The Prayer

The prayer has an exalted status in Islam that is unrivaled by any other act of worship .The prayer is the pillar of Islam, on which the religion is firmly established. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

"The head of the matter (religion) is islam,its pillar is the prayer and its highest peak is Jihad for Allah's cause." (collected by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad, and rendered authentic by Al-Albani)

The prayer is an obligation that is necessary throughout one's life and must be established even in times of fear. Allah (SWT) said:

"Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-SAlawat(the prayer) especially the middle Salat(i.e ,the best prayer- Asr). And stand before Allah with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salat (prayer)].And if you fear (an enemy), perform Salat on foot or riding.And when you are in safety,offer the Salat in manner He has taught you, which you knew not(before)." (2:238-239)

The prayer is the first act of worship that Allah has ordained. the first act of worship for which the slave will be recompensed (on the Day of Resurrection) and the last commandment that the Prophet(PBUH) kept repeating prior to his death:

"(Preserve the prayer, the prayer,and what your right hands possess(slaves)." (Ibn Majah and Ahmad collect this hadith which Al-Albani classed as authentic)

The prayer will be the last pillar of Islam that will be given up, indicating that the entire religion will then have been given up. The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (PBUH) said:

"The pillars of islam will be given up one after another,and every time a pillar is given up,people will adhere to the next one; the first being government and last being the Prayer." [Ahmad,Ibn Hibban and Al hakim collected this hadith

Allah mentioned the prayer among the basic ingredients to gain guidance purity and piety. Allah, The Exalted said:

"Alif-Lam-Mim. This is the Book(The Qur'an) whereof there is no doubt,a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun.Who believe in Ghaib and perform As-Salat,and spend out of what we have provided for them(i.e,give Zakat)."(2:1-3)

Allah has also excluded those who establish the prayer perfectly and on time from the group of people,who have ill conduct:

"Verily,man(disbeliever) was created very impatient ,irritable(discontented) when evil touches him; and niggardly when good touches him. Except those who are devoted to Salat(prayers).Those who remain constant in their prayers." (70:19-23)

Also Allah said while describing the people of the Fire: "What has caused you to enter Hell?'They will say: 'We were not of those who used to offer the Salat(prayers)"(74:42-43)

Furthermore, Allah has warned those who abandon the prayer: "SO woe unto those performers of Salat (prayer) (hypocrites). Those who delay their salat."(107:4,5)

This Ayah sternly warns against delaying performing the prayer until its designated fixed time passes. Allah has warned against abandoning the prayer and threatens those who do so with severe Torment:

"Then there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell." (19:59) 

Throughout history,Muslims took special care of the Prayer,imitating prophet(PBUH),whom Aishah (Allah be pleased with her) described:

"The Messenger of Allah(PBUH) used to talk to us and we talk to him. But when the time of prayer started,he would act as if we did not know him or if he did not know us."

Indeed,the Messenger (PBUH) is our best example in this and any other act of piety and worship. The righteous Salaf imitated the Prophetic guidance with regards to being conscientious about the prayer. For instance, Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab (Radhi Allahu anhu) was so meticulous concerning his dedication to the prayer that for forty years  he made sure to enter the mosque before the Adhan (the call to Prayer), as Burud the servant of Sa'id narrated. Burud said:

"For forty years, the Adhan was never called but Sa'id bin Al-Musayyab(ra) was in the mosque before it was called." [Tabaqhatu Al- anabilah,vol.1,P.141]

Further,Rabi'ah bin Yazid said: "For the past forty years ,the caller to the prayer(the Mu'adhin) never called the people to Zuhur prayer without me being in the mosque,except when I was ill or travelling." [As-Siyar,vol.5,p.240]

The Salaf obeyed The Messenger of Allah(PBUH) who ordered Muslims to preserve and protect the prayer when he said: "Know that the prayer is the best of Your acts and only a believer preserves Wudhu." [Collected by Ahmad,Al Bayhaqi and Al-Hakim, and classed as authentic by Al-Albani]

Also men who are known to be righteous Muslims testified that other righteous Muslims preserved the congregational prayer in mosque for years in a row.For instance,Yahya bin Ma'in narrated that Yahya bin Sa'id attended the congregational Zuhr prayer in mosque for forty years in a row.[As-Siyar,vol.9,p.181]

The hearts of this type of Muslims are tied to the mosques,and it is they,to whom the Prophet(PBUH) gave this glad tiding: "Allah will give shade,to seven,on the Day when there will be no shade but His."

