The Importance Of Reading The Quran

To be a Muslim, one has to follow five religious duties: 1. Repeat a creed about Allah and Muhammad; 2. Recite certain prayers in Arabic five times a day; 3. Give to the needy; 4. One month each year, fast from food, drink, sex and smoking from sunrise to sunset; 5. Pilgrimage once in one's lifetime to worship at a shrine in Mecca (Adamson). These beliefs affect daily life from praying five times a day to financial giving. The interface between the divine and humanity is not only contact but a way of life.

The forth pillar of faith is referred to as Sawm. From sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan adult Muslim’s are expected to partake in fasting. This means they mustn’t eat, drink, smoke or have sexual intercourse within the hours of daylight. Instead one should take the time to prayer reflect or meditate. Participating in fasting Muslim’s learns the traits of self-control, sympathy and discipline. These are important qualities for all Muslims to have, as the principal belief of Al-Akhira is that we humans, despite God’s will, have the freedom of choice. This way Muslim’s are able to exercise this belief during fasting. Ramadan is the celebration of the first revelation of the Qur’an given directly through the prophet Muhammad, therefore it is a sacred time of special significance to all Muslim’s. Kutubu’llah is the name given to the principal belief in God’s revelation to humans in holy books. The breaking of the fast is a significant part of Sawm, it is the time after sunset when Muslims can enjoy their achievement in fasting. Gathering together among friends and family they may share and light meal and celebrate their self-control and strength throughout the day. This small act highlights

The pillar of Zalat is also observed such as through the distribution of money for nahr to the poor and pillar of Salat is also performed through daily prayer which significantly deepens connection with God. Thus the Hajj is significant for the individual through fulfillment of pillars which strengthen Muslim faith. It affects the community who as umma ,affirm commitment to Allah and join together in performing the practices of faith, thereby strengthening the global Islamic community.

Islam is not only religion, but a way of life followed by over 1 billion Muslims. Islam identifies the six articles of faith, central beliefs that every Muslim must believe in order to be a true Muslim. These include the belief in existence and unity of God, existence of angels, God’s revelation to humans in holy books, God appointing prophets to all people, resurrection and life after death, and God’s Will and human freedom of choice (Ewing, 2004, p. 1). The importance of these beliefs can be highlighted through the practical expressions of the five pillars. These include Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Saum and Hajj which are all important during Muslim life because they are used daily or have to be performed at least once. Many of the six

is Friday in the mosque. “Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, is considered as

After four years he began to preach openly in his native city of Mecca. Ridiculed by the Meccans, he went to Medina in 622. At his death in 632, Muhammad was the leader of an Arab state growing rapidly in power. The third duty of a Muslim is to pay zakat. This tax was originally levied by Muhammad ,and later by Muslim states, on the wealthy members of the community, primarily to help the poor. The fourth duty is the fast of the month of Ramadan. During the fasting month, one must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. The fifth duty is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every adult Muslim who is physically and economically able to do so must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.

It starts out that there is only one God that provides forgiveness and trust (75). God knows what he created for mankind because he is wise (118). He is enough to protect the believers from their enemies (55). Pray three times a day facing towards Mecca (225). Pray when you feel in danger and be thankful once you feel safe again (27). Pray and worship the creation of life for he has created all surroundings (6). Before you pray wash your whole body before you do so. This way God is able to cleanse you clean of sins (68). Give to the poor the wealth you cherish so that they may believe and trust in God too (19). While during the month of Ramadan fighting should not happen (24). Help others do right during this time because God is all knowing. It is forbidden to eat any meats that were from nonbelievers or poorly sacrifice animals (67). On the pilgrimage to Mecca it is forbidden to kill game or share any hunted game during this time. You are able to hunt only after you have completed the pilgrimage (67). Overall, following the five pillars of Islam will help you become a true

