Islam And The Five Pillars Of Islam

Islam was thus born and Mohammad wrote about the revelations into a book that is known today as the Qur’an. Within the Qur’an, there are many stories about how Muslims are supposed to live their lives and the way it guides them to the divine revelation. There are five pillars of practice in Islam and must be taken seriously in order to be considered a true Muslim. The first pillar is the testimony of faith which means that there is only one God and no one else besides him. The second pillar is prayer and Muslims pray five times a day and face towards Mecca each time they pray. The third pillar is giving or zakat, which is when Muslims give to the poor and those less fortunate. The fourth pillar is fasting during the month of Ramadan. The last and final pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must make at least once in their life. Islam is a respected religion and just like Judaism is still practiced

When describing the five pillars of the Muslim faith, it is believed that this was the main foundation of the Muslim way of life. These five pillars give a true identity when it comes to the Muslim faith and lifestyle. One of the pillars is named Salat which is translated to Prayer in the English language. Throughout the day people would have to pray and it doesn't really matter where they do it. They have to at least do it five times a day. The second pillar that I will talk about is named Zakat. Zakat would mean charity or give charity. One of the principles following this is to have the knowledge that everything belongs to God.

I think it’s important to begin with a basic understanding of Islam. The foundation of Islam is the worship one God, Allah, and submission to Him. Muslims believe that God doesn’t need humanity nor be worshipped, but people need God. This human need for God gives purpose to the religion and individual followers. To fulfill this need for Allah, Muslims are required to worship five times a day at dawn, noon, late afternoon, evening and night. During each time of worship, Muslims follow rakat, which are series of ordained movements. One praying begins standing, then bows and goes on their knees, then lies prostrate on the ground. Each time of prayer requires a different amount of rakats, but usually only needs three to five minutes to complete. It is common to complete an act of purification/absolution, called wudu before staring the rakat. This helps them focus their mind on Allah and His goodness. Additional short prayers known as dua are

Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim 's life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion.

The Five Pillars of Islam support the creed of a Muslim and are necessary to faith-based expansion. These pillars include Shahadah, which is the declaration of faith; Salah, compulsory prayers five times a day; Zakah, annual welfare contributions; Sawm, fasting during Ramadan; and Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam is a practical religion and the Five Pillars are the visible signs that a Muslim has submitted to the will of Allah (Encyclopedia of Religion, 2005). Practicing these acts of faith show that a Muslim willingly obeys Allah's guidance and it demonstrates their commitment to serve and worship

For example, both Shiite and Sunni Muslims say the shadaha, or affirmation that "there is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." However, Shiite Islam includes an additional line affirming that "Ali is the friend of God." In addition, although Shiite and Sunni Muslims both agree that performing salat, the daily cycle of obligatory prayers, is a fundamental of the faith. Sunni Muslims pray at five separate times of day while Shiites group the prayers in such a way as to require only three separate prayer times. As stated in opposingviews.com one particularly prominent tradition is the commemoration of the martyrdom of the third Imam, Ali's son Husayn, a period of fasting and reflection previously established by Muhammad. Shiites also have holidays not held in connection with the shared Islamic calendar, such as the commemoration of Muhammad's announcement of Ali as his success. The ritual practises of Islam are all conducted by either the Sunnis or Shi’ites or even both, as all members of the Islamic faith follow according to their

The Five Pillars of Islam are a set of beliefs in the Islam tradition that support building a life of meaning purpose and fulfillment. The first pillar is Shahadah, which is the profession of faith that Muslims recite. The second pillar is Salat, which are daily prayers. Muslims are expected to pray five times per day towards Mecca to symbolize their devotion to Allah, which means God. The third pillar is Zakat, which is giving charity to the poor. The fourth pillar is Sawm, in which Muslims fast during Ramadan. Ramadan is a holly month in the Islamic calendar that Muslims are expected to fast from sun rise to sun down. The last pillar is the Hajj, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca

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 second pillar of the “Five Pillars of Islam,” is “salat or the obligatory prayer.” Prayer is central in a Muslim’s daily life as it is required five times daily (Molloy 416). In visiting the Friday prayer service at the Denver Islamic Society, the melodic chanting of the Imam as he called believers to prayer was beautiful and awe-inspiring. The Arabic language combined with the deep, clear, dulcet voice of the Imam garnered reverence and devoted responsiveness. Before prayer was conducted parishioners were allowed to go and properly wash themselves in preparation for sacred prayer. Upon completion of this holy cleansing ritual, believers stood shoulder to shoulder facing Mecca as they systematically chanted, bowed, arose, chanted, prostrated, arose, and so on until the prayer ritual was concluded. Devotion and unity within the Islamic community is no doubt strengthened by this

Salat, or prayer is equally as important. Muslims must pray five times a day at dawn, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and in the evening. Everywhere in the world Muslims take time to pray all five times, “God is Most Great! God is Most Great! I witness that there is no God but Allah, I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, Come to prayer, Come to salvation, God is Most Great! God is Most Great! There is no god but God!” (Esposito, p. 240). Muslims pray at whatever appropriate place the find, by themselves or in a group. The prayer must be recited facing the city of

The second pillar is prayer. Devout Muslims pray five times a day. Once at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and nighttime. The prayer process for Muslims is extremely sacred and done ritually. The prayers are called together by a “muezzin” from atop a tower called a minaret. Another ritual involved in Muslim prayer includes a purification process with water or sand, where the believer cleanses their hands, arms, face, neck and feet before beginning. Believers always pray facing

From the Qur’an, there have been five Pillars of Faith that Muslims have followed. The pillars include a truth statement/belief, prayer, alms, an observed feast, and pilgrimage. Of these pillars, the statement is the most important and central pillar, and the statement is “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is God’s Prophet.” ( Aslan 152) The prayers may be the most well-known part of Islam practice, and the Muslims do it five times a day at specific times.(Aslan 148)

The Arabic word “Muslim,” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God [Allah]),” (Ellwood, 2014) not terrorists as portrayed in the media. The religion of Islam is to accept and obey the teachings of God which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad. There are five simple but essential observances that all practicing Muslims accept and follow: confession of faith, prayer five times a day, giving of alms to the poor, fasting, and the hajj (Ellwood, 2014). These “Pillars of Islam” represent the core that unites all Muslims.

The Salah is one of the 5 Pillars of Islam, signifying it as a key element of Islam. It is practiced throughout the Muslim world in various contexts (alone, in a group, various countries). The Salah is a very ridged and structured ritual that Muslims do multiple times a day. The Salah is a vital ritual in Islam; the layers of meaning that I will be discussing are integrating worship into daily life, submission to God, establishing a community of followers, and finally the implications Salah has when practiced in foreign environments where people are less familiar with the ritual.

‘Salah’ – Muslims are expected to pray five times per day. This will occur at midday, late afternoon, after sunset and at night. During these breaks a call is made from the minaret calling the people to pray. Before one prays, a purification ritual will take place. This ritual is that a person must wash themselves in clean running water, in the order of hands, mouth, nose, face, arms and then wet hands are run over the head and neck, then the ears and finally the feet. During the prayer it also involves specific postures which are standing, stooping, kneeling and also sitting. Whilst kneeling, the forehead and chin must be touching the ground. This is all known as rakah – specific words and postures. The prayers may be said anywhere that is sanitary. They will be opened, shoes must be removed and the individual will always face Mecca. On Fridays at midday,