September 2002: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

Page 2

Pillars of Submission

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It was released gradually to Muhammad and the believers in order to fix it in their memory (25:32). Muhammad is the last prophet of God, but not the last messenger. The Holy Quran is the final and complete message of God to mankind. No other scripture will come. The Quran contains all we need for salvation. Previous scriptures were suited for previous stages of human development. They have now been tampered with and been filled with some idolatry, additions, and subtractions to the original scriptures. The Quran confirms the previous scriptures and supersedes them. (5:48).

Duties of Muslims (Submitters)

There are essentially five duties that Muslims are required to observe to ascertain their faith in God. These are traditionally known as the five Pillars of Islam:
1) Declaration of Faith
(Shahada) 2) Contact Prayers (Salat)
3) Obligatory Charity (Zakat)
4) Fasting (Seeyam)
5) Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Declaration of Faith (Shahada)

This is the most important article of faith for a Muslim. This is to declare that there is only One All-Knowing, All-Powerful God:

God bears witness that there is no god except He and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge. Truthfully and equitably, He is the Absolute God;

 

there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise. (3:18)

The Shahada to declare is:

La elaha illa-Allah.

There is no god except God (Allah).

The majority of Muslims around the world add the name of the Prophet Muhammad, or even the name of his son-in-law and cousin Ali, or other names after this declaration. This is wrong as the Quran says:

When God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion. But when others are mentioned beside Him, they become satisfied. (39:45)

It is interesting to note that the Shahada for the majority of Muslims is “There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger”. The Prophet’s name directly follows God’s name. As the above Quranic verse states, this is for those who do not believe in the Hereafter.

Contact Prayers (Salat)

After one accepts the Shahada, one must learn and perform the contact prayers. The Quran mentions Salat more than any other commandment. A Muslim is required to pray 5 times a day and a congregational prayer on Friday.

The Contact Prayers are food for the soul. The prayers are for our own benefit, and not for God. God is in no need of our praise. In addition, by performing the five daily prayers, it allows us to be more conscious of God in our lives.

The required times for Contact prayers are:

Dawn: This is defined when the white thread of light becomes distinguishable from the dark thread of night (2:187) before sunrise. The dawn prayer is mentioned in the Quran twice (11:114, 24:58). The Quran mentions the recitation of the Holy Quran at dawn in 17:78. This prayer consists of two units.

Noon: This is defined as when the sun declines from its highest point at noon as it moves towards sunset (17:78). This prayer consists of four units.

Afternoon: This is in the middle of the afternoon, about 3-4 hours after the noon prayer (2:238). This prayer consists of four units.

Sunset/Evening: This prayer is just after sunset (11:114). This prayer consists of three units.

Night: This prayer should be performed about two hours after the sunset prayer (11:114, 24:58). This prayer consists of four units.

There is also the Friday congregational prayer (Salat al-Jumu’ah) (62:9). This prayer consists of two units and a two-part sermon. This prayer is important. We should stop what we are doing and attend the prayers. This is not a Sabbath day like the Christians or Jews observe, for after the prayer, we can continue our work. This Friday prayer replaces the regular noon prayer on that day.

Obligatory Charity (Zakat)

This is to be given anytime you earn income. This is to be calculated from the net income you receive. For example, if your paycheck is $1000, then $25 of it should be given to the following people in the following order:

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