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uk/islam/

A diagram showing the the Kaaba and its important surrounding structures

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A note to parents
Please revise this booklet with your child. All the information in this booklet is taken from authentic Islamic sources. Almost all of
the material has come from Fiqh us Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq and The Muslim Handbook. The section on Salaah is from Sheikh
Munajjid’s guide to Salaah.

Although it would have been wonderful to reference all the text in this booklet to authentic sources, the fact that there are over
6000 Quran verses and the hundreds of thousands of hadiths (including duplicate, strong, weak, Hadiths), spread over dozens of
Hadith collections, means that doing this is a rather monumental task.

Consequently, I have restricted myself to restating the opinions of qualified scholars, whose opinions have been summarised in the
aforementioned books.

Kind regards,

Mr A Hafiz

The Five Pillars of Islam

The Prophet (Saw) compared Islam to a five-poled tent; A five-poled tent is a rectangular tent that is held up by 4 poles at the
edges and a central pole in the middle. The Prophet (saw) said that the central pole, the big one in the middle, was the Shahdadah.
If this snapped, the whole tent would collapse. The other 4 poles were Salaah, Zakat, Saum and Hajj. In any of these snapped, the
tent was a lot weaker.

Questions

1. What did the Prophet (saw) compare Islam to?

2. Explain the comparison.

3. Tell what the 5 pillars are.

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The 1st Pillar – The Shahadah

Shahada means to believe with your heart and to say with your lips that:

“I say that there is only one God,

and I say that Muhammad (saw) is his messenger.”

In Arabic, these words are:

Ash hadu alla ilaha ill Allah

Wa ash hadu anna Muhammadar RasoolAllah

Anyone who believes this is a Muslim. The English word for shahadah is faith-statement.

Questions

1. What is the Shahadah sentence in Arabic?

2. What is the Shahadah sentence in English?

3. What is the English word for Shahadah?

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Istinja, Ghusl and Wudhu

Istinja
Istinja, Ghusl and Wudhu are not pillars of Islam, but you need to know how to do them if you want to do the second pillar,
Salaah.

Istinja is cleaning yourself after a wee or a poo. You do this after you have been to the lavatory, so let’s call it a lavatory wash.
If you’ve had a wee, you could just use a tissue to clean your weeing organ, but it’s better to shoot some water on it too.

[1]
If you’ve had a poo, you ought to use some water. Use the handheld water blaster you find in the bathroom to help
you.

Ghusl
Ghusl means washing your whole body. Some people take a bath to do a ghusl.

Other people take a shower. A shower is a long pipe with a head at the top. The head points down and is
full of small holes. When the shower is turned on, the water runs up the pipe and out of the holes in the
head. A showerer stands under a shower and lets the water fall on him. Taking a shower means standing
under a shower to wash your body.

In many African countries today, (and even in many modern countries, when the water supply stops
working) people take a bucket wash. A bucket wash is filling up a bucket with warm water, and using a
small jug to scoop up the water from the bucket and pour it over your head and body. This is repeated
many times until the whole body is cleaned and the water finished.

In any case, taking a bucket bath or shower is fine. Here’s how to do it:
1. Soap and wash your hands
2. Soap and scrub any bits of dirt and grime off your body
3. Wash your mouth by gargling
4. Rinse your nose by snuffing some water in
5. Apply soap to the whole body, scrub, and wash 3 times.

Questions

1. When must Istinja be done?

2. What is the English word for Istinja?

3. Describe how to do ghusl.

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Wudhu
Wudhu is washing some limbs of your body, wiping part or all of your head, and cleaning out your mouth and nose. We’ll call it a
holy wash. Your hands, face, forearms and feet must be washed. Your head must be wiped. Your mouth and nose must be cleaned
out. Here’s how:

1. Wash your hands. 3 times. Make sure all your fingers and the gaps between your fingers are washed too. Also
wash a few centimetres along your arm, because your wrist must be washed too.

2. Wash your mouth. 3 times. Pour some water in with your right hand, tilt your head back,
gargle, and spit out.

3. Wash your nose. 3 times. Pour some water in your hand and take it up to your nose. Then snuff gently. The
water will go up your nose, cleaning it out. (Don’t snuff too hard or it might go up your nose and down your
throat!)

4. Wash your face. 3 times. Cup your 2 hands. Fill

them up with water. Take them up to your face
and cover your face with the water. Wipe round to
make sure your whole face is washed. Your face
is the front hemisphere of your head, and includes
your forehead and chin, and goes all the way
round to your ears.

