Salat - The Muslim Prayer Book — Page 1
S al a t —The Muslim Prayer Book 1 CHAPTER ONE The purpose of the creation of man, according to Islam, is that he should worship Allah. Allah says in the Holy Quran: ﻌﺒﺪون اﻻ اﻻ ﺲ و ا ﻦ ﻠﻘﺖ ﻣﺎ َََُُِْْو ََِِّْْْﻟﻴ ﻧ َََُِِّْجل َﺧ And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (51:57) Worship means total obedience to the commands of Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad sa brought the message of God and explained all the commandments concerning the religion of Islam. Islam has five basic duties which a Muslim has to perform. They are known as the Five Fundamentals of Islam or the Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar of Islam is the Islamic declaration of faith, i. e. to bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The oneness of God is the basis of our belief in Islam. The second pillar is called S al a t , i. e. to perform Prayer in a prescribed form. The third pillar is called Zak a t, a form of levy which Muslims of means pay annually in cash or kind, and is spent for good causes mentioned in the Holy Quran. The fourth pillar is called S aum , i. e. to keep fasts in the month of Ramadan. The fifth pillar is called H ajj , i. e. to perform