Five Pillars of Islam
by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
Prayer [Salat]
In the first place, Islam enjoins upon me to abandon all my worldly occupations, however absorbing they be, at the time of offering my devotion and my duty to my Lord. I am commanded to rise very early in the morning and after making proper ablutions to stand in the Holy Presence of my Maker. Similarly, I am commanded to repeat these exercises five times a day, in order that they may serve as constant reminders to me of my duty to spend my time in interest other than mine. If these holy, selfless, and pious activities so many times a day become the regular course of my life, it would not be a difficult thing for me to spend my time to help the happiness of others at the interest of my own business