They are Sunni Muslims of the Shafi'ite rite, with great interest in Sufi spiritualism, characterized by chanting, whirling, chewing qat, (a narcotic leaf), and falling into a trance as a way of communing with Allah. Mosques can be found in all Somali cities and towns. As part of their religion, Somalis are to pray five times each day, facing Mecca, take a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, observe the fast of Ramadan, and lastly, they should recite the creed of Islam and observe zakat, or giving to the poor, if able. Somalis hold the Muslim view that each person will be judged by Allah in the afterlife. They also believe that a tree representing all Muslims grows at the boundary between Earth and Heaven (some believe the
