265
of God. This affirms one of the core
beliefs of Islam (tawhid, or God’s
unity), but it also functions as a
reminder that polytheism (belief in
more than one god) and the worship
of any being or thing alongside, or
in association with, God is the
ultimate sin in Islam.
The second part of the shahada
recalls that Muhammad is not just
God’s prophet, but his special
messenger, surpassing other
prophets before him. He is also
honored as the final prophet.
Commitment to prayer
The second pillar of Islam is salat
(prayer). While Muslims may offer
informal, personal prayers or
requests to God as they wish,
the main prayers of Islam are
prescribed, quite formal and
regulated, and are a designated
opportunity to worship God.
Muslims are summoned to
prayer five times every day: at
dawn, noon, midafternoon, dusk,
See also: The burden of observance 50 ■ Self-denial leads to spiritual liberation 68–71 ■ From monolatry to monotheism
176 –7 7 ■ Writing the Oral Law 182–83 ■ The emergence of Shi‘a Islam 270–71
ISLAM
Each Muslim baby has the shahada,
the profession of faith, whispered in
his or her ear at birth; an earlier Arabic
tradition still practiced by many is to
dab honey on the baby’s lips.
and evening. In earlier times, and
in some cases even today, a prayer
leader, or muezzin, would ascend
a minaret, a tall tower outside the
mosque, and call local Muslims
to prayer by chanting the shahada
and urging them to come to the
mosque. Today, muezzins often
chant into a microphone, which
projects the summons into the
community via loudspeakers.
Sometimes a prerecorded call
may be played. Often, Muslims
gather for prayers at a mosque,
but when this is not possible,
prayers can be performed alone
or in groups in any location.
Prayers are preceded by
purification, an act so important that
Muhammad is thought to have said
it was “half the faith.” For the five
prayers, Muslims begin by washing
their hands, mouth, and nostrils
with water. They wash their entire
face and clean their forearms, also
passing a wet hand over their heads,
and cleaning their feet and ankles.
The number of times each body
part is cleansed varies in different
schools of Islam. Having ritually
cleansed themselves, Muslims ❯❯Abdallah ibn ‘Umar
Abdallah ibn ‘Umar ibn
al-Khattab was the oldest son
of ‘Umar I, the second leader
of the Muslim community after
Muhammad’s death. He was
born in the early 7th century
and converted to Islam along
with his father. As a close
companion of Muhammad, Ibn
Umar stood by the Prophet’s
side in several battles and
was esteemed for his nobility
and selflessness.
Most importantly, Ibn
‘Umar is known as one of the
most trustworthy authorities
on the early history of Islam.
Given his close relationship
with Muhammad and other
important figures in early
Islam, he had extensive
knowledge of the period.
He also served as a credible
source for many Hadith
(sayings) of Muhammad.
When he was approximately
84 years old, Ibn ‘Umar made
a pilgrimage to Mecca and
died there in 693.There is no god but God
and Muhammad is the
messenger of God.
The shahada