Al-Muhyi: The Five Pillars Of Sunni Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are lifelong acts of worship, which includes faith, prayer, almsgiving (charity), fasting, and a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Describe each of the five pillars and reflect on why they are referred to as Pillars of Islam.

obliged to follow the ‘Five Pillars.’  They are 1) Muslim profession of faith or shahada, 2) Ritual

Five Pillars of Islam. These pillars, Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Siyam, and Hajj represent the core values of the Islamic faith and a set of commandments that all Muslims

Arkhan al Islam or the five pillars of faith are the foundations of Islam which govern the everyday actions and practices of Islamic adherents around the world. These core teachings of Islam are essential in order for Muslims to be able to efficiently express and practice their beliefs. Adherents are expected to follow these pillars as it is stated in the Qur’an, believed to be the direct word of Allah, revealed through the revelation to the prophet Muhammad. The five pillars are a crucial part of Islam, therefore being perfect examples of expressions of faith, as they shape how the Islamic faith is lived out. Both Sunni and Shi’ia Muslims agree of the fundamentals of Islam, and carry out practicing these beliefs in similar yet slightly altered ways. By living out these pillars, adherents are showing full submission to Allah and will assist adherents in gaining a place in the afterlife.

Central to the Muslim belief is the importance of devotion and total submission to Allah. This is put into practice through the Five Pillars of Islam –the five obligatory duties that must be performed by all practising Muslims. These are the acts of faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Carrying out these duties creates structure in a Muslim’s life, teaching them to devote their time to Allah and not get caught up in their own secular lives. The effect the Five Pillars of Islam has on not only the individual but the community as a whole is substantial. Constantly

One of the Five Pillars keep the people from sinning and actually enforce that you do good for society. Other Pillars include rules such as fasting or praying. One of the Five Pillars is Shahadah, sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith. It is the same as how Christians get baptized. The person going through Shahadah will recite the profession of faith, which, in english, is, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger” (Muslim 1). When one says the Shahadah, he or she is stating that he or she believes the Allah is the only god, Allah never had a son, and that he is indivisible. Then there is the Hajj, another Pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is an event held from the 8th to the 12th of the last month on the Islamic calendar which is Dhu al-Hijjah. It is considered mandatory for any Islamic adult who is financially stable to participate in the Hajj. If one fulfills those circumstances they are considered mustati. “During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals such as: each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around

When it comes to the various religious movements in existence, one common point which they tend to have certain theological tenets which define such a religion. Within Christianity, this can be seen with the doctrines espoused by the Apostles Creed while in the Bahai faith it can be seen in the core ideas of unity. This general concept is also found in Islam where Islamic theology is largely based upon the notion of the five pillars which plays an important part in the lives of adherents. Such pillars include bearing witness, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage each of which expected for the faithful Muslim to practice in his life since they provide the framework towards practical Islam. Thus examining the five pillars will allow one

The Five Pillars of Islam are the rules that Muhammad established as the cornerstone of the Islamic religion. First, Muslims have to accept Allah as

The differing aspects of religious practices were also emerged and classified. The religious practice of Islam is based on the belief known as the five pillars: The declaration of faith, daily prayers, paying charity, fasting during ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. These are five obligatory duties that a Muslim must adhere to in order to please God and strengthen their faith

Like many other religions, the Muslim faith has experienced many changes and branches. Like Christianity, the original faith is still practiced by some, but others have started new branches with their own unique interpretation being Muslim. Despite these differences within the Muslim religion, one set of rules for moral guidance is central to all. These rules are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars act as a moral compass for Muslims and are universally accepted as they are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an, the sacred Muslim book of God’s words as they were recited to Muhammad (Molloy, 425).

(a) The Five Pillars of Islam are the fundamental beliefs of Islam. These five pillars are a declaration of faith, daily prayer, giving

All great things are built on a solid and strong foundation. The religion of Islam is no different. The foundation on which Islam was built is known as The Five Pillars of Islam. These are the essential duties that are required of all Muslims. The pillars are the shahadah (declaration of faith), salah (establishment of the five ritual prayers), zakah (almsgiving), sawm (fasting the month of Ramadan), and hajj (pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca). These five pillars are in the central religious text of Islam, the Qur’an, and are presented as “the framework for worship and a sign of commitment to faith” (Esposito, “Pillars of Islam”). The pillars are often compared to a creed such as those seen in Christianity. While the two are similar in regards to the first pillar, they differ in that the five pillars of Islam are acts or practices that Muslims must perform while a creed, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a brief authoritative formula of religious belief. Shahadah, salah, zakah, sawm, and hajj are the five obligations all Muslims have to satisfy to live a respectable life according to Islam. They are the framework and foundation of a Muslim’s life.

The Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. The four other pillars include Shahadah, Salah, Zakat and Sawm. Shahadah means profession of faith, Muslims must recite the creed "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” (Zahid) These words show their devout acceptance and solidifies their commitment to the religion. The second pillar, Salah, is all about prayer. The Islamic faith requires prayer daily and the number of times is based on your affiliation with either the Shi’a or the Sunni. Almsgiving, or the giving of gifts or money, is the third pillar and is called Zakat. Sawm is the fasting ritual muslims practice. This is done in the month of Ramadan and is an expression of self restraint. The Qur’an states "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may learn self-restraint." (Qur 'an

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of