ISLAMIC CREED & RITUALS

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Here we come, O Allah, here we come!
Here we come. No partner have You.
Here we come! Praise indeed, and blessings, are Yours - the Kingdom too!
No partner have you.

This Talbiyah, recited by more than a million Muslim pilgrims one recent December, marked the formal beginning of our pilgrimage. more

CREED & BELIEFS: The Five Items of faith

There are five major beliefs in Islam:

1. There is only one God
2. God sent Prophets to all the people's of the world at various times in history
3. Scriptures were sent to the world's people, including the revealed scriptures of the Jews, Christians and Muslims, as gifts and guidance from God
4. Angels are part of the unseen world and carry out God's tasks
5. On Judgment day all souls will be resurrected and held accountable for their good and bad actions

RITUALS PRACTICE: The Five Pillars

Muslims practice their faith by observing rituals that show their devotion to God. These are known as the Five Pillars:

1. Shahadah (Testimony of Faith). The affirmation that there is no god but God and Muhammad is a messenger of God: "La ilaha illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah."
2. Salat (Prayer) Each day, Muslims pray five times: dawn, noon, mid afternoon, after sunset and at nightfall and aim to maintain the fragrance of prayer throughout the whole day.
3. Zakat (Giving to others) Every year a Muslim must give at least 2.5% of his or her assets, and/or income, to the poor and needy.
4. Sawm (Fasting) During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar Muslims must not eat, drink or have any sexual relations between dawn and sunset.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage) Every Muslim who is able must make at least one trip to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam and where the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad.