The Fifth Pillar of Islam: The Pilgrimage (Hajj)
The Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the five pillars of Islam. Pilgrimage is not undertaken in Islam to the shrines of saints, to monasteries for help from holy men, or to sights where miracles are supposed to have occurred, even though we may see many Muslims do this. Pilgrimage is made to the Kaaba, found in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudia, the ‘House of God,’ whose sanctity rests in that the Prophet Abraham built it for the worship of God. God rewarded him by attributing the House to himself, in essence honoring it, and by making it the devotional epicenter which all Muslims face when offering the prayers (salah). The rites of pilgrimage are performed today exactly as did by Abraham, and after him by Prophet Muhammad, may God praise them.
Why Do Muslims Fast?
Most of us who are fighting the battle of the bulge have experimented with some form of fasting, like an all fruit fast, a water fast or an sugar-free fast, you name it. But what many may find rather stran...
Islam The Modern Alternative
Some people think that to live an Islamic life is "restrictive". Islam however, was revealed as a balanced way of living.
Hajj: Origin And Significance
Hajj, or the Pilgrimage, is the last among those acts of Worship, which Islam enjoins upon you. Like the prayer, Fasting and Almsgivin...
Who is a Muslim
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God. The first principle of Islam is known as the Shahaadah (Testimony of Faith), and is as foll...
The Oneness of Allah
We sent no Messenger before you without revealing to him, "There is no god but Me, so worship Me (alone)" (Al-Anbiya 21:25).
Th...
A History of the Hajj
Hajj literally means ‘to set out for a place’. Islamicly, however, it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention ...
Who is Allah?
Allah is the proper name of the One True God. Nothing else can be called Allah. This term has no plural or gendfer, which shows its uniqueness when compared wit...
The True Religion of God
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The ...
Worship in Islam
In Islam, worship is understood as any utterance or activity, whether manifest or hidden, that Allah loves and is pleased with. It also implies the greatest degree of ...
Islam: a complete code of life
Islam is an all-embracing way of life. It extends over the entire spectrum of life, showing us how to conduct...
The ritual of fasting
The ritual of fasting, the third pillar of Islam, is observed each year by Muslims throughout the entire month of Ramadhan, the ninth month...
The Fast: The Nature of Acts of Worship
God created us so we may worship Him. To help us achieve this purpose, He instilled the worship of Him...
Understanding Islam

‘Islam’ is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender, and obedience As a ...