Islamic Religious Practices

5 Pillars of Islam

• The order for living righteously is apparent in the 5 Pillars

• Support one’s faith

• Are mentioned in the Qur’an

1. Creed

2. Prayer

3. Charity to the poor

4. Fasting

5. Pilgrimage

1. Creed• Confession of faith

– “There is no god but the God and Muhammad is his prophet”

– The confession refers to two basic teachings of Islam: monotheism and the uniqueness of Muhammad as a prophet

• This sentence makes a person a Muslim

• It is the first sentence whispered into the ears of a newborn infant

• It is recited daily in prayer

2. Prayer• 5 times a day• Before dawn and at midday,

mid-afternoon, sunset, and nighttime

• Times for prayer are announced by a muezzin- from the minaret

• Before prayer, Muslims perform a ritual purification with water– Washing the hands, arms, face,

neck and feet– If water is unavailable,

purification may be done with sand

• Pray facing Mecca-mihrab• Passages from the Qur’an and

other prayer formulas are recited from memory in Arabic– Accompanied by several bodily

postures: standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting

Prayer cont. • Friday is the day of public prayer

– Friday prayers are directed by an Imam –leader of worship

• The imam delivers a sermon as well

– it used to be on Saturdays following the Jewish tradition but Muhammad received a revelation that public prayer on Friday was God’s will

– Public prayer is performed at midday on Friday

– Usually only men perform public prayer at a mosque

• When women are allowed to pray with men at a mosque, they are assigned their own area, separated by a curtain or screen or located in an upstairs gallery

– Women pray at home• The public day of rest is Sunday

3. Charity to the poor• Believers donate certain percentages of their total income,

herds, and produce from fields each year to the poor– Muhammad was troubled by injustice, inequality, and

poverty• The percentages vary depending on what is taxed

– But are commonly about 2.5 percent• A good Muslim is expected to perform isolated acts of

generosity and charity for the poor

4. Fasting• To fast means to abstain from food for a specified

period of time• The purpose of fasting is to discipline oneself

– To develop sympathy for the poor and hungry

• Fasting is thought to be good for individual spiritual growth

• Required during Ramadan– The 9th month of the Muslim calendar – Ramadan is the time during which Muhammad first

received his revelations– From dawn until sundown– Avoid eating, drinking, smoking, sex

• Exceptions are made with regard to food and drink for travelers, pregnant women and the sick- but they are expected to make up the days of fasting at a later time

• During Ramadan, Muslims open extra soup kitchens• Ramadan = Lent= Yom Kippur

5. Pilgrimage • Pilgrimage is a religious journey by

a believer to a sacred city or site• Pilgrimage to Mecca

– At least once in a lifetime– Anyone who dies on the journey is

considered a martyr and enters paradise

– All sins are forgiven of those who make the journey

– Pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, was already a practice before Muhammad was born

Pilgrimage: Kabah shrine • The pilgrimage to Mecca lasts for 15

days• Includes circling the Kabah

– Kabah means cube – The Kabah is a black meteorite known

as the Black Stone located in the Great Mosque of Mecca

– It is covered with a black cloth, remade every year- edges are embroidered in gold with words from the Qur’an

– The interior of the Kabah is empty and is entered only by caretakers – who clean the interior with rosewater

– Pilgrims walk counterclockwise around the Kabah seven times

– Pilgrims kiss or salute the Kabah

Pilgrimage cont.: origins of the Black Stone

• The meteorite was thought of as a special gift from God

• It is believed that Abraham and even Adam venerated it

• The angel Gabriel carried it to earth

Pilgrimage: reenacting important events: recalling

Hagar

1. After walking around the Kabah, pilgrims ritually recall Hagar

• A long covered corridor connects two sacred hills

• Between these hills Hagar is believed to have searched for water for her son Ishmael

• Pilgrims walk speedily seven times along the corridor, reenacting Hagar’s thirsty search

• They drink from the well of Zamzam in the mosque area, which is believed to be the well shown to Hagar by an angel

Pilgrimage: reenacting important events: sacrifice of Ishmael

• Pilgrims reenact important events in the life of Abraham

2. Muslims believe that Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Ishmael – The near-sacrifice took place in

Mecca– Abraham was divinely directed to

substitute a ram for his son– Pilgrims sacrifice an animal– The slaughtered animals is cooked

and eaten– After the sacrifice, the men’s heads

are shaven, the women’s hair is cut, and all fingernails and toenails are trimmed to signify a new purified life

Pilgrimage: reenacting important events:

Day of Sacrifice 3. On the Day of Sacrifice, pilgrims go to

Mina- a few miles outside Mecca

• Here they throw seven small stones at three square pillars, a ritual that recalls how Abraham responded to a temptation: • when a demon tempted him to

disobey God’s command to sacrifice his son, Abraham threw stones at the demon and drove it away

• Many pilgrims visit Medina to honor the memory of Muhammad who is buried there

Types of pilgrimage • Muslims distinguish between the “greater pilgrimage” and

– Made only during the special month of pilgrimage• The “lesser pilgrimage”

– Can be made at other times of year as well– A visit to Mecca and nearby holy sites

• In the past, about 30,000 people visited Mecca each year• Now 2,000,000 make the journey

Pilgrimage: clothing• Men have to wear a special clothing called the robe of Abraham

– Consisting of two pieces of white, seamless cloth. – One piece is worn around the waist and lower body– The other covers the upper body and the left arm– The uniformity of clothing for males emphasizes their basic equality

before God• women have no special clothing, but many dress in white

– They do not veil their faces when they are participating in the pilgrimage