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I-
Belief (Iman)
II- Prayer
III- Zakat
IV-
Fasting (Saum)
V-
Pilgrimage (Hajj)
As mentioned
earlier, Islam is founded on five pillars or five fundamental
articles of faith. These five articles or columns of Islamic faith
have been derived from a saying (Hadith) of Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) which has been recorded by Bukhari and Muslim on the
authority of Ibn Omar. The Prophet is reported to have said:
“Islam is built on five things – to bear witness that there is no
god but Allah and that Muhammad (PBUH) is His messenger and
servant, to keep up prayer, to pay Zakat, to make Pilgrimage and
to keep fast in Ramadhan”.
Thus following are
the five pillars upon which the edifice of Islam is founded
according to the above-mentioned tradition of the Propher:
1.
Iman (profession of belief).
2.
Salat (to establish prayer).
3.
Zakat (to pay poor-due or compulsory
charity).
4.
Saum (to keep fast during the month
of Ramadhan).
5.
Hajj (to perform pilgrimage to Makkah).
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I- Belief
(Iman)
Belief is the
first and the foremost article of Islamic faith. The revealed book
of Islam says: “…. But righteous is he who believeth in Allah and
the Last Day and the Angels, and the Scripture and the Prophets
……” (al-Qur’an 2:177). At another place the Holy Book says ……
“whoso disbelieveth in Allah and His Angels and His Scriptures and
His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far
astray…. (al-Qur’an 4:136). Thus the Qur’an has prescribed for the
followers of Islam to believe in Allah, His Messenger, His Angels,
His Scriptures and the Hereafter. To these five elements of
belief, Prophet Muhammad has added another element and that is
belief in destiny (Taqdir).
Iman or belief, in short, is to
expressed by proclaiming the following Kalima (formula) with the tongue and affirm
its truth with the heart:
“There is no
god but Allah; Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.”
Furthermore one
has to testify the truth of the above mentioned Kalima with the
following words (which are called second Kalima):
“I testify that
there is no god but Allah who is One and has no partner. And I
also testify that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger”.
As stated above,
there are six elements or constituents of belief which have been
prescribed by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. These are: Belief in
Allah, belief in messengers, belief in Scriptures or books, belief
in Angels, belief in the Hereafter or the Last Day, and belief in
Predestination or Taqdir. All these constituents of belief are
briefly discussed as under:
1.
Belief in Allah:
Allah is the
Almighty and only one God of the whole cosmos. He is the Creator
of each and everything in the universe. He is Eternal and
Ever-Living. He has no partner, no children, no parents, no
spouses. He is All-Powerful, Unique in Essence and Attributes,
All-Perfect, Sovereign Lord, Omnipresent, Omniscient, All-Knowing,
All-Seeing, All-Wise, Just, the Beneficent, the Merciful and the
Forgiving. The heavens and earth are full of His signs and
blessings. He gives life and death and revives the dead. He sent
Prophets and revealed Scriptures for the guidance of man. He is
the Master of the Day of Judgment. He is only to be worshipped.
Followers of Islam have been enjoined by the Qur’an and by the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to believe in Allah and serve Him alone.
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2. Belief in Messengers:
For guidance of man Allah sent messengers called Prophets or
Apostles of Allah who conveyed to mankind Divine message and also
acted upon the message themselves setting pattern for their
followers. The Prophets were human beings and they did not claim
any share in Godhead. The Muslims have to believe in all the
Prophets without making any distinction between them and without
rejecting anyone of them. Belief is to be expressed in all the
Prophets, whether mentioned in the Qur’an or not, from Adam to
Muhammad. Prophets whose names have been mentioned in the Qur’an
are Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nuh (Noah), Hud, Salih, Ibrahim
(Abraham), Ismael (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Lut (Lot), Yusuf
(Joseph), Shuaib, Ayyub (Job), Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron),
Dhu.l.Kifl, Uzair, Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ilias
(Elias), Al-Yasa (Elisha), Yunus (Jonah), Zakariyya (Zechariah),
Yahya (John), Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad. Life and teachings of
some of these Prophets along with stories of their tribes or
nations have been described in detail by the Qur’an such as that
of Nuh, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lut, shoaib, Moses, Jesus.
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3.
Belief in Scriptures:
Allah revealed
books or scriptures and gave them to the Prophets for guidance and
education of mankind. The famous of them are: Scrols (Sahifahs)
given to Abraham; the Torah given to Moses; the Psalms given to
David; the Gospel given to Jesus Christ, and the Qur’an given to
Muhammad. Followers of Islam are required to believe in all these
Holy Scriptures.
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4.
Belief in Angels:
Allah created
Angels from light. They are invisible to human eye, have no sex
and are appointed to carry out Allah’s commands and glorify Him.
They are not daughters of Allah as the pagan Arabs held. Most
famous of them are: Gabriel charged with the duty of bringing
revelations and messages of Allah to the Prophets; Israfil who
will blow the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection; Mickael
appointed for arranging rainfall, Izrael charged to take souls.