5. Wash your arms. 3 times. Right arm first. Here’s how:

a. Take some water into your hand
b. Flick your wrist up and let the water run down your arm.
c. Clasp your wrist with the other hand. Drag down to the elbow. Twist round. Drag up to the wrist
again.
d. Also wash a few centimetres past your elbow, to make certain your elbow has been fully washed.

6. Wipe your head. Only once. Here’s how:

a. Wet your hands.
b. Connect the small, ring and middle fingers of your right hand with those
of your left.
c. Using these six fingers, wipe along the top of your head, from front to
back. Then along the sides of your head from back to front,
d. Use your thumbs to wipe the back of your ears.
e. Pop your index finger inside your ears.
f. Slap the back of your hands on your neck and drag down.

7. Finally, wash your feet. 3 times. Make sure all your toes and the gaps between them are washed too.
Also wash a few centimetres past your ankle, to make certain your ankle has been fully washed. Don’t
forget to wash the heel properly.

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If you’re in a rush, it’s ok to skip steps 2 and 3, to do each washing once, and to just pat your forehead
hair with a wet hand (instead of wiping your whole head).

You are now ready to perform salaah.

Questions

1. What parts of the body must be washed in Wudhu?

2. Describe the seven steps in wudhu.
3. How many times must the parts of your body be washed?
4. If you are in a rush, what parts can you leave out?

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The 2nd Pillar - Salaah.

The second pillar is called Salaah. Salaah is moving the body from one position to another as a way of praising Allah. It involves
some standing, bowing, going down on all eights, and sitting. In each position, the praiser shows extra respect to Allah by speaking
words from Allah’s holy book, the Quran, or speaking words of honour about Allah. We’ll call it praying. Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand up straight. Arms by your sides. Look down in front of you.

2. Saying Allah-hu, raise your arms to your shoulders. Keep your forearms straight. Make your palms face forward. Then
saying Akbar, put your left hand on your belly above your navel, and immediately grab the wrist with your right hand.
3. Say the thana and
ta-awwuz,

You are now

beginning the 6 point
cycle, or rakaat, of
praying:
4. Say the Bismillah,
Surah al-Fatiha,and
any other Surah.
5. Saying Allah-hu, raise
your arms to your
shoulders. Keep your
forearms straight.
Make your palms face
forward. Then saying
Akbar, bow down.
Keep your feet
straight, your back
and head straight, and
your knees straight. Look down at the floor, not between your legs. Rest the ball of your hands on the top of your knees for
support. Say subha na rabiyal azeem 3 times.
6. Saying Sami Allah hu liman, raise your arms to your shoulders. Then, saying hamida, drop them by your sides. Say rabbana
wa lakal hamd.

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7. Go down on all eights. Use a 5-step method.

a. Back straight. Twist the palms of your hand to your thighs. Crouch on your toes - push the ball of your palm against
your thighs to support you as you go down.
b. With the ball of your palm, push your knees to the ground. The underside of your toes should also be on the ground.
c. Set your palms on the ground.
d. Touch your nose to the ground.
e. Connect your forehead to the ground. Say subhana rabbiyal aa-la 3 times

8. Sit up saying Allahu akbar. Take your forehead off the ground first, then your nose, then your hands. Set your back straight,
and set your hands on the end of your thighs. Stand your right foot up, and sit on your left foot. Pause.
9. Go down on all eights again. Say subhana rabbiyal aa-la 3 times

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You have now completed a cycle of praying.

10. Stand up again. Use the 5-point method listed above in reverse order.
11. repeat steps 4-9
12. Now sit up again, saying Allahu Akbar. Say Tashahhud, durood and dua.

13. Saying As-salamu-alaykum-wa-rahmatul-lah, turn your head to the right. Twist it right round, and look down at your
shoulder.
14. Do the same to the left side.

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15. Note: prayers of 3 or 4 cycles are different. At step 12, say only the Tashahhud, and stand up. Then read Bismillah and surah
al-Fatiha, and complete the cycle like any other. When you finish the final cycle, sit down, and do steps 12-14

For a list of the Arabic things to say in Salaah, see the next page.

Questions
1. What is Salaah, and what does it involve?
2. Describe the steps in Salaah.

