Islam—the second largest religion in the world has five basic tenets. First, there is only “one God”, Allah, creator of the whole universe, who is just, compassionate, and merciful. The absolute unity and power resides in God. He is the creator of life and death, the guide to righteous, and the friend and protector of the sick and the poor. He chastises eternally the infidels to Hell, and he rewards the faithful with eternal Heaven. Second, “Muhammad”, was the last of the great prophets. Jewish prophets and Jesus were his predecessors. Third, the “Koran”, was the last of the sacred books, which include also the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels of Jesus.
The Koran forbids representation of human and animal figures. It denounces usury, games of chance, alcohol, pork, etc. and “pride” is a cardinal sin. Fourth, “life on earth”, is a test and only a preparation for the eternal life to come. The “faithful” are those who adore Allah, praise the Prophet Muhammad, obey the Koran, do good deeds, and fulfill the 5 pillars of Islam. The last tenet is the “Final Judgment” which says the faithful will go to eternal Heaven, and the infidels to eternal Hell, with the vividly rewards and punishments recorded in the Koran.
The Five Pillars of Islam are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. The first is the profession of faith or the Shahada: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”. Both occur in the Koran, but not together. It is called the “shahada”, and the prayer also asserts the belief in the Koran, the angels, and the last judgment. In fact, “La ilaha ilia Allah “, “there is no God but Allah” is the greatest phrase of the Arabic language. A Muslim is supposed to pray the Shahada at least once in his lifetime correctly, slowly, thoughtfully, aloud, with full understanding, and with heartfelt conviction in its truth.
The second duty is to pray 5 times a day, facing towards Mecca. The person bows, kneels, and then into a prostate position with the forehead touching the ground, wherever he is. Before prayer, the body must be purified by water or sand if water is not available. The hands, feet, face, and genitals all are to be washed. Even the bathrooms are so arranged that the occupant will face in the direction of Mecca. The summons for prayer is announced by a “muezzin” (caller) from atop a “minaret” (tall tower).
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On “Fridays”, at noon, Muslims congregate in the Mosques for the “Assembly”, to pray with a special “salat”, and the sermon. The “Mosque”, is most characteristic as it has a “minaret” or tall tower, a “niche”, indicating the direction of Mecca, the “pulpit”, and a “fountain” at the entrance for the ablutions. Inside, there are no seats, but the floor is covered with the “prayer rug”. The officials of the Mosque are the “iman” (leader), the “preacher”, and the “muezzin” (who calls to prayer from the minaret). However, there are no priests.
The third duty is giving alms or “Zakat”. Every middle and upper class Muslim must give two and a half per cent of the value of what all they possess, and not of what they earn. The fourth duty is fasting or “Sawm” during the month of “Ramadan”, the ninth month of the lunar year, because in this month Muhammad received his initial commission as a prophet, and because 10 years later he made the Hegira from Mecca to Medina in the same month. All people over 14 are required to observe fast without taking food or drink, or engaging in sexual intercourse, during the daylight.
The fifth religious duty is the pilgrimage to Mecca or the “Hajj”, if possible, at least once in a lifetime, remembering the place where God’s climatic revelation was first disclosed, and to kiss the “Kaaba”, the black stone, supposedly the oldest religious structure in the world. The pilgrim is referred as a “Hajj”.