Prophet Mohammad declared “There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet”. He criticized the meaningless ceremonials like Idol worship, polytheism and superstitions among Arabs. He preached purity of life, truth and faith in Allah. He preached that Allah would reward the just and punish the wicked. He said “Allah is all merciful, all wise and all powerful”.
The new faith that Mohammad preached was called ‘Islam’ which means “Submission to God Allah’. Islam preaches to be truthful, be faithful and to have good conduct. It preaches equality and condemns slavery. Mohammad advocated the following five pillars or Principles of Islam to be followed by all Muslims.
Kalima: It means faith. Every Muslim should profess his faith in Allah and Mohammad. Namaz, It means prayer. Every Muslim has to pray five times a day. Prayer is the best method to please God and get one’s sins pardoned.
Zaqqat: It means alms giving. Muslims should be honest and sincere. They should give 2.5 % of what they earn in charity. The purpose is to bring economic equality between the rich and the poor.
Roza: It means fasting. Every Muslim should fast in the month of Ramzan, from morning to dusk. Fasting brings purity of heart. It balances the desires, controls one’s habits and creates confidence towards deliverance. It is a proper training to acquire good character.
Hajj: It is the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. True Muslims should undertake Hajj at least once in their life time.
There were other moral codes advocated by the prophet. He prohibited gambling, drinking, adultery and use of pork. He preached the democratic principles of equality and universal brotherhood. He also advocated important moral values like respect for women, parents, and kindness to slaves and animals.
