Religion sets man's life and conduct in order. His relationship with Allah is also arranged. This is why worship is ordained. Let's take a concise look at worship in Islam.

PRAYER: This is the most important pillar of Islam. Every sane Muslim attaining puberty is required to perform prayers five times a day. The number of sections totals 17. They are the dawn prayers of two sections (rak'as), noon with four rak'as, afternoon with four, evening with three, and night with four.

Apart from these daily obligatory prayers, there are recommended ones like the night prayer, prayers said before the obligatory prayers, Friday prayers, festival prayers, prayer for signs of Allah, prayer for the dead, and the prayer of tawaf in hajj at Mecca. Prayer is the pillar of religion and the most prominent manifestation of faith.

FASTING: Abstaining from food, drink, sexual intercourse and other things during one whole month every year from dawn until sunset with the intention of pleasing Allah is another pillar and sacred duty of every sane adult Muslim.

PILGRIMMAGE (Hajj): Hajj is actually a collection of rites, actions and sayings performed during a certain period of time and in a certain place. As any other rites it has its moral, social and political impact on man. It is a public congregation in which Muslims worship, ask Allah's forgiveness, repent and as a result souls are purified from sin, and hearts are brought closely together, opinions and viewpoints are exchanged, doctrinal and ideological arguments are thrashed out, and political positions are arrived at. All Islamic rites have a social impact and they are fruitful morally.

ALMS GIVING (Zakat): Zakat is a tax taken from the well-off and given to the needy for the benefit of all people in order to tackle the problems of poverty, social and economic backwardness, and to preserve the group's interests. In Islam, zakat is valued as a means of cleaning the soul and conscience and rectifying morals. Zakat literally means "purification and growth" in Arabic.

20% LEVY TAX (Khums): This tax, apart from zakat is levied against the following items: 1. War booty; 2. What remains from one's yearly income after satisfying all one's needs; 3. Minerals; 4. the sea's treasures uncovered by divers; 5. price of the land bought by a non-Muslim living in an Islamic state from a Muslim; 6. Halal money mixed with haram money on condition that there is a factor to determine the exact amounts of both; 7. treasures which are found.

RECOMMENDED TYPES OF WORSHIP: These include supplications, asking Allah's forgiveness, mentioning Allah, glorifying Him, praising Him, reciting the Qur'an, and making vows to Allah. These forms of worship tie man to his Creator, develop the concept of servitude only to Allah, liberate man from the slavery of tyrants and his own pleasure seeking, uplift him morally, and cleanse him of malice, egoism, conceit, pride and bad manners.

ENJOINING GOOD AND FORBIDDING EVIL: This practice reforms society and is a prime social responsibility. In Islam it is a duty to purify society from corruption and perversion, disseminate good and virtue and to apply Islamic principles to one's daily life. This practice is an expression of the responsibility toward others to effect change for the better in society.

HOLY WAR (Jihad): The concept of Holy War has been much maligned in our recent times and even in ancient times. Describing any war as a holy war is not accurate. Holy war is never an act of aggression. Islam is the message of the intellect, science and logic. It employs rational arguments and addresses the mind and conscience to convey its views and doctrine to the people. However, when tyrants suppress freedom, and opportunists take control of the land, and block man's access to the word of right and logic, there remains no alternative for Islam except to resort to force to demolish the barriers of oppression and agression in protection of the oppressed worldwide.