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The 3rd Pillar – Zakah

Zakah is giving away 2.5% of your money to really poor people. You only have to do
this if you have some money yourself. If you own a fair amount of money, you need to
give Zakah. Zakah means cleaning, or purifying, so we’ll call them the yearly
donations.

Zakah isn’t much. On 1000 riyals, it is just 25 riyals.

Most people give away their Zakah on the same day every year – for example 1st
Ramadan. They work out how much wealth they have on this fixed day, and give
away the right amount.

You don’t need to give Zakah on things that are for personal use – like your cars, houses, electronic gadgets, and clothes.

Most people don’t know where to look for poor people, so they go to charities and give their Zakah to the charity. A charity is an
organisation that collects money to give to poor people. May Allah reward them all.

Zakah example: Ahmed has some gold and silver. He takes it to a gold shop and asks them to weigh it. They tell him the gold and
silver are worth 4000 riyals. Ahmed has 20,000 riyals in his bank, and his business has 30,000 riyals of stock. Ahmed also owes
people 15000 riyals. How much Zakah will he give away to poor people?

Answer:
Gold and silver, cash and stock: 4,000 + 20,000 + 30,000 = 54,000
Minus Debts: -15,000
39,000

Zakah to give away: 39,000*0.025 = 975 riyals

Ahmed will give away 975 riyals to poor people.

Questions

1. What is Zakah?
2. What things must you give Zakah on?
3. If you have 1000 riyals, how much Zakah must give to poor people?
4. If you have 50,000 riyals, how much Zakah must give to poor people?
5. What do you NOT give Zakah on?
6. Work out how much Zakah you have to give.

The 4th Pillar - Saum

Saum is fasting 30 days in the month of Ramadan. Fasting means giving up eating, drinking and certain other pleasures, from
sunrise to sunset (from Fajr start time to Magrib start time).

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All Muslims fast in Ramadan,

th
the 9 month of the Islamic calendar. At other times of the year, the fasting is your choice.

Fasting usuallylasts around 12-14 hours, though in some countries, it can be as many as
18 hours long, or as short as 8-9 hours.

On fasting days, you should wake up before Fajr start time, to have something to eat and
drink. It is Sunnah, and is called the sehri. It will give you energy to help you fast
during the day.

At Magrib time, you will eat again. Start with a high-energy food, like dates, and then
eat the rest of your meal. Eating at the end of the fast is called Iftaar.

Questions

1. When must you fast?

2. How long is the fast?

3. What is the Sehri?

4. What is the Iftar?

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The 5th Pillar – (Umra and) Hajj (and a Medina trip)

Hajj is to journey to special places and to do special things there. It includes going from Mecca to Mina, then Arafah, then
Muzdalifah, then back to Mina. Most people do an Umra before the Hajj. An Umra is performing certain actions around and near
the Kaaba, the building Ibrahim (as) dedicated to Allah. An Umra only takes around 2-3 hours to complete. Hajj takes 5 days.

There are 3 hajj-types:

1. 2 Ihram Umraj (Arabic: Tamattu)
2. 1 Ihram Umraj (Arabic: Qiraan)
3. Hajj only (Arabic: Ifraad)

The Umrajjes (Umra and Hajj), Include an Umra and a Hajj. A Hajj is just a Hajj – no Umra.

Although Umra isn’t a pillar of Islam, most people still do Umrajjes, combining a Hajj and an Umra together, because, according to
some scholars, Allah gives more reward for it. We’ll study Umra first, and then research Hajj.

The Umra

Before you leave home, clean yourself. Take a shower. Shave your armpits and other areas. Clip your nails. Then leave home.
Now set off. Stop at Qarn ul Manazil. Qarn al Manazil is a meeqat, or stopping point, for
everyone coming from the Eastern Region. When people come by road, they always take
the same route, and they always stop and change at the stopping points. A stopping point
is an area of land on the way to Mecca that has many showers and lavatories for pilgrims.
There are 5 stopping points, and they all lie on the roads to Mecca. The stopping point you
[2]
use will depend on where you are coming from. If you are travelling by air, you must
become an Ihraami (see below) before you cross over the Meeqat boundary.

