The Five Pillars of Islam
ISLAM IS a religion founded by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century in Arabia. It’s an Arabic word meaning ‘surrender’. It espouses the fundamental religious idea that the believer, called a Muslim, accepts surrender to the will of Allah (God), who is viewed as the sole God, creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world.
The will of Allah, to which everybody must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures called the Quran, which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad, who is regarded as the last in a series of prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and Jesus. His message, it is said, encompasses and completes the revelations attributed to earlier prophets.
UNCOMPROMISING
Islam is uncompromising in its belief in only one God, and Muslims strictly adhere to certain practices and refrain from many others. Thus, The Five Pillars of Islam buttress the life of a Muslim. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) once in a lifetime for those who are able to.
The testimony of faith, the most important pillar, says,
“There is no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger (prophet) of God.” It means that only Allah reserves the right to be worshipped and that God has neither a partner nor a son. This testimony, called the Shahada, should be said with conviction in order to be converted to Islam.
Muslims should pray five times a day. Each prayer lasts a few minutes and is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries. While praying, a worshipper must feel inner happiness, peace, comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. Prayers are performed at dawn, noon,
mid-afternoon, sunset, and night and may be said almost anywhere.
Muslims believe all things belong to God, and wealth is, therefore, held by human beings by trust, thus, the third pillar of giving zakat. The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ It
means giving a specified percentage of certain properties to certain classes of needy people.
The percentage that is due in gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half per cent. Possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need. A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity. This act encourages more prosperity and growth.
FASTING
Fasting during the month of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar, is the fourth pillar of Islam. Every year in the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, sexual relations, etc. Fasting is regarded mainly as an act of spiritual selfpurification. By abstaining from the pleasures of the world, even for a short time, it is said that a person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry and growth in his or her spiritual life.
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, the fifth pillar, is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who are physically and financially able to undertake. About two million people from all over the world go to Mecca each year. Though people are always going to Mecca, the Hajj takes place in the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.
The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers. This and Eid al-Fitr, a feast day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two annual festivals on the Muslim calendar.