The Shahada Important Pillar of Islam

The Shahada is the most first and most important pillar of Islam. Translated, the word “shahada” means “Testimony of Faith”.

The main stipulation of the shahada is for you to mean it with your entire heart. If you do, then it will be accepted and God will wipe away all of your sins and replace them with good deeds.

Once you say the shahada, you should do your best to learn as much as you can about Islam so you can start practicing as effectively as possible.

Website: http://www.justaskislam.com/204/how-to-give-shahadah-the-right-way/

Things to research:

• The meaning of the shahada

• The 99 names of Allah

• The Prophet Muhammad

o Why is he so important as a person and to the religion?

o Learn the seerah (story of his life): http://lifeofprophet.com/seerah/the-beginning-of-revelation/ OR

o http://www.qalaminstitute.org/2011/09/seerah-life-of-the-prophet-intro-pt-1/#.WPGx9VPyvVo

• Heaven

• Hell

• Angels

• Day of Judgment

The second pillar of Islam is prayer. Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day. The prayers take place in specific blocks of times every day. There is an app called “Athan” that you can download that will give you the window of time available for each prayer. The times change every day so it’s at a new time depending on the seasons. In Arabic, this particular set of prayers is called “Salah”.

There’s also the “Western” version of prayer that Muslims do. It’s different than the 5 daily prayers and it’s called “dua”. This version of prayer is when you can just talk to God and ask him for whatever you want.

How To: Step by step guide…. http://muslimconverts.com/howtoconvert/index.htm

Before praying you must be clean. There is a specific ritual that you do to get clean called “Wudu”. In english it means abolution.

See some info below about cleanliness in Islam:

Understand the concept of cleanliness in Islam and the importance of it. Before doing anything really, but especially prayer, you're supposed to be physically, ritually clean. Because I think if you're going to stand in front of God you have to give the respect of being as "pure" as possible.

This website is really in depth but I pulled out some of the important aspects to think about: http://muslimconverts.com/prayer/how-to-perform-wudhu.htm

Benefit of Wudu (Ablution):

Narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the Muslim or believing slave does wudoo’ and washes his face, every wrong thing that he looked at with his eyes comes out from his face with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every wrong thing that he did with his hands comes out from his hands with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet every wrong thing that he walked to with his feet comes out from his feet with the water or with the last drop of water, until he emerges cleansed of sin.” (Muslim)

Narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one among you who does wudoo; and does it well, then says, Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger) but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he will enter through whichever one he wants.” Narrated by Muslim, 234.

How to:

How to Perform Hadiths proving it

1 Declare the intention for Wudhu in your heart Check the website

2 Say Bismillah (In the Name of Allah).

3 Wash the right hand up to and including the wrists. Make sure to while rub and rub between the fingers of the hand. And thus make sure no part of the hand is left dry. Three times

Then do the same with the left hand. (also three times) Check the website

4 Make a cup with the right hand then from this hand take water into your mouth and swirl it inside the mouth and then expel out of mouth. then sniff remaining water from the cupped right hand and sniff water into the nose and then blow the water out and using the left hand remove the water from your nose. Do this three times

Some people rinse the mouth first three times and then rinse the nose three times

However the first method is the most authentic. Check the website

5 Wash the face three times, from the hairline to the jawbone and chin, and from start of the ear to start of the ear

A man should wash the hair of his beard by taking a handful of water and entering it below his chin and rubbing it through his beard and passing the wet fingers through the beard. Check the website

6 Wash the right arm up to and including the elbow. Three times.

The arm extends from the fingertips, including the nails, to the lower part of the upper arm. It is essential to remove anything stuck to the hands before