In most places where Islam
is the official religion, Muslims are not punished for failing to
perform these duties. In some Islamic states, however, public denial by
a Muslim of the validity, importance, or centrality of the five pillars
is generally considered an act of heresy and is punishable by death.
Shahada
The
shahada is the Arabic statement "La ilah illa Allah
wa Muhammad rasul Allah," meaning "There is
no God but the one God and Muhammad is His prophet." In the
Shiite sect, believers generally add to this the Arabic phrase "wa
Ali Wali Allah," meaning "and Ali ibn Abi Talib is the
friend of God." In addition to this confession of faith, Muslims
must also express their belief in the Qur'an (Koran), angels, and the
Last Day. The shahada also is uttered as part of the Muslim
call to prayer (adhan).
The Taj Mahal, designed as a tomb for the
wife of a 17th-century Mughal emperor, was constructed by about
20,000 workers from 1632 to 1648 in Âgra, a city in northern India.
The massive domed structure was constructed in the Indo-Islamic
style, using white marble and inlaid gems. At each corner is a minaret
(prayer tower), and passages from the Koran, the Muslim holy book,
adorn the outside walls. The bodies of the emperor and his wife
remain in a vault below the building.
Saum
The
saum is a fast prescribed only for healthy, adult
Muslims during the 30 days of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic
calendar. From dawn until dusk, no food, drink, or sexual relations
are permitted. Ill individuals and nursing women are excused, but they
are expected to make up for missing the fast at other times in the
year when they are healthy again or no longer nursing.
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