The Function Of Prayer And The Islamic Faith

Throughout the course we have established that all religions are not one and the same. Major religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity share some similarities. All three religions believe in God, have a Holy book, and each have a central prayer. Judaism has the Shema, Islam has the Shahada, and Christianity has the “Lord’s Prayer”. Ultimately, each prayer is a reaffirmation of faith and the fundamental values of their religion.

Before Muslims begin to pray there are strict guidelines in preparation that they must follow. A major part of this preparation is cleansing the body and soul. First the Muslims must wear the proper attire for prayer and make sure that the place of prayer is clean. The garments which are to be worn for prayer are to be loose fitted and cover a majority of the person’s body. Then the individual is to perform a ritual ablution, in which they clean their body in preparation. This ablution is followed by the individual becoming internally aware that they are about to enter into prayer. Muslims then mentally prepare themselves to recite the prayer as if it is their last prayer, meaning they

Islam believes in the existence of one God, Allah. It also believes in strict adherence to certain lifestyle principles and that the will of God for an individual is revealed through the Koran. Islam binds all believers to a common faith creating a sense of

Christians believe in prayer, worship in church, bible study, acts of charity and communion will is following the teachings of the Holy Bible. Muslims follow the belief of the five pillars of Islam; Allah is God and Muhammad is the prophet, prayer, charity, pilgrimage and fasting during Ramadan (Hadith on Belief, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 7). The two religions also affirm that God sends angels and prophets to convey messages to his people and through inspired scriptures reveals his divine will. They also believe in the judgement day when God will intervene in the history of mankind and determine their eternal lives depending on personal beliefs and actions. Both religions believe in the power of prayer and fasting as taught by their earlier prophets.

The Qur ’ an, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects who concern us as human beings such as wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law. But its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system. The ‘ Five Pillars ’ of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life: faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able. Muslims believe that there is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad whom is believed to be the messenger of God. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa Llah: “ there is no god except God. ” And also can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God, such as wealth, power, and many other things alike. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun rasulu'Llah: “ Muhammad is the messenger of God. ” In Muslim belief a message of guidance has come through a man like us. Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day by Muslims. Salat is a direct link between

When describing the five pillars of the Muslim faith, it is believed that this was the main foundation of the Muslim way of life. These five pillars give a true identity when it comes to the Muslim faith and lifestyle. One of the pillars is named Salat which is translated to Prayer in the English language. Throughout the day people would have to pray and it doesn't really matter where they do it. They have to at least do it five times a day. The second pillar that I will talk about is named Zakat. Zakat would mean charity or give charity. One of the principles following this is to have the knowledge that everything belongs to God.

I think it’s important to begin with a basic understanding of Islam. The foundation of Islam is the worship one God, Allah, and submission to Him. Muslims believe that God doesn’t need humanity nor be worshipped, but people need God. This human need for God gives purpose to the religion and individual followers. To fulfill this need for Allah, Muslims are required to worship five times a day at dawn, noon, late afternoon, evening and night. During each time of worship, Muslims follow rakat, which are series of ordained movements. One praying begins standing, then bows and goes on their knees, then lies prostrate on the ground. Each time of prayer requires a different amount of rakats, but usually only needs three to five minutes to complete. It is common to complete an act of purification/absolution, called wudu before staring the rakat. This helps them focus their mind on Allah and His goodness. Additional short prayers known as dua are

Islam is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based around the text of the Quran. Followers of Islam believe that Muhammad is the last prophet of god. Islam has five pillars; (a) testimony of faith, (b) prayer, (c) Supporting the needy (d) fasting the month

Muslims and Christians have distinct prayers that correspond. Both prayers are sacred to the religions and follow the same pattern. This pattern is adoration, submission, and supplication. The Lord’s Prayer, prayed by Christians, starts by saying,

Islam is monotheistic religion, whose god is Allah. The Muslims also believe in the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars is made up of five core beliefs of Islam. The first belief is a testimony of faith. All you must say is, “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.” This belief is key to the Islam religion because if you do not accept Allah as the only god and Muhammad as his prophet, you will be punished to hell, instead of enjoying peace in heaven

Islam is the second most wide spread religion across the globe under Christianity. Similarly, to Christianity and Judaism Islam believes in one God. Muslims label their God Allah. Allah is everything, nothing is above him. I found it interesting that, “Allahu Akbar!” means “God is greater”. I had no idea what it meant but I had heard it before. Allah’s Prophet is Muhammad. Muhammad is the messenger he is how Allah’s message can be shared with the people. Muhammad’s call is when the angel Gabriel gave the command to “Recite!” He had recited the words of the angel and that night is known to be, “The Night of Power”. This incident there are the two most important words in Islam: Qur’an (recite) and the other is submission. Ummah is also important in Islam because it means the community of people who surrender to God. To be Muslim, you must surrender to God’s will and live a life of service. Being Muslim you must be willing to show public marks of servitude. Dar al-Islam, Dar al-Sulk, and Dar al-Harb are very important to Islam. Dar means “abode” and Dar al-Islam is talking about both state and religion of the Muslim people. Dar al-Sulk is talking about the rest of the world that isn’t Islam but has good relations with them. Dar al-Harb is about the last people who are not Muslim and don’t have good relations with Islam. Lastly, I find it interesting that there is a unifying power called Taqwa and Jihad which represent being devoted and devout.

Islam is defined as the means of the active submission of one God (Muhammad) (What is Islam About? 2015). Citing evidence describes Islam as strictly a monotheistic religion, as it restricts worship to the one supreme Lord who is the Originator and Creator of the universe. People who practice Islam are those who believe in one God and Muhammad is the final Prophet of God. Those who practice Islam devote their lives to the service of God. Islam teaches that God (called Allah in Arabic) is the source of all creation and that human beings are the best of his creation (Ouisoc.org, 2015). * According to writer Anooshe Mushtaq of the Weekend Australian, (2015) Muslims can be proud and sensitive about their religion because Islam is not only a faith,

The seven prayer covers: reading, morning,evening, and night prayer. Other three daytime prayers observe a informal example of morning and evening prayers requests to God with an effortlessness, blessing or prayer before meals. This type of informality does not have the accuracy and reiteration of the Muslim and Jewish customs, however reflects a commonly shared value of daily

Salat is the Muslim prayers that are performed five times every day. Allah ordered Muslims to pray at five times of the day: dawn, before sunrise, midday, after the sun passes its highest, the late part of the afternoon, just after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. All Muslims try to do this, even young children. The prayers give Muslims the pattern of their day.

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of