Learn about Islam
20 articles that explain the practice of Islam step by step, from the pillars of faith to the details of prayer, fasting, zakat and pilgrimage. Each article gives its references in the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah.
Foundations of faith
- The Five Pillars of Islam ExplainedWhat are the five pillars of Islam? The testimony of faith, prayer, zakat, fasting in Ramadan and Hajj, with their meaning, conditions and evidence.
- The Six Articles of Faith (Iman)The six pillars of iman in Islam: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and divine decree, explained with the Qur’an and hadith.
Purification
- How to Perform Wudu (Ablution) Step by StepA clear step-by-step guide to wudu (ablution) for prayer: the obligatory acts, the Sunnah, what breaks wudu and the dua to say afterwards.
- Ghusl: the Full Ritual Bath and How to Perform ItWhen ghusl (the full ritual bath) is obligatory, the minimum required, the complete Sunnah method and the recommended occasions such as Friday and Eid.
- Tayammum: Dry Ablution When There Is No WaterWhen tayammum replaces wudu and ghusl, how to perform it with clean earth in a few steps, and what invalidates it, with the evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Prayer
- How to Pray: the Salah Step by StepLearn how to pray salah step by step: intention, takbir, al-Fatihah, ruku‘, sujud, tashahhud and taslim, with the number of rak‘ahs of each prayer.
- Conditions, Pillars and Obligations of the PrayerThe conditions that must be met before praying, the pillars that make up the prayer, its obligations and the things that invalidate it, according to the main schools.
- Sunnah Prayers: Rawatib, Witr and DuhaThe voluntary prayers attached to the five daily prayers (rawatib), the witr prayer and the duha prayer: their number, timing and reward.
- Tahajjud: How and When to Pray the Night PrayerHow to pray tahajjud (qiyam al-layl): its virtue, the best time in the last third of the night, the number of rak‘ahs and practical tips to wake up for it.
- Sujud al-Sahw: the Prostration of ForgetfulnessWhat to do if you forget something in prayer: when sujud al-sahw is required, how to perform it before or after the salam, and cases of doubt.
- Making Up Missed Prayers (Qada)What to do when a prayer was missed through sleep, forgetfulness or negligence: how to make it up, in what order, and how to handle many years of missed prayers.
- The Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah)How to perform the funeral prayer in Islam: its four takbirs, what to recite after each one, its reward and the main rulings for those attending.
- The Eid Prayer: How to Pray It and Its SunnahsHow the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha prayer is performed: its time, the extra takbirs, the sermon and the Sunnahs of the day of Eid.
Fasting
- What Breaks the Fast in Ramadan (and What Does Not)The things that invalidate the fast in Ramadan, those that do not (toothbrush, injections, blood tests, swimming), and what to do if you ate by mistake.
- Who Is Exempt from Fasting? Qada, Fidyah and KaffarahWho may break the fast in Ramadan (the sick, travellers, pregnant and nursing women, the elderly), how to make up the days, and when fidyah or kaffarah is due.
- I‘tikaf: the Spiritual Retreat in the MosqueWhat i‘tikaf is, how to perform it in the last ten days of Ramadan, its conditions, what is permitted during it and what breaks it.
Zakat
- Zakat Explained: Who Pays, How Much and On WhatA clear guide to zakat: who must pay it, the nisab and the lunar year, the 2.5% rate, which assets count, and zakat on gold, savings, shares and business.
- Who Can Receive Zakat? The Eight CategoriesThe eight categories of zakat recipients named in the Qur’an (9:60), explained, plus who may not receive zakat, such as one’s parents, children and spouse.
Hajj and Umrah
- How to Perform Hajj: the Rites Day by DayA day-by-day guide to the rites of Hajj: ihram, tawaf, sa‘i, Mina, Arafah, Muzdalifah, the stoning, the sacrifice, shaving and the farewell tawaf.
- How to Perform Umrah Step by StepA simple step-by-step guide to Umrah: ihram at the miqat, the talbiyah, tawaf around the Kaaba, sa‘i between Safa and Marwah and shaving or shortening the hair.
How to use these articles
The articles are written for Muslims who want a clear, referenced explanation of daily practice, and for anyone curious about Islam. Each one cites the verses of the Qur’an and the hadiths it relies on, mostly from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and then the collections of Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah.
Where the four Sunni schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali) differ on a detail, the article says so and gives the main positions rather than presenting one as the only view. If you are new, start with the five pillars, then wudu and how to pray; the articles on fasting and zakat are most useful before Ramadan.