Islamic Ancient Traditions: The Six Pillars

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

Spiritual beliefs are also enhanced during Hajj, making it significant for the community and individual. Muslims believe that the Hajj was designed and commanded to be observed by Allah. The most intensive experience of umma in the life of a Muslim is to perform Hajj, the fifth pillar of faith, making it extremely significant in the lives of Islamic adherents and the community, as the event provides an opportunity for a sense of umma, through recognition of tawhid. Hajj provides Muslims with the opportunity to awaken their consciousness of their God centrality, through the tawaf made around the Ka’ba as Muslims recite their submission to will of Allah. This collective form of worship also contributes significantly to an individuals self identity through being part of the umma. It is also a means of increasing the certainty of faith as Muslims see more than two million adherents performing Hajj. Hajj also

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

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

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.

Faithful Islamics today still strive to complete the five pillars; Believe that Allah is the one and only God, pray five times a day, give alms, and fast at Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to mecca. Since The Middle East continues to have a strong religious background ever since Muhammad’s teachings.

There holy book is called Quran and contains the revelations that god made to Muhammad. They believe that through god Mecca was the holy city and the center of Islam. The five pillars are very different from any other religion because all Muslims must know them and they are the key to Islam. They are Shahada, Salat, Zakat. Siyam, and the Hajj. The Hajj is a key step in the five pillars and it tells that a Muslim must travel to Mecca to participate in a series of rituals if money and heath is stable. Islam’s holy building is called a mosque. They also have two major sects called sunni and shii.

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

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).

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

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