The Prophet(pbuh) mentioned among these seven types of people: "A man whose heart is attached to the mosque (to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation).From the time he departs from it until he comes back." (Al Bukhari and Muslim)

This is why Sfyan bin 'Uyainah encouraged Muslims to come to prayer even before the call of Adhan is pronounced.[At-Tabsirah,by Ibn Al-Juzi,vol.1,p.137]

"Should I direct you to (righteous)acts because of which Allah erases sins and elevates grades?"They said,"yes O Messenger of Allah(PBUH)!" He said,"Performing perfect ablution in unfavorable conditions(such as extreme cold), the many steps one often takes to the mosque and awaiting the prayer after the prayer(in the mosque);verily, this is Ar-Ribat(to man Muslim outposts to protect Muslim lands from enemy attack),This is Ar-Ribat,this is Ar-Ribat."

Standing before Allah

Our Salaf used to take special care concerning praying perfectly, as prayer should be performed , by fulfilling its pillars, obligations, its recommended and Sunnah acts.They also fulfilled the required Khushu in the heart and feeling humble before Allah, and attended the prayer in heart and mind. They are those whom Allah has praised, when He said:

"Those who offer their Salat(prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness."[23:2]

 Also the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "One might finish the prayer, but only has a tenth,ninth,eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third or a half of it written for him." [Abu Dawud and Ahmad]

Umar (ra) said while standing on the podium: "A man might have white hair in Islam (i.e reaches in old age while Muslim), yet, has not completed even one prayer for Allah, The Exalted!"

 He was asked,"Why is that?" He said "HE does not perfect the prayers's required Khushu, solemness and attending to Allah with his heart."[Al-Ihya,vol.10,p.202]

This statement from Umar(ra) in the beginning of Islam should be considered in our time, since many Muslims are indulging in life's affairs and pray  with their body but not their heart and mind. They think about this life, its markets, selling and buying, increasing and decreasing, all the while standing in prayer! This indicates  the heedlessness of most people today, except those few whom Allah has granted His Mercy.Al-Hassan said:

"Amir bin Abd Qays heared some people saying that they find it difficult to concentrate while praying and he commented,'By Allah! It is better for me that swords are cutting my inside than I feel what you say you feel in prayer.' [Az-Zuhd, by Imam Ahmad, p.321]

To continue ,Hammad bin Salamah said: "I have never stood up for prayer without imagining that JAhannum is before my eyes." [Tathkiratu Al-Huffath,vol.1,p.219]

 This is how they pray , those who know Allah and give  Him due consideration. What type of prayer those , who fear that they might fall into Jahannam, would perform? Certainly, it would be a prayer that is full of fear from Allah's torment and hope in the rewards that He has with Him. It will be a prayer of he who is certain that he will soon leave this life , thus , dedicating full attention to the affairs of the Hereafter and what has been prepared in it for the Faithful. Mu'adh bin Jabal advised his son:

"My son ! Prsy the prayer of he who is just about to leave and imagine that you might not be able to pray ever again. Know that the believer dies between two good deeds, one that he performed and one that he intended to perform later on." [Sifatu As-Safwah,vol.!,p.466]
     
 If each one of us had these feelings and thoughts while praying, we would be able , Allah willing , to perform the prayer as it should be performed in obedience to Allah, the Exalted and Th Mosr Honored. BAkr Al-Muzani gave us advice that should help us performing the prayer perfectly and properly.

