Salah is the second and the most important pillar of Islam. The minute you recite the Kalima, Salah is mandatory upon you as a Muslim. There are no excuses for missing Salah, even if you are ill, on a journey or even in war.
Allah Ta’Ala tells us in the Glorious Qurah that "I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship me."
Salah allows to strengthen or faith and worship of Allah. It teaches us live a life of purity and goodness and obedience to creator. Every time we perform our Salah, we renew our commitment to Allah and rid ourselves of the world’s pressures. Salah distinguishes between a believer and a non-believer and Salah is obligatory upon every Muslim.
Here is a series of seven step-by-step videos on learning the Salah for all five prayer times. You can either watch them here or you can visit the You Tube page for all seven videos.
Insha’Allah you find this helpful.
Showing posts with label Pillars of Islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pillars of Islam. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Incorporating Zikr in our busy lives
Our Prophet Muhammad, sallalahu alaiha wa sallam (peace and blessings upon him), taught the followers of Islam that Islam is not just a religion, but a way of life. As Muslims, we are to worship and remember Allah may times during our day. We have all been guilty of letting ourselves get caught up in our busy lives, and we forget how important this is. The respect and remembrance of Allah is what separates those on earth from those who have died. We know that remembrance of Allah includes Hajj, fasting in Ramadan, praying with a congregation at least once a week, reading and reciting the Quran, and praying five times a day. This does not mean, however, that we should forget Allah outside of those prescribed moments.
As Muslims we need incorporate Allah in our lives and in the lives of our children.
• If you need or want something, no matter what it is, pray to Allah first. "Call on Me. I will answer your prayer, but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely find themselves humiliated in Hell" (40:60). Taking a moment to ask Allah forces you to realize that Allah wants us to remember Him and put our trust in him.
• If you are facing a difficult event or a happy one, turn to Allah. According to Abu Huraira, "The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, reported that, whoever wants Allah to answer his prayers during difficult times, should supplicate to Him more and more in times of ease."
• Always beware of how events should be addressed. Always say “Assalm Alaikum” (Peace and Blessings upon you) when you meet a fellow Muslim. Use words like Alham’dullah (All thanks to Allah) at the appropriate times to remind yourself of Allah’s presence and goodness. Use the words Insha’ Allah (God willing) when you are considering something, Ma Sha Allah, if you are praising something or someone and Bismillah (In the name of Allah) before you start anything. If you think about doing or saying Islamic, say Audhu billahi min al-shaitan ir-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the accursed) or Astaghfirullah (I ask Allah forgiveness.).
• Surround yourself with others that remember Allah. The Prophet reportedly told ibn Umar that, "There are some angels of Allah who go about looking for such assemblies or circles of Zikr, and when they find them they surround them."
"When any group of men remember Allah, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him" (Abu Huraira and Abu Said Al Khudri).
• Do not forget the importance of charity. It is reported that the Prophet once said, "Charity is obligatory every day on every joint of a human being. If one helps a person in matters concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage onto it, all will be regarded as charity. A good word, and every step one takes to offer compulsory congregational prayer, is regarded as charity; and guiding somebody on the road is regarded as charity (Abu Huraira).
• Teach others about Islam. The Quran says, "those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction" (13:28).
We try to find excuses for the things that we are to busy to do, but the remembrance of Allah should be a part of everything we do, and it does not take much out of our day. Whatever it is we do, we need to keep Allah in our hearts and minds. Insha’ Allah and Alham’dullah.
Source: Patel, Karin “How to incorporate Zikr into our lives.” Retrieved on September 17, 2009 from Sound Vision: http://www.soundvision.com/Info/teens/incorporatezikr.asp
As Muslims we need incorporate Allah in our lives and in the lives of our children.
• If you need or want something, no matter what it is, pray to Allah first. "Call on Me. I will answer your prayer, but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely find themselves humiliated in Hell" (40:60). Taking a moment to ask Allah forces you to realize that Allah wants us to remember Him and put our trust in him.
• If you are facing a difficult event or a happy one, turn to Allah. According to Abu Huraira, "The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, reported that, whoever wants Allah to answer his prayers during difficult times, should supplicate to Him more and more in times of ease."
• Always beware of how events should be addressed. Always say “Assalm Alaikum” (Peace and Blessings upon you) when you meet a fellow Muslim. Use words like Alham’dullah (All thanks to Allah) at the appropriate times to remind yourself of Allah’s presence and goodness. Use the words Insha’ Allah (God willing) when you are considering something, Ma Sha Allah, if you are praising something or someone and Bismillah (In the name of Allah) before you start anything. If you think about doing or saying Islamic, say Audhu billahi min al-shaitan ir-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the accursed) or Astaghfirullah (I ask Allah forgiveness.).
• Surround yourself with others that remember Allah. The Prophet reportedly told ibn Umar that, "There are some angels of Allah who go about looking for such assemblies or circles of Zikr, and when they find them they surround them."
"When any group of men remember Allah, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him" (Abu Huraira and Abu Said Al Khudri).
• Do not forget the importance of charity. It is reported that the Prophet once said, "Charity is obligatory every day on every joint of a human being. If one helps a person in matters concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage onto it, all will be regarded as charity. A good word, and every step one takes to offer compulsory congregational prayer, is regarded as charity; and guiding somebody on the road is regarded as charity (Abu Huraira).
• Teach others about Islam. The Quran says, "those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction" (13:28).
