Besides praying five times per day, what else is required of Muslims?
Requirements in religion are usually of two classes, positive requirements and negative requirements. What must the believer do and what must the believer avoid. With respect to the positive requirements, the Five Pillars of Islam are the basic requirements of a Muslim. Prayer (Salat), a very important pillar, we covered in detail in the last segment.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Profession of faith (Shahadah)
Prayer (Salat)
Alms Giving (Zakat)
Fasting during Ramadan (Sawn)
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
The profession of faith (Shahadah) is acknowledging that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In Arabic, it is an easy phrase to learn and to say, and Muslims say it often in their prayers. Saying it aloud identifies one as a Muslim and once so identified, there is no turning back. We will discuss more on this subject later.
Alms-giving (Zakat), often referred to as the Poor Tax, also comes in two classes: There are two main types of zakat. First, there is the zakat on traffic, which is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of a family for himself and his dependents. The second is the zakat on wealth, which covers money made in business, savings, income, and so on. The zakat is treated as a 2.5% tax on most valuables and savings held for a full lunar year, as long as the total value is more than a basic minimum, approximately US $1,750.
Ritual fasting (Sawn) is obligatory during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and carnal desires from dawn to dusk during this month and to be especially mindful of other sins. Muslims must seek nearness to Allah, to be grateful for what He has given them, and acknowledge their dependence upon Him for everything. They must also atone for their past sins and be aware of the plight of the needy. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims must put forth more effort (jihad) into learning and following the teaching of Islam and avoid all the sins that create consternation and turmoil (greed, anger, lust, violence, etc.). They must put forth more effort into getting along better with everyone and avoiding all obscene and irreligious sounds and sights.
The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is around ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in clothing, which consists of two white sheets to be appropriately dressed for the traditional rituals. Such pilgrims (Hajji) are honored in their communities with respect to social standing and are expect to continually put for more effort (jihad) for improvement.
Generally speaking, Muslims have an obligation to avoid certain foods, including pork; they must also avoid alcoholic spirits, and it is also obligatory to avoid charging interest on loans. They must avoid suggestive clothing or actions outside the home. In religion, of course, they must avoid blasphemy (although Europeans can be and are so charged for offending Islam or Muslims in Europe, there is no similar European charge for insulting Judaism or Christianity). No doubt, with our copy-cat Leftists the way they are, it will not be long before those same laws appear here. The Muslims must also avoid heresy and apostasy. Heresy in some cases can be a slight difference in opinion. Apostasy is losing one’s faith or the appearance of losing one’s faith. Religious variances are of little concern here; very few people care because of their relative unimportance to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To other people, unfortunately, they are matters of life or death.
Can Usama bin Laden actually issue a fatwa?
It is necessary to give two answers to that question. Usually, only a mufti can issue a fatwa, and then only to his followers. The mufti in normal circumstances is a very respected and learned individual that can translate what is not clear in the figh (Islamic jurisprudence) into daily life. The mufti is usually chosen by the ruler as an advisor. Usama bin Laden, although popular in some circles, is not known as a learned person with respect to religion. Under these circumstances, Usama bin Laden could not issue a fatwa. In addition to the above, there are four fundamental conditions for a fatwa: it conforms to relevant truths derived from the Qur’an and Hadiths, it is issued by a person or committee which has due knowledge and sincerity, it is free from individual opportunism and not depending on political servitude, and it is adequate with the needs of the contemporary world. In other words, it is a judgment by a learned and unbiased judge.
When Usama lived and worked in Afghanistan, setting up training camps and teaching his version (skewed) of the Qur’an, he “claimed” (questionable) an emirate based on his “rule” over a territorial boundary—a network of al-Qaeda training camps, despite his lack of formal religious education. On that basis (questionable), he “assumed” (questionable) the authority to issue fatwas. Although Usama bun Laden has actually “issued” fatwas, they were only honored in the main by supporters of al-Qaeda. When one considers the four qualities (or the general quality) required for a legal fatwa, against the questionable authority assumed by Usama, the al-Qaeda fatwas fail the test of legality.