Some other angels mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith are: Harut
and Marut (sent by God to test the belief of some nation of the
old), Kiraman Katibin (the respected recorders who record the
deeds of human beings); Munkir and Nakeer who would question the
dead in graves; angel who brought good tidings of birth of a son
to Mary the mother of Jesus; angels who brought good news about
birth of Isaac to Abraham; angels who destroyed the people of Lut;
angels in charge of Hell and Angels who would welcome the
righteous in Paradise, etc. Muslims are required to believe in all
angels of God.
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5.
Belief in the Hereafter:
This world would end on the Last Day called the Doomsday when
every living soul would die. The Hereafter would start after the
death. On the Doomsday (also called the Day of Judgment and Day of
Resurrection), every dead person would be revived by Allah. Allah
would judge between mankind on that day and would reward the pious
with Paradise and punish the wicked with Hell. The life in the
Hereafter would be real and eternal life. Muslims are required
to believe in the Last Day and in the Hereafter, in life after death
and in Paradise and Hell.
6.
Belief in Destiny (Taqdir):
This
belief is virtually integral part of belief in Allah and so it is
not regarded as an independent element. This belief implies that
all good and evil is from Allah and is in the knowledge of Allah.
The formula of
comprehensive belief (Al-Imanul Mufassal) which attests belief in
all the above mentioned is as follows:
“I believe in
Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the Last
Day and in the fact that everything good or bad is decided by
Allah the Almighty, and in the life after death.”
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II- Prayer
Prayer in one form
or the other has always been an integral part of devotional
service in every religion. Every Prophet of Allah from Adam to
Muhammad (may Allah’s peace be upon them) has not only been
offering prayer himself but has also been enjoining his followers
to establish it regularly. All the contemporary revealed religions
of the world – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – recognize the
efficacy of prayer.
The prayer is the
second important pillar or fundamental article of Islamic faith
after belief (Iman). Just as belief in Allah is the essence of
faith, so is the prayer the essence of all Islamic devotions and
pious actions. The Qur’an uses the term ‘Salat’ for prayer which
stands for serving or worshipping Allah or praying to or seeking
nearness to Him. The Qur’an has laid a great stress upon prayer
and has repeated the commandments about prayer many times. The
object of prayer in Islam is the Almighty God Who is One and Who
alone is to be worshipped.
Islam has
prescribed performance of prayers five time a day as an obligatory
duty of every Muslim, whether he is a male or a female, free or
slave, rich or poor, healthy or sick, at home or on journey. It is
not excused even in the battlefield and has to be performed in the
way prescribed by the Qur’an. In leisure or in business, in town
or in village, in peace or in war, in sea or in land, a believer
has to offer prayer on the prescribed times. Thus the prayer is
universal in nature unlike other articles of faith such as Zakat
and Haji which are obligatory for the rich believers only and
unlike fast which is obligatory only for one month and that too
for the adult healthy Muslims.
The prayer,
besides being discharge of very important obligation to the
Creator, bestows upon its observers many spiritual, social and
individual benefits. It helps the purification of soul. It
promotes unity, brotherhood and friendship among the believers as
the male Muslims observe it in the mosque in congregation. It
helps the Muslims to meet each other and confer with each other to
solve their common problems, be they economic, political or
social. It teaches punctuality and regularity and disciplines
one’s daily life. The prayer helps even the physical health of one
as all his bodily limbs come into action, even the toes and
fingers. The prayer also helps concentration of mind. It promotes
cleanliness of the body as it is preceded by ablution or bath. The
Qur’an advises the believers to seek help from the prayer and
patience in grief and hardship. According to the Qur’an the prayer
protects one from lewdness and evil. The prayer, according to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), distinguishes a believer from a
non-believer. The prayer will serve its observer as a light on the
Day of Judgment and will be a means of his salvation. The prophet
told Abu Zarr that when a Muslim observes his prayers with
attention and devotion he sheds his sins just like a tree which
sheds its leaves in autumn. The five daily prayers wipe off the
dirt of sins of the person who offers them regularly like a person
who removes his dirt by washing himself in a canal of water
flowing in front of his door. Many rewards have been promised
especially in the Hereafter by the Qur’an and Ahadith of the
Prophet of Islam to those who establish prayer. Those who neglect
it have been threatened with painful doom.
The Prophet of
Islam not only taught the rules of prayer, its form and procedure,
its timings, its rakaats, etc. to his followers but also showed
its practical demonstration for their guidance. Detailed rules and
regulations have been laid down by the jurists and scholars of
Islam regarding prayer in the light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah
of the Prophet which can be understood by referring to Fiqh
(jurisprudence) books.
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Call to Prayer
(Azan)
‘Azan’ is the call
for prayer which is proclaimed at least five-times a day from the
minarets of the mosques throughout the world in the loud and sweet
melodious voice calling the Muslims of the vicinity to join the
congregational prayer. This prayer-call is proclaimed in the
prescribed words at the advent of the time of each prayer.
Decision about proclaiming ‘Azan’ was made by Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) after his migration to Madinah in consultation with the
companions.
Azan is proclaimed
by a man standing in a lofty or prominent place in the mosque
(generally the mosques have minarets for this purpose) in as loud
a voice as possible. The caller is called Muazzin. He stands
facing the Holy Ka’aba with his both hands raised to the ears and
says: “Allah is greatest (repeated four times); I bear witness
that there is no god but Allah (repeated twice); I bear witness
that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (repeated twice); come to
prayer (repeated twice); come to success (repeated twice); Allah
is greatest (repeated twice); There is no god but Allah (once
only)”. In the call for morning prayer, the words ─- prayer is
better than sleep ─ are added (repeated twice) after the words,
“Come to success”.
