Fasting in IslamIn Islam, fasting (known as sawm, صوم; sʕawm or siyam, صيام; sʕijaːm, also commonly known as rūzeh or rōzah (روزه) in non-Arab Muslim countries) is the practice of abstaining, usually from food, drink, smoking, sexual activity and anything which substitutes food and drink. During the holy month of Ramadan, sawm is observed between dawn and nightfall when the adhan of the Maghrib prayer is sounded. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar and fasting is a requirement for Muslims as it is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam.
UmrahThe ʿUmrah (عُمْرَة) is an to Mecca (the holiest city for Muslims, located in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia) that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Ḥajj (hædʒ; ""), which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar. In accordance to the Shariah (Law of Islam), for both pilgrimages, a Muslim must first assume Ihram, a state of purification achieved by completing cleansing rituals, wearing the prescribed attire, and abstaining from certain actions.
KhumsIn Islam, khums (خُمْس xums, literally 'one fifth') refers to the required religious obligation of any Muslims to pay 20% of their acquired wealth from certain sources toward specified causes. It is treated differently in Shia and Sunni Islam. This tax is paid to the imam, caliph or sultan, representing the state of Islam, for distribution between the orphans, the needy, the [stranded] traveler, and the descendants of Islamic prophet Muhammad. In some jurisdictions, khums is paid on minerals extracted in regions under the control of the state.
SujudSujūd (سُجود, sʊˈdʒuːd), or sajdah (سجدة, ˈsadʒda(tu)), is the act of low bowing or prostration to Allah (God) facing the qiblah (direction of the Kaaba at Mecca). It is usually done in standardized prayers (salah). The position involves kneeling and bowing till one touches the ground with 7 bones (points): the forehead & nose, two hands, two knees and two sets of toes. In accordance with the Sunnah (the Way) of Muhammad, one's elbows should be far from one's body, unless it causes discomfort to other worshippers.
Sadaqahor sadqah (صدقة sʕɑdæqɐ, "charity", "benevolence", plural صدقات) in the modern Islamic context has come to signify "voluntary charity". According to the Quran, the word means voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the "benefactor". 'Sadaqah' literally means 'righteousness' and refers to the voluntary giving of alms or charity. In Islamic terminology, sadaqah has been defined as an act of "giving something...without seeking a substitute in return and with the intention of pleasing Allah.
WalayahWelayah or Walaya (وَلاية, meaning "guardianship" or “governance”) is a general concept of the Islamic faith and a key word in Shia Islam that refers, among other things, to the nature and function of the Imamate. Welayah is a word which a power gives authority/guardianship to a person, community, or country that is under the direction and rule on behalf of another. "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" (authority or guardianship) over somebody else. For example, in fiqh, a father is wali of his children.
Nizari Isma'ilismThe Nizaris (al-Nizāriyyūn) are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent reasoning or ijtihad; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice. Nizaris, along with Twelvers, adhere to the Jaʽfari school of jurisprudence. The Aga Khan, currently Aga Khan IV, is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon, Portugal.
IhramIhram (iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major (Ḥajj) or the minor pilgrimage (ʿUmrah). A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as Mīqāt, by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire. A man in the state of ihram must not tie any knots or wear any stitched items.