Ihram
At the stopping point, shower and put your Ihram on. An Ihram is a
two-sheet suit. Both sheets are long and have nothing sewn on them; one
piece is the waist-wrapper and the other is the top wrapper. To wear the
waist-wrapper, wrap it around your waist, tuck the trailing edge in and roll
down from all sides. Wear a belt if you have one. Now wear the top
wrapper. First, drape it over your shoulders, then bring your left arm down,
and whip the right edge over your left shoulder. Both shoulders should be
covered. Bring your arms out from underneath. Use a safety pin to secure
the top wrapper if it keeps coming loose.

Now, remind yourself that you’re going for Umrah, and start saying the Labbayk. The Labbayk is the
repetition of the sentence: “Labbayk, Allahumma Labbayk. Labbayka La sharikalaka Labbayk. Innal
hamda wannimata laka wal mulk la shareekalak”

You are now an Ihraami. Lots of things are not allowed anymore. They include:
No hunting
No perfumes
No sewn clothes (for men only)
No makeup
No bad language or talk about bad things
No hair-shaving and nail-clipping
No covering your head and face (for men only)
No harming anyone else

The following things are allowed though:

Umbrellas, rings, glasses, hearing aids, watches, belts, showering, covering the legs and torso, and using a miswak, or organic
toothbrush.

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When you reach Mecca, take your things to the hotel, have a rest if you need one, then go to the Haram. The Haram is the area
near the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building that Ibrahim (as) first built. When you see the Kaaba, make dua, praying to Allah and
asking him for what you want.

Tawaaf

You’re now ready to start tawaaf. Tawaaf is going round the Kaaba 7 times. Join the crowd already doing
tawaf and keep walking round with them until you are in line with the Black Stone. Now do Idtiba. Idtiba, or
right-shoulder-uncovering, is uncovering your right shoulder by bringing the right edge of your Ihram under
your right armpit, then tossing the edge over your left shoulder. Now, do an Istilam, or shadow-touch, by
turning to face the Black Stone, raising your hands in the air towards it, saying Bismillahi Allahu Akbar, and
kissing your fingertips. Now march around the Kaaba 3 times, and walk leisurely 4 times. After each round, do
a shadow-touch and continue.

After the seventh round, do your shadow-touch, then go behind the Maqame Ibrahim
and pray 2 cycles of prayer. The Maqame Ibrahim is the stone block that Ibrahim (as)
stood on while bricklaying the topmost bricks of the Kaaba walls. His feet sank into it
and left his footprints. The footprints have been worn away by time and pilgrims’
touches. Today, the Maqame Ibrahim is stuck on top of a concrete block around 1
metre tall and trapped inside a glass and brass enclosure, around 5 metres away from a
Kaaba wall. After praying behind Ibrahim(as)’s footprints, go to Safa for Saee.

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Saee

Saee is running 7 times between the ex-hills of Safa and Marwa. The hills are now gone, having recently been drilled and bulldozed
to pieces by the ‘Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’. In better times, you could clearly see both hills, and could run up and down
the slopes of the hills. Today, there are no real slopes. Just a long stretch of cold, white marble.

In any case, start at the point that used to be the hill of Safa, make a dua, and start walking to Marwa. When you reach a row of
green lights stuck to the ceilings and walls, run. Once you reach the second set of green ceiling lights, walk again. At Marwa, make
a dua. You’ve now done 1 length. You need to do 6 more. Keep walking and running until you’ve travelled down the stretch of
marble 7 times and finished up at Marwa. At each ex-hill, make a dua. You should have done 7 lengths, or 3½ rounds.

Halq or Qasr
The
final
step is
your hair. You can shave, or halq it. Or you can trim, or qasr it. Both
are fine, though Allah gives your more reward for a head-shave.
Beware the scissor-people at Marwah. These men and women offer
scissors for you to do a quick snip of your hair. This is not qasr. Qasr is trimming all the hair, and not just bits of it.

[3]
Congratulations! You’ve now finished your Umrah. Go home. Shower. Change into your normal clothes.

Questions

1. What is an Umra?
2. How long does an umrah take?
3. What are the 4 main parts of Umrah?
4. What is the stopping point for people from the eastern region?
5. Tell 3 things you should do at the stopping point.
6. What is an Ihram? How many pieces is it?
7. What is the labbayk?
8. Tell 3 things Ihraamis can't do.
9. Tell 3 things Ihraamis CAN wear.
10. What is Tawaaf?
11. What is idtibaa? When should you do it?
12. When doing Tawaaf, how many times must you march round, and how many times must you walk round?
13. What is the maqaame ibrahim?
14. What must you do behind the maqaame ibrahim.
15. What is Saee?
16. How many times must you go between the 2 hills in Saee?
17. When must you run during the saee?
18. What is halq?
19. What is qasr?

