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Purpose of Islamic Worship | ||||
"I have not created the jinn and the men but that they may worship Me". (51:57) Worship means total obedience to the commands of Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, brought the message of God and explained all the commandments concerning the religion of Islam. Islam has five basic duties which a Muslim has to perform. They are known as the Five Fundamentals of Islam or the Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar is called Kalima Shahadah, the declaration of Islamic faith, i.e; to bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The oneness of God is the basis of our belief in Islam. The second pillar is called Salat, i.e; to perform Prayer in a prescribed form. The third pillar is called Zakat, a form of levy which Muslims of means pay annually in cash or kind, and is spent for good causes mentioned in the Holy Quran. The fourth pillar is called Saum, i.e; to keep fasts in the month of Ramadhan. The fifth pillar is called Hajj, i.e; to perform pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Makkah at least once in the lifetime of a Muslim. Of all religious obligations, Islam has laid greatest emphasis on the institution of Salat. It is enjoined upon every Muslim to pray five times a day. Besides the five obligatory Prayers, there are other types of Prayers which are optional. A Muslim takes the spiritual side of life as seriously as a worldly person
takes the material side of it. As air and food are essential for our physical
life, likewise, we cannot survive spiritually without offering Salat or
Prayer regularly in different parts of the day. |
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