"If you want your prayer to be of benefit to you , say to yourself, 'I might not have a chance to perform another prayer." [Jami' Al-Ulum Wal-Hikam,p.466]

If we implement this advice , the way we perform the prayer would change for the better and become nearer to perfection. Verily, prayer is the provision of the Muslim on his journey from this life to the Hereafter, and the first act that he or she will be asked about therein.

 Sufyan Ath-Thauri said: "Had you witnessed Mansur bin Al-Mu'tamir pray,you would think he was going to die in that same hour."[Sifatus-Safwah,vol.3,p.114]

This demonstrates the Salaf dedication to perform the prayer in the best possible manner, and surely, those who try to do so during all prayers, will, in the end ,perform a prayer that will be his or her last. However, this way , the last of his or her acts will be his or her best. Abdullah bin Mas'ud (ra) said:

"As long as you are still in prayer,you will be knocking at the door of the King(Allah). Verily,he who knocks at the king's door,then He will open it for him."[Sifatus-Safwah ,vol.1,p.451]

Most certainly, Allah is the Most Generous, Most Merciful for those who obey Him, implement His orders and refrain and avoid what He has prohibited.
Shubrumah said:

"We accompanied KArz Al-Harithi on a journey. Whenever we wanted to set camp  in an area ,he used to scan it with his eyes and when he found a good piece of land that he liked, he would go to it and pray there until it was time to leave." [Sifatus-Safwah, vol.3,p.120]

This is because his heart was tied to the acts of worship and thus eager to use his time worshiping Allah. There is no time in man's life to spend on play and heedlessness, when even his breaths are numbered . The Salaf used their minutes and hours in the acts of worship; they strived and worked hard to gain Allah's eternal delight. Their entire life was spent in worship, obedience , piety and righteousness.

Amir bin Abdullah was asked: "Do you talk to yourself about anything during the prayer?" He said,"Yes,about my stand before Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, and about my destination to either of the two dwellings (Paradise,or the Fire)." [Al-Ihya,vol.1,p.202]

How do we pray now days? Is it not true that when we start the prayer, all types of thought and ideas come to us, as if the prayer was our chance to think about buying ,selling, profits or losses? It is strange that these thoughts keep recurring with every prayer, and some people travel far away while standing in prayer between Allah's Hands. If one was standing before a person of authority ,he or she would dedicate more attention to what is being said and done.Not one word uttered at that audience would he or she miss, and every thought would be controlled. As for the prayer are those who perform it from beginning to end without losing concentration and thinking about other things? Surely, only those who have earned Allah's  Mercy, perform the prayer perfectly in every respect.

If the slave's time and dedication were spent and concerned with Allah alone by day and night ,Allah would suffice for him concerning all his needs. Allah will surely relieve one's concern in this case and empty his heart except for His love, dedicate his tongue only for His remembrance, and help him to submit his limbs to His obedience, unlike we the slave's concern and dedication is about this life and its affairs by day and night. 

In this case, Allah will make one dependent on himself, and thus he will alone carry the burden of his concerns, sadness, grief and earning sustenance. This slave's heart will not be busy in Allah's love , because it is busy in loving the creation, and his tongue will not be busy remembering Allah, because he only remembers the creation. He will dedicate his energy to other than the obedience of Allah by serving the creation instead, striving hard as a beast of burden would do in service of others.  

Abu Abdur Rahman Al-Aidi said: "I asked Sa'id bin Abdul-Aziz,'why do you cry while praying?' He said ,'My nephew, why do you ask about this?' I said,'Might that Allah benefit me.' He replied,'Whenever i stand up for prayer, i imagine Jahannam is before me." [As-Siyar,vol.5,p.259]

As for Asim bin Abu An-Nujud, who was a good worshipper of Allah, he used to stand firm in the prayer as if he was a piece of wood and would remain in the mosque until the Asr prayer on Fridays, after the Jumu'ah prayer. Compared to these righteous people, one might live and die while striving hard to collect material gains in this life, but only what one has performed of good deeds will remain for him and all that he or she collected will vanish and disappear.Al-Qasim bin Muhammad said:

