The Five Pillars Of Islam

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Recommended: compare and contrast the Koran and the Bible

The Five Pillars of Islam

"La ilaha ila Allah; Muhammadur-rasul Allah," There is no god but Allah; Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah. This essential phrase in Islam is termed "Shahadah" which literally means "to witness" and is the first pillar of Islam. Any Muslim or any individual that wants to convert to Islam must recite and more importantly, must truly believe this statement. It is the first words that are heard through the ears of a newborn, and is stressed from thereon as soon as an individual is capable of rationale. It is stressed in prayer everyday, five times. The first part clearly illustrates the oneness of Allah, acknowledging His absolute superiority and power. By reciting this, one truly believes that only Allah is worthy of worship. The second part of the Shahadah involves the belief in Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the final messenger of Allah. When reciting this, one has faith in the guidance of Muhammad and his life (Sunnah). It is interesting then to examine why Islam, a religion that emphasizes the worship of Allah alone, places so much significance on the last messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The second of the five pillars of Islam is Salah. Salah refers to the physical act of praying towards the Kaaba in Mecca. It is an obligatory duty for Muslims to perform five times a day, with the proper cleansing and mentality. Salah is the physical transgression of God. When one performs this daily action, they are intended to stay focused, as if they were physically in front of God conveying their worship and gratefulness towards Allah (SWT). It is only God’s mercy that a Muslim prays five times a day. When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended into the heavens, according to islamic tradit...

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...to Muhammad, second only to testifying the Oneness of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) further narrates in a hadith Qudsi: Allah said: “The covenant between Us and them is Salah; so whoever establishes it establishes religion; whoever undermines it undermines religion.” When the Prophet (PBUH) says “them” in the comparative analogy above, he is referring to the non-believers. Salah establishes one’s din (faith) in Allah (SWT), and I consider it to be the most important of the five pillars. Granted, you must establish your Shahadah to be a Muslim, yet without the the practice of daily prayers, you do not express your Shahadah, and instill a relationship with Allah (SWT). It is therefore imperative that a Muslim never become slack in performing salah; if they miss any salah for whatever reason, they must pray it immediately without further delay.

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