Religion

     Since we are just finishing up on Nectar in a Sieve, I decided to do the religion that Rukmani always wondered about; Islam/ Muslim. There are many rules and laws that one must adhere to be a devout Muslim.

     The Five Pillars of Islam are the five practices essential to the religion of Islam. The first pillar is called the Shahadah which is a creed that is the foundation of their beliefs. The second pillar is the Salah, which is a prayer that one must say five times a day, and must always be said while they are facing Mecca. The third pillar is called the Zakat, which is the giving away of money for the poor. Many Muslims who cannot afford to do this are exempt from this; only those who have enough money are required to do this. The fourth pillar is called Sawm, which is done during the time of Ramadan where they must not eat or drink anything from dawn until dusk. The final pillar is the Hajj, which is where all able bodied Muslims must, at least once in their life, must go on a pilgrimage to the great city of Mecca.

     Islam and Christianity are very close in belief; they both believe in a monotheistic religion and even a type of "bible" called the Qur'an. They fall short of each other when in Islam, they believe a 7th century prophet was given holy words from the angel Gabriel. 

"Islam." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 15 Feb 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam.