What It Means To Be a Muslim

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Religions of the World What it means to be a Muslim? The Five Pillars of Islam are the fundamental beliefs that shape Muslim thought, deed, and society. They consist of the faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad, the establishment of the daily prayers, the concern for and almsgiving to the needy, self-purification through fasting, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able. These five religious duties are expected of every Muslim and are mentioned individually throughout the Qur’an, the sacred text of Islam and the highest authority in both religious and legal matters. Also, Muhammad listed them together in the Hadith, which is a record of the words and deeds of the Prophet, his family, and his companions, when he was asked to define Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion that is based on the revelations that was received by the Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE. Then it was later recorded in the Qur'an, which the Islam's most sacred book. The faith then spread very rapidly and today Islam is the second most largest religion in the world. The word Islam means "submission," which means reflecting the religion's central tenet of submitting to the will of God. The Islamic practices that are defined by the Five Pillars of Islam: Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Pilgrimage and Alms. The first of the Five Pillars of Islam is the Shahada. Shahada is the Muslim Page One profession of faith, expressing two of the simple, fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim. Lailaha illa l-Lahu, Shahada, is the set statement generally recited in Arabic, professing monotheism and accepting Muhammad as God’s messenger. because there isn’t no god but God and that Muhammad is the prophet of

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