More handpicked essays just for you.
The role of the Qur'an
Assess the significance of the five pillars of Islam
Assess the significance of the five pillars of Islam
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The role of the Qur'an
Islam is a powerful religion, whose followers; the Muslims, believe in the 5 pillars of Islam. They are expected to demonstrate their adoration for Allah, profess their faith, pray multiple times throughout the day, and learn according to their sacred texts. Their most famous text is The Koran, which instructs Muslims to fulfill their duties and it informs them about their significant figures. An example is the quote excerpted from it that follows: “Righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the scriptures and the prophets.” (2:177) It teaches and illustrates their beliefs, values, practices, and historical documents. Islam is followed by more than a billion people, which influences others surrounding their culture
They also consider him to be the last prophet of God through the teachings and the example of Muhammad. They refer to their god as Allah. The basis of Islamic life is centered on Allah, whom we must be submitted to and served. They believe that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time with evolving cultures and translating languages, but consider the Arabic Qur'an to be the unaltered and final revelation of Allah. Religion is practiced with the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and required acts of worship.
The Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam "arkan-al-Islam”- Its purpose is essentially to facilitate the act of submission to Allah which is pinnacle to all followers of Islam. "Perform the pilgrimage and the visit [to Mecca] for Allah" Surah 2:196. It has enormous significance, not only for the pilgrim undertaking the Hajj but also for the wider Muslim community, the Umma, as it allows for all individuals to gain unification of faith. Such purpose can be examined through considering various rituals; the stand before Allah "wuquf", the stoning of the pillars at Mina, the commemoration of the festival of sacrifice "Id-ul-Adha", the circling of the Ka'bah and drawing water from the well of Zamzam. Such rituals give example to a profound meaning of the Islamic faith and upon completion, the individual is fulfilling to the ultimate goal of Islam, a more perfect submission to Allah.
The PBS produced film Islam: Empire of Faith is an excellent introduction to the history and foundations of Islam. The documentary provides the audience with a relatively unbiased view of Islam, starting with the life of the prophet Mohammed to the spread of the Ottoman Empire up to Suleman. The film itself I narrated by Sir Richard Kingsley with multiple scholars providing commentary on the significant impacts of Islam throughout history. Islam: Empire of Faith provides an accurate depiction of Islam. The information presented utilizes factual dates and allows the viewer to develop a relatively unbiased opinion.
In the investigation of Islam, the five pillars of Islam provide a glimpse of the life and obligations of the Muslim. The main pillars include confession, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage. This essay will provide a brief overview of the pillars, how prayer is lived out in an individual Muslims life, and how Christians assimilate to Muslim culture in Saudi Arabia.
Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion alongside Judaism and Christianity. It is currently the second largest religion in the world today. Its beliefs come from the Qur'an which literally means "the recitation" which is believed to be a literal transcription of the word of God. Its main prophet is named Muhammad who began Islam by speaking with the angel Gabriel in a cave during his meditation and then acting as an instrument of God to help write the Qur’an. Muhammad then spread Islam to the scattered tribes of Arabia by becoming the leader of Yathrib and using his wonderful leadership abilities to then grow his influence over virtually all of Arabia. Muhammad is known by Muslims to be the seal of the profits because no profits after Muhammad should be considered legitimate. Muhammad also left behind the Hadith or “tradition” which is a collection of writings compiled of reports of Muhammad’s actions as leader of Yathrib. These reports are used as a more specific code of ethics in day to day life and from these reports the 5 Pillars of Islam are derived (Smith 160). Although Islam shares many similarities to Judaism and Christianity it is often viewed in the US with hate derived from preconceived notions following the attack on September 11th 2001. This paper seeks to provide an overview of Islam’s history as well as its two major sects and 5 main pillars to remove preconceived notions and provide a glance into the minds of the Islamic people.
Islam is a religion that is based on the submission oneself to the will of God, who is called Allah. Muslims are the people believe in that, regardless of their culture, background or ethnicity. It is believed that God’s prophets brought a message for the people to worship one God without intermediaries and that prophet Muhammad was the end of G...
