Taking a Deeper Look at the Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam, or أركان الإسلا in Arabic, is the term given to the five particular duties one must take on to practice the Islamic religion. These particular duties are the foundation and framework of Muslim life, and must be performed. The pillars make up the core belief of the Islamic faith, and are the most important qualities in ones life. To a Muslim, they hold the same sacred aspect as the Ten Commandments to a Christian. The Ten Commandments and the five pillars both hold the key to living a better, religious life. The difference between the two is that the Ten Commandments state what one shall not do, and the five pillars state what one must do. The five pillars were created by God (Allah) and were then revealed through Quranic revelations and prophets. The five pillars are a priority in the Islamic Faith, and serve as the foundation of the religion. We all learned what the five pillars of Islam are in class, but in this post I will go deeper into why each is important, and what exactly happens with each.

The first of the five pillars of Islam is the testimony of faith, or Shahadah. One must publicly speak out about their Belief in one God, Allah. They must state, " Ashadu alla ilaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammed ar-rasool Allah." This literally means, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his messenger." The reason for this statement is for Muslims to indicate they worship no other deities but Allah, and that Muhammad was chosen by him to send his message of Islam. They believe that Islam reached its definitive form through Muhammad. When the religion first originated, many polytheistic religions and practices still existed, and through this pillar, Muslims state their monotheistic belief in one God, Allah.

To learn more about the first pillar of Islam, visit this site:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/193/

The second pillar of Islam is Salat, or ritual prayer. Muslims must pray at least five times a day facing the holy city of Mecca. If they miss a prayer, it must be made up at another time. The Salat is a very physical act of worship, using words and actions to signify their submission to Allah. They must confess their sins through each prayer. The first prayer is said at sun up, another at noon, the next at mid afternoon, another at sunset, and the last at sun down. Muslims believe that constant prayer is needed to keep their lives in perspective.

To learn more about the Salat, visit this site:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/9/

The third pillar of Islam is Zakat, or charity. Muslims must give money and food to the less fortunate as an act of worship. Two and a half percent of all income and holding must be given, although they are more than welcome to go above and beyond the minimum limit. Muslims believe that all things belong to God, and that he trusts them to share their wealth. The poor are obviously excluded from the charity, but middle and upper class Muslims must practice this pillar.

To learn more about the third pillar of Islam, Zakat, visit this site:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/46/

The forth pillar of Islam is Saum, or fasting. Ramadan is the name given to the holy month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, all Muslims who are able are obligated to fast from sun up to sun down. The fasting requires refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, or sexual intercourse. The reason for this is to practice discipline, unselfishness, devotion, and love to God, and shows compassion to those who are unable to eat. This must only be practiced by adults who are physically and mentally able to do so. It excludes young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people who are seriously ill.

To learn more about the forth pillar of Islam, Saum, visit this site:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/47/

The fifth, and last pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage. Mecca is the holy city of Islam, and each Muslim must make a pilgrimage to this site at least one time during their lifetime. Mecca unites Muslims from all over the world sharing the same beliefs. They take this journey to Mecca to worship and glorify their God, Allah. This pilgrimage is also seen as a spiritual journey, following in the steps of Muhammad. The pilgrimate serves as the ultimate forgiveness of sins, devotion, and intense spirituality.

To learn more about the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj, visit the following site:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/184/

The five pillars of Islam are the foundation to the religion and the Muslim way of life. It is through these five obligations that Muslims prove their faith in their God, Allah. They shape the importance of the religion, and are the five tasks that must be accomplished to fulfill their lives as Muslims practicing the Islamic religion. Each religion is based on foundations, and have aspects that must be accomplished in order to practice that particular faith. It is important that we recognize religions other than our own and understand what is believed in around the world.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-five-pillars-of-islam.htm
http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/islam_pillars.htm
http://www.allaboutreligion.org/five-pillars-of-islam-faq.htm
http://www.carm.org/five-pillars-of-islam

What is Islam?

Islam is the youngest of the Universal religions. Islam is an Arabic word which means "Submission" and derives from a word meaning peace. Muslim is the title of the people who believe in the Islamic religion. There are many aspects of the Islamic religion.

