Spiritual seemed to be the most suitable term to describe the civilizational traits of the Islamic Civilization. Individuals cling tenaciously to their national identity, upholding traditional values and customs that distinguished them from the neighbors. (Dupree, 2002) Teachings within the sharia and the belief in faith are being observed closely in a Muslim's daily life. This is supported by scholar M. M. Sharif, who asserts that "All values are both spiritual and secular, and they unfold themselves in life, social as well as personal". (Sharif, 1959) The spirituality of Muslims is shown in their dedication to Allah. Prayers serve as a form of communication with Allah. Muslims perform at least five prayers a day, the first prayer at sunrise and the last at dawn.
The importance of faith and dedication to a Muslim can also be seen in other commonly assented practices, such as dietary, marriage, and dress codes. For example, the process of animal slaughtering are to be "halal", meaning that animals must be slaughtered in the name of Allah and not the other Gods, while the slaughtering process involves the slitting of throat and draining of blood, so that animals would not suffer needless pain. In due fact, Muslim are particular about what they eat, and only approved "halal" food will be eaten. Muslim spirituality can be viewed as an attempt to cultivate the highest values and attributes, a point backed up by scholar M. M. Sharif in his works, whereby he states that "the sole aim of man is, therefore, a progressive achievement of life divine, which consists in the gradual acquisition of all divine attributes - all intrinsic values". (Sharif, 1959)