Muslim Australians - Religion Cultural Diversity Resource Manual

Concept of Muslim Worship
Muslims believe that worshipping
God is much more than simply
performing certain rituals such
as prayer and fasting. Worship
means recognising the existence
of God, loving Him, and following
His guidance in all aspects of life.
It also means encouraging people
to do good and avoid evil, to be
just and fair, to help the poor and
disadvantaged, and to contribute to
the well-being of the community.
Worship includes anything a person
does to seek God’s pleasure. If a
Muslim eats or exercises to keep fit in
order to help the community, or does
well at work, it is seen as worship.
Even greeting someone or expressing
kindness is a form of worship. The
key point is that, in Islam, worship
is not limited to particular rituals. A
Muslim’s whole life revolves around
the idea of worshipping God.
3. Charity (zakat)
Zakat is the payment of obligatory
charity. Muslims must pay zakat
if they have savings that have not
gone below a certain amount for a
whole year. This amount is equal
to approximately eighty-five grams
of gold. Today, the value of gold is
translated into the local currency and
the amount of zakat is two and a half
percent of a person’s average annual
net savings.
The zakat that Muslims pay is
given to the poor and needy, the
disadvantaged in the community
such as orphans, poor relatives,
those struggling to repay their debts,
students, and general welfare projects
such as educational institutions,
mosques and hospitals.
In addition to the annual zakat,
Muslims are asked to make a small
donation at the end of Ramadan, in
order to allow the poor to celebrate
the end of fasting as well. Muslims
also give voluntarily at other times.
They are expected to be generous;
stinginess is strongly discouraged.
Giving charity
The Prophet said, ‘Every Muslim has
to give charity’. The people asked,
‘O Allah’s Prophet! If someone has
nothing to give, what will he do?’ He
said, ‘He should work with his hands
and benefit himself and also give
charity [from what he earns]’. The
people further asked, ‘If he cannot
find even that?’ He replied, ‘He
should help the needy who appeal for
help’. Then the people asked, ‘If he
cannot do that?’ He replied, ‘Then he
should perform good deeds and keep
away from evil deeds and this will be
regarded as charitable deeds’. 12
12
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 24, Number 524, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/Hadithsunnah/bukhari/024.sbt.html
Muslim Australians:THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INSTITUTIONS 23