Of course, one must also remember that an unlicensed truck can wreak as much damage as a licensed one when it is out of control. If Usama were to issue an illegal fatwa to some knucklehead in New Jersey and he carries it out, the victim won’t care that it was illegal.
hjs
Requirements in religion are usually of two classes, positive requirements and negative requirements. What must the believer do and what must the believer avoid. With respect to the positive requirements, the Five Pillars of Islam are the basic requirements of a Muslim. Prayer (Salat), a very important pillar, we covered in detail in the last segment.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Profession of faith (Shahadah)
Prayer (Salat)
Alms Giving (Zakat)
Fasting during Ramadan (Sawn)
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
The profession of faith (Shahadah) is acknowledging that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In Arabic, it is an easy phrase to learn and to say, and Muslims say it often in their prayers. Saying it aloud identifies one as a Muslim and once so identified, there is no turning back. We will discuss more on this subject later.
Alms-giving (Zakat), often referred to as the Poor Tax, also comes in two classes: There are two main types of zakat. First, there is the zakat on traffic, which is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of a family for himself and his dependents. The second is the zakat on wealth, which covers money made in business, savings, income, and so on. The zakat is treated as a 2.5% tax on most valuables and savings held for a full lunar year, as long as the total value is more than a basic minimum, approximately US $1,750.
Ritual fasting (Sawn) is obligatory during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and carnal desires from dawn to dusk during this month and to be especially mindful of other sins. Muslims must seek nearness to Allah, to be grateful for what He has given them, and acknowledge their dependence upon Him for everything. They must also atone for their past sins and be aware of the plight of the needy. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims must put forth more effort (jihad) into learning and following the teaching of Islam and avoid all the sins that create consternation and turmoil (greed, anger, lust, violence, etc.). They must put forth more effort into getting along better with everyone and avoiding all obscene and irreligious sounds and sights.
The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is around ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in clothing, which consists of two white sheets to be appropriately dressed for the traditional rituals. Such pilgrims (Hajji) are honored in their communities with respect to social standing and are expect to continually put for more effort (jihad) for improvement.
Generally speaking, Muslims have an obligation to avoid certain foods, including pork; they must also avoid alcoholic spirits, and it is also obligatory to avoid charging interest on loans. They must avoid suggestive clothing or actions outside the home. In religion, of course, they must avoid blasphemy (although Europeans can be and are so charged for offending Islam or Muslims in Europe, there is no similar European charge for insulting Judaism or Christianity). No doubt, with our copy-cat Leftists the way they are, it will not be long before those same laws appear here. The Muslims must also avoid heresy and apostasy. Heresy in some cases can be a slight difference in opinion. Apostasy is losing one’s faith or the appearance of losing one’s faith. Religious variances are of little concern here; very few people care because of their relative unimportance to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To other people, unfortunately, they are matters of life or death.
Can Usama bin Laden actually issue a fatwa?
It is necessary to give two answers to that question. Usually, only a mufti can issue a fatwa, and then only to his followers. The mufti in normal circumstances is a very respected and learned individual that can translate what is not clear in the figh (Islamic jurisprudence) into daily life. The mufti is usually chosen by the ruler as an advisor. Usama bin Laden, although popular in some circles, is not known as a learned person with respect to religion. Under these circumstances, Usama bin Laden could not issue a fatwa. In addition to the above, there are four fundamental conditions for a fatwa: it conforms to relevant truths derived from the Qur’an and Hadiths, it is issued by a person or committee which has due knowledge and sincerity, it is free from individual opportunism and not depending on political servitude, and it is adequate with the needs of the contemporary world. In other words, it is a judgment by a learned and unbiased judge.
When Usama lived and worked in Afghanistan, setting up training camps and teaching his version (skewed) of the Qur’an, he “claimed” (questionable) an emirate based on his “rule” over a territorial boundary—a network of al-Qaeda training camps, despite his lack of formal religious education. On that basis (questionable), he “assumed” (questionable) the authority to issue fatwas. Although Usama bun Laden has actually “issued” fatwas, they were only honored in the main by supporters of al-Qaeda. When one considers the four qualities (or the general quality) required for a legal fatwa, against the questionable authority assumed by Usama, the al-Qaeda fatwas fail the test of legality.
Of course, one must also remember that an unlicensed truck can wreak as much damage as a licensed one when it is out of control. If Usama were to issue an illegal fatwa to some knucklehead in New Jersey and he carries it out, the victim won’t care that it was illegal.
hjs
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