the 5 pillars of islam

537 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: 5 pillars of islam

Five Pillars of Islam

In order to follow the right path in the Islam 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. The phrase is, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is His messenger.” This phrase is used in the daily life of Islam’s followers, because this phrase illustrates the central beliefs in the Islam faith.

The second ritual duty is prayer. Muslims are obligated to pray five times each day. The prayer sessions must take place at designated times of the day and following the proper procedures. These designated times are at dawn, midday, in the afternoon, during the evening, and at sunset. Before prayer begins Islam’s followers must cleanse themselves both physically and mentally to achieve the purity required to engage in prayer. Prayer also must follow a cycle. Takbir is the first step in the cycle. This step is the opening sutra which means that the follower says, “Allahu akbar,” which mean “God is great.” At this point the worshiper will perform four postures, standing, bowing, postrating, and sitting...

Show More
Related

  • Islam: Its History, Sects, and Pillars

    2993 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of the Qur’an in Muslim Religion

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... believe in one God, and relates their life to the basis of the text in the Qur’an. To give themselves to God, by doing right, such as performing the duties within the five pillars, followers are then able to show their true devotion and commitment. Therefore, a true Muslim is one who submits to God and who God will lead on to have a righteous salvation.

    Read More

  • Aql (intellect) and Nafs (ego) Can Have a Positive and Negative Contribution towards One's Spiritual Development

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    Understanding these obligatory duties and practicing them are part of each Muslim’s spiritual journey. This will encourage the nafs in the right direction, deterring it from its ill feelings and desires, and both faculties can remain focused on what is truly fundamental in their spiritual journey (Gulen, 2009). One must aspire to cleanse the nafs so it can be of its highest position to follow God’s Revelation and be on par with the aql.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Monotheism: Shahada, Salat, And Zakat

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monotheism Paper There are five pillars of Islam but, Shahada, Salat, and Zakat are very similar to many Christian and Judaic beliefs. These three pillars of Islam were created to tell Muslims how to live their lives. These three pillars of Islam are very similar to the Ten Commandments which are also fundamental to Christianity and Judaism. The three pillars of Islam tell Muslims how to live their lives. Shahada says to recite the Muslim faith, Salat says to pray, and Zakat says to help the needy.

    Read More

  • Orthopraxy In Islam

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Salat, as mentioned earlier, is the performance of prayer five times a day. The prayer, which includes full prostration, is performed facing Mecca. In the The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, (the earliest source of Islamic writing as dictated to Mohammed), it is written, “Whencesoever thou comest forth (for prayer, O Mohammed) turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship. Lo! it is the Truth from thy Lord. Allah is not unaware of what ye do (Surah 2:149).” Implicit directions for prayer also display the amount of emphasis on practice. Salat must be performed five times daily, at specific times of the day: early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Each Friday a congregational service is held at the mosque and every male is required to attend. Before prayer, four ritual aspects are required: ritual purification, proper covering of the body, proper intention, and facing Mecca, or qibla (1).

    Read More

  • Islam and Christanity Conflicts

    1664 Words  | 4 Pages

    In my opinion, the last three pillars of Islam, mentioned above, connect the Islamic people the most. The Third pillar, Zakat, or charity to the poor, requires each Muslim to pay 2.5% of everything he or she owns to the poor each year. (Molly 442) The fourth pillar requires Muslims to fast during the month of Ramadan.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Five Pillars Of Islam

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Islam: The Five Pillars Of Islam

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    This action of prayer is called the Salat, and is part of the Five Pillars of Islam, or the 5 core actions and beliefs that Muslims must follow and accomplish in order to fulfill the covenant of Allah. The covenant of Allah says if Muslims do good, they will be promised a godly life, in contrast if they do bad, they will be punished. Another important part of the Five Pillars is the Hajj, which is a pilgrimage to Mecca. During the Hajj, Muslims from all around the world gather together, wear uniformed clothes-- two pieces of white cloth during this trip. All Muslims, despite their differences, are viewed equally in the eyes of Allah, and this sense of equality establishes a connection in the Muslim community.