"Whenever I went out in the morning, I used to visit 'Aishah(ra) ,(his aunt and wife of Prophet(pbuh) and greet her.One day I found her performing Ad-Duha Prayer,reciting this ayah repeatedly, crying and invoking Allah: "So Allah has been Gracious to us, and has saved from the torment of the fire."(52:27)

I stood there until I felt bored , so I left and went to the market to do something and said to myself that when I finish what I have to do,I will go back (to Aishah ra) .When I finished and went back to her, I found her still standing in the prayer reciting the same Ayah, crying and invoking Allah." [Al-Ihya,vol.4,p.436]

Nowadays many people have ignored compulsory prayers, let alone Ad-Duha voluntry prayer, even though the Messenger of Allah(pbuh) recommended Abu Hurairah ra to perform it. Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated:

"My friend, the Messenger of Allah(pbuh) ordered me to do three things:To fast three days every month, to offer the Ad-Duha prayer and to pray With before i go to sleep."
              
In the present time , we see that even those who often perform Fajar prayer, remember Allah but little during the long time between the Fajar and Zuhr prayers.These are rather long hours and precious moments that are being wasted by being busy with this life.

1.These are those who wrong themselves by falling into shortcomings in the prayer,such as performing imperfect Wudhu,praying late and disregarding perfection concerning the pillars and requirements of the prayer.

2.These are those who pray on time,after making an excellent Wudhu,and preserve the prayer's pillars and obligations.However,when they pray,they fall victim to stray thoughts,thus ,loosing concentration and attention of the heart.

3.A third category strives to preserve the pillars and obligations of the prayer and repel aal types of thoughts and doubts.This type is busy praying,as well as ,fighting the enemy,Satan ,so he does not steal any part of their prayer.

4.When this type stands up to pray,they fulfill the obligations and limits of the prayer and dedicate their hearts to attending to its acts,so that they do not lose any part of it.Their concern is directed at establishing the prayer perfectly and on time,thinking only about the prayer and their obedience to Allah the Exalted and Ever-High.

5.This type stands up to pray in the same manner as the former type,in addition to,placing their hearts between the HAnds of Allah,The Exalted and Most Honored,feeling Allah's love and Might as if gazing directly Him.In this state ,all doubts and concerns vanish from their minds and hearts, dissipating any barrier between them and their Lord.The difference between the Exalted standard of performing the prayer by this type, as compared to the next best type,is the difference between the HEavens and Earth.This type is fully attentive,delighted and content in prayer with Allah,the Exalted and Most Honored.

The first type will be recompensed for their shortcomings ,while the second will be questioned about their inadequacy.The third type will gain forgiveness for their effort while the fourth will be rewarded.As for the fifth type, they are the ones close to Allah,because they are those to which the prayer is the comfort of their eyes.

The Messenger of Allah(pbuh) said: "From your world,I was made to love Teeb(perfume) and women(in marriage);and the comfort of my eye
            was made through the orayer." [An-Nasai and Ahmad,rendered sahih by Al-Albani]

To those whom the prayer represents the comfort of their eyes, in this life of the world,will be comforted further by closeness to Allah in Hereafter.Further, those who are content with Allah,then all righteous eyes will feel content with them.However, those who are not pleased or content with Allah the Exalted,their hearts will be torn apart by grief because of the life of this world. (They would grieve for not taking sufficient provisions from this life for the Hereafter,or they would grieve that they did life not remain longer in life to enjoy it further.!)

One of the Salaf said: "O son of Adam ! you need your share in this life, but need your share in Hereafter even more. If you took care of your share in this life , then you will lose your share in the Hereafter and are soon bound to lose your share in this life too.If you take care of your share in the Heerafter,you will also win your full share in this life with ease." [Fada'il Ath-Thikr,by Ibn Al-Jauzi,p.19]

To continue ,we should state that the heart becomes rusted and needs two healers to remove the rust:invoking Allah for forgiveness and remembering Him always.When someone becomes heedless habitually,his heart becomes covered by rust,according to the degree of Heedlessness he manifest. When the heart becomes completely covered and sealed,it will not be able to see falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood.

