Fasting (Saum)

Fasting is observed in almost all religions, specially the religions of Holy Books.  While in other religions, fasting is the willing abstinence OR reduction from some OR all food, drink, OR both, for a period of time, However fasting in Islam is the ABSOLUTE abstention from food and drink and marital relations during the period of fasting that commences from the dawn to dusk, and there are no OR in between. Fasting is restricted to the month of Ramadan, the 9th month of Islamic calendar for a period of 29-30 days depending on the birth of the new moon. 

In the Koran Allah says: "You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God." (2:183). The 27th of the Ramadan is also the day when Allah completed the revelation of Koran on the Muslims.

Fasting (Saum in Arabic) is obligatory on all Muslims except those who are sick and too old to abstain from food and drink and women having their monthly mensuration cycle. However, the days so missed are to b e completed at the early convenience. 

Special arrangements are made in the Muslim countries for the dawn meal, called sahoor, and dusk fast breaking meals called Iftar. While most people break their fast at home with their families, arrangements are also made at public places for travelers and commuters unable to reach their house and also for those who cannot afford a good meal. At Makkah, the house of Allah, and Masjid-e-Nabvi at Medina in Saudi Arabia, many philanthropists arrange free iftar and sahoor food for the millions of pilgrims present at the two holy places.

Since the Islamic calendar is based on moon instead of the sun, the month of Ramadan keeps advancing by ten drays each year and one has endure the weather constraints as of extreme summers to extreme winters. The  Islamic calendar which based on lunar cycles thus describes the philosophy of fasting in varying weather conditions so that the rich feel how the poor endure the hardships of fasts in summers as well as winters.

While fasting is basically done as ordained by the Allah Almighty as an obligation, it also helps keeping a healthy body and improves digestion and helps many other bodily metabolic adjustments.

With the end of month of Ramadan, the Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr, festival of breaking the fast, on the first day of the new moon of the month of Shawaal, the 10th month of Islamic calendar. 

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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Zakat - Mandatory Charitable Contribution

Giving away charity is a norm to the poor all across the world. But this is generally done in value, cash or kind as per one's own wishes and liking. However, in Islam, the giving away of the charity, called Zakat, is not only mandatory for every Muslim who has the means to do so, but a scale has been laid down as to who qualifies to be eligible to pay this mandatory charity to one's needy Muslim brethren.

Since everything given to man is from Allah, one has to spend one's wealth in the directions prescribed by Allah. This mandatory charity ensures that every Muslim who has less or no means of substance is given charity by those who have the means and are blessed by countless bounties and wealth by Allah.

The main aim of zakat is to improve the socio-economic status of the recipients. Here I would like to narrate a small incident regarding the payment of zakat and its benefits. During the time of second caliph of Islam Hazrat Umer (AS), the caliph dispatched a pious person as governor to an area with a very poor population and stressed upon him the payment of zakat to them collected from the wealthy Muslims of the area. After some time, the governor remitted a large sum of money to the caliph. The caliph was furious as to why the money has not been given to the poor instead. To this the governor replied that over a period of time, the poor who have been reeving zakat have become eligible to pay zakat themselves. 

Thus this is the concept of charity or zakat in Islam - holding hands of the poor to allow them live honourably without asking or spreading their hand in front of others. In fact by giving zakat, one purifies his wealth, which then gets multiplied as Allah bestows more upon the charity givers for taking care of the poor.

An eligible person is to pay zakat 2.5 percent of an individual's total net worth, excluding obligations and family expenses, held over a period of one lunar year. The minimum threshold of one's wealth to be eligible to pay zakat is known as Nisab.  Anyone have more than the following quantity of gold or silver held by him/her over a period of one lunar year is to pay 2.5% of the quantity over this threshold level is to pay zakat:

Gold=20mithqal=87.48grams=7.5tolas
or
Silver=200dirhams=612.35grams=52.5tolas
or
Money equal to the value of either of the above

Koran lays down the heads and people to whom zakat can be paid:

“Zakat is for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer the funds; for those whose hearts have been recently reconciled to Truth; for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer. It is ordained by Allah and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. "(Surah 9. Tawba, verse 60)

It may be noted that Zakat cannot be paid to parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, husband, wife and non-Muslims. Nor it can be used to build masjid, buildings (even if to be used for any Islamic purpose), hospitals, roads and bridges etc. It is to be paid in cash to those are eligible to receive it.