‘Aqamat’ is the
announcement which is issued just before the Imam (leader of
prayer) starts the prayer. It is just like Azan but in a less loud
voice and with the difference that the words ─- prayer is ready ─-
are repeated twice after the words, “Come to success”.
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Ablution and
Dry Ablution (Wadu and Tayammum)
It is obligatory
for a believer to purify and clean himself before offering prayer.
If he is unclean he should perform ‘Ghusal’ (bath i.e. washing of
the whole body). Otherwise he should make ‘Wadu” (ablution) which
is the washing of the hands, face and feet in the prescribed way
with water. But if the water is not available or the use of water
is harmful to health or the water available is not pure then the
believer is allowed to perform ‘Tayammum’ (dry ablution) with pure
dust in the prescribed way. Very clear injunctions regarding
Ghusal, Wadu and Tayammum are given in the Qur’an and the Ahadith
(traditions) of the prophet of Islam. The method and procedure of
performing these acts has also been laid down by the Qur’an and
the Sunnah which needs no explanation or further comments. Only
the following verse of the Qur’an and tradition of the Prophet
would suffice:
·
O ye
who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your
hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub yours heads and (wash)
your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify
yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you
cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye
find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces
and your hands with some of it. (Al – Maidah 5:6)
·
Usman reported that he performed ablution and that he thrice
poured (water) over his hands. Then he gurgled and snuffed up
water. Then he washed his face and then he washed thrice his right
arm up to the elbow. Afterwards he washed thrice his left arm up
to the elbow and then he wiped his head. Afterwards he washed his
right foot thrice and then the left foot thrice. Afterwards he
said: I have seen the Messenger of Allah performing ablution
similar to this ablution of mine. (Bukhari, Muslim)
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Qiblah
(Direction)
Qiblah is the
direction in which the Muslims turn their faces in prayers from
all over the world. This direction is towards the Ka’aba (the
House of God) at Makkah in Arabia which was built by the great
Prophet Ibrahim about 1800 B.C. Ka’aba is also the centre of
devotional rites and acts attached with pilgrimage.
For some period at
Madinah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) observed Jerusalem as Qiblah and,
therefore, he and his followers used to pray in the direction of
that holy city. However, in his heart of hearts the Prophet wished
that Ka’aba should be the Qiblah of Islam and so he often turned
his face to heaven praying for the fulfillment of his desire. It
was in the year 2 A.H. that Allah’s commandment came directing the
Prophet to turn his face from Jerusalem to Ka’aba when he was
leading Zuhr prayer at the house of Bishr-bin-Bara-bin-Ma’arur.
Since then Ka’aba is the Qiblah of the followers of Islam.
It has been aptly
observed that the change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Ka’aba marked
the end of religious leadership of the House of Israel and
Jerusalem also ceased to be the religious center of the world. Now
the religious leadership had come to be vested in Islam with the
result that Ka’aba became the religious center for mankind.
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Mosque (Place
of Worship)
Although the whole
earth is mosque for a Muslim whereupon he can offer his prayer
except unclean places, yet the Muslims construct and reserve for
prayers special places and buildings called mosques. Mosque means
a place of prostration. Thus the mosque is a place of worship
where the followers of Islam converge at least five times a day to
join congregational prayers.
Besides being a
place of Divine worship, mosque has been traditionally a centre of
many other social activities of the Muslim community. The Muslims
are advised to discuss and solve the common problems faced by
their community in socio-economic field particularly relating to
common welfare, eradication of poverty, sickness, ignorance,
illiteracy and promotion of missionary activities in consultation
with each other. Thus the cause
of helping the poor and the sick, promotion of education and
learning and other issues of concern have always received prior
attention of the believers in the mosque next after divine
service. Politics, governmental matters, elections and foreign
affairs, though not prohibited are not discussed these days in the mosque due to
expediency.
Offering prayer in
the mosque in congregation is obligatory for a Muslim male except
in case of a valid excuse, but for a Muslim female prayer in the
house is better. The mosque is the dearest place to Allah and His
messenger and prayer in it carries merit much higher than the
prayer at home. The mosque of Quba near Madinah is the first
mosque built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during his migration to
Madinah and soon after arriving at Madinah the Prophet built the
famous mosque named after him called the Mosque of the Prophet in
the Year 1 A.H. i.e. 622 A.D.
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Timings
The Qur’an says:
“. . . . . Prayer at fixed hours hath been enjoined on the
believers” (4:103). Thus there are fixed times for the five daily
prayers of the Muslims. There are very meaningful hints about the
times of prayers in the Holy Qur’an. The names of the prayers and
their scheduled times as prescribed and practiced by the Prophet
of Islam are: Fajr (the early morning prayer) - from the
appearance of dawn upto rising of the sun; Zuhr (the early
afternoon prayer) - from the declining of the sun at noon till the
beginning of the time of next prayer; Asr (the late afternoon
prayer) - from the time when a man’s shade becomes double to the
setting of the sun; Magrib (the sun-set prayer) - from just after
the sun-set to the disappearance of red colour in horizon; I’sha
(the night prayer) - begins after the time of Magrib prayer till
midnight.