This is because the heart has become dark due to seal that was placed on it and that has deprived it of its power to recognize truth.When the rust increases  and engulfs the heart with the Ran(covering of sins and evil deeds), the heart's essence and comprehension will become corrupted and will neither accept or recognize truth any more,nor will it recognize and reject falsehood. This,indeed,is a severe punishment inflicted on heart, originating from one's heedlessness ans following his lusts,two serious ills that extinguish the light of the heart and blind its sight.[Fada'il Ath-Thikr,by Ibn Al-Jauzi,p.46]

To heal these two ills ,one should put in use this beneficial advice by Talaq bin Habib: "Allah's Rightsa are greater than slave's capacity and ability to fulfill them.Therefore ,reach the morning in a state of repentance and reach the night in the state of repentance." [Al-Ihya,vol.4,p.16]

Finally, we should reiterate what the Prophet pbuh advised ,recommended and ordered his ummah,when he was dying:

"The prayer,The prayer ,and what your right hand possess." [Ahmad and Ibn MAjah,rendered authentic by Al-Albani] 

Therefore ,be where Allah wants you to be,and stay away from all paths, statements, actions, associates, and environments where Allah want you to be.

Basic of Islam

A person who accepts Islam is called a Muslim. It means "one who surrenders". A Muslim is required to do all that Allah and his Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) have told not to do.

Allah and his Messenger (PBUH) have told us to do good deeds like being kind to our parents, to help others who are less fortunate and to be kind to animals.

Allah is One and Almighty.
He is our Lord.
He is created everything that is in the earth and the heavens.
He has no partner.
He has no mother or father, son or daughter.
He is Eternal.
There is nothing similar to Him.
He knows everything.
He sees everything.
He hears everything.
Nothing is hidden from Him.

He is Kind and Loving. He is Gracious and Merciful.
He is Clement and Forgiving.
Allah has beautiful Names which indicate His Attributes.
He is the One Who provides each and every one of His creation with the means to survive. 
He is the One Who created everything for our survival like the earth in which crops grow, water living things drink from, the air which they breathe and kindling for fire.
Muslim should turn only to Him in their times of need and sadness.
Muslim should seek help only from Him.
He is the One Who worthy of worship. Nothing else should be worshipped but He. There is no greater sin than Shirk, which means to associate partners unto Allah and believe that they can give us benefit or cause us harm, or worship or seek help from others besides Him.

Muhammad (PBUH) was the Prophet. Allah chose him to reveal His Last Message. He came with complete guidance for mankind. He received the Noble Quran from Allah through Angel Jibril. He was born in Makkah and was orphaned at a young age. He was cared for by his grandfather and then his uncle after grandfather died. Muhammad (PBUH) led an honest life, and was known as As-Sadiq (the truthful) and Al-Amin (the trustworthy) He received the first Revelation at the age of forty. 

He lived in Makkah for thirteen years, and called people to Islam. However, most of the people of Makkah refused to follow him. Theu made fun of him and tortured him and those who followed him. He suffered a great deal, but continued to preach the Word of Allah. He was forced to leave Makkah and go to Al-Madinah for ten years calling peoples to obey Allah. He had fight those who tried to stop him from spreading the Message of Allah.

Before he died, the whole Arabia had accepted Islam. He passed away at the age of 63. This shows that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a human being just like us. He was not a Divine being, but was only a slave of Allah. Muslims must obey him, respect him, love him, but must not worship him nor attribute to him qualities which Allah possesses.

Muslims must follow his excellent example and follow the Right Path according to his teachings. He taught that all men, whether rich or poor, of whatever colour or race, are equal before Allah. it is only their obedience to Allah and their good deeds which may make some people better than others. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us to love, respect and be kind to one another, and to others of Allah creation.