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Testimony of Faith (Shahada)

Whenever we adopt a religion, we must undertake to abide by its very basics and make a testimony to this effect. Unless we make a testimony, we cannot be called a follower of that particular religion. Thus, like all religions, Islam also seeks its would be follower to undertake the testimony which we call faith or Shahada in Arabic. The noun šahāda (شَهادة), from the verbal root šahida ([ˈʃahɪd(a)] شَهِدَ) meaning "to observe, witness, testify", translates as "testimony" in both the everyday and the legal senses.

Whenever anyone converts to Islam, he has to thus declare very clearly and take a oath: Ash hadu Al-laa Ilaaha illa-llaahu, Wa Ash hadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhoo Wa Rasooluhu.” (in Arabic).

The oath translates in English as: "I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Servant and Messenger (Prophet) of Allah."

By saying these words, one enters the religion of Islam and the Muslim community. And then he is to abide by the fact of oneness of almighty Allah, without attaching anything or anyone to Allah and acknowledging that none other than Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is his messenger.

We as Muslims thus do not equate with Allah and acknowledge the end of prophet hood with the demise of Muhammad (may peace be upon him). Anyone who willfully tries to revere anyone after Muhammad as a prophet denounces the very faith, shahada or the declaration one made when entering the religion of Islam.

While the oneness of Allah has been mentioned in many places in the Koran, Allah, the Almighty, has sent simple four verses in Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, the 112th surah of Koran in its 30th chapter, which describes Allah's absolute oneness and leave no doubt about His absoluteness:

Say, O' Prophet, "He is Allah, [who is] One
Allah, the Eternal Refuge
He neither begets nor is born
Nor is there to Him any equivalent

It may also be added here for information that once one enters the religion of Islam, he also acknowledges that all prophets before Muhammad (may peace be upon him) were prophets of Allah, like prophets Adam, Ibraheem (Abraham), Moses, David and Isac (may peace be upon them all), and that the three holy books given to prophets Dawood (David), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Isac) are the true holy books revealed on the chosen prophets of Allah.

Thus a Muslim must have:

• Faith in Allah;
• Faith in His angels;
• Faith in His revealed Books;
• Faith in all of His messengers or Prophets;
• Faith in the Last Day or the Day of Judgment;
• Faith in the doctrine of predestination, which lays down that everything good or bad is decided by Allah), (Taqdir) and
• Faith in the life after death.

Unless a Muslim testifies the oneness of Allah, the omnipotent, and does not include anyone at His par, testifies that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his messenger and have faith in previous prophets and revealed books and that there is to be a day of judgment when those with good deeds will be rewarded and those who sinned and did not repent will be penalized, one can not call himself a Muslim.

You may like to view this enlightening video in which a brother and sister are entering the fold of Islam by taking their shahada at the hands of one of the most enlightened and learned scholars of present times Dr Zakir A Naik:

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Pillars of Enlightenment - The 5 Pillars of Islam

Every religion is based on certain basic requirements or can we say pillars which rest on the very foundation of a religion. Thus like others religion, Islam hinges on five pillars, I call Pillars of Enlightenment,  without which one cannot claim to be a follower of Islam or in other words a Muslim. These five pillars or basic requirements to be a Muslim and follower of religion of Islam are a MUST and one has to abide by these totality without any question as these have been laid down by none other than Allah or 'the God" as in other religions.

These five pillars of Islam are:

1. Testimony of faith: Anyone entering the religion of Islam or embracing Islam must testify that  “There is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.” Unless one pounces this testimony loud and clear from his heart, one can enter the religion of Islam.
2. Prayers: After entering the religion of Islam, every Muslim is bound to offer five prayers a day to glorify the dignity of Allah. The five prayers are offered before the dawn , noon, mid afternoon, just after sunset and then at night.
3. Zakat or Alms giving: Alms giving assumes an important part of the religion of Islam. It is sharing of one's wealth, which is given by Allah, to those who are less privileged.
4. Fasting: For thirty days once a year, each Muslim is to observe fasting from dawn to dusk in the Islamic month of Ramadan. This means one has to abstain from food, drink and marital relations with one's spouse.
5. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah: Every able bodied Muslim who can afford to embark upon a journey to Makkah, the center of Islam and Allah's home, is to perform Hajj at least once in one's life.

These five pillars of Islam in fact define and describe the identity of a Muslim, his faith, beliefs and practices. These are summed up in the video below:

This is the just the introduction to the five pillars of Islam. In following posts, each pillar will be discussed in detail for clarification of any doubt that may come in one's mind.

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