The Five Pillars of Islam
Welcome to the MCC! Here you will find a growing section that details some important things that those learning more about Islam should know. Before anything, let’s cover the 5 Pillars of our religion.
The belief that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam. One becomes a Muslim by reciting this phrase with conviction.
Shahada
Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. These prayers are known as: Fajr, Duhr, Asr, Maghreb, & Isha.
Prayer (salat)
In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need. This payment is known as Zakat.
Alms (Zakat)
During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink. Through this temporary deprivation, they renew their awareness of and gratitude for everything God has provided in their lives—including the Qur'an, which was first revealed during this month.
Fasting (sawm)
Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba, a cubical structure covered in black embroidered hangings, is at the center of the Haram Mosque in Mecca (fig. 2). Muslims believe that it is the house Ibrahim built for God, and face in its direction (qibla) when they pray.
Pilgrimage (hajj)
Intro to Praying
Basics of Prayer
Linguistically, prayer means to call or to supplicate. We learn that the Prophet ﷺ developed this connection with Allah (swt) through meditation and supplication, and later, through prayer. Muslims are expected to pray 5 times a day, and additionally recieve more reward for praying in congregation. This is why one may see Muslims striving to pray at least once in the mosque daily.
Performing Salah (prayer)
Intro to Wudu
Wudu is a physical and spiritual act to purify oneself before starting prayer. This purification ritual is a mandatory step which involves washing of the hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, head and feet. The steps must be completed in the given order without long pauses in between each step. In the Sahih hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud, it was reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The prayer of a person who does not perform ablution is not valid” thus making it a necessary act before you begin your prayer.
Performing Wudu
Attached below are links providing detailed descriptions of how to pray and perform wudhu (ablution); these links have been approved by our Imam. For additional questions, we ask that you contact our Imam, or join us at MCC for any one of our five prayers to learn more!