We try to find excuses for the things that we are to busy to do, but the remembrance of Allah should be a part of everything we do, and it does not take much out of our day. Whatever it is we do, we need to keep Allah in our hearts and minds. Insha’ Allah and Alham’dullah.
Source: Patel, Karin “How to incorporate Zikr into our lives.” Retrieved on September 17, 2009 from Sound Vision: http://www.soundvision.com/Info/teens/incorporatezikr.asp
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Pillars of Islam (Sunni)
The Pillars of Islam (Sunni)
There are five pillars of Islam. These are the five duties required of every Muslim.
1. Shahada (professing of faith)
2. Salah (prayer)
3. Zakah (giving to charity)
4. Saum (fasting in Ramadan)
5. Hajj (pilmigrage to Mecca)
Shahada is simply a statement professing your belief in one God (Allah) and accepting that Muhammad is God’s messenger and there is no other God but Allah. The statement in Arabic is: أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله - “ašhadu anna laa ilāha illa (A)llāh, wa ašhadu anna Muhammada(n) rasūlo (A)llāh.” The English translation is “I profess that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.
Salat is the second pillar of Islam. It is the requirement to pray five times a day at fixed times during the day. These times are dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nighttime. Each Salat must be performed facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. With Salah, there is a focus and intent of the mind to Allah, expression of gratitude and worship. The Quran tells that prayer restrains one from committing shameful or evil deeds. There is also a requirement of cleanliness when performing Salah.
Zakah means giving to charity and it the amount given is based on wealth. It is an obligation to those who are financially able to do so and it a personal reasonability of Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate the equality of health as was practiced by the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). A Muslim may also donate more as a voluntary act of charity called sadaqah. There are two types of Zakah: kajj and zakat. Kajj is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of the family and his dependants. Zikat is paid on the wealth is usually 2.5 percent of savings and valuables. There are four important factors when giving zakat: (1) the giver must declare to Allah his or her intention to give zakat; (2) the zakat must be paid on the day that it is due; (3) payment must be in kind. If one is wealthy, he must pay 2.5% of his income. If one does not have much money, then he must pay in a different way, i.e., if he has a lot of cattle, he can pay in cattle instead; and (4) the zakat must be distributed in the community in which it was taken.
Sawm (ritual fasting) during the month of Ramadan is obligatory. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn till dusk during this month, and they should be mindful of their sins. The purpose of the fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek closeness to Allah and to express their gratitude and dependence on Allah. Muslims are to atone for their past sins and remind themselves of the needy. Muslims are also excepted to put more effort in following the teachings of Islam.
Hajj is a pilgrimage is an ancient practice that occurs during the month of Dhu al-Hajj to the holy city of Mecca. Every Muslim is required to take Hajj at least once in their lives. If a pilgrimage is made at any other time than Hajj season, it is called Umrah which is not mandatory but encouraged. The belief is that the Hajj is an expression of devotion to Allah and not a definition of social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine his or her intentions before taking Hajj.
Source: Wikipedia, Five Pillars of Islam
There are five pillars of Islam. These are the five duties required of every Muslim.
1. Shahada (professing of faith)
2. Salah (prayer)
3. Zakah (giving to charity)
4. Saum (fasting in Ramadan)
5. Hajj (pilmigrage to Mecca)
Shahada is simply a statement professing your belief in one God (Allah) and accepting that Muhammad is God’s messenger and there is no other God but Allah. The statement in Arabic is: أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله - “ašhadu anna laa ilāha illa (A)llāh, wa ašhadu anna Muhammada(n) rasūlo (A)llāh.” The English translation is “I profess that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.
Salat is the second pillar of Islam. It is the requirement to pray five times a day at fixed times during the day. These times are dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nighttime. Each Salat must be performed facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. With Salah, there is a focus and intent of the mind to Allah, expression of gratitude and worship. The Quran tells that prayer restrains one from committing shameful or evil deeds. There is also a requirement of cleanliness when performing Salah.
Zakah means giving to charity and it the amount given is based on wealth. It is an obligation to those who are financially able to do so and it a personal reasonability of Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate the equality of health as was practiced by the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). A Muslim may also donate more as a voluntary act of charity called sadaqah. There are two types of Zakah: kajj and zakat. Kajj is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of the family and his dependants. Zikat is paid on the wealth is usually 2.5 percent of savings and valuables. There are four important factors when giving zakat: (1) the giver must declare to Allah his or her intention to give zakat; (2) the zakat must be paid on the day that it is due; (3) payment must be in kind. If one is wealthy, he must pay 2.5% of his income. If one does not have much money, then he must pay in a different way, i.e., if he has a lot of cattle, he can pay in cattle instead; and (4) the zakat must be distributed in the community in which it was taken.
Sawm (ritual fasting) during the month of Ramadan is obligatory. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn till dusk during this month, and they should be mindful of their sins. The purpose of the fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek closeness to Allah and to express their gratitude and dependence on Allah. Muslims are to atone for their past sins and remind themselves of the needy. Muslims are also excepted to put more effort in following the teachings of Islam.
Hajj is a pilgrimage is an ancient practice that occurs during the month of Dhu al-Hajj to the holy city of Mecca. Every Muslim is required to take Hajj at least once in their lives. If a pilgrimage is made at any other time than Hajj season, it is called Umrah which is not mandatory but encouraged. The belief is that the Hajj is an expression of devotion to Allah and not a definition of social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine his or her intentions before taking Hajj.
Source: Wikipedia, Five Pillars of Islam
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