Units of
Prayers (Rak’at)
Each prayer
generally comprises three parts __ Fard (compulsory), sunat
(observed by the Prophet of Islam in addition to compulsory part),
and Nafl (recommended by the Prophet of Islam as optional).
Furthermore, each prayer consists of certain number of fixed
rak’ats, each rak’at being a single unit comprising standing,
bowing, prostrations and sitting. Fard prayer in the mosque is
offered in congregation. Numbers of rak’ats of each prayer are:
Fajr__ Sunnat 2, Fard 2, total 4; Zuhr__Sunnat 4, Fard 4, Sunnat
2, Nafl 2,total 12; Asr__ Sunnat 4, Fard 4, total 8; Magrib─ Fard
3, Sunnat 2, Nafl 2, total 7; I’sha__ Sunnat 4, Fard 4, Sunnat 2,
Nafl 2, Witr 3, and Nafl 2, total 17;
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Friday Prayer (Jumu’ah)
The Jews have
Saturday and the Christians have Sunday as the day in a week
exclusively meant for devotion and divine service with closed
holiday for worldly work. The Muslims, on the contrary, have no
such day in a week exclusively dedicated to worship with total
leave from worldly work. They have Friday and it is obligatory for
them to offer Jumu’ah prayer in congregation in the mosque in lieu
of Zuhr prayer and its time is almost that of the Zuhr prayer. The
Muslims are allowed to work on the day except during the time of
prayer.
The Jumu’ah prayer
is held in rather a bigger mosque of the locality which attracts
and accommodates larger gathering of the believers. The women are
allowed to participate only at their option while the slaves,
children, physically incapacitated are not compulsorily required
to attend. The actual prayer is preceded by the khutbah (sermon)
called Friday Sermon in which the Imam or Khateeb (the person who
reads sermon) recites verses of the Qur’an invokes blessings on
Prophet Muhammad and emphasizes the duties of the believers to
Allah and to each other. He also tells about the rewards for the
pious and the punishment for the wicked in the Hereafter, and may
shed light on the socio-economic problems faced by the Muslims
Ummah (community). Number of Rak’ats of the Jumu’ah prayer is
traditionally 14 which is: Sunnat 4, Fard in congregation 2,
Sunnat 4, Sunnat 2 and Nafl 2. One cannot offer Friday prayer
alone or at home. If he misses the Jumu’ah prayer, he will offer
Zhur prayer instead.
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Tahajjud Prayer
The Holy Qur’an
made Tahajjud prayer compulsory for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Verse 79 of chapter 17 of the Qur’an reads: “Besides this, offer
Tahajjud prayer: This is an additional prayer for you. That time
is not far when your Lord may exalt you to a laudable position”.
Although this
prayer is not compulsory for the followers of Muhammad (PBUH), but
acting upon the Sunnah of their beloved teacher, the most
God-fearing among the Muslims offer this prayer in order to attain
spiritual elevation. Tahajjud prayer is an effective way of self-
purification and of developing virtues of steadfastness and
fortitude. The Qur’an says: indeed, breaking the sleep at night is
an affective way to subdue the self and is suitable for reciting
the Qur’an” (73:6).
Tahajjud literally
means “to break the sleep and get up”. This prayer is offered
every night, a little after midnight, say between 1.00 Am to 3.00
A.m. The number of Rak’at varies between 2 to 8 according to some
scholars or between 4 to 12 according to some other.
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III- Zakat
The word ‘Zakat’
literally means ‘growth’ or ‘increase’ or ‘nourishment’. Thus
Zakat means ‘to grow’, ‘to increase’ or ‘to purify’. Zakat helps
the purification of human soul from miserliness, selfishness, lust
and greed of wealth and thus it paves the way for its growth and
development. The spending of wealth for the sake of Allah purifies
the heart of man from the love of materialism and instead
inculcates in his heart love of God and love of humanity. Apart
from its moral and spiritual effects, Zakat has also many economic
and social repercussions. It establishes brotherhood, friendship
and fraternity among the rich and the poor. Zakat prevents the
concentration of wealth in few hands and ensures its distribution
in the hands of many. It also discourages hoarding and brings
about the circulation of capital into the national economy. In
this way, Zakat ensures the growth of national wealth and promotes
national integration and social bonds.
Zakat is not only
a tax but also an act of worship. It is one of the fundamental
articles of faith for a Muslim. Zakat is one of the five columns
or pillars upon which the whole edifice of Islam is built. Next to
Salat (prayer), Zakat is the most important of the religious
obligations enjoined on the followers of Islam.
The importance of
Zakat in Islam can be judged from this very fact that the Qur’an,
the revealed book of Islam, mentions Zakat for more than eighty
times, while for twenty seven times commandments regarding Zakat
are found in close connection with obligatory Salat (prayer). M.A.
