Affirmation
of the creed
To
declare that there is none worthy of worship but Allah
and that Muhammad is His Apostle
Observance
of Farz Salat (Obligatory Prayers)
To
offer the Obligatory Prayers. There are five obligatory
prayers to be offered everyday. These are called: Fajr,
Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
-
Fajr or morning prayer is said
an hour before sunrise.
- Zuhr or noon prayer is said
at the decline of the sun.
- Asr or afternoon prayer is said
two hours before sunset.
- Maghrib or sunset prayer is
said immediately after sunset.
- Isha or evening prayer is offered
affer dark.
The
Holy Qur'an says that regular Prayer wards off evil and
indecency. It is the best means of self purification.
It brings us nearer to our Creator and makes us obedient
to Him. Prayer brings peace of mind and removes worries
from our minds. It makes us punctual and regular in life.
Paying
of Zakat (Poor Rate)
It
is a cess paid in cash or kind by Muslims of means who
posses for one complete year, money, gold, silver, or
cattle beyond a minimum. The proceeds of Zakat are distributed
among the poorer sections of the community. The annual
rate is two and a half percent
Observance
of Saum (Fast) during Ramadan
Fast
means abstention from food, and drink from dawn to sunset
for the pleasure of God during the holy month of 'Ramadan'.
We can fast whenever we like during the year, but the
month of Ramadan is the month of obligatory fasting.
Everybody,
except invalids, insane, infants(below age 12) or those
on a journey must observe the fast. But those who do not
observe the fast due to illness or incapacity of any sort
or because of being on a journey should observe the fast
on an equal number of other days. Those who cannot observe
the fast at all should arrange to feed a poor and needy
person during the period of the fast.
Fasting
is good both for our physical as well as spiritual health.
It promotes self discipline, physical, and moral strength.
It reinforces the bonds of human sympathy. It is a great
virtue to endure hunger and thirst for winning the pleasure
of Allah.
Performance
of Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Mecca
It
is obligatory upon all Muslims who can afford the journey
to perform Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their
life time.
