The Five Pillars Of Islam

Shahadah is the Muslim declaration or testimony of faith. The words “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (PBUH) is His messenger.” are recited in order to affirm Islamic adherents belief in Allah and in the prophet Muhammad being God’s final messenger. By reciting this testimony of Islamic faith, adherents acknowledge that Allah has an exclusive right to be worshipped and only Him, as well as accepting the prophethood of Muhammad, being the last and final messenger of Allah. Shahadah must be stated by a Muslim, as if it is not said nor known, then one may not call themselves a

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

The very first pillar is the profession of faith, also known as Shahada, which states “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”. In order to become Muslim, it is required to recite the Shahada three times, out loud, in front of witnesses. By reciting the profession of faith, they declare that there is only one Allah and they will follow the teachings of the Prophet. They will abide by the Five Pillars of Islam which are the Shahada, Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). They will also abide by the Six Articles of Faith. They must believe in one and only Allah, angels, the holy books, the prophets, Judgement Day, and

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

The first pillar of Islam represents the confession of faith to which all Muslims must believe in one universal god and creator, Allah. This declaration

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

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

The five pillars of Islam are the things the Muslims have to do to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Shahada is the pillar where every Muslim sincerely recites their faith. When a Muslim recites their faith, they claim that Allah is the only god, Muhammad is the prophet, and that they will obey all the commitments of Islam. Salat is the prayers that are to be performed five times a day. Muslims are to pray before sunrise, midday, late afternoon, after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. They believe that prayers set the rhythm of the day. Children are encouraged to start praying at age seven. Zakat is paying taxes that will benefit the poor or those who are less fortunate. Zakat as seen as a type of worship and self-purification. Sawm is the fasting during the month of Ramadan (ninth month if the Islamic calendar). During the Ramadan Muslims are to give up during the day; any food or drink, smoking, and any type of sexual activity. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Once a year Muslims gather together at Mecca and praise to the Allah together. Mecca is the place that is holy for every Muslim, a non-Muslim cannot

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.

“Recitation of the Qur’an is thought to have a healing, soothing effect, but can also bring protection, guidance, and knowledge, according to Islamic tradition (Fisher, Mary)”. People can recite the qur’an in the purified states only because Qur’an contains a powerful words and it takes a great responsibility (Fisher, Mary)”. “The verses of the Qur’an are terse (Fisher, Mary)” which makes it harder to translate. One of the unique tradition in Islam are the five pillars. “The basic spiritual practices incumbent on all Muslims are known as the five pillars of Islam (Fisher, Mary)”. The first pillar is believing and professing the unity of god and the messengership of Muhammad. The second pillar is the performance of a continual round of prayers. Muslims perform prayers five times a day “facing mecca, and reciting a series of prayers and passages from the Qur’an, bowing and kneeling (Fisher, Mary)”. The third pillar is Zakat, charity or almsgiving. “Muslims must donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to needy Muslims (Fisher, Mary)”. The fourth pillar is fasting. Fasting frequently is recommended in Islam however, fasting during Ramadan is the obligatory (Fisher,

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.

The first of the Five Pillars is the creed. The creed states, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger,” (Molloy,

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

Salat is the Muslim prayers that are performed five times every day. Allah ordered Muslims to pray at five times of the day: dawn, before sunrise, midday, after the sun passes its highest, the late part of the afternoon, just after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. All Muslims try to do this, even young children. The prayers give Muslims the pattern of their day.

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