Mannan in his book “Islamic Economics: Theory and Practice”,
remarks: “Salat (prayer) rouses the feeling of equality and
brotherhood between the rich and the poor, the high and the low,
and Zakat puts the feeling of brotherhood on a firm footing by
making the rich and the capitalists responsible for the
maintenance of the poor and the needy. The spiritual and moral
values of Islam inculcated by Salat would lose their significance
if men did nothing to eradicate poverty for bringing about social
justice.” Another eminent scholar writes: “The spiritual
discipline inculcated by prayer would lose its practical
significance if men did nothing to organize themselves to root out
poverty and social injustice. The brotherhood of man is not
realized only by bowing together of the ruler and the subject, the
lord and the peasant, the factory-owner and the wage-earner
shoulder to shoulder before one God, but is established on a firm
foundation even outside a mosque where the king and the lord and
the factory-owner are made jointly responsible for the elementary
necessities of life of the subject and the peasant and the
wage-earner.”
The prophet of
Islam (PBUH) instructed Mu’az, when the latter was sent to Yemen
as Governor: “Teach them that Allah has made obligatory over them
Zakat which will be taken from the rich and will be given to the
poor among them.” This Hadith of Prophet (PBUH) explains the nature
and purpose of Zakat.
The rules and
regulations of Zakat as laid down by the Muslim jurists in the
light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah are:
1.
Zakat is imposed on the wealth
of a person who is (a) Muslim (b) adult (c) sane (d) free and (e)
solvent. However, Zakat is also payable on the wealth of a minor
as well as on the wealth of an insane person but it is paid by the
guardian. As it is a religious duty, it is obligatory on a Muslim
only and no non-Muslim is obliged to pay it. A slave and insolvent
debtor is also not liable to its payment.
2.
Nisab of Zakat or the minimum limit of wealth which attracts
liability of Zakat has also been fixed at various levels in case
of different categories of wealth. Nisab in case of gold is 20
Misqal or 7.5 tolas or 3 ounces. In case of silver, it is 200
Dirhams or 52.5 tolas or 21 ounces. In case of camels, it is 5 in
number. In case of cows, it is 30 and in case of goats and sheep,
it is 40 in number. Articles of trade and general merchandise
qualify for Zakat when their value is equal to Nisab of silver.
3.
Rate
of Zakat in case of gold and silver is 2.5%, in case of cattle
wealth it varies between 1% to 2.5%, while in case of articles of
trade it has been fixed at 2.5%. Assets of modern times like
shares and stocks, cash and coins, deposits in banks, investments
and debentures, etc. are also charged to Zakat at the rate of 2.5%.
4.
No
Zakat is due on property before a year elapses. Ibn Umar reported
that the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever acquires wealth, there
is no Zakat therein till a year passed over it” (Tirmizi). For the
purpose of Zakat, the Muslim financial year begins with the month
of Ramadhan. Advance payment of Zakat is also permitted like the
advance payment of Income Tax these days.
5.
Properties which were subjected to Zakat in the early Islamic
State included gold and silver, animal wealth, articles of trade,
etc. During the reign of Umar, horses were also subjected to Zakat
when they were bred and traded on a larger scale.
Industrial
revolution and technological development have brought in their
wake certain properties and assets which were not known in the
early days of Islam such as: industrial machinery, bank or
currency notes, bank deposits, bonds, securities, shares, stocks,
debentures, certificates of credit, bills of exchange, insurance
policies, provident funds, certificates of investments, etc.
Modern jurists and scholars of Islam are almost unanimous that
these assets are chargeable to Zakat in an Islamic State.
6.
The
following properties and assets have been exempted from the levy
of Zakat:
-
Personal effects
like clothes, articles or furniture, household goods except
ornaments and utensils of gold and silver.
-
Horses and asses
for conveyance or Jihad.
-
Arms or weapons
for personal use.
-
Cattle employed in
farming or transportation of goods.
-
Tools of a
professional for his personal use.
-
Residential house.
-
Slaves and
servants.
-
Books.
-
Food for the owner
and his family.
-
Agricultural land
and factory building and machinery etc.
7.
Zakat cannot be lawfully paid to members of the tribe of Hashim
who was the great grand- father of the prophet of Islam. It cannot
be paid to Non-Muslims. Servants and slaves are also not eligible
for Zakat when it is paid to them in consideration of their
services. A person possessing Nisab property is also not eligible
for it. One’s ascendants and descendants are also not eligible for
Zakat. Wife and husband cannot pay Zakat to each other. Similarly,
according to some jurists Zakat cannot be spent on the
construction of a mosque.
8.
Zakat is levied only on what remains after satisfaction of one’s
basic necessities. Wealth for Zakat is computed after deducting
the amount of debt which the assessee owes to others. All the
wealth and assets owned by an assessee are not clubbed together
for the purpose of Zakat because every category of wealth has its
own Nisab and its own rate. In case of joint ownership of wealth,
the share of each partner is considered separately. Zakat can be
collected or paid in kind or cash, whichever method is convenient.
Zakat on visible or apparent wealth is assessed and collected by
the Islamic State but in case of invisible or non-apparent assests,
Zakat can be assessed and determined by the Zakat payer himself.
However, in this case also Zakat should be paid to the State.
9.
Zakat or Sadaqa levied on the agricultural produce is called Ushr.
It is levied at the rate of 10% of the produce in case of
rain-irrigated land and at 5% in case of land irrigated by
artificial means of irrigation such as wells. Nisab or minimum
amount of produce which attracts Ushr is 5 vasqa or 948 kg.
