Pillars Of Islam : Islam

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

Salat, ritual prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The call to prayer and an affirmation of Gods unity. There are five daily prayers starting at sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset, and after night falls. The time of each prayer changes from day to day with the orientation of the sun in the heaven. These prayers are continuous reminders for Muslims to submit to God, keeping them on a pure path, rejuvenating their faith, and giving thanks to God for all of the blessings they enjoy. Prior to each prayer one must ritually purified and cleanse one’s self both spiritually and physically in preparation for prayer. There is strict gender segregation during prayer. The Quiblah in each Muslim mosque faces in the direction of Mecca, which is the way one prays, facing the Ka’bah. Prayer starts with Allahu Akbar (Allah is great), standard resuscitation Devotional verses, verses of the Karan. Friday

Islam, meaning submission or submitting oneself fully to God, is one of the world’s largely practiced religions. Those that participate and practice the Islamic religion

On the other hand, Islam originated in the seventh century when the message was revealed to the holy prophet Muhammad. Although, the revelations were passed down from Allah (‘The God’) to angel Gabriel, Muhammad manifested the knowledge. This message was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Quran is perceived as the word of God, the supreme Allah. Islam means submission or self-surrender of one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. Muslims believe that you must not only surrender to God but the laws of the world also. Muslims believe that every person is born pure and we have a choice to either follow good or evil. Islam teaches that the path to spiritual growth is open to all. Nonetheless, the main message is to seek delight God through faith, prayer and charity. To be a genuine Muslim there are five

According to Smith, the world Islam is “derived from the root s-l-m, which means primarily “peace” but in a secondary sense “surrender,” its full connotation is “the peace that comes when one’s life is surrendered to God” (Smith 222). Therefore, Islam is a religion, like Buddhism, is attributed to seeking cultivation, and its followers, also known as Muslims, lives being totally surrendered to God.

This is set by the time of day. The last important component to the prayer pillar is the public day of prayer, Friday. On this day, devote Muslims join together to pray in mosques (Molloy, 432-434).

Islam is defined as, “the monotheistic religion based on the doctrine of submission to God and of Muhammad as the last chief and prophet of God”(Dictionary 720). There are multiple practices included in the religion of Islam, similar to any other religion. Compared to Christianity or Judaism, when one follows Islam, one must follow The Five Pillars of Islam and the rules and circumstances of the worshipping practices. In addition, depending on the branch one is apart of, they may have to follow laws enforced by different prophets as well. One’s lifestyle will change because when following Islamic faith, their religious life is their main priority. Meaning, a Muslim makes the commitment to the practices one-hundred

With regards to the first pillar, a person acknowledges the power that Allah has over them and via conversion becomes a Muslim. When it comes to how this principle functions within the life of a Muslim, it can best be described as doing so by the recognition of Allah. Knowing that there is a true higher power over your life affects the way that one lives since whatever they do is in light of such a higher power. The second pillar which also lays a strong part in the life of Muslims would have to be that of prayer. The impact on life in this area is quite obvious to see since Muslims are simply required to say five prayers daily and certain ones at certain times. However while the actual practice may seem simple, it is important to remember that the practice of prayer is quite powerful for believers of any faith. Many Muslims view such prayer as being a powerful experience which allows them to worship Allah which in turn provides them with strength. The next pillar which strongly affects the life of Muslims would have to be the charitable act of almsgiving. This act is accomplished through charitable giving which is done on the basis of the wealth of the Muslim who is in question and is done to the benefit of others such as by helping the poor and taking care of the places of worship. The fourth pillar which is applicable to the lives of Muslims would have to be the practice of Ramadan which is followed within the 9th lunar month of the Islamic calendar. This practice is relatively straight-forward since it can basically be summed as a practice where Muslims are required to abstained things such as smoking, sex, drinking, and eating except in permitted times. Although it should also be noted that many Muslims may be exempt from the required observance of Ramadan in certain situations like those

The word Islam itself means submission to Allah or to be enslaved to Allah. Muslims believe that Allah, and only Allah, is worthy to be worship. They believe that He created everything and sustains all things. Their relationship with

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 pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the fifth Pillar of Islam, is known as hajj. The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of the entire religion, and dictate the actions of every Muslim in both a private and public manner (Western Traditions 244). The first Pillar is shahadah: “to declare, or bear witness, that there is no god except God (Allah), and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God” (Western Traditions 244). The second Pillar is salat: “to establish regular worship” (Western Traditions 244) also known as prayer – which must occur five times a day. The third Pillar is almsgiving: which requires paying the Zakat alms (Western Traditions 244).

Like most religions, the Muslim faith is no different in that it there is no one way to practice it. For example Christianity. Not every Christians devoutly goes to church every Sunday. Those within the Muslim faith practice it with their own unique interpretation. Despite the different interpretations, there is a set of guidelines for moral instruction that is central to all. These rules are called the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars serves as a moral compass for all Muslims and are universally accepted. They are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an as they were recited to Muhammad.

Muslims believe in one god, Allah, who is the most just, most wise, most knowledgeable, most merciful, etc. Muslim's holy book is the Quran, and they believe it was revealed to Prophet Mohammed by the angel Gabriel. The Quran provide guidance for Muslim's daily life and spiritual life. Most Muslims believe in the 5 pillars of Islam. The fist is to witness that there is no God but Allah, and that Mohammed is the messenger of God. The second is to do the 5 daily prayers. The third is to pay 20% of your annual income to charity. The fourth and Fifth are fasting Ramadan and doing the pilgrimage if you are able

The Islamic faith is based on the belief that prayer is the direct link between the worshipper and God. Muslims believe that prayer by voice is what distinguishes Islam from Judaism and Christianity. The prayers contain verses from the Quran, the muslim holy book, and are recited five times a day at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. These prayers are led by a well-informed person called an Imam which is identified as the “one who walks before”. The Imam knows the Quran and is chosen by the worshippers based on his dedication and knowledge.

Due to much media in the world often times when a person hears the word Islam, their mind will go straight to the Twin Towers attack attack on 9/11 and group them all together with the blame (Mavani, 2010, p.95). However, anyone who knows people associated with the Islam religion know that is not the truth. Islam is often called the religion of peace and all they want to do is to please God in everything they do. The goal of Islam is to live your life as an act of worship and the way to attain this goal is through the Five Pillars of Faith and ultimately through God. The Five Pillars of Faith include faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. By following these Five Pillars, Islams believe the all knowing God will judge them