92 DESTINY DISRUPTED
zakat, to give a certain percentage of one's wealth to the poor each year;
sawm (or roza), to fast &om dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan
each year; and
hajj, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime, if possible.Notice both the simplicity and "externalness" of this program. Only one
of the five pillars is a belief, a creed, and even that is given in terms of an ac-
tion: "to attest." The other four pillars are very specific things to do. Again,
Islam is not merely a creed or a set of beliefs: it is a program every bit as
concrete as a diet or an exercise regiment. Islam is something one does.
The five pillars were already part of life in the Muslim community by
the time of Mohammed's death, but so were other rituals and practices,
and any of them may have been parsed somewhat differently back then.
The fact is, when Mohammed was alive, there was no need to fix the de-
tails inflexibly because the living Messenger was right there to answer ques-
tions. Not only could people learn from him every day, but through him
they might receive fresh instructions at any time.
Indeed, Mohammed did receive revelations continually, not just about
general values and ideals but about practical measures to take in response
to particular, immediate problems. If an army was approaching the city,
God would let Mohammed know if the community should get ready to
fight, and if so, how. If Muslims captured prisoners and after the battle was
over wondered what to do with them: Kill them? Keep them as slaves?
Treat them as members of the family? Set them free? God would tell Mo-
hammed, and he would tell everyone else.
It's well known that Muslims face Mecca when they pray, but this was
not always the case. At first, in fact, Muslims performed their prayers fac-
ing Jerusalem. At a certain point in the maturation of the community,
however, a revelation came down instructing them to shift direction, and
it has been Mecca ever since.
And it will always be Mecca from now on, because Mohammed is gone
and there will never be another Messenger, which means that no one will
ever again have the authority to change the direction of prayer. In short,
while Mohammed was alive, the Islamic project had an organic vitality. It
was constantly in the process of unfolding and evolving. Any element of it
might change at any time.