Islam in Brief - M. I. El-Masry

[د/مسلمة]

C- Worship Practice:

- Allâh has laid down for a Muslim four major exercises of faith, some are daily, some weekly, some monthly, some annually and some are required as a minimum of once in a lifetime.

- These exercises of faith are to serve man’s spiritual purposes, satisfy his human needs and to mark his whole life with a Divine touch.

- These major exercises of faith are:

1- Prayer (Salâh)

2- Fasting (Siyâm)

3- Charity giving (Zakâh)

4- Pilgrimage (Hajj)




1- Prayer (Salâh):

- Praying to the Creator, on a daily basis, is the best way to cultivate in man a sound personality and to actualize his aspirations.

- Allâh, does not need man’s prayer because He is free of all needs. Islamic prayers are for our benefit. The benefits are immeasurable and the blessings are beyond imagination.

- In Islamic prayer, every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind; in the worship and glory of Allâh. Islamic prayer is an act of worship.

- It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise; all combined.

- Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim, male or female, who is sane, mature; and in case of women: free from menstruation or confinement due to child birth.

- Requirements of prayers: Performing of ablution (Wudû’), purity of the whole body; clothes and ground used for prayer, dressing properly and declaring the intention and facing the “Qiblah”: the direction of the Al-Kabah in Mecca.

- Obligatory prayers: Five daily prayers, the Friday’s noon congregation prayer and the funeral prayer .

- Highly recommended prayers: Those accompanying the obligatory prayers, and the two great festival prayers.

- Optional prayers: Voluntary prayers during the day and night .

- Times of obligatory prayers:

1- Early morning (Fajr): after dawn and before sunrise
2- Noon (Dhuhr): after the sun begins to decline from its zenith until it is about midway on its course to setting.
3- Mid-afternoon (Asr): after the expiration of the noon prayer time until sunset.
4- Sunset (Maghrib): immediately after sunset until the red glow in the western horizon disappears.
5- Evening (Ishâ’): after the expiration of the sunset prayer until dawn.

- Prayers should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse.

- Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up.

- Prayers involve prescribed physical motions, accompanied with saying mainly some parts of the Qur’ân,

- In addition to the prescribed prayers, a Muslim expresses gratitude to Allâh and appreciation of His favors and asks for His Mercy all the time.

- Especially at times of for example: Child birth, marriage, going to or rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home, starting a journey or entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and sickness.




2- Fasting (Siyâm):

- Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, intimate sexual contacts and smoking; from the break of dawn till sunset. It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love to Allâh.

- Fasting teaches man a creative sense of hope, devotion, patience, unselfishness, moderation, wise savings, sound budgeting, willpower, mature adaptability, healthy survival, discipline, spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood.

- Obligatory fasting: is done once a year for the period of the month of Ramadân; the ninth month of the Islamic (Lunar) year.

- Recommended fasting: every Monday and Thursday of every week, three days in the middle of each Islamic month, six days after Ramadân following the Feast Day, and a few days of the two months before Ramadân.

- Fasting of Ramadân is a worship act which is obligatory on every adult Muslim, male or female; if he/she is mentally and physically fit and not on a journey.

- Exception: Women during their period of menstruation and while nursing their child, and also in case of travel and sickness.




3- Charity Giving (Zakâh):

- It is an act of worship and spiritual investment.

- The literal meaning of “Zakâh” is purity and it refers to the annual amount, in kind or coin, which a Muslim with means must distribute among the rightful beneficiaries.

- Zakâh does not only purify the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed.

- It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness; and it fosters instead: good-will and warm wishes for the contributors.

- Zakâh has a deep humanitarian and socio-political value; for example, it frees the society from class warfare, from ill feelings and distrust, and from corruption.

- Every Muslim , male or female, who at the end of the year is in possession of the equivalent of 85 gm of gold (approx. $750 in the year 2001) or more, in cash or articles of trade, must give Zakâh at the minimum rate of 2.5%.

- Zakâh is paid on the net balance after paying personal expenses, family expenses, due credits, taxes.. etc.

- The recipients of Zakâh are: The poor, the needy, the new Muslim converts, the Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them), and Muslims in debt. Also, employees appointed to collect Zakâh, Muslims in service of research or study or propagation of Islâm, and wayfarers who are foreigners in need of help; are entitled to receive Zakâh.

- Taxes paid to governments do not substitute for this religious duty. A contributor should not seek pride or fame, but if disclosing his name and his contribution is likely to encourage others, it is acceptable to do so.




4- The Pilgrimage (Hajj):

- It is a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime; and it is obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female, who is mentally, physically and financially fit.

- It is the largest annual convention of faith on earth (3 millions in the year 2001).

- Peace is the dominant theme. Peace with Allâh, with one’s soul, with another, with all living creatures. To disturb the peace of anyone or any creature in any shape or form is strictly prohibited.

- Muslims from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe assemble in Mecca in response of the call of Allâh. They go there in glory of Allâh, not to worship a man. It is to remember the grand assembly of the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before Allâh.

- It is also to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by Prophet Abraham and his elder son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the first house of Allâh on earth, i.e. Al-Kabah.

- Visiting the mosque of Prophet Muhammad at Al-Madînah is highly recommended; but not essential in making the Hajj vaild and complete.



to be cont.

للمزيد من مواضيعي

 

الموضوع الأصلي : Islam in Brief - M. I. El-Masry     -||-     المصدر : مُنتَدَيَاتُ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءِ الدَّعَويِّة     -||-     الكاتب : د/مسلمة

[د/مسلمة]

Islam is a Code of Life:

1. Moral Life

2. Intellectual Life

3. Personal Life

4. Family Life

5. Social Life

6. Economical Life

7. Political Life

8. International Life




1. Moral Life:

- Islamic Prescription: The Messenger of Allâh, during his 23-years mission has set a human model, as well as detailed teachings, that touched on all aspects of moral behavior.