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IV- Fasting (Saum)
Fasting is known
to man since time immemorial and it has existed as an institution
through ages in almost all religions and philosophies of life. The
prophets, philosophers, sages, saints, religious leaders and
thinkers adopted fasting as a means of controlling passions and
attaining spiritual and moral elevation. Not only the revealed
religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam have prescribed
fasting for their followers but even the followers of other
religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism have
been practicing fasting. Thus institution of fasting is universal
among mankind. The Holy Qur’an in its very first verse on fasting
(2:183) emphasizes this fact that fasting was also prescribed by
God for those religious communities who lived before the Muslims.
Fasting was made
obligatory for Muslims in 2 A.H. before the Battle of Badar. It is
compulsory for the month of Ramadhan which is the ninth month of
the Islamic Lunar Calendar and has 29 or 30 days. The Ramadhan is also the
month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed. Fasting starts from
dawn and closes at sunset on everyday and during fasting total
abstention from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse is
essential. It is obligatory for every Muslim, male or female, rich
or poor, slave or free, to fast during the month of Ramadhan.
However, sick and those who are on a journey are allowed exemption
from fasting but they are required to fast the same number of
other days when they recover health or their journey terminates.
But those who are permanently sick or are too old to keep fast are
allowed the option to feed one poor person in lieu of one day’s
fast. During the night of fast, the fast observer is allowed to
eat, drink and have sexual intercourse. However, when a fasting
person is engaged in I’tikaf (Secluded devotion), he is not
permitted to sexual intercourse even during nights of fast. During
month of Ramadhan, special prayers called “Taraweeh” are offered
after night prayer (Isha). In these prayers a memorizer (Hafiz) of
the Holy Qur’an recites the Qur’an in portions to complete its
recitation in the month. These prayers are quite lengthy and
comprise twenty “Rakat” each.
Besides being a
fulfillment of a religious obligation, fasting has many benefits.
It helps in controlling the passions. It is useful in attaining
spiritual advancement and purification of the soul. It sharpens
intellect and promotes the thinking faculty of the man. Fasting
contributes in maintaining health as it reduces weight of the body
and removes unnecessary fat and cholesterol deposits in the body.
Fasting teaches sympathy for the poor as it makes everyone
realize, through his or her own experience, how it feels to be
hungry and thirsty. Thus the fasting person gains true
appreciation of the needs of the poor and when he helps the poor
his act promotes cause of unity and brotherhood. Fasting teaches
regularity, punctuality and self-discipline. And above all,
fasting brings nearness to Allah because He likes the act of
fasting and because fasting makes the man pious and God-fearing.
The excellence and merits of fasting have been highlighted by the
Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam, and many rewards have been
promised to those who regularly fulfill the obligation of fasting.
Besides compulsory
fasting of the month of Ramadhan, optional fasting is also
encouraged by Islam for earning reward from Allah. Fasting has
also been prescribed for atonement of certain offences and sins.
Muslims are encouraged during Ramadhan especially to do acts of
devotion, charity and piety as the reward of each such act during
Ramadhan is increased manifold. Offering of morning meal (Sehri)
and evening meal (Iftari) to the poor fasters is considered to
carry great merit in terms of reward. At the completion of the
month of fasting, the followers of Islam celebrate the Eid-Ul-Fitr
(a festival in the nature of thanks-giving to God) and give
special alms (Sadaqat-ul-Fitr) to the poor.
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Itikaf
(Seclusion)
Itikaf means to
isolate oneself and stay in a place. In Islam, it signifies the
practice of the followers of Islam in the tradition of their
beloved Prophet to seclude themselves from worldly duties and stay
in a mosque for the last nine or ten days of the Holy month of
Ramadhan for whole-time devotion. In these days they are not
allowed to have sexual relation with their wives even during
nights of fast and to leave their palace (mosque) except for a
very short period and that too for very urgent necessity like call
of nature or to join a funeral. Besides fasting and usual five
daily prayers, they devote their full time to worship of Allah and
recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
Itikaf is Sunnat
Kefayah i.e., not compulsory but it must be performed at
least by few believers of the locality in the mosque.
The women are
directed to perform this act of devotion in their homes. Itikaf
begins from the Magrib prayer of the 20th of Ramadhan
and terminates with the sighting of new moon of the month of
Shawal and thus it may comprise a period of nine or ten days.
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V- Pilgrimage
(Hajj)
Hajj or the
pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam which has got a historical
background. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), the spiritual leader of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam (and forefather of Prophet Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad) built Ka’aba (House of God) at Makkah, with
assistance of his elder son Prophet Ismael some eighteen hundred
years before Christ. He was commanded by Allah to purify the House
and proclaim Pilgrimage unto mankind that “they will come unto
thee on foot and on every lean camel ….. from every deep ravine.”
Thus the people started visiting the Holy Ka’aba for performing
the pilgrimage. However, with the passage of time the rituals and
practices connected with pilgrimage were corrupted. Ka’aba became
the place filled with so many idols and people started
circumambulating it in a naked state. The Prophet of Islam
conquered Makkah in the year 8 A.H. (corresponding to 630 A.D.),
cleansed Ka’aba of the idols and restored its original position as
the old shrine devoted to worship of one God. The original spirit
of the pilgrimage (Hajj) was also restored and the Pilgrimage
became compulsory for a Muslim as a fundamental article of faith
in the year 9 A.H. (631 A.D.). The Prophet performed Pilgrimage
himself in the year 10 A.H. that is some months before his death.
