Mosque - 7th Grade Global Studies



Pillar I—ShahadahThe meaning of Shahadah (pronounced ash-shah-hay-dah) is, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger."This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophetThat they personally accept this as trueThat they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their lifeThe Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam.Becoming a MuslimReciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone needs to do to become a Muslim.A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.The Shahadah is written in Arabic on the flag of Saudi Arabia, the state that contains Islam's holiest places. Pillar II—Salat Salat is the obligatory Muslim prayers, performed five times each day by Muslims. It is the second Pillar of Islam.God ordered Muslims to pray at five set times of day:Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunriseSalat al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highestSalat al-'asr: the late part of the afternoonSalat al-maghrib: just after sunsetSalat al-'isha: between sunset and midnightAll Muslims try to do this. Muslim children as young as seven are encouraged to pray.Prayer sets the rhythm of the dayThis prayer timetable gives Muslims the pattern of their day.In Islamic countries, the public call to prayer from the mosques sets the rhythm of the day for the entire population, including non-Muslims.A universal Muslim ritualThe prayer ritual, which is over 1400 years old, is repeated five times a day by hundreds of millions of people all round the world.Carrying it out is not only highly spiritual, but connects each Muslim to all others around the world, and to all those who have uttered the same words and made the same movements at different times in Islamic history.Prayers of body, mind and soulThe set prayers are not just phrases to be spoken.Prayer for a Muslim involves uniting mind, soul, and body in worship; so a Muslim carrying out these prayers will perform a whole series of set movements that go with the words of the prayer.Muslims make sure that they are in the right frame of mind before they pray; they put aside all every day cares and thoughts so that they can concentrate exclusively on God.If a Muslim prays without the right attitude of mind, it is as if they hadn't bothered to pray at all.Woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their prayer, or who pray only to be seen by peopleQur'an 107:4-6Muslims pray direct to GodA Muslim prays as if standing in the presence of Allah.In the ritual prayers each individual Muslim is in direct contact with Allah. There is no need of a priest as an intermediary. (While there is a prayer leader in the mosque - the imam - they are not a priest, simply a person who knows a great deal about Islam.)Praying in the mosqueMuslims can pray anywhere, but it is especially good to pray with others in a mosque.Praying together in a congregation helps Muslims to realize that all humanity is one, and all are equal in the sight of Allah.Ritual washingMuslims must be clean before they pray. They make sure of this by performing ritual washing, called wudhu. Mosques have washing facilities.MosqueMuslims worship in a building called a mosque. An alternative word for mosque, from the original Arabic, is masjid, meaning place of worship.Outside every mosque, or just inside the entrance, is a place where worshippers can remove and leave their shoes. There is also a place where they can carry out the ritual washing required before prayer.The main hall of a mosque is a bare room largely devoid of furniture. There are no pictures or statues. Muslims believe these are offensive, since there can be no image of Allah, who is wholly spirit.Everyone sits on the floor and everywhere in the mosque is equal in status.A niche in one of the walls, called a mihrab, shows the direction that the worshippers should face in order to face Mecca.Many mosques have a minaret which is a tall thin tower. A muezzin stands at the top of the tower and calls Muslims to prayer at the five ritual times of the day. Not all mosques in the UK have a minaret.Women can attend the mosque and when they do they sit separately from the men. This is out of modesty and to prevent any distraction. It is more usual for women to pray at home.Pillar III—Zakat Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one's wealth to charity. It is regarded as a type of worship and of self-purification. Zakat is the third Pillar of Islam.Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts given out of kindness or generosity, but to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one's wealth each year to benefit the poor.The benefits of Zakat, apart from helping the poor, are as follows:Obeying GodHelping a person acknowledge that everything comes from God on loan and that we do not really own anything ourselves And since we cannot take anything with us when we die we need not cling to itAcknowledging that whether we are rich or poor is God's choice So we should help those he has chosen to make poorLearning self-disciplineFreeing oneself from the love of possessions and greedFreeing oneself from the love of moneyFreeing oneself from love of oneselfBehaving honestlyThe 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold and silver, and commercial items. There are other rates for farm and mining produce, and for animals.Pillar IV—Sawm Sawm is fasting (not eating at certain times of the day). It's the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam.Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.During the 29/30 days of Ramadan all adult Muslims must give up the following things during the hours of daylight:Food or drink of any sortSmoking, including passive smokingMuslims who are physically or mentally unwell may be excused some of these, as may those who are under twelve years old, the very old, those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, menstruating, or travelling.If an adult does not fast for the reasons above they should try to make up the fast at a later date, or make a donation to the poor instead.Muslims do not only abstain from physical things during Ramadan. They are also expected to do their best to avoid evil thoughts and deeds as well.There are many good reasons for this fast, including:Obeying GodLearning self-disciplineBecoming spiritually strongerAppreciating God's gifts to usSharing the sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for themRealising the value of charity and generosityGiving thanks for the Holy Qur'an, which was first revealed in the month of RamadanSharing fellowship with other MuslimsEating in RamadanDuring Ramadan many Muslims will try to eat a large meal called suhur just before dawn.When daylight is over, most Muslims will break or open the fast with dates or water, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, before having a proper meal later.The evening meals during Ramadan are occasions for family and community get-togethers.Eid ul-FitrThe month of Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. This is marked by dressing up and visiting the mosque for prayer, and with visits to family and friends for celebratory meals.Pillar V—Hajj The annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca, is one of the central obligations of Islam, the fifth and final pillar of the religion that rose out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century A.D. The pilgrimage to the birthplace of Islam is an once-in-a-lifetime obligation that every Muslim must make if he or she is physically able and can afford it. But even those minimal qualifiers have been thrown to the winds every year for the past 14 centuries as elderly Muslims link up with thousands of impoverished believers spending their hard-earned lifesavings for the pilgrimage. Steps to God The hajj pilgrimage takes place each year between the eighth and the 13th days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar, which is roughly two months after the holy month of Ramadan. Most pilgrims arrive a few days before the actual hajj to make the umhra, or minor hajj, which can be done at any time. Pilgrims then wear the ihram, a white seamless robe symbolizing purity as well as the equality of all believers before Allah. The donning of the ihram marks the start of the hajj, after which pilgrims perform a precisely delineated list of rituals, including the tawaf, or walking around the Kaaba seven times. The central ritual of the hajj is literally called the "standing at Mount Arafat," a rocky hill that pilgrims head to after a day of prayers in the Mina Valley. Mount Arafat is the site where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago. "Standing at Mount Arafat" is a climactic, emotional ritual that Muslims believe cleanses them of their sins and brings them close to Allah. The time spent at Mount Arafat is believed to symbolize Judgment Day, when Islam says every person will stand before God and answer for his deeds. Back from Arafat in the Mina Valley, pilgrims then throw the stones at pillars called Jamraat, a ritual symbolizing the stoning of Satan. At the end of the hajj, Muslims from all over the world celebrate Eid ul-Adha — the feast marking Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's request — slaughtering sheep in a symbolic commemoration of man's ultimate accidence to God's will. ................
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