Succession to MuhammadThe succession to Muhammad is the central issue that split the Muslim community into several divisions in the first century of Islamic history, with the most prominent among these sects being the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam. Sunni Islam maintains that Abu Bakr was the legitimate successor to Muhammad on the basis of election. Shia Islam holds that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the designated successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
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.
Nafl prayerIn Islam, a nafl prayer, (pl. Nawafil) (صلاة النفل, ṣalāt al-nafl) or supererogatory prayer, is a type of optional Muslim salah (formal worship). As with sunnah prayer, they are not considered obligatory but are thought to confer extra benefit on the person performing them. An example is the offering of four raka'ahs of "nafl" before the compulsory Zuhr prayers. According to the following Hadith, "nafl" not only draws a person closer to Allah but also helps one attain the better success in the Afterworld i.
AdhanAdhan (أَذَان ʔaˈðaːn), also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), ajan/ajaan, azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in the Balkans and Turkey), among other languages, is the Islamic call to public prayer (salah) in a mosque recited by a muezzin at prescribed times of the day. Adhan is recited from the mosque five times daily, traditionally from the minaret. It is the first call summoning Muslims to enter the mosque for obligatory (fard) prayer (salah).
Five Pillars of IslamThe Five Pillars of Islam ( أركان الإسلام; also أركان الدين "pillars of the religion") are fundamental practices in Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. They are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on the basic details of the performance and practice of these acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name (see Ancillaries of the Faith, for the Twelvers, and Seven pillars of Ismailism).
Bid'ahIn Islam, bid'ah (بدعة; innovation) refers to innovation in religious matters. Linguistically, the term means "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". Despite its common use in Muslim texts, the term is not found in the Qur'an. In classical Arabic literature (adab), it has been used as a form of praise for outstanding compositions of prose and poetry. In early Islamic history, bid'ah referred primarily to heterodox doctrines.
TasbihTasbih (تَسْبِيح, tasbīḥ) is a form of dhikr that involves the glorification of Allah in Islam by saying: "Subhan Allah" (سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ; lit. "Glory be to Allah"). It is often repeated a certain number of times, using either the phalanges of the right hand or a misbaha to keep track of counting. The term tasbeeh is based on in the Arabic root of sīn-bāʾ-ḥāʾ (ح-ب-س). The meaning of the root word when written means to glorify.
WitrWitr (وتر) is an Islamic prayer (salat) that is performed at night after Isha (night-time prayer) or before fajr (dawn prayer). Witr has an odd number of raka'at prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separately. Therefore, as little as one raka'ah can be prayed, and eleven at most. Most Hanafis pray 3 raka'ah with dua qunoot in the third raka'ah. According to Abdullah ibn Umar, Muhammad said, "The night prayer is offered as two raka'at followed by two raka'at and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (fajr prayer), he should pray one raka'ah and this will be a witr for all the raka'at which he has prayed before.
