THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam ~ 102 ~ devotee to give his wholehearted attention to the substance of the prayer. The fact that he has to forego his sleep in order to recite the prayer inculcates the virtue of self-denial. Then there are the congregational prayers on Fridays and Eid festivals, funeral prayers and many others, such as the prayer to be said on visiting a place for the first time. The important thing about prayer is that it induces; the correct attitude in the devotee, as though the spirit of his prayers were keeping a watchful eye on everything he says and does. When going about his worldly affairs, it is as if the whole world were a mosque; his actions, therefore, at all times and in all places cannot be other than in consonance with what his worship requires of him. 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 of the Muslim calendar. The period of fasting each day lasts from the first light of dawn until sunset, thus