Lecture Notes: Worship and the Five Pillars

The Five Pillars Shahadah - there is no God but God and Muhammad is the apostle of God Prayer Fasting during Ramadan (see Q2: 182-7) Zakat (2 ½% of disposable income). The Hajj

INTENT:niyyah eg I intend to offer 2 raka'ah obligatory prayer of Fajr for Allah Almighty.

Times Fajr (Q 24:58) Dawn to sunrise 2 Rakhats Dhuhr (Q 17:78) Noon 4 + khutba Fridays Asr (Q 2:238.) Mid-afternoon 4 Maghrib (Q 11:114) sunset 3 Isha’a (Q 11:114, Q 24:58) night 4

Mosque

Minaret Mihrab (Qiblah) Minbar (pulpit)

Prayer(one Rakhat) (2nd Pillar)

(ADHAN) Call to Prayer: Allah is Great, Allah is great, Allah is Great, Allah is Great, I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah (twice), I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (2X), Come to Prayer (2X), Come to Success (2 X), Allah is Great (2X), There is none worthy except Allah - for MORNING PRAYER, add, PRAYER IS BETTER THAN SLEEP (2X).

After ablution (see diagram) WUDU

Hands up to wrist (3 times) Rinse mouth (3 times)’ Clean nostrils by sniffing water (3 times). Wash whole face (3 X), wash right arm (up to elbow) (3 X), left (3 X), wipe whole head, Wipe inside of ears with finger outside with thumb), wash feet up to anlkes, right then left (3 X).

Prayer Mat: musalla.. Stand. Raise arms and say, Allahu Akbar (3 times) (God is Great).

Fold hands on chest and recite chapter one of the Qur’an.

Raise hands again, repeating Allahu Akbar .

Bow, saying SUBHANA RABBIYAL ADHEEM (Glory to my Lord Almighty).

Rise to standing position, saying SAM’I ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH, RABBANA WA LAKAL HAMD (God hears those who call upon him; Our Lord, praise be to you).

Raise hands and repeat 3 times, Allahu Akbar.

PROSTRATE. reciting SUBHANA RABBIYAL A’ALA (Glory be to you, Lord most high).

Rise to standing, repeating the ALLAHU AKBAR.

Last Rackat, turn to neighbor on right and say, ASSALAMU ALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAH (Peace and God’s blessings be on you), then turn and say this to the neighbor on the left.

Shorter surahs (such as 103, 112) recited always in increasing numerical order).

Duaa – supplication.

Also reciting names of God. And Dhikr (especially Sufi worship). Hajj (at Makkah). (5th pillar)

Men wear 2 seamless white cloths. IHRAM (ritual purity). Month of Dhul al-Hijjah. Hajj starts 8th day. Before this, pilgrims perform TAWAF (a circuit of the Ka’bah, counter-clockwise, four times a quick pace, three times at a slow pace.

Then they run back and forth SEVEN TIMES between SAFA and MARWAH (re-enacting Hagar’s search for water).

8th day: travel to MINA. Spend the rest of the day and night there.

9th day: Travel to Mount Arafat, spend afternoon there praying and reflecting on their lives.

After sunset, leave for MUZDALLAH (Between Arafat and Mina) and gather pebbles. Spent night there.

10th day: return to Mina. Eid-al-Adha is celebrated (Abraham’s “sacrifice”).

Throw SEVEN pebbles at the JAMRAH WALL in Mina.

Released from ILRAM.

11th: afternoon stone all THREE Jamrat at MINA (repudiating the Devil).

Must return to MAKKAH before sunset on the 12th (or have to perform stoning again on the 13th).

Before leaving for home, perform TAWAF again. Ramadan: Q2:183

Sunset to sunrise. White from black thread. (2:187). Taraweeh Prayer before breaking fast. iftar. Studying the Qur'an in Ramadan; 27th day of Ramadam Night of Power. checking memory/knowledge of the Qur'an with someone who has preserved it better; increasing recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan; over three days. The night time is the best time to recite, when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Surah al-Muzzammil 73:6.

Eid al Adha (Kurbani Eid) – during the Hajj.

Eid-al-Fitra. End of the fast.

Features of a Mosque MINBAR

Platform in a mosque, placed next to the mihrab. The minbar is used with the khutba, the Friday sermon, and the khatib (the person performing the Friday sermon) ascends it.

MIHRAB

At the midpoint of the wall facing Qibla is a niche or recess that constitutes the central and sometimes most decorated feature of any mosque, known as the mihrab. The mihrab is not considered to be a sacred element of the mosque. Rather, it prescribes the sacred direction for prayer to Makkah. When in prayer, Muslims will form row upon row, each parallel to, and facing the qibla wall.

CLASSROOM study area.

QIBLA

Within the prayer hall, one wall must face the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, the direction in which Muslims should face in order to perform salat (called Qibla). This wall is the direction of the Qibla.

ABLUTION AREA

Area where Muslims perform their wudu (ablution) before commencing salat (prayer). Salat is not accepted without wudu.

MINARET

Tall tower, near to, or built into, a mosque, where the Muadhin (Muezzin) (person who calls people to prayer) goes up to stand in a high place for everyone to be able to hear when the adhan (call to prayer) is being called. The earliest mosques were built without minarets, and the action of adhan could be performed in many other locations.

SAJADAH/ MUSALLA

Clean (commonly carpeted) area within a mosque where Muslims pray in congregation.

IMAM'S QUARTERS

The Imam of a Mosque traditionally lives in a purposely built home adjacent or close to the mosque. Thus, known as the Imam's Quarters.

Class Notes Prepared by Dr Clinton Bennett October 2008