A LIFE
OF WORSHIP:
Any activity started with
the intention of pleasing our Creator that has both a good goal and a
good means to achieve it is considered worship in Islam. In Islam there
are also more set ritualistic act of worship, or outward manifestations
of worship which God has made obligatory for all of those who chose a
life of submission to Him. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has defined
Submission to God as the following obligatory acts of worship when he
said:
ISLAAM
-(obedience & submission to God/obtaining peace & salvation)
IS BUILT ON FIVE:
1) Testimony of Faith
2) Prayer
3) Charity
4) Fasting
5) Pilgrimage
(1)-Testimony of Faith or 'Shahada' is to declare ones belief by simply saying the
following:
"I
testify that there is nothing worthy of worship, except Almighty God
(alone), without any partners; And I testify that Muhammad is God's
Messenger and Servant." Any person who says this from their
heart with firm belief in it has (Submitted to God), and is therefore a
Muslim. As you can see, this declaration of faith is in two parts or
phrases. These two phrases are a pledge and covenant with God, the
Creator of the heavens and earth, the Lord and Ruler of all that exists
on FOUR points:
1. Recognition of God:
Point I-
A confession with your heart, your understanding, and with
your mouth that -
"The Lord is Almighty God," who is the Creator of all things. That He is
the Organizer and Planner of all the affairs of His creatures. This is
called (your confession of the) "Oneness of the Lordship of God."
Point II-A confession with
your heart, your understanding, and with your mouth that -
"All Worship/Servitude are for God alone." This is called (your
confession of the) "Oneness of the worship of God."
Point III-A confession with
your heart, your understanding, and with your mouth that -
"God's Attributes and Qualities are Perfect and Absolute." That His
qualities, by which He has qualified Himself in His Books and by His
Prophets are true, and that all those names and qualities (see the
section: "God's Attributes") are for the Almighty alone without
resembling any of His creation. This is called (your confession of the)
"Oneness of the Names and Qualities of God."
2. Recognition of God's Representive on Earth (i.e. His
Prophet):
Point IV-A confession with
your heart, your understanding, and with your mouth that - "Muhammad
is the servant and Messenger sent by Almighty God."
This confession simply put is two things. (1) Firstly,-to declare (that
you) believe in the concept of "Prophethood"; and (2) Secondly -to
declare (that you) believe Muhammad is a Prophet. In this confession is
the testimony of belief in all the previous prophets of God, such as:
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. [An explanations of Prophethood and a more
full list of Prophets are provided below in the section "Prophethood in
Islam]. The complete 'Shahada' with the Arabic pronunciation is written
below:
1. "Ash-hadu an-la
ilaha ill-Allah"
[There is no "ilaha"-(deity/god or anything worthy of worship/obeying) except
God]
2. "Wa ash-hadu an-na
Muhammader-Rasuloollah"
[And that Muhammad is
the Messenger-of-God]
(2)- Prayer or 'Salah'
is the name for the obligatory (formal) prayers
which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the
worshipper and their Lord and Creator. The Prayers are said at Dawn,
Noon, Mid-afternoon, Sunset, and Nightfall; thus determining the rhythm
of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in the
Masjid/Mosque-(place of prayer), a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such
as in a field, in offices, factories and universities, etc. Visitors to
countries where the practice of Islam is predominant are struck by the
centrality of prayers in the daily lives of Muslims, who live each day
with sincerity to God by continually renewing their connection with
their Creator to strengthen their relationship with God. The origin of
word "Salah" in Arabic is found in Aramaic (the language of Jesus).
Salah is the canonical, or ritual formal prayer, as opposed to the
spontaneous petitioning of God (informal prayer), which is called "Dua".
