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The Five Pillars Of Islam
The beauty and essence of Islam lie in its fundamental and core beliefs. In its entirety, Islam is a din and encompasses all aspects of private and public life. Contrary to many other religions in the world, Islam is unique because it amalgamates political, societal, private, and public systems of life. In the holy book and the words of the prophet, you will find commandments related to inheritance, marriage, divorce, rights of orphans, and even discusses the governance system of a country. So in short, Muslim s have to live their entire life according to the commandments and limitations set by Allah.
However, there are also direct commandments that form the framework of Islam. The 5 pillars of Islam are shahadah, namaz, Roza, Zakat, and hajj. Believing and then practicing the five fundamentals is incumbent on every Muslim .
If you are new to the religion or you want to understand these beliefs in their entirety, here is everything you need to know.
Profession of Faith-Shahadah:
To enter Islam, one needs to believe that there is no God but Allah and the prophet is His messenger. The principle is central to Islam. By reciting "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God". but the recitation of this is not enough. A Muslim has to believe in this statement from the heart and soul. He should acknowledge that Allah is the only ruler and Lord. It is hence unlawful for Muslim s to commit shirk (the act of praying to anyone other than Allah).
This includes any prophet or any scholar. The belief also mandates that Allah is the supreme provider and sustainer. The belief in shahadah has many implications on the life of a person. Firstly, it ensures that Muslim s realize that they are unanswerable to a lord and provider and can not divulge from their path. Moreover, it ensures that Muslim s follow Allah's commandments in every aspect of their life. For instance, a shopkeeper who is being honest should know that Allah is watching him and judging him for the acts he commits. All in all, the belief in shahadah is important in regulating every aspect of a Muslim 's life.
Salah-5 Mandatory Prayers:
Allah says in the Quran: "We have not created jinn and man but to worship me". This implies that the purpose of man is to worship Allah every day. One of the best ways to worship HIM is to pray five times a day. This includes Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. The prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark.
To start the prayer, you have to perform several obligatory Farz. These include having Wudhu, wearing clean clothes, and having a clean place to perform Salah. Once you have completed the prerequisites of salah, it is time to stand in front of your lord.
The Muslim s need to have a small rug or mat on the floor and stand barefoot on the map. They have to then recite some verses of the Quran and perform a couple of actions. Muslim women are allowed to pray at home, however, Muslim men who have reached puberty are required to go to the mosque and indulge in congressional prayer.
The most important prayer is the Friday prayer that is followed by a sermon. A Muslim scholar delivers a beautiful sermon that highlights the importance of kindness, tolerance and other good deeds in Islam and calls Muslim s to follow the right path.
Zakat- Alms Giving:
This roughly translates into Alms giving and is mandatory on every Muslim who is able. Zakat entails that Muslim donate a fixed portion of their income to the underprivileged sections of the society. There are 8 benefactors of Zakat and it includes poor and needy people and Muslim s who are unable to meet their basic needs. Apart from this, Zakat can also be given to recent converters or collectors of Zakat. It is important to remember that Zakat can not be given to immediate relatives and family members.
Like everything else in Islam, the purpose of zakat is also to strengthen the bonds of community in the Muslim ummah. Many Muslim s build mosques, hospitals, schools with the zakat money and help their communities grow and prosper. It is also a means for the circulation of wealth in the community. By giving away their money, Muslim s are not tempted to hoard their property. The wealth is thus circulated which benefits both the giver and the receiver.
Fasting- Sawm:
Fasting is another mandatory worship that Muslim s have to perform during the month of ramazan; the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslim s have to fast for 29 or 30 days by abstaining from food and drink for a particular set of hours. The number of hours is different for each country and according to the prayer timings in each.
Muslim s take their first meal (Sehri) just before Fajr. They break their fast at Maghrib (iftar). During this time, Muslim s are required to abstain from food, drink, and even sexual intercourse with their spouse. Through this temporary deprivation, Muslim s realize the importance of helping the poor and less privileged in their societies. In short, fasting is a great way to instill feelings of belonging and community in the Muslim society.
Hajj- pay Homage to the City of the Prophet:
This is one of the toughest and most rewarding worships in Islam. Muslim s must perform hajj once in their life. However, it is only mandatory on Muslim whose health and finance permit it. The worship needs to be performed only once in a person's lifetime, however, some Muslim s perform hajj more than once.
During hajj, one has to visit the holy city of Makkah (a city in Saudi Arabia) and perform several actions. This includes circling Kaaba, visiting mina, and stoning the Kabah. Muslim s also get to pay homage to many sacred Muslim places in the surrounding cities of Madinah and Taif.
Hajj is performed around the same time when the rest of the Muslim world celebrates Eid-ul-Azhar. The performers of Hajj, like the rest of the Muslim world, sacrifice an animal and serve the poor.
Be The Muslim You Always Wanted To Be!
The five pillars of Islam complete the din. anyone who wishes to practice Islam and understand its essence in its entirety should try to understand the true logic behind these pillars. At the end of the day, believing and following the pillars of Islam is what makes you a good Muslim.