to both the faith and to the believer. The Shahadah is to be performed five times a day: morning, at noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset and just before sleeping. One’s body is to be toward the holy city of Mecca, or toward the east, where the Prophet Muhammad was born. No other form of worship can be compared to the prayer (Salah), for it is the basis of religion, without which there would be no religion or faith. The earlier prophets (e.g., Abraham, David, and Jesus) and their followers practiced prayer in some form as an essential part of the religion of God. Islam, which is considered the final stage, completion, and confirmation of a monotheistic religion, considers prayer essential. Its denial removes one from the ranks of Islam. Obligatory prayers are performed the aforementioned five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshiper and God. As stated by Sayyid Abu Al-‘Ala Maududi in Islam: Its Meaning and Message, “There is no hierarchical authority or priesthood in Islam, so a person learned in the Qur’an leads group prayers. These prayers contain verses from the Qur’an, and they are said in Arabic, the language of the revelation itself” (Al-‘Ala Maududi 12). Personal prayers, on the other hand, may be offered in ones own language.While the shahadah is paramount in becoming a true Moslem, and the Salah is necessary in maintaining a close relationship with Allah, a concern for others is stressed within the confines of the third of the Five Pillars of Islam: The Giving of Alms (Zakah).Synonymous with the “tithe” of the Christian faith, Zakah is expected and ordered of the faithful of Islam. It is an act of worship and spiritual investment. The literal meaning of Zakah is “purity,” and it refers to the annual amount that a Moslem with means must distribute among the rightful needy. Ibrahim Shabaan, a Tyler, Texas business owner and native of Libya...
