The Encyclopedia of World Religions

Islam S 223

It also teaches compassion for those for whom fasting must be a way of life. Those who are preg nant, sick, old, or traveling are not expected to fast. The month of fasting ends with a feast, the Id al-fitr. The last pillar of Islam is PILGRIMAGE to Mecca ( hajj ) ( see M ECCA , PILGRIMAGE TO ). This is a formal ritual that takes place during the final month of the Islamic year. Ideally, all Muslims should make pilgrimage once in their lives, but they may not do so if they are too sick to travel, if their absence would mean hardship at home, or if they incur economic hardship to do so. On the tenth day of the month, Muslims throughout the entire world SACRIFICE a goat, sheep, or cow. Known as Id al Adha, this feast commemorates the story of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael (for Jews and Christians, I SAAC ). The Islamic calendar is based on the cycles of the moon rather than on the solar year. As a result, over an extended period the Ramadan fast and pilgrimage to Mecca will have occurred in every season of the year. This also applies to Ashura, which Shi’ites observe on the tenth day of the first month, Muharram. It commemorates the death of Husayn, son of Ali and grandson of Muhammad, the third Shi’ite imam, who lost his life in battle at Karbala (in Iraq) in 680 C . E . The five pillars do not appear as such in the Qur’an. They come from the Hadith. Some Mus lims occasionally speak about six pillars, adding JIHAD to the five above. Although jihad has come to be associated in North America with “holy war,” it technically refers to the struggle against tempta tion. This struggle can involve warfare if one is called on to defend the faith in response to military aggression. ORGANIZATION Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims differ over how the com munity should be organized. For Sunnis, political and religious leadership may be exercised by dif ferent persons. Traditionally, caliphs and sultans oversaw matters of internal order and external defense. Today different officers, namely, presi dents and prime ministers, fulfill these functions.

implies that the Qur’an is the complete and final manner in which God addresses human beings. And because God would not give his most sacred truth to just anyone, it also implies that Muham mad provides the model of how human beings should respond to God’s revelation and implement justice in the world. In addition, Muslims believe in ANGELS , one of whom, Shaytan or Iblis, rebelled against God. They also believe that there will be a final judg ment at the end of time ( see JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD and RESURRECTION ) and that the faithful will enjoy an eternal existence in Paradise ( see HEAVEN ). PRACTICES In discussing how Muslims practice their religion, it is customary to identify five “pillars” of Islam. All Muslims practice these pillars, although they differ over details. The first pillar is profession of the faith ( sha hadah ). A Muslim cannot truly submit oneself to God’s will without professing the divinity of God and the special place of the prophet Muhammad. The second pillar is obligatory PRAYER ( SALAT ). Muslims may pray at any time, but they are also enjoined to pray more formally five times a day. (Many Shi’ites incorporate these prayers into three daily prayers.) They face the town of Mecca (the compass direction varies depending on where in the world they happen to be), adopt several pos tures, and recite a series of prayers. Noon prayer on Fridays is, when possible, done as part of a congre gation at a MOSQUE . There an imam also preaches a SERMON to the assembled congregation. The third pillar of Islam is almsgiving ( zakat ), for the Prophet urged his followers to care for the poor and the needy. In Islamic countries almsgiv ing has generally been administered by the govern ment. Private charity is also widely practiced. The fourth pillar is fasting during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month of R AMA DAN ( sawm ). From sunup to sundown during that month Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity. The fast recognizes signifi cant events in the early history of Islam, such as the first revelations to the prophet Muhammad.