Shahadah

Shadah means to bear witness before mankind that there is nothing worthy of worship except God and God alone, and to bear witness that Muhammad is the (last) prophet of Allah.

Salat

Salat means to pray five times a day at the times, in ritualistic purity, covering the parts of the body, in any clean space, facing the shortest distance to Mecca as prescribed by the prophet Muhammad, (praise be upon him). Muslim patients, their families, and other guests will often wish to pray in the hospital. This prayer requires bowing and prostration with one’s face on the ground. Should the patient not be able to perform the full range of physical movements, they may lay or sit in their bed and perform the movements if only symbolically. These prayers occur after dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, after sunset, and after dusk; they need not be performed on the minute, but should be performed in the time range allowed. These may be made alone or by forming rows and praying together. Nurses should not be surprised if they enter a patient’s room and find a small group of people on their knees with their faces on the floor using the sheets from the nearby vacant bed as a covering or prayer rug for the floor.

To the Muslim the whole world is a place of prayer. The belief that prayer changes things is something that Muslims hold in common with many faiths. Prior to performing the prayer there is a ritualistic washing or ablution. This ablution or wudu includes washing of the hands, rinsing of the mouth, rinsing of the nostrils, washing the face, forearms, wiping over the head and ears, and washing the feet. If a patient has a bandage, wiping off the bandage will suffice. Nurses may enter the patients’ bathroom and find them or a guest with their foot in the sink as a way of acquiring the state of ritualistic purity for prayer. In most Muslim countries, there are special sinks built near the floor to make this process easier, especially for the sick.

Zakat

Zakat (alms giving) means to return part of one’s excess wealth to the cause of society and the needy annually in order to purify the balance that remains with one. This sum is about 2.5% annually from the return on lawful investments or assets. Often the sick person or their family may give more in charity as a way to improve or to cure the condition. The principle that good deeds wash away bad deeds applies here as in other walks of life.

Ramadan

Ramadan means to fast during the ninth month in the lunar calendar (the month of Ramadan begins with the evidence of the crescent of the new moon). The fasting period starts at dawn, which may be more than an hour before sunrise, and continues until the sun drops below the horizon. During this period, the fasting person will abstain from all permissible (halal) food and drink (including water), as well as the feeding of one’s passions, whether that be romance or road rage; neither lying with a passion nor arguing the truth is permitted during the hours of the fast. The rules of fasting are laid down in the second unit or surah of the Qur’an, “Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you (Jews, Christians, others) that you might acquire a pious self-control due to God-consciousness.” The Qur’an continues, “but any of you who are sick or on a journey the days missed should be made up from days later” (until one has completed the month worth of days, remembering that a lunar month may have 28, 29, or 30 days). Patients who must take medication are not required to fast, although many who are sick feel a sense of loss if they cannot observe the fast. Their priority before God Almighty is to care for the body that has been loaned to them and to maintain its health.

Hajj

The Hajj (pilgrimage) is a spiritual journey retracing the footsteps of the prophet Abraham, (peace be upon him), his wife Hajjar, and son Ishmail (peace be upon them). The period of Hajj occurs every year in the twelfth month, called Dhul-Hijjah. It is a time in which almost three million Muslim pilgrims from around the world come to Mecca. Pilgrims will leave their daily routines and acquire a state of simplicity, all equal before God. Muslims dress in a simple white garment made of two cloths for men or a plain dress for women. Pilgrims will gather in Mecca and on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah depart to the plains of Arafat outside of the city of Mecca to pray to the Almighty to receive forgiveness for all of their past sins. Upon completion of this journey, they return to their homes around the world as sinless as the day they were born.