2
draws the purpose of life as observing and obeying the commands of Allah, all of which are
found in the teachings of Muhammad, the recognized messenger and prophet of Allah.
Salah or prayer; defines the second pillar of Islam. Prayers in the Islamic faith, are
believed to connect the supplicator directly to Allah, since the faith does not believe in
intermediaries. In this sense, every devotee connects directly to God through prayer. The Muslim
prayers are five and are delivered across the day from dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and
nightfall. Preferably, these prayers should be done in a mosque under the leadership of a
congregation-appointed prayer leader, but, since people must go about businesses to survive, the
faith allows them to conduct prayers anywhere including fields, offices, and educational
institutions. Notably, all the prayers get delivered in Arabic, which is the original language of the
revelation o the faith of Islam trough the prophet Mohamed.
The significance of these prayers is
that they make devotees communicate with Allah frequently and remind themselves of Allah’s
expectations on them.
Zakah or offerings, defines the third pillar of Islam. In the Islamic context, Zakah defines
purification and growth in faith. In the native Islamic belief, all wealth and earthly property
belongs to Allah. The human beings who posses wealth, so do it in trust from Allah. Just like
plants are pruned to increase their growth and success, so are humans. To succeed more in life,
people must take from their income and wealth, to give to the less fortunate in the society as
offerings. In the words of prophet Mohamed, charity remains an obligation of everyone in the
society. It remains a responsibility in many aspects and must be practiced by all adherents of the
. Petersen, Kristian. Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language
in the Han Kitab (New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2018), 97.