The "Salah" consists of a series of movements and
recitations, and is thus a ritual, more of a liturgy, or an act of
worship. The "Salah" is to be performed in a specific mannor unlike
making "Dua", which is made at any time and at almost any place through
simply supplicating or invoking God. As an act of worship, the salah
models the body, mind, and soul - the latter in the form of speech - to
the invisible prototype of awareness of God. The prescription of the "Salah"
(daily prayer) is to be performed five times each day and is obligatory,
beginning at the age of reason, which is deemed to be seven years. The "Salah"
is, however, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and is clearly the most
important after the Declaration of ones faith.
(3)- Charity or 'Zakah'
is the poor due in which God commands the believers
to give up a portion of their annual SAVINGS for the benefit of the
poor. This imposed 'tax' by the Almighty is a welfare to alleviate the
suffering of those who are less fortunate. Of the most important
principles of submitting our lives to God (Islam) is to have the
understanding that all things belong to Him, and that wealth is
therefore held by human beings in trust. The word Zakah means literally
'purification' and 'growth'. Through giving to the poor, 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. The Holy Qur'an says: "God has bought
from the believers their lives and wealth and in exchange will give them
Gardens in Paradise (Heaven)." For Muslims, both our lives and
our money are given in pledge to God. When we declare that we believe in
Him and seek to follow His will, it follows that we recognize our
responsibility to our Lord. Sometimes God requires sacrifice on our part
in the great plan He has for the universe, and taking care of the poor
in society is of the foremost responsibilities that the believers have
to God. God says:
"Spend (on Charity) Oh son of Adam, and I shall spend on you."
(4)- Fasting or 'Sawm' is a necessary form of worship in living a life of
Submittion to God. Likewise, It has been this way even before the
instruction, which were given in God Final Testament (The Holy Qur'an).
As He says: "Oh you who believe! Fasting has
been prescribed upon you just as it was prescribed on those before you -
that you may become God Conscienceness-(Pious & Righteous)."
(5)- Pilgrimage or 'Hajj'
literally means 'to set out for a place'. In Islam
however it refers to the annual Pilgrimage that Muslims make to Meca (Beca)
in Arabia with the intention of performing certain religious rites in
accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad. Hajj and
its rites were first ordained by God in the time of the Prophet Abraham
and he was the one who was entrusted by the All-Mighty to build the
sacred House of God called "The K'aba" - along with his son Ishmael at
Meca (Beca). God described the K'aba and its building in His Glorious
Recitation [i.e. The Qur'an] as follows:
The Holy Qur’an (22:26)
"And remember
when I showed Abraham the site of the Sacred House [saying]: Associate
not anything [in worship] with Me and purify My House for those who
encircle it in worship and those who stand up for prayer and those who
bow down prostrating themselves ([to Me)."
The Holy Qur’an (3:96)
"The Indeed, the
first house of worship appointed for mankind was that at Beca (Meca):
full of blessing and of guidance for all the world. In it are clear
signs, the station of Abraham, whoever enters it attains security;
Pilgrimage to it is a duty men owe to God – Those who have the means;
but if any deny faith, God stands not in need of any of His creatures."
The Pilgrimage is an
obligation once in a lifetime for those Muslims who are physically and
financially able to perform it. About 3 Million people go to Meca each
year from every corner of the globe. Although Meca is always filled with
visitors, the annual Hajj-(or Pilgrimage) is performed in the twelfth
month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes
which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand
equal before God. Above is a picture of Pilgrims praying at the Grand
Mosque in Meca. The K'aba (the black building in the picture) is the
focal point, which all Muslims turn toward when praying to God
The
Pilgrims Call:
Oh my Lord, Here I am
at Your service, Here I am. There is no partner with you. Here I am!
Truly, the Praise are
Yours, the Favors are Yours, and the Kingdom is Yours. There is no
partner with you.
Some of the rites of the
'Hajj' include circling the Ka'aba 7 times and going 7 times
between the hillocks of
Safa
and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water.
(see in Genesis 21:12-21) Then the
pilgrims stand together in the valley of Arafa and ask God for what they
wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview
of the Day of Judgment. The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival,
'Eid
Al-Adha',
which is celebrated with prayers. This is the greatest time of year for
Muslims in Islam.