First, in the religion, they believe in one God, Allah, which is the Arabic word for God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic beleif. It is the belief in Allah with all his power. Tawhid indicates that Allah is the sustainer of the universe and the soul source of guidance. The first step to becoming adopting the Islamic faith is the belief that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/allah_swt.htm

Also, Muslims believe in prophets, and Muhammad was the most well known and important. When Muhammad was forty years old, he was meditation and received his first revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad began preaching what he heard from the angel and was persecuted for doing so. Because of the harsh treatment, he emigrated from Makkah for Madinah. This migration was known as the Hijra. After many years, Muhammad and his followers forgave their enemies and returned to Makkah. When Muhammad passed away, most of Arabia became Muslim, and it continued to spread.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3218&cat=9

The Muslim Holy book is the Qur'an. It is the primary doctrinal source of Islam. It is the product of Allah's revelations to Muhammad over a period of twenty three years. It is divided into thirty sections with 114 chapters, 7 stops, 16 prostrations, and 6,666 verses. Many verses are very poetic, while others are just written normally.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/about_quran.htm

Another aspect of Islam is the five pillars. They are the foundations of Muslim life. The first pillar is faith; the belief in Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. The second pillar is prayer; Muslims are to pray daily. The third pillar is helping the needy. The fourth pillar is fasting; during the month of Ramadan each year, Muslims fast from first light to sun down. The last and fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Makkah or "Mecca." It is known as the Hajj in Arabic.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3216&cat=9

Islam, like all religions, has many parts to it. It is not just the faith in Allah, but the dedication to the Qur'an and practicing the five pillars. Although Islam is the youngest of the universal religions, it spread just as far and is practiced by just as many as the other religions. Today, Islam is the second largest religion in the world behind Christianity. 1.2 billion people practice this religion and they represent 22% of the entire world's population.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm

Vocabulary Lesson!! Yay!!

As a person who is likes to keep up with happenings around the world, it is important to be familiar with the terminology that is used regarding certain topics. Since our topic this week is Islam, I thought it would be useful to explain frequently used vocabulary when addressing Islam.

I have heard many people use the words “Islam” and “Muslim” interchangeably. Simply, Islam is the religion and a Muslim is a follower of that religion. In 2005, PBS aired a special called “In the Name of Islam” and on its website invited viewers to submit their questions. Albert Frank of Kingston, Pa. asks:

“Please explain again the difference between Islam and Muslim. Is Islam a religion and are Muslims people who believe in and practice Islam?”

Professor Salim Mansur offered a more in depth answer to Frank’s question. He wrote,

“Islam is the faith-tradition and the word "Islam" means "peace" and "submission," hence "peace through submission to God (Allah in Arabic), the Lord of the Universe, the Master of the Day of Recompense." "Muslim" means a person who has made such a submission, at least in its outward form.”

Islam is built on five “pillars” which are the foundation of Islam. They are:

1. Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
2. Establishment of the daily prayers;
3. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
4. Self-purification through fasting; and
5. The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
   

The first pillar, “faith or belief in the Oneness of God,” means that Muslims accept Allah (God) as the only god. Additionally, they believe in “the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad” which means that Muhammad is the only person who has interacted with Allah and is his prophet.

The second pillar, “establishment of the daily prayers,” requires Muslims to pray daily on five occasions: pre-dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.

The third pillar, “concern for and almsgiving to the needy,” is also known as Zakat. Islam asks that Muslims donate a portion of their monies to help other, less fortunate Muslims. A quick Google search for “Zakat calculator” yields nearly 50,000 websites to help calculate a donation.

The fourth pillar of Islam, “self-purification through fasting,” takes place during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims are required to fast from sun up to sun down each day. At the end of the month, a celebratory feast is held; it is known as "Eid" or "Eid ul-Fitr.”

Finally, the fifth pillar, “pilgrimage to Makkah” [Mecca] is required of all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the trip. As written on Religious Facts website:

The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is a mosque (built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition) built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam and the direction (qibla) in which all Muslims should offer their prayers.

The last aspect of Islam that I want to touch on briefly is the two major sects, Shiite and Sunni. Again, to make is simple, the difference between the two is that Shiite Muslims believe that the appropriate caliphs to serve after Muhammad are those with direct, blood relation to the prophet. Sunni Muslims, however, believe that any legitimate religious leader is qualified to succeed Muhammad. This distinction has been the cause for conflicts between governments in the Middle East.