The five pillars are things that should be done throughout your lifetime. These pillars should only be done if possible. The Shahada, the first pillar, states your declaration of faith to God. You must believe that there is no god but God. The Salat, the second pillar, states you must follow a set of 5 mandatory prayers a day. These prayers must be done at sunrise, noon, late afternoon, sunset, and before you go to bed. If you aren’t able to pray at these times you are expected to make it up by praying twice later or whenever you can. When you are praying it is ideal for you to pray on a prayer rug, face Mecca, and get as low as you can on your knees. On Fridays you must pray inside of the Mosque and the prayer is segregated. Zakat, the third

Ramadan is a holiday celebrated by Muslims of the Islamic faith. It is month long fast that symbolizes the Quran revealing itself to the prophet Muhammad. Ramadan is observed in accordance with the moon phase of the crescent. The fast is from dawn to sunset each day. It is a fasting of food, beverages, sexual activity, smoking, cursing and overall engaging in what the Quran deems as sinful behavior. During this there is more praying and recitation of the Quran in Muslim communities. A unique feature of Ramadan is that in relation to the Five Pillars of Islam, many individuals giving more to charity, the less fortunate and back to their community. They are practicing Zakat or alms as it is known in laymen’s. Ramadan can be explained using the terms “sacred time and space” coined by Mircea Eliade in his novel “The Sacred and the Profane”.

Religious praying has been a staple in many religions to communicate to a higher being or for self spiritual cleansing. Catholicism, for example, uses a rosary as an artifact to recite certain prayers, and for the Jewish community they pray three times daily to observe Judaism. Islamic praying is a different story. Muslims around the world perform the Five Pillars of Islam to appease their faith. The Five Pillars of Islam have specific names for each pillar in chronological order; The Shahada, Salah (also spelled Salat), Zakat, Saum, and Hajj The Salah, the second of the Five Pillars, is the Islamic prayer performed five times a day at specific times. Performing the Salah is a way for muslims to connect with Allah, who they regard as their one true God.

Islam is the second oldest and fastest- growing religion in the world with more than 1.6 billion believers. There are five Pillars of Islam which are reffered to mandatory actions by Muslims. Firstly, there is no other God than Allah and the Muhammed is the Prophet of the God. Secondly, according to the Suuna, ritual prayer should happen 5 times per day to the direction of Mecca . Also, donations for charity with about 2,5 percent of the current wealh to unite the Muslim community. In addition to this, fasting is obligatory during the Ramadan. Also, the main goal of every able-bodied Muslim is journey to Mecca.

Major themes of the Quran by Fazlur Rehman is a comprehensive and explanatory piece of writing about Holy Quran and provides a broad understanding about most of the thematic concerns of the Quran. Holy Quran is revealed for guidance of human beings, and also give humans a knowledge to understand the good and evil and to choose form it. Holy Quran is the last and most perfect publicized word of the God. The Quran is not just a religious text; it is actually more than a religious scripture, because it highlights the social and moral behavior of humans. Quran shows an individual, how to live an excessive and blameless life. Holy Quran’s tafseer (inclusive translation) changes for every new generations, no matter whatever situations is Quran provides a solution.

Prayer, or Salah is a very important aspect of Islamic rituals. Muslims are required to pray five times each day, “at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening” (Al-Jubeir). While praying individually is accepted, most Muslims prefer praying in a mosque with a congregation of people. Although they perform this prayer ritual everyday, Fridays are the most significant day of prayer in the Islamic religion (Islam). Huston Smith, a devout Muslim, explains that, “praying this many times a day is just a way for us to drop what we are doing, and bring our minds back to what is truly important regarding our faith and

The Islamic tradition is a monotheistic Semitic religion that requires Muslims to reflect and cultivate their faith through practicing the Arkan al-Islam - the Five Pillars of Islam. Islam embraces the paradigm of submission to the will of Allah for adherents to understand their place in the universe. The pillars are a foundation for the Muslim faith as evident by Muhammad 's statement of ‘Islam is built upon five [pillars]’ recorded in the Hadith 3. This entails the declaration of faith (Shahadah), the five daily prayers (Salat), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm) and the Hajj pilgrimage.

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