This is known as the Farewell Pilgrimage. The sermon delivered by
the Prophet in the plain of Arafat is known as the Sermon on the
Mount. It presents gist of the teachings of Islam and is rightly
regarded Islam’s charter of fundamental rights and civil
liberties. The Farewell Pilgrimage performed by the Prophet and
the rules and procedure of Hajj laid down by him is a goodly
pattern for his followers all over the world for all times.
The pilgrimage
comprises performance of certain acts and rites of devotion at the
Holy Ka’aba and in the valleys of Mina and Arafat near Makkah. It
is an all-embracing worship which combines in itself all the
virtues of physical devotions such as prayer and fasting and
monetary devotions such as Zakat and Sadaqat.
Both the Qur’an
and the Sunnah of the Prophet have stressed the importance of
Pilgrimage, its place in religion, its merits and excellence, and
its virtues and rewards. The performance of Hajj once in life is
obligatory for a believer who has attained maturity, is sane, is
free, and is physically able to undertake the journey and
financially able to afford its expenses. Those who fulfill these
conditions and on whom Hajj becomes obligatory but they do not
perform it, are great sinners.
The Pilgrimage
gathers the Muslims at Makkah once in a year from all over the
world irrespective of their race, colour, blood, language, place
of birth, social and economic status and thus fosters brotherly
love and affection among them. It is a world congress of the
Muslims, a universal assemblage of the brethren-in-faith, at the
House of Allah whom they love and in whose direction they have
been offering their prayer since their very childhood. Thus in the
social realm, the Hajj is the highest manifestation of Islamic
fraternity and equality, while in the spiritual realm it
contributes to the growth of soul and purifies the pilgrim of all
the sins making him as he was on the day his mother gave him
birth.
Rites of Hajj
which are imperative in nature (fard) are three, namely: wearing
of Ihram (Pilgrim’s garment); halting at Arafat, and performing
Tawaf-e-Ziarah (visiting of Ka’aba for making seven circuits
around it). If any of this is missed or ignored, pilgrimage would
be invalid. Less imperative (wajib) rites include stay for night
at Muzdalifah, throwing stones at Jamrahs (statues of satan), to
shave or cut the hairs of the head, to offer animal sacrifice, to
make Tawaf at the time of leaving Makkah, to run between Safa and
Marwa.
The procedure of
Hajj as prescribed by the jurists in the light of the Qur’an and
Sunnah is briefly stated as under:
“The pilgrims
should put on the pilgrim’ garment (Ihram) as soon as they reach a
miqat, one of the fixed points on all the roads to Makkah. After
this they should abide by the code prescribed for Hajj. If on
reaching Makkah, a pilgrim whished to perform ‘Umrah, he might
then put off Ihram and release himself from restrictions imposed
by it up to the 7th of Zill-Hajjah. On the 8th
, he should again put on Ihram at Makkah and go to Mina, a valley
six miles from there. On the 9th he should proceed to
the valley of ‘Arafat which is about five miles further from Mina
and stay there to the evening. Then he should return to
Mash’ar-i-Haram (Muzdalifah) which is midway between ‘Arafat and
Mina and pass the night between 9th and the 10th,
there in prayer, meditation and devotion. On the morning of the
10th, he should come back to Mina and should throw stones at the
statues of Satan and then offer sacrifice there. After this he
should cut the hairs of his head and put off the Ihram and go
to Makkah and perform Tawwaf-i-Ziarat (going round the Ka’aba).
Then he should return to Mina and stay there for two or three days.
The three days (from the 11th to the 13th of
Zul-Hijjah) are called the days of “Tashriq.” During the days of
Tashriq he should twice throw stones at Jamrahs.
Subjects connected
with Hajj such as Tawaf, Umrah, sacrifice, Ka’aba shall be
discussed in the subsequent paras.
Festival of
Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated by the followers of Islam on 10th
of Zil-Hijjah every year and those who cannot join their brothers
at Mina, Makkah, offer their animal-sacrifices wherever they live
in the world.
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Umrah
Umrah means a visit
to Ka’aba. It is shorter Hajj and unlike Hajj it is not compulsory
even once in life. Although performance of Umrah is optional but
still it attracts countless believers from all over the world
throughout the year (except during the months of hajj) because of
the fact that it brings many rewards and blessings to the
pilgrims. According to the Prophet of Islam, Umrah is an expiation
for the sins committed between it and another Umrah, while Umrah
performed during Ramadhan is equal to one pilgrimage in reward.
The person
intending to perform Umrah is required to put on Ihram (pilgrim’s
garment) from the Miqat after taking purification bath. When he
reaches Ka’aba he shall make Tawaf of the house. After completing
Tawaf he would offer two rak’ats of prayer at Maqam-e-Ibrahim and
take water of Zamzam. Then he would make Sa’ai between the
hillocks of al-Safa and al-Marwah. After completing Sa’ai he would
cut or shave the hairs of his head and then put off Ihram. Thus
his Umrah is complete.
