FIVE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DUTIES IN ISLAM

There is a group of five duties required of every person. They are; first, to believe and say the Creedal Statement of Islam; second, to pray; third, to pay Zakat if certain conditions are met; fourth, to fast during the month of Ramadan; and fifth, to perform Hajj when certain conditions are met.

The first and most important of these duties is to believe in the Creedal Statement of Islam. That is to say, “I firmly believe that there exists only one Creator, His name is Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet and Messenger.” The non-Muslim must say this out loud with the intention in his heart to become Muslim, enter Islam, and leave all things contradictory to this belief. If a person who was brought up as a non-Muslim does not do this, then nothing he does in this life will benefit him in the next life. For the one who does not say and believe this, he is not believing in God properly as God ordered him to, and therefore does not deserve the reward God promised His believers.

God does not resemble any of His creations. God is one, He has no partner nor counterpart. God has no beginning and no end. God does not need anything. God has the attribute of will, and what God willed will be and what God did not will won’t be. God has the attribute of power, God has the power to do whatever He wills. God's power is related only to those things which are possible to the sound intellect, even those things which are not currently in existence. God has power over everything in this world (world here means all creations). God sees without an organ. God hears without an ear. God has the attribute of Kalam, Kalam may be translated as speech, but God's Kalam is not like our speech. Our speech is made up of voice and language, and God does not need either of these. God has the attribute of life, but God's life does not resemble the creation's life. God knows everything, God knows what happened, what is happening and what will happen.

God sent Prophets and Messengers to teach people how to live in a way that is beneficial. These Prophets had certain characteristics. They were handsome in appearance, patient, well-mannered, trustworthy, and did what God ordered them to do. They were Muslims and never committed any large sins. They also had miracles which God gave them which proved beyond any doubt that they were Prophets and Messengers. They taught people to believe properly in God. The first Prophet was the first man, Adam, and the last was Muhammad (may Allah increase his honor). In saying the Creedal Statement, one is admitting the belief in God and His Messengers. This is necessary for a person to gain anything in the next life. So if you are not already Muslim say, “I firmly believe that there is only one Creator, His name is Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet and Messenger,” with the intent in your heart to become Muslim. You need to pronounce the name of Muhammad correctly. If you cannot say Muhammad correctly, you may say Abul Qasim. Abul Qasim is another name of the Prophet Muhammad. It means the father of Qasim. Muhammad had a son named Qasim and so he is Abul Qasim. Abul Qasim may be pronounced as Abul Ghasim.

Another duty of a Muslim is prayer. Prayer is required of all Muslims. There are five required prayers a day. The times of these prayers are defined by the movement of the sun. The times might loosely be defined as before dawn, noon, afternoon, after sunset, and evening, to pray one needs to learn the precise definitions of the times. In praying, the Muslim is being obedient to God by doing what God ordered. Thus one gains reward in the next life having been obedient to God in this life. Prayer is only accepted from the Muslim, because only the Muslims truly believe in God and what He ordered.

Another duty of Muslims is Zakat. Zakat is that which is paid for some possessions which include camels, cows, sheep, goats, gold, silver, and some crops such as dates, raisins, wheat, barley, corn, beans, chick peas and other staples. Zakat is also required for Tijarah (profit made from commerce), Ma^din (gold or silver which is mined), Rikaz (gold or silver buried before the time of Muhammad) and Zakat al-fitr (Zakat paid after Ramadan if certain conditions are met).

The one who is required to pay Zakat must meet certain conditions. One condition is that he is Muslim. Zakat is specified as to what and to whom it is paid. It is one of the most important things in Islam. To not pay Zakat when one is required to pay it, or to prevent others from paying Zakat when they are required to pay it is from the large sins. If God has been generous to a person in this life by allowing him to have the above mentioned things, he is required to share a portion of this with those Muslims who have less than their vital needs (faqyr). In this way a person recognizes his duty to the Islamic community and his brother Muslim, and pays Zakat in obedience to God. The above was just a brief summary, this topic is well covered in the books of Fiqh, books which explain the rules of Islam, and has many details.

Another duty of Muslims is to fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is required of all Muslims who are sane, have reached puberty as defined in Islam and do not have menstrual or post-partum bleeding. If a person does not have an Islamically valid reason for not fasting and does not fast, he has a sin for every day he does not fast. The person who is Islamically responsible for a child who is seven lunar years of age is required to order the child to fast, if he is able to fast. If by ten lunar years of age a child does not fast, the child is forced to fast by means of punishment such as spanking, that is if he is able to fast. A child who is unable to fast cannot be forced to fast.

Others who are not required to fast are the insane, those who were sick and fasting is harmful to their health, those who are so old that fasting is harmful to them, those who are terminally ill and fasting is harmful to their health, and those who have menstrual or post-partum bleeding.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan has many good effects on a person physically, mentally and emotionally. These effects influence the way people deal with one another. When one is hungry, it allows him to feel compassion for those Muslims less fortunate than he. So when he deals with others, he remembers to be gentle. In general, during Ramadan, Muslims take greater care of one another. In going hungry, the wealthy feel the same as the poor man who is without food. This mutual feeling unites the hearts and makes one remember the good things God has given him. In remembering this, he shares freely whatever he has. This feeling of unity strengthens the Islamic community.

Individually, being obedient to God by fasting brings about self discipline. In abstaining from natural desires, a person strengthens his self control and allows one to gain reward in the next life. In this manner of exercising mind over body, man differentiates himself from the animal, which in turn enhances one’s self respect by doing something good that builds strength and self confidence. One feels better about oneself.

Fasting during Ramadan is a good physical discipline that enhances one’s mental picture of oneself and helps one’s emotional state. Fasting is a well known practice in Islam. All the Prophets fasted at times. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan in obedience to God’s orders. In this act of obedience, one remembers that all things are from God, the Creator.

It is the belief in one Creator that unites Muslims. Fasting during Ramadan strengthens this bond, for a brother wants good things for his brother. By sharing the same belief and acting according to this belief, one feels he is a part of the community, and as such drives away the loneliness that people suffer from. For even if he is alone, he is sharing in action with Muslims all over the world. So despite separation by time and place, one is united in action. When one feels hungry or thirsty or the desires of the flesh during the day, he can thank God, and let them pass, knowing that what he is doing is being obedient to God, his Creator.

Another duty of Muslims is to perform Hajj. Hajj is a pilgrimage made by Muslims to Al-Ka’ba to perform certain actions in Mecca and its vicinity at a specific time. It occurs once a year. It is required of every free Muslim who is sane and has reached puberty as defined in Islam to perform Hajj once in his lifetime, if he can afford it. If a Muslim is able to perform Hajj and does not, he has a sin. Someone who wants to go on Hajj is required to provide for his family during his absence and pay all of his debts which are due before going. A man is not required to lower his standard of living in order to be able to go on Hajj.

Hajj is a time of great unity for the Muslims. Muslims from all over the world meet in Mecca. The one who performs Hajj and does it correctly gains a great deal of credit in the next life. Hajj is a time when one forgets the things of this life, and works on being obedient to God, the Creator.

People performing Hajj don’t use perfumes or adorn themselves. They forget their worldly possessions and feel humble. They are united by their common purpose of obeying God. Their putting aside of the pleasures, comforts and desires of this life and concentrating on obeying their Creator unifies them and softens their hearts. It helps give them strength and the desire to be better Muslims.

In following these most important duties in Islam, one actively participates in his religion and strengthens his faith. The Muslim believes in God, and follows what He ordered us to do. There are other things required of Muslims, but these are five of the most important.

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