It is said that the religion of Islam was revealed to Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who is known as the Prophet Muhammad. The religion of Islam are as varied as any other however there are certain values and beliefs that identify as Muslim. To understand a person’s faith (of any kind) the first step is to learn some background and understand a little of the beliefs held. A good start understands the cornerstones of a faith; in the case of Islam these are called the five pillars. The five pillars are more based on actions than beliefs; the first is shahadah is an expression of faith and in the oneness of god and that Muhammad received and delivered gods final revelation to the world, and every Muslim is expected to say the shahadah at least once in his or her life, although most say it every day. The second pillar is salat the prayers which each Muslim must recite five time each day facing in the direction of Mecca. They are five different ones and cannot be said all at the same time and so they create a sort of rhythm which structures th...
Five Pillars of Islam In order to follow the right path in the Islamic religion its followers, Muslims, are required to practice its five pillars, or duties. Each of these duties is mentioned in the Quran; however, scholars have found a more detailed explanation in the Hadith. The five pillars are uttering the Shahada, prayer, zakat, participating in the fast, and a pilgrimage to Mecca. The first of the five duties is uttering the Shahada, a phrase that declares the faith of the follower.
“Religion” is an inherently social creation which functions to naturalize certain behaviors and ideologies to maintain social order (Martin 94). In his book “A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion”, Craig Martin introduces the concept of a “cultural toolbox”, comprised of the concepts, values, traditions, icons, figures, texts, and stories in a culture that represent and reinforce the elements of the society (97-98). To maintain social order and convince others to conform to the proposed, religions employ a tactic known as “legitimation” to justify traditions, practices, and ideologies using the “cultural toolbox” of a society (Martin 94).
Islam’s orderly politics, its vast society of members, and its rigid explanation of monotheism all melt into one religion; its members identified as Muslims, meaning one who submits to the will of Allah. All these ideas and customs originated from the mouth of Muhammad, who is Allah’s one prophet according to Muslims. Islam teaches its members to trust in Allah, as shown in its Five Pillars. Islam’s infusion into everyday society around the world was not a mistake; two main factors helped disperse Islam’s ideas and customs in under 200 years. Islam spread so quickly because of conquest and political order, the two most important aspects bringing great recognition to this widely spread religion.
The religion of Islam dates back to the 7th century CE and the life of its founder, Muhammad of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Islam is an Arabic word meaning: making something safe and secure, making something sound and whole, entering into peace and tranquility, and surrendering to something other than oneself. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. In the religion of Islam, it requires the belief in certain core tenets, which include the articles of faith and the five pillars of worship. These two combined, form the Islamic creed.
Islam the complete ‘surrender to Allah’ is a living religious tradition with the principal belief in one God – Allah. Islam has remained the same in its principle beliefs of Allah, His Angels, His Prophets, His Books, The Last Day and his complete authority over destiny and has also changed over time to ensure that Islam remains a living religious tradition. Over its history Islam has had many significant people including Al Ghazali and Aisha Bint Abu Bakr who have ensured that Islam remains living in the hearts and minds of its adherents. In addition to significant individuals participation in the Five Pillars e.g. the Hajj ensure that Islam will continue to be the living religious tradition that it is.
The Koran is the holy book which Muslims recite and turn to for guidance in all aspect of their lives. It consists of what Muslims believe are the divine revelations from God to Muhammad. The Koran holds a spiritual message to its readers, including practical injunctions, aimed at general welfare of human beings, society, and the environment (whyislam.org). The holy Koran has a very rich history in terms of how it came about and was put together. People debate the timing of the Koran.
The worship of Allah is principal in a Muslim’s mind at all time. There are also five formal acts of worship which help strengthen a the faith and obedience of a Muslim. They are frequently called the “Five Pillars of Islam”. The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework and guidelines of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, supporting the needy, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the once in a lifetime trip to Makkah for those who are able to do so. These Five Pillars are the thing Muslim’s do to please God and to keep themselves well and happy in this lifetime and for the future ones to come. It was Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, who was reported to have said, “Islam is based upon five pillars”.
...ethics, and so forth. The crucial piece of information to remember about this religion is that they greatly emphasis unity and have a great amount of diversity. Even though it is a diverse religion, all of the Muslims are monotheistic and solely believe that Allah is the creator of everything, including humans. As a human being they believe that they are in debt to God or simply stated as according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Therefore, all that we are and all that we have belongs to God for which we are indebted to Him and for whose gifts we must give thanks (shukr)” . God is the Absolute and the main point of the Islamic religion is that it is crucial to worship him and follow his commands, and that will lead to peace among everyone. This particular religion has continued to rapidly grow throughout the world and as with most religions, it will continue to grow.