- A Muslim is shown how to be honest, truthful, sincere, charitable, modest, merciful, just, chaste, timid, fidel, and fulfilling his promise.

- On the other hand, a Muslim should avoid everything opposite to these tributes; as well as: envy, hypocricy, or false flattering, ridicule, obscenity, backbiting, calumny, and vanity.




2. Intellectual Life:

- Islamic Prescription: True knowledge, based on clear proofs and indisputable evidence, acquired by experience or experiment or both. The Qur’ân points to the rich sources of knowledge in the whole universe.

- Islâm demands faith in Allâh on the basis of knowledge and research, and leaves wide open all fields of thought before the intellect; to penetrate as far as it can reach. There is no ******-like institution in Islâm.

- Knowledge is not monopolized by any sort of clergy. Every Muslim is individually requested to seek knowledge and to act accordingly.




3. Personal Life:

- Islamic prescription: Purity and cleanliness, a healthy diet, proper clothing, proper behavior and good healthy sexual relations within marriage.

- Harmful foods and drinks are prohibited. These include alcohol and similarly all narcotics, as well as meat of dead or improperly slaughtered animals, and of beasts, swine (pork) and blood poured out. Proper hygienic practices for food handling, hands and mouth cleanliness, as well as moderation in food intake are only some of the teachings of Islâm.




4- Family Life:

- Islamic Prescription: A family is a human social group, whose members are bound together by the bond of blood ties and/or marital relationship and nothing else (adoption, mutual alliance, common law, trial marriage … etc.). Parents, and specially mothers, are given fullest respect in Islâm, even if they are different in faith.

- Marriage is a religious duty on all who are capable of meeting its responsibilities. Each member of the family has rights and obligations. Marriage contract cannot be valid without the complete free consent of both spouses. The husband is fully responsible to support his wife, even if she is wealthy. He has no right to interfere with the way she manages her own property.

- Polygamy (up to four wives) is permissible only to cope with special circumstances, but conditional to the husband being capable to meet the essential needs of his wives and to secure just equality in treatment, which is not easy to everyone. Divorce is resorted to, only as a last solution, if all attempts to reconciliation have failed.




5. Social Life:

- Islamic prescription: Man is ordained by Allâh to extend his utmost help and kindness to other family members, relations, servants and neighbors. Superiority is not derived from class, color, origin or wealth, but from piety and good deeds alone.

- Humanity represents one family springing from one and the same father and mother. The unity of humanity is not only in its origin but also in its ultimate aims.




6. Economic Life:

- Islamic Prescription: Earning one’s living through decent labor is not only a duty but a great virtue as well.

- Earning is man’s private possession. The individual is responsible for the state; and the state is responsible for the security of the individual.

- The Islamic economic system is not based on arithmetical calculations alone, but also on morals and principles. Zakâh or charity given is a cornerstone (see: Worship).

- Man comes to the world empty-handed and departs empty-handed. The real owner of things is Allâh alone. Man is simply a trustee. Although Islâm does not hinder private enterprise or condemn private possessions, it does not tolerate selfish and greedy capitalism.

- Islâm adopts a moderate but positive and effective course between individual and society, between the citizen and the state, between capitalism and socialism, between materialism and spiritualism.

- Islâm has set detailed guidance for commercial transactions to guarantee justice between parties.

- Money should be earned only through real investment of resources, work or intellect. Money should not simply reproduce itself. The Islamic substitute to fixed interest on loans is: business partnership, different types of which are legislated in Islâm. Islâm encourages giving each other “good” loans without any charge (or interest) for the sake of help.




7. Political Life:

- Islamic prescription: The sovereignty in the Islamic State belongs to Allâh; the people exercise it by trust from Him to enforce His laws. The main mission of the Muslim State is to secure honest application of the Muslim Society, and to convey the message of Islâm to all mankind everywhere. Every Muslim, within his own capacity, has a role in enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong.

- The ruler is only an acting executive chosen by the people to serve them according to Allâh’s law. The State is to administer justice and provide security for all citizens.

- Rulers and administrators must be chosen from the best qualified citizens. If an administration betrays the trust of Allâh and the people, it has to be replaced.

- Crimes that threaten the peace and integrity of the whole society are penalized. These include murder, terrorism, theft, adultery and homosexuality, alcoholism and slander.

- Non-Muslims can administer their personal marriage, divorce, foods and inheritance according to the Islamic law, if they so wish, or to their own religious teachings.

- They may opt to pay Zakâh (Islamic tax) or a different tax “tribute” or “Jizyah”. They are entitled to full protection and security of the state, including freedom of religion.




8. International Life:

- Islamic prescription: Man everywhere has a common origin, human status and aim. Other people’s interests and rights to life, honor and property are respected, as long as the rights of Muslims are intact. Transgression is forbidden.

- “Jihâd” or holy war means extending help to oppressed people, in order to regain their human rights, so that they can freely choose their own belief and way of life. Islâm does not, and never did, force, blackmail or bribe anybody; in order to convert to Islâm.

- On the contrary, Muslims have and are still subjected to various forms of oppression, atrocity, economic pressures and blackmail to abandon their faith. Spain, Palestine, India, Burma, Bosnia, Kosova and Chechnia; are only some historic and contemporary chain of examples. Non-Muslims: Jews and Christians in Muslim societies, have always enjoyed peaceful life, with their rights respected and protected.

- War is obligatory if the state security is endangered. During war, destruction of crops, animals and homes, killing non-fighting women, children and aged people are all forbidden.

- International treaties are absolutely respected, unless other parties break them first. They cannot be absolved for the sake of temporary political or economic gains.




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