Brief Summary of Islam

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.

Five pillars of Islam, are spiritual practices that define what it means to be a member of the Muslim community and believe in Islam.

It all began in a cave. Muhammad started Islam in 610 BC and after that it spread throughout Arabia and regions near it. Islam was able to do this quickly because of its military success, trade connections, and political order.

Muhammad descended from Ishmael. The fundamental practices of Islam is the five pillars. These practices include a ritual profession of faith, praying five times daily facing east, giving of alms (zakat), fasting, and performing the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

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

The development of Islam – 7th century C.E. – This religion began when the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and told him to spread the word of God. At this time, many people worshipped many gods/idols. Muhammad was thought of as the “one true prophet” by his followers. There are five pillars of Islam: the shahada – profession of faith, salat – ritual prayer, sawm – fasting, zakat – giving alms, and hajj – pilgrimage to mecca. Muhammad’s preaching about there only being one god got him kicked out of Mecca in 622 C.E. where he and his followers ended up in Medina. In Medina, the Islamic community grew into a small emoire-like group. In 630, the Muslims took back Mecca. After Muhammad’s death, the religion continued to grow with many disputes

The five pillars of the Islamic faith are of tremendous importance to the Muslim culture. These five pillars are the foundation of Islamic teachings, principles and morals. One could think of the pillars just as you would think of the pillars of a building. As some buildings need pillars to remain standing, Muslims believe that the five pillars are essential to the existence and continuation of their religion. There are many aspects to the Islamic religion, but the five pillars are required for anyone who wants to acquire the title of

In 612, Islam began when the Prophet Muhammad began to preach to his friends and family in Mecca about what revelations he and his wife believed to be from God. As word spread and people converted, he and his followers gained friends and enemies and the ummah, community, became its own being that had a strong sense of unity. Muhammad established the religion,

Muslims believe their faith is the only true faith, it was revealed to them through a long line of prophets inspired by God. To practice their faith Muslims must accept five primary obligations called five pillars of Islam. The first pillar, is the profession of faith, repetition of the statement, “There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God”. The second pillar is the devotion to prayer and worship. Muslims pray five times a day while facing towards Mecca the “house of God”. Prayers are simple and personal but also done in groups. The third pillar is the obligatory religious tax it is paid by all for the benefit of the community. The fourth pillar is the month long fast each year during Ramadan from dawn to dark along with refraining from cursing, lying, and cheating. The fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca at some time during your life.

The Five Pillars of Islam are five primary obligations that a Muslim must fulfill in his or her lifetime and they form the basic identity of a Muslims, their faith, beliefs and practices (The Five Pillars, 2015, para. 1). The Second Pillar of Islam is Salah (prayer) in which many Muslims around the world will turn individually and collectively to Makkah (Islam's holiest city) and offer up five daily prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening (The Five Pillars, 2015, para. 3). Every Muslim when facing Makkah is not just turning to face Makkah but is actually turning towards Makkah to face the Kaba which Muslims believe is a house of worship that Abraham built with his son

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

The basic message of Islam was that there was one God who ruled over the other Gods and whose name was Allah. Muslim Prophet Muhammad was the last and greatest prophet of Allah. He believed that Allah had exposed himself in Moses and Jesus and thru the Hebrew and Christian traditions (203). The last revelations were given to him. These revelations were written down in a holy book that became the Qur 'an. The teachings of Muhammad formed the foundation for the religion of Islam. Islam means, "submission to the will of Allah". Allah was the almighty who created the world and everything in it (203). His worshipper 's were called Muslims. Islam was a way to set religious beliefs as well as a way of life. The Islamic society had a certain way in which they behave. They had their morals recorded in the Qur 'an and this served as their code of ethics and law (203). They has to followed a basic righteous code that was compose of the Five Pillars of Islam. These first pillar, was that there is no other God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet. The second pillar is that regular prayers to worship Allah are required 5 times a day and a public prayer on Friday at midday. The third pillar was that money must be given to the poor and needy. The fourth pillar was the observance of the Holy month of Ramadan with fasting from dawn to sunset. The fifth pillar was to make a pilgrimage to Mecca

Islam, now one of the major religions of the world, was found by a prophet, named Muhammad. The idea of Islam is the believer, called a Muslim, accepts surrender to the will of Allah, who is their God. Allah is viewed as the creator of the world. Islam is much like Christianity, as they are both monotheistic, potentially believing in the same God. Islam’s practices are written in the holy book, called the Qur’an, or Koran in English. Allah revealed the Koran to his messenger, Muhammad, who is considered the last of a series of prophets (Rahmin). Within the Islam religion, Muslims practice the Five Pillars of Islam, which is one of the most important practices. The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam (Five Pillars of Islam). Carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates the Muslim is putting their faith first. The first pillar is called “Shahadah,” which focuses on reciting the Muslim profession of faith (Five Pillars of Islam).

These five pillars are Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. A life of a Muslim revolves around these five pillars of Islam. Islamic culture represents different aspects of Islamic life, which includes wedding traditions, clothing, foods, arts and crafts etc. (Kirabaev, 2000).There are many sources of a well-defined Muslim culture. Three of them are: Local tradition , The Hadith and , The Quran.

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