Islam is one of the largest and most important religions in the entire world. There are an estimated 1.8 billion Muslims globally, who follow the commandments of Islam .
In the same way as the Bible in Christianity, the Koran is the holy book in Islam . It means “recitation,” and Muslims believe that it reflects the words that Allah revealed to Muhammad.
Fe
To be a Muslim it is not necessary to perform any initiation rite, simply recite the following profession of faith : “There is no God except God, and Muhammad is his prophet .” It is the sacred formula of Islam, and believers must recite it.
This statement is whispered in the ear of newborns , and it is also helped to pronounce it to the dying. It is usually accompanied by the index finger pointing to the sky.
Prayer
All Muslims should address Allah through prayer five times a day and in the direction of Mecca . The noon prayer on Friday has to be done in common and in the mosque. The faithful recite suras from the Qur’an and jointly repeat the invocation “Allah akbar” (“Allah is great!”).
Alms
One of the most important commandments of Islam is that of almsgiving, which has two forms. On the one hand, the one that Muslims spontaneously and voluntarily exercise to please Allah . And, on the other hand, the obligatory one: Islam indicates that all Muslims have to contribute 10% of their income to the poor.
Pilgrimage
At least once in their life, adult Muslims, provided they have sufficient means, must make a pilgrimage to Mecca and the Great Mosque .
Mecca is located in present-day Saudi Arabia and is the hometown of Muhammad . Every year, it is estimated that around three million Muslims make pilgrimages to the holy city.
Fast
And finally, during the month of Ramadan, the faithful have to abstain from both eating and drinking , as well as having sexual relations and smoking, between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, when the revelation of the Quran began.
The six pillars of faith are based on belief in Allah, the Qur’an, the Angels, the prophets and messengers, the will of Allah, and the Day of Judgment.
Finally, it should be noted that the Islamic calendar begins in our year 622 AD Therefore, according to the Islamic faith, we are currently in the year 1442.
