Islam 101
Prayer, food, greetings and the calendar
From dawn to night, five prayers mark a Muslim's ordinary day.
3 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 3
The five prayers fall at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and night. So the day is broken by short pauses to pray. Each takes five to ten minutes, anywhere clean, facing Makkah.
Qur'an 4:103
فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمࣱا وَقُعُودࣱا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمۡۚ فَإِذَا ٱطۡمَأۡنَنتُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ كِتَٰبࣱا مَّوۡقُوتࣱا ١٠٣
103 When you have finished the prayer, remember Allah, standing, sitting, or lying down. But when you are safe again, establish regular prayer. Indeed, prayer is prescribed for the believers at specific times.
Lesson
Five short pauses give a Muslim's day its shape.
Part 2 of 3
Muslims eat halal, meaning permitted: no pork, no blood, no animal that died by itself, and meat slaughtered in God's name. Alcohol and intoxicants are forbidden. The Qur'an permits the food of Jews and Christians, with differences on details.
Qur'an 5:3
حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحۡمُ ٱلۡخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمُنۡخَنِقَةُ وَٱلۡمَوۡقُوذَةُ وَٱلۡمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيۡتُمۡ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسۡتَقۡسِمُواْ بِٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمِۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ فِسۡقٌۗ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمۡ فَلَا تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِۚ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينࣱاۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ فِي مَخۡمَصَةٍ غَيۡرَ مُتَجَانِفࣲ لِّإِثۡمࣲ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣰ رَّحِيمࣰ ٣
3 Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which is sacrificed to other than Allah; and that which is killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored; and that which is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it [before it dies]; and that which is sacrificed to idols. Also it is forbidden to use arrows [of chance] to determine your decisions. This is all evil practice. Today the disbelievers have lost all hope in [eliminating] your religion, so do not fear them but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion. But if anyone is compelled by severe hunger, not intending to sin, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
A long ayah: scroll within the card.
Lesson
No pork, no alcohol, and God's name said over the meat.
Part 3 of 3
Muslims greet with "as-salamu 'alaykum", peace be upon you. The Islamic calendar is lunar, so Ramadan and the two Eids move about eleven days earlier each year.
Lesson
The calendar is lunar, so Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
From dawn to night, five prayers mark a Muslim's ordinary day.