Comparing The Five Pillars Of Islam

DeAnn Grove

1)Describe the five pillars of Islam and include comments regarding how they are practiced and what the purpose of each pillar is for Muslims.

Islam has five primary obligations, or pillars of faith, that each Muslim must fulfill in his or her lifetime. The five pillars define the basic identity of Muslims, their faith, beliefs, and practices that bind together a worldwide community of believers into a fellowship of shared values and concerns. The first pillar is called Shahadah, which is the profession of faith, is the most important pillar. Muslims bear witness to the oneness of God by reciting the creed, with complete sincerity, “There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." This simple yet profound

Found in chapter three, Aal-'Imran, verse 45, “(Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word ["Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah." The Qur’an continues to describe Gabriel’s visit to Mary and what she can expect, which is similar to Christian view, but as written in the Qur’an, Jesus is not the son of God, but one that will become a great messenger of his word. This is written in verses 48 and 49 of the Qur’an, 48: “And He (Allah) will teach him ['Iesa (Jesus)] the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel). 49: “And will make him ['Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.” Thus, confirming that Jesus was not the son of Allah, or to be worshiped as Allah, but a prophet to spread his