Islamic Knowledge for Beginners

The most important articles of Islam are the following 5 matters:

Professing and believing no one is God except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

Prayer

Zakah

Fasting

Hajj.

Professing (with the tongue) and believing (in the heart) that no one is God except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; This is a prerequisite to become a Muslim and to have one’s deeds accepted by God. The belief in the truth of Islam is the same regardless of one’s color of the skin, gender, amount of wealth accumulated, place of residence, family, or friends.

Prayer, five times each day, is required by all Muslim mukallaf (Mukallaf in this context means sane and pubescent.).

Zakah is paying a certain portion of one's money (Money in this context includes 

property, possessions, and wealth.) to specific types of people with certain conditions.

 This provides for the poor Muslims and those whose needs are not being met within the Muslim community.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is an obligation on all Muslims who have reached puberty and who are physically able to fast. This helps the Muslim to feel what the poor feel, and in this way one remembers to care for those less fortunate than oneself. Fasting also disciplines the Muslim and brings Muslims together--uniting them by a common, shared experience.

Hajj, pilgrimage as defined by Islam, is the journey to the Ka^bah to perform, at a specific period of the year, certain actions in Makkah and its vicinity. It is required at least once during the lifetime of each Muslim mukallaf if he is able. During Hajj, all Muslims leave their worldly possessions and perform the same religious obligations in the same way as those Muslims with them and those Muslims who performed Hajj before them.

Collected From:http://www.aicp.org/islamic-information-mainmenu-42/51-basic-islamic-information-for-beginners/525-islamic-knowledge-for-beginners

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