He was the last and fianl Prophet. No Prophet shall come after him. Those who obey Allah and follow the teachings of His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) be rewarded with Paradise in the Hereafter.

A Muslim must have Iman. Iman means to have firm belief in six things:

1: The first believe in Allah, to believe that He exists, He is One, and He Alone is the creator, Sustainer and Lord over everything, and He Alone is worthy of worship.

2: The second is to believe in the angels who are also the creation of Allah. Allah created them from light, and they always obey Him. They have been assigned various tasks which they carry out faithfully. Some of them were given the task of carrying the Message to the Prophets. Others are assigned to record the good and bad actions of human beings. The number of angels is well-known to us. They are Jibril, Mikail, Izrail and Israfil.

3: The third is believe in Allah Prophets. They were His Messengers on this earth, and were responsible for teaching Islam to their people. They came to teach people to do good, and lived their lives according to what they preached. The first man was also the Prophet, and he was Adam (PBUH). The last Prophet was Muhammad (PBUH). Some other famous ones are Nuh ( Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus). A Muslim must believe in all the Prophets and give them due respect but they should not be worshipped.

4: The fourth is to believe in the Books of Allah. Allah revealed Books to His Prophets. These Books contain the guidance of Allah for mankind. The Noble Quran is the Book revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The three Books known to us which were revealed before the Quran are the Torah which was revealed to Musa, the Zabur which was sent down to Dawud, and Injil which given to Isa. Some people who were disobedient to Allah have distorted some of these Books to mislead the people. Allah has protected the Noble Quran from any kind of distortion.

5: The fifth is to believe in life after death. A Muslim has to believe that life in this world will come to an end one day. Everything in this world will perish. Then Allah will bring all human being back to life and judge them according to their deeds which they did while they lived on earth. The people who have obeyed Allah and spent their lives doing good will go to Paradise. There they will have everything good that they could possibly want, as a reward for their good deeds. The people who have disobedient to Allah Commands and have done bad things will go to Hell. There they will be cast into a big Fire as punishment for their bad deeds.

6: The sixth is to believe that everything comes from Allah. This means that Allah knows everything that is Going to happen whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Nothing in this world takes place without His Permission or Knowledge. If something good happens to a Muslim, he should thank Allah for it. He should be patient and ask Allah for relief if something bad happens to him.

 This is the Holy Book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a guidance to mankind. It was revealed to him over twenty-three years. The first revelation to him when he was contemplating in the cave of Hira.

Then suddenly Angel Jiril appeared to him and asked him to read. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, "i cannot read" The Angel embraced him tightly and then released him saying, "Read" Again the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,  "i cannot read" Once again angel Jibril embraced him tightly and then released him saying: Surah Al-Alaq, Verse: 1-5

Recite in the name of your Lord who created -

Created man from a clinging substance.
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
Who taught by the pen -

Taught man that which he knew not

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was terrified and rushed to his house. He told his wife Khadijah (PBUH) what had happened. She consoled him and asked him to rest. The Verses of The Quran continued to be revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) telling him to ask the people to follow the Right Path of Islam.

Every time the verses were revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) would order his people to write them down. All verses of the Quran were presevred in this way. Later they where made into a Book which we have today.

The Quran is the Book of guidance for all mankind, It contains all the basic principles of the religion os Islam. It has given the details of the matters of Belief, the duties which are compulsory for Muslims to perform, and code of conduct which Muslims must follow.

Muslims must recite the Quran in Arabic and learn its meaning in their own languages. They must also act according to its teachings. There are 114 chapters in the Quran. Some are very long, and some are short. The Quran is divided into 30 parts. This is to make it easy for people to recite one part a day, and finish reciting it in a month. Recitation of the Quran and remembering its chapters and verses by heart are good deeds for which a person will be rewarded.

You have earlier learnt that Islam is based on Five Pillers. Now let us look at each pillar in turn:

1. Shahadah: 

This is to firmly believe in the heart and decide:
This is Shahadah. It is the very basis of Islam. Once a person declares it, he becames a Muslim. The Shahadah has two parts/ The first part is a declaration that Allah is the only Lord and Ruler, and He Alone is worthy of worship.

He has no partner, and He cannot be compared with other thing. Everything which in this universe is under His control and works according to His command. Mankind is also required to live according to the Commands of Allah.  Allah loves those who follow His Command. Allah dislike those who disobey Him.

The second part of the Shahadah is the declaration that Muhammad (PBUH) os the Messenger of Allah. He was the one who brought the Quran to us. Muslims are required to obey the Prophet (PBUH)  and follow his example without any hesitation.

Muslims are also required to honour and respect him, and ask Allah to give him blessing and salutations. Whenever his name is mentioned we must say:

2. Prayer (Salat)

This is to pray (perform Salat) five times a day. It is the distinguishing feature of Islam. A person abandons prayer at the risk of going out of Islam. Prayer is the most ssential obligatory duty which a Muslim must perform. This is the most obvious act which a Muslim does to show his obedience to Allah. Salat is also a means ot remembering Allah.

In prayer a person leaves everything and devotes himself to the worship to Allah. He dose exactly what he has been instructed by Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) . He changes from one posture to another in a composed manner, focusing his mind on Allah. He feels that he is standing before Allah the Almighty. Prayer is indeed a means of bringing mankind close to Allah.

In prayer, one stands facing the direction of the Kabah, bows and kneels before his Lord. He recited the Opening Chapter of the Quran ( Surat Al-Fatihah) praising and glorifying Allah, and asking for His Support and Help. This is Al-Fatihah,

In the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds -
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
 Guide us to the straight path - 
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

Because of its importance, every Muslim male or female must learn how to perform Salat. Children should start performing it from the age of seven. When they reach the age of ten, their parents should discipline them if they dont do it. Prayer must be done by all Muslims and in all conditions. Those who cannot stand, can pray sitting down. Those who cannot sit, can do it lying down. Travelers should shorten their prayers.

There are five prayers each day. There are:

Fajar, which is observed at dawn before then sun rises.
Zuhr, which is observed at noon when the sun start to decline from the meridian.
Asr, which is to be observed in the late afternoon.
Maghrib, which is to be observed when the sun sets.
Isha, which is offered at night before going to bed.

One can therefore see that a Muslim's day starts and ends with prayer. The first thing a Muslim dose when he/she awakes in the morning is to think of Allah, praising Him and giving Him thanks. At the close of the day after doing all his/her daily activities he/she remembers Allah in his/her prayer, praising and thinking Him before he/she sleeps.

Prayer may be offered individually or in congregation. When it is performed in a congregation, the people stand in straight rows. The person who leads the prayer in called the Imam. He stands in front of the rest of the congregation. The congregation follows him in each step of the prayer. It is best to perform all the five obligatory prayers in congregation.

On Friday, prayer in congregation is compulsory for men. Women may also attend if they like. This Friday prayer is performed in place of the normal noon prayer. Before the prayer, the Khutba (sermon) is given by the imam. This contains guidance for Muslims as to how to deal with the problems of daily life.

Before performing prayer, a person must make sure that his body, clothes and his place of worship are clean. A special act of cleansing, called Wudu (ablution) must be done before prayer.

Wudu is performed by first washing hands. This is followed by rinsing the mouth and nose. Then the face is washed and the forearms up to the elbows. After this, wet hands are passed over the head and inside and outside of the ears. Finally, the feet are washed up to the ankles.

Each time Wudu, is made, all these parts should not be washed more then three times except when passing wet hands over the head which is to be done only once. If a person has done Wudu and then puts on socks, he does not need to take them off when he next makes Wudu. He may just pass wet hands over them once.

3. Zakat

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is a way to doing our duty to other Muslims. Zakat is also to remind a person that his wealth is not his own, but its real owner is Allah. This should make a person ready to spend it in accordance with Allah's Command. Zakat is an annual payment made by people. It is not a tax imposed by Islam, but a due fixed by Allah so that the wealth of a person may be purified.

