Islam is like a tree whose roots are its beliefs and whose branches are its practices. If the roots are not firm and healthy, then the tree will not survive; the roots only form the foundation of the tree.
Islamic practices are referred to as (as the branches of a tree) such because they are the ways in which the beliefs of Islam are transformed into reality. The different forms of outward worship translate a person’s inner love and connection with God into a physical form.
Islam has ten fundamental practices which are the following:
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Prayers (Salaat).
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Fasting (Sawm).
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Khums – the first form of almsgiving.
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Zakat – the second form of almsgiving.
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Pilgrimage to the city of Mecca (Hajj).
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Jihad – a general interpretation of jihad means to struggle against immoral and unethical ways. On a personal level, it is to try to polish, enhance, and forbid things that can hurt or pollute oneself. On a broader scale it serves as a means to defend noble goals, such as the rights, dignity, and freedom of others.
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Enjoining good (Amr bil-Ma’rouf).
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Forbidding evil (Nahi Anil Munkar).
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Supporting those who walk in the path of God (Tawalla min Awliyah Allah).
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Turning away from the enemies of God (Tabarra min A’daa Allah).