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Hajj

Hajj is a set of activities that are spread over five days, and involves travelling to four places. Most people get from place to place
by bus, but a massive number still prefer to do a walking Hajj.

Hajj starts on 8th Zul Hijja, the twelfth month of the Hijri calendar. When 8th Zul Hijja starts, have a shower, trim your nails and
shave your armpits and other hair. Become an Ihraami (see Umrah section). There is no need to go to a stopping point. In Mecca,
your hotel room is your stopping point. Remind yourself you are going for Hajj, and say the full Labbayk. You are now an Ihrami.

[4]
Pray Fajr , and after sunrise, go from Mecca to your tent in Mina.

Mina
At Mina, rest, pray Quran, praise Allah, learn about
Islam. You will spend a whole day in Mina. Pray your
Zuhr, Asr, Magrib and Isha in the tent. Sleep. Wake up,
pray Fajr, and after sunrise, go to Arafa.

Arafa
At Arafa, rest, and pray Zuhr and Asr. The time after
Asr in Arafa is the most precious time during the Hajj.
Don’t waste it. Pray Quran and praise Allah. When it
gets nearer to Sunset, face the Qibla, cup your hands in
dua and pray to Allah for whatever you want or need. May Allah give it to you. (Don’t forget to pray for your teacher!). After
sunset, go to Muzdalifa without praying Magrib.

Muzdalifa

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At Muzdalifa, pray Magrib and Isha together, at Isha time. Call out an Azan, then one Iqama and pray Magrib. Then call out a
second Iqama and pray Isha. Collect 70 stones that are around 1cm in diameter. Sleep. Wake up. Pray Fajr. Go to Mina – before
sunrise.

Stoning at Mina
At Mina, stone only the 3rd wall. If you are doing an Umraj, you must now sacrifice an animal. Your
group leader will usually do this for you. If you have come on your own, you should have bought a
coupon and the government will arrange to have your animal slaughtered for you. Ifradis, or Hajj-only
people, don’t slaughter an animal.

Shave your head.

Go to Mecca. Do Tawaf. Come back to Mina.

At Mina, on the next day, the 11th Zul Hijjah, go to stone the walls
after Zuhr. Stone all 3 walls. Return to Mina.

On the final day, the 12th Zul Hijjah, go to stone the walls after Zuhr. Stone all 3
walls. Return to Mecca. If you don’t go back to Mecca after the stoning, and are still
hanging around in Mina at sunrise, then you must stay and stone for another day.

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Hajj events grouped according to the days of Hajj

8th Zul Hijja

[in Mecca] Pray Fajr.
[in Mecca] Wait for sunrise.
Go to Mina.
[In Mina] stay in Mina. Pray Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha in Mina
9th Zul Hijja
[Still in Mina] Pray Fajr.
[in Mina] Wait for sunrise
Go to Arafa
[in Arafa] Stay in Arafa. Pray Zuhr and Asr in Arafa.
[in Arafa] The time after Asr in Arafa is the most precious time during the Hajj. Don’t waste it. Pray Quran and praise Allah.
When it gets nearer to Sunset, cup your hands in dua and pray to Allah for whatever you want or need. May Allah give it to
you. (Don’t forget to pray for your Islamic studies teacher!)
[in Arafa] Wait for sunset.
Go to Muzdalifa
[in Muzdalifa] Pray Magrib and Isha together at Muzdalifa, at Isha time. Call out one Azan, then an Iqama and pray
Magrib. Then call out a second Iqama and pray Isha.
[In Muzdalifa] Collect 70 little stones, around 1cm in diameter, for stoning the pillars at Mina.
10th Zul Hijja
[In Muzdalifa] Pray Fajr
Set off for Mina, to the Walls, before sunrise. The Walls, or Jamaraat, is an area of Mina a short distance from its tents that
has 3 stone walls marking the spots that Satan appeared in front of Ibrahim (as). At each spot, Ibrahim (as) fired stones at
Satan, and Satan fled.
Stone only the 3rd wall
Umrajjis must now sacrifice your animal. Your group leader will usually do this for you. If you have come on your own, you
should have bought a coupon and the government will arrange to have your animal slaughtered. Ifradis don’t slaughter an
animal.
Shave or trim your head-hair
[5]
Go to Mecca and do the Ziyara Tawaf – walk round the Kaaba 7 times, doing Istilam each time, then pray behind
Ibrahim (as)’s footprints.
Go back to Mina
11th Zul Hijja
Stone the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wall.
Go back to your tent
th
12 Zul Hijja
Stone the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wall.
Go to Mecca before sunset. If you are still there are sunset, you must stay and stone for another day.