Zakat becomes due on savings which have been kept for one full year. Two and half percent of the total money is given to those who are in need. For example, if a person has 1000$ in savings which he has kept for a year then he will pay 25.00$.

Zakat is an act of worship. It is also a way of showing sympathy to those who are less fortunate. It is meant to take away from our hearts greed and the love of money. It is also a bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Zakat purifies one's wealth. Wealth on which Zakat has not been paid will be a source of punishment for its owner.

4. Fasting

Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 183 O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.

Fasting means to keep away from eating, drinking and the sexual act from dawn to sunset. Fasting is a compulsory for every Muslim during the month or Ramdan.

Fasting is both a physical and spiritual exercise. The person who is fasting is required to keep himself away from any act which displeases Allah. He should not engage in any evil behavior He should not say bad things nor quarrel with anyone. If he does not control himself and avoid evil deeds. his fast will not bring him any benefit nor reward from Allah.

Fasting through Ramadan trains one to control the desires. It also teaches one to discipline the behavior. Fasting helps one to strengthen his will-power. It also develops a person's endurance and steadfastness.

Fasting provides Muslims with the opportunity to experience the hunger and thirst suffered by many starving people in this world. Only in this way can Muslims learn and understand what it really feels like not to have food or drink. A Muslim will then be able to show sympathy, and be prepared to help and support them. This is why the fasting month of Ramadan is called the Month of Endurance and Sympathy.

Fasting is the true manifestation of obedience to Allah. The person who is fasting does so for the sake of Allah. For this reason, Allah has prepared a great reward for those who fast. They will go into Paradise through a very special gate.

During the month of Ramadan, a special prayer is offered which is called Tarawih. Parts of the Noble Quran are recited during Tarawih. Usually, the recitation of the whole Book is completed by the end of the month.
The month of Ramadan is also important for another reason. In it is a very special night called Laylat-ul-Qadr. It was on this night that the Noble Quran was revealed. It is night full of blessings. Muslims are encouraged to spend that night worshipping and remembering Allah.

Worship during Laylat-ul-Qadr carries the reward of more then one thousand months. We are not told when exactly in Ramadan that night is, but Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) said that it was one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of Ramadan. He encouraged Muslims to spend most of their time in worshipping Allah in Ramadan, especially during the time when they might find Laylat-ul-Qadr.

Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree.
And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. 

A day of celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr comes after the end of Ramadan. It is a day to rejoice the success of completing the month of fasting. It is a happy occasion and is full of joy. The day starts with special prayer and reciting the words of praise and glory of Allah. Before going to the Eid prayer every Muslim is required to give Sadqat-ul-Fitr for himself and his dependents.

Sadqat-ul-Fitr is the giving of either money or food to the poor and needy so that they could satisfy their needs on that day, and join in celebrating the day of joy and happiness. It is also meant to purify fasting in Ramadan from any fault or defect.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The fifth pillar of Islam is to perform Hajj or pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Makkah. It is compulsory on Muslims who can afford the expenses and physically able to undertake the journey. It is obligatory only once in a Muslim's Life.

Hajj was performed for the first time by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (PBUH). Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to call people for pilgrimage  It is in response to his call call that Muslims rush to Makkah every year. They carry out the act of Hajj with devotion and sincerity. They confirm their readiness to forsake worldly enjoyment and comfort for the sake of Allah.

Hajj is the largest annual gathering of Muslims. They come from all over the world to assemble in the Holy Land. They meet one another and exchange good wishes.

Hajj is true demonstration of the fact that Islam is a universal religion and all Muslims are brothers and equal to one another. Pilgrimage wear the same clothing and gather on the plain of Arafat. This is a reminder that all mankind will one day gather on the Day of Judgement when they will be presented to Allah. They will stand equal before Allah except in the degree of piety and righteousness. Hajj symbolises devotion to Allah and obedience of His Commands.