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Not only are the Five Pillars all mentioned in the Qur’an, but they also appear together in a single verse.

Islam calls upon human beings to be doers of the truth, and not just hearers and speakers of it. There are five basic, minimal acts of devotion to God, sometimes called the “pillars of Islam,” but in the Muslim context they are better known as ‘ibadat, “acts of worship” (sing., ‘ibada).

The person who brings charges against another person in a legal action is called the _________.

A’isha was the first convert to Islam and supported his ministry, even through times of persecution and starvation. During their twenty-five year marriage, Muhammad had no other wives.

There is a special procedure to follow when water is not available. It is called tayammum and means using clean sand, soil, or dust. One simply pats the dry, clean material and proceeds with the motions of the wudu, or minor ablution, with the exception that the feet are not treated.  

The zakat is a legal, obligatory act and considered part of one’s service to God, as a technical part of worship in the sense of ‘ibada. Zakat is not to be confused with charity, which is known as sadaqa. Muslims are commanded to give Zakat often and freely, with emphasis on discretion and concern for the feelings of the recipients.

Reasonable and prudent care that any dental professional would do in the same circumstances is defined as _____________.

As home to the Grand Mosque, believed to house the original altar built to the One God by Abraham and Ismail (Ishmael), Jerusalem is considered the holiest city in Islam. So vital is this concept that Muslims are buried facing Jerusalem to symbolize ongoing prayer. The second holiest city is Mecca, the birthplace of the ummah and where Muhammad died. The third is Medina, which was the original direction for prayer. According to Muslim tradition, God changed the direction of prayer during Muham­mad’s Night Journey, reflecting Islam’s shared origin as an Abrahamic faith and the particularity of Islam. 

 The final pillar of Islam is also the most dramatic and developed of all Muslim ritual practices. The pilgrimage to Mecca during the holy pilgrimage month of Dhu al-Hijja (literally, “[the one] with the hajj”) is held monthly. It is required once in each Muslim’s lifetime, but only if he or she is legally an adult, as well as both physically and financially capable.

On many levels, the Five Pillars fulfill functions similar to the sacraments in the Christian tradition: they bring believers into the faith community, encourage an ongoing relationship with the community of believers, call believers to live moral and ethical lives and avoid sin and temptation, and draw them closer to God.