Congratulations! Well done! Hajj Mubarak!

Questions

1. What is the Hajj?

2. What 4 places do you stay at during Hajj

3. How long does a Hajj take?

4. What are the 3 Hajj types?

5. For the Hajj, when will you leave for Mina?

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6. What will you do at Mina?

7. When will you go Arafa?

8. What will you do at Arafa?

9. When will you go Muzdalifa?

10. What will you do at Muzdalifa?

11. When will you go back to Mina?

12. Which wall will you stone at Mina on 10th Zul Hijjah?

13. How many walls will you stone on the last 2 days of Hajj?

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Some historical places in Mecca

The Jinn Mosque – The Prophet (Saw) met some Jinns here; he preached Islam to them and they
accepted.

Namira Mosque – The Prophet (Saw) gave his famous farewell speech at the spot where this mosque is.
It was his last major speech.

Aysha Mosque – Aysha (ra), wife of the Prophet (saw), started an Umra from here.

Hira Cave – The Prophet (saw) was sitting in this cave when Jibraeel appeared
suddenly with the first words of the Quran.

Thawr Cave – The Prophet (saw) spent 3 days in this

cave before setting off with Abu Bakr (ra) to relocate in
Medina.

The birthplace of the Prophet (saw) –

This is the spot where the Prophet (Saw) was born. The spot has now
been turned into a small library. The library is always locked, so you
can’t go inside.

Medina guide
The Prophet (saw) spent 23 years of his life spreading Islam so that you and I could grow up as Muslims and become good people.
The very least we can do is go to his adopted home, the city of Medina, and say thank you to him. Muslims have been doing this
for over a millennium.

So let’s try our best to visit the city of the Prophet (saw), even if it’s only
for a day or two.
So what is a visit to Medina, to the Prophet’s mosque, really like? In a word,
fantastic! Medina is such a calm, peaceful, tranquil place you’ll never want
to leave. You can spend hours in the mosque just sitting, praying Quran,
studying, learning or even just relaxing!

There are, however, 3 things that you should try extra hard to do while in
Medina:
1. Visit the prophet’s grave site to say Salaam, or ‘hello’ to him;
2. spend some time praying Quran or performing Salaah in an area near the
Prophet’s (old) house called the Rawda;

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3. and visit places of historical importance – places where the Prophet (saw)
sat, prayed and worshipped.

Sending Salaams
Sending Salaams means standing in front of the tombs of the Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra), and saying to them
[6]
‘assalamu alaykum.” In the Quran, Allah tells us “Allah and His angels send their salaams to the Prophet. Muslims! You send
your salaams too.”

To send Salaams, walk to the front of the Prophet’s mosque, near to where the Iman leads the prayer. Walk past the Imam’s area
towards a large exit. As you walk towards the exit, you will find a brass mesh, that looks like a metal gate, on your left. Behind this
brass mesh are the graves of the Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr and Umar (ra). The brass mesh has 3 sections to it. The first and last are
empty. Ignore them.

At the second mesh are 3 circles - 1 with a large crescent shaped border, the others with thin ring-like borders. The crescent-
bordered circle is in line with the Prophet (saw)’s face. Turn your body so that you are looking straight at the circle. Remember
that the Prophet (saw) was once sitting there, looking at the people and smiling back at them. Greet him, and thank him for all the
sacrifices he made for you.

Now move to the right a little bit until you are facing the next circle. You are now standing in front of Abu Bakr (ra). Greet him,
and thank him for all the sacrifices he made for you.

Now move to the right a little more bit until you are facing the third circle. You are now standing in front of Umar (ra). Greet him,
and thank him for all the sacrifices he made for you.

Do not touch the gates or make dua facing them. This is bid’at and it is wrong.

Finally, turn around to face the Qibla and make dua to Allah for whatever you want.

