Religion

Although many religions are practised in Dubai, Islam is the official religion of the UAE. It is important to understand the religion of your host country as it governs many aspects of their lives. It’s inevitable that this will also affect your stay in Dubai.

Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammed (also spelled Mohammed or Mohamed), a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God. An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)". There are approximately 1.61 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam the second-largest religion after Christianity.

Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.

Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters from dietary laws to banking.

The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah, which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam which translates to: "I testify that there is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

2. Salah, is a ritual prayer that must be performed five times a day. Each prayer is done facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. These prayers are intended to focus the mind on God, and are seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances.

3. Zakat, or alms-giving, is the practice of giving to charity based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion is spent to help the poor or needy. The zakat is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a "trust from God's bounty".

4. Sawm, is fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and must abstain from all other sins. The fast is to encourage a feeling of closeness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would constitute an undue burden (such as pregnant women, the young or the elderly). For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed fasts usually must be made up quickly.

5. Hajj, which is the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca, is obligatory. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrim, or the hajj/hajji, is honored in his or her community, although Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God instead of a means to gain social standing.

Notes:
1. Any substances that alter one’s state of mind dramatically are forbidden in Islam. For that reason, Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol.
2. Although pork is available in Dubai, eating pork is forbidden to Muslims.
3. You may notice that the malls here have ablution and prayer rooms. This is so that Muslims can carry out the required washing procedure and then pray so that they do not have to miss any prayers.