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Kaaba
The Ka’aba at
Makkah is the house of God and is held in very high reverence by
the followers of Islam. The Qur’an calls it ‘ancient house’ (Baitul
Atiq) and tells us that it is the first place of worship built for
mankind. From pre-historic days it was a place of pilgrimage
visited by many people who came from every corner of Arabia.
According to a tradition, Ka’aba is said to exist since Adam (the
first human and also the first Prophet of God) lived as a prototype of
the ‘Frequented house’ (Baitul Mamur) in Heaven.
Prophet Ibrahim
(Abraham) built it more than 1800 years before Christ with the
assistance of his son Prophet Ismael on the ruins of the old
house. Allah directed Abraham and Ismael to sanctify His House for
those who circumambulate around it or use it as a retreat or bow
or prostrate themselves therein in prayer.
The Ka’aba is the
place of worship of One God, Allah. It is also the direction to
which the believers all over the world turn their faces during
prayer. It is a place of security and peace as war is prohibited
within its precincts. It is centre of Hajj and Umrah as Tawaf
(circumambulation) around it is an integral part of these
devotional acts. Near it are the hillocks of Safa and Marwah, the
Sa’ai (running in between) of which is also essential for
performing Hajj and Umrah.
The Ka’aba is a
small rectangular building of nearly fifty feet in height which
stands in the centre of an open space like a parallelogram
surrounded now by an all round building known Masjid Al-Haram
(sometime all the place including Ka’aba is called as such). Maqam
Ibrahim and Ab-e-Zamzam building also lie within the premises of
Masjid Al-Haram and near Ka’aba. In one corner of it the Black
Stone (Hajr-e-Aswad) is fixed which is to be kissed during Tawaf.
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Tawaf
(circumambulation)
Both in Hajj as
well as in Umrah, the pilgrims are required to walk seven times
around Ka’aba and seven times between hillocks of As-Safa and Al-Marwah.
These are called Tawaf and Sa’ai respectively.
Tawaf occupies the
most important place in the devotional acts of Hajj as it is the
first one which is performed when a pilgrim arrives at Makkah and
the last one when he leaves it. The former is called
Tawaf-al-Qudum (the Tawaf of arrival) and the latter is called
Tawaf-al-Wada (the Tawaf of departure). Tawaf-e-Ziarat is one of
the major three essential acts of Hajj and is preformed when the
pilgrim is staying at Mina during 10th and 12th of
Zil-Hajja. During the first three rounds of Tawaf, the pilgrim
runs at mild speed and it is called ‘Rami’, while during the last
four rounds he walks in a normal way. Tawaf starts from
Hajr-e-Aswad and ends at it and the Hajr-e-Aswad (the Black Stone)
is kissed at the end of each round. In case of sick and physically
disabled persons, the Tawaf can be performed on conveyance. At the
end of Tawaf two Rak’ats Nafl prayer is offered at Maqam-e-Ibrahim
and then Ab-e-Zamzam is taken to heart’s full.
Sa'ai (Running)
After Tawaf, a
pilgrim shall run seven times between the hillocks of As-Safa and
Al-Marwah to perform Sa’ai which starts from the former after
prayer and ends at the latter followed by shaving or cutting the
hairs of the head to remove Ihram (pilgrim’s garment). Hagra, the
wife of Prophet Abraham, when left with her infant child (Ismael)
in the desert of Makkah, ran between the two hills in search of
water for her thirsty son. To her astonishment, she found a spring
near the feet of the child which saved them from death through
thirst. This well even exists to date and is known as Zamzam
because Hajra asked the water to stop as she feared it may not
flood the valley. It is in commemoration of Hagra’s running that
Sa’ai between the hillocks of As-Safa and Al-Marwah has been made
as an obligatory ritual of Hajj and Umrah.
The women walk in
normal pace during all the seven rounds of Tawaf and Sa’ai. They
are prohibited to perform Tawaf and Sa’ai during menses.
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Animal
Sacrifice
The followers of
Islam offer sacrifice every year during the days from 10th to 12th
of Al-Hijjah, which is the last month of Lunar Calendar of Hijrah,
by slaughtering animals such as camels, cattle, goats and sheep.
Those who have gone to Makkah for pilgrimage offer the sacrifice
at Mina. It is in the memory of the great sacrifice by Prophet
Abraham of his son Prophet Ismael. Though the sacrifice of the son
by the father actually did not take place but the way the father
and the son surrendered to the will of God was very pleasing to
the Almighty who ransomed Ismael with the tremendous sacrifice (of
a ram which Abraham subsequently found near Ismael and slaughtered
it). According to a scholar, this great event not only fulfilled
the vision of Prophet Abraham but also marked the end of human
sacrifice by the Simitic race.
The days of
sacrifice are celebrated as festival of Eid-ul-azha and special
prayer in the morning of 10th of Al-Hijjah is offered
before sacrifice which attracts large gatherings of the believers.
Sacrifice is obligatory only on those believers who can
financially afford it being owner of the assets at the level which
makes one liable to pay Zakat. Sacrifice of a goat or sheep is
counted one sacrifice whereas sacrifice of a camel or a cow is
counted as seven. The age of the camel should not be less than 5
years, cow not less than 2 years, goat not less than one year and
sheep not less than 6 months. The animals should be healthy and
without any serious defect in ear, leg, horn or in any other limb.
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