Spending time in the Rawda

The area between the Prophet’s (old) house and the (old) mimbar, where the Imam stands to give the Friday speech, is called the
Rawda. You can easily spot it because the floor of the Rawda is covered with green carpets, whereas the rest of the Prophet’s
mosque has red carpets. If you are fortunate enough to find space in the Rawda, sit down, and spend your time praying Quran, or
performing Salaah.

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Visiting Historical Sites

Until recently, there were hundreds of old buildings, some dating from the Prophet’s time, dotted all around Medina. However,
industrialisation has meant these historical sites have been sacrificed for business. In any case, some still remain – and there are 5
that you should go and visit. They are:
1. Masjid Quba – This is the first dedicated mosque to be built in Arabia. The Prophet (Saw) used to visit Quba mosque once a
week and pray 2 rakahs there.

2. The 7 mini-mosques – Until recently, seven old mosques stood on an area of land close to the Prophet’s mosque. These
mosques marked the spots that the Prophet (Saw) and his companions stood during a battle. 5 of the mosques were recently
destroyed to make way for a Supermosque. Only 2 of the mini-mosques remain. One is called Masjidul fath. Allah revealed
some verses of the Quran at the spot where Masjidul Fath now stands.

3. The two-qibla mosque (Masjid Qiblatain). Muslims first used to pray facing Masjidul Aqsa, in Jerusalem. Then Allah told
us to face the Kaaba. Some Muslims were praying in this mosque, facing Masjudul Aqsa, when someone called out that the
Qiblah had changed. The prayers in the mosque all turned around, the imam going to the front, and carried on praying. This
is why this mosque is called the two-qibla mosque.

4. The battlefield of Uhud – this battlefield consists of Mount Uhud, the archer’s hill,and a graveyard of the Muslim martyrs,
including the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza.

5. There is also a graveyard near the Prophet’s mosque called Jannatul baqi. Thousands of Sahaba, or Muslims who lived at
the same time as the Prophet (saw), are buried in this graveyard. The Prophet’s wives, children, family and friends are all
buried there. The prophet (saw) said, “I used to forbid you from visiting graveyards, but now, I encourage you to go.”
Therefore, we should visit the graveyards. They remind us of death and help remind us that one day, we will also be six feet
under the ground.

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Questions:

1. What 3 things should you do in Medina?

2. Tell how to send Salaams to the Prophet (saw).

3. What is the Rawda?

4. What should you try to do in the Rawda?

5. Tell 5 places you should go and visit in Medina.

The five pillars guide is now complete.

All Praise belongs to Allah.

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Appendix - What do we recite in Salah - a pattern for a 4 rakaah salah

1. Raise your hands. Say Allah hu Akbar
2. Recite: the thana

3. Recite the taawuz

4. Recite the bismillah

5. Recite Surah Fatiha

6. Recite any other surah
7. Go into rokou. Read Subhana rabbiyal Azim 3, 5, or 7 times

8. stand up again and say Sami allahu liman hamidah

9. Go into Sujud. Say Subhana rabbiyal A’la 3, 5 or 7 times

10. sit up into Julus

11. Go back into Sujud. Say Subhana rabbiyal A’la again, 3, 5 or 7 times

12. stand up again and repeat steps 4 to 11

13. Sit in Julus. Recite Attahayaat

14. stand up again and repeat steps 4-11

15. stand up once more and repeat steps 4-11
16. Sit in Julus. Recite Attahayaat (see step 13), Durood and a dua

17. Turn your head all the way to the right. Look down at your shoulder. Say “Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah.
18. Turn your head all the way to the left. Look down at your shoulder. Say “Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah.

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[1]
Some lavatories don’t have water blasters. They only have long-necked jugs. If you end up in such a lavatory, just fill the jug up with water and use it. The
method is the same. If you can’t find a jug, use a small plastic bottle instead.
[2]
People already inside the Meeqat area have different stopping points. The 5 stopping points above are for non-Meeqatis.
[3]
If you want to do some more Umras, you need to go to a mosque that’s called Masjid Taneem (some people call it Masjid Aisha). That is the nearest
meeqat point for people already in Mecca.
[4]
Nowadays, most people start going Mina in the middle of the night, because it’s so busy. You will probably do the same and pray Fajr on the way to Mina
or in Mina.
[5]
You can do the Ziyara tawaf on the 11th or on the 12th until sunset.
[6]
If you want to say a little bit more than just Assalamualaykum, you should buy a little book with a list of greetings in it. These are greetings taken from the
Hadith, and can be read in the Prophet’s mosque.

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