    Read More

  • Hajj

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Islamic faith there are five pillars that they must follow to their best ability. The Salaht, the Hajj, they must give to the poor, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and repetition of the creed, "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." These pillars are more like obligations in the Islamic religion.

    Read More

  • The Five Pillars of Islam

    441 Words  | 1 Pages

    The second of the five pillars is Salat. This is the name for the mandatory prayers which are to be performed five times a day. The prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and God. The is no authority like a priest, so the prayers are said by a person who is well familiarized with the Qu’ran, which is chosen by the worshippers. The prayers contain versus from the Qu’ran but the personal supplication may be said in one’s own language. These prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall.

    Read More

  • Egyptian Bedouins

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Islam, there is something known as the five pillars. These five pillars detail how to carry on your religious duty. The five pillars of Islam start off with the belief in the oneness of God and Muhammad as his prophet, as well as belief in all other prophets before Muhammad. The next pillar is prayer. Prayer must be carried out five times a day. The first prayer called Fagr (streak of light) must take place between when the first light of the day is seen until 10:00 am. The second prayer called al-duhr (noon prayer) should be done between noon and the next prayer which is the asr (afternoon) prayer. The fourth prayer of the day is the Maghrib (sundown) prayer. The last prayer is called the Isha (night) prayer. If any prayer is missed at any time of the day for any reason, it can be made up at a later time. The next pillar of Islam is al-sowm (the fast). Muslims must fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Muslims engage in this practice in order to gain endurance and compassion for the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is zakah (charity), every Muslim is asked to give a fraction of their money to the poor. This fraction is usually a percentage of their wealth. The final pillar is the Hajj (journey to Mecca), a mature Muslim must visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in their life. A Muslim that visits Mecca seven times in their lifetime can visit the Dome of the Rock is Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is the second most holy place in the world for Muslims.

    Read More

  • Importance of Prayer in a Muslim's Life

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Each Muslim above the age of puberty is commanded to pray five times a day. Muslims pray five times a day facing the Qibla which means facing Makkah the house of Allah. Before praying Muslims do the Wud’u which is cleaning their hand, face, arm, feet, mouth, nose, ears and beginning of head with water. They watch their hands three times and then their mouth three times. After that they sniff water into their nose three times. Then they w...

    Read More

  • On Hajj

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    On Hajj The religion of Islam is held up by five pillars, known as the five. pillars of Islam. These are five ritual duties that Muslims view as central to their faith. These are: (1) pronouncing the confession of faith (shahada); (2) performing the five daily prayers (salat); (3). fasting during the month of Ramadan (saum); (4) paying the alms tax.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Five Pillars Of Islam

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Islam is the second largest religion in the world, possessing over 1.6 billion followers’ worldwide. Established in the Middle East in 7th century C.E., this religion was founded on the basic principles and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Similar to most, if not all organized faiths, Muslims are required to adhere by a strict moral code and expected to fulfill a multitude of religious obligations that reflect one’s dedication to the supreme Allah. In order to satisfy all Islamic traditions, one must practice the Five Pillars of Islam, one of the most significant core beliefs embedded within the faith. The pillars provide a framework and criteria for Muslim believers, unifying all members across cultural and geographical boundaries. These specific ideals personify the duties that each individual needs to practice such as: testimony (Shahadah), prayer (Salat), charity (Zakat), fasting (Swam), and pilgrimage (Hajj). The Islam religion emphasizes the vitality of physically engaging in acts of worship, ultimately impacting and dictating the routine of a Muslim’s daily life.

    Read More

  • The Achivements of The Islamic Civilization

    2318 Words  | 5 Pages

    The second pillar, named Salat, is the pillar of praying five times a day. Muslims wash their face, arms, feet and passed their wet hands over their heads, before each prayer. Muezzins were people who called the Muslims to the mosques for prayer by shouting from tall towers called minarets. Layme... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

More about the 5 pillars of islam

Open Document