Five Pillars of Islam

.::هدي القلب.:: · #1 08-03-2007, 10:25 AM

Five Pillars of Islam

The amazing thing about Islam for Muslims is that our religion is very clear cut and easy to understand. It is abundantly clear for us through the five pillars of Islam to understand our duty as Muslims. Truly Islam is a mercy unto mankind. The five pillars of Islam breaks the religion down into a manner that is simple to understand and clearly defines our fundamental beliefs. It is upon these five pillars of Islam that all of our rulings (legal judgements) are defined. Along with the five pillars of Islam we also have Qur'an (holy book), hadith (accurate and saved traditions of things said or done in front of Prophet Muhammad peace on him) and we have the Sunnah(things that Prophet Muhammad peace on him did) All of these things together offer the world a complete guidance to Allah (God).

1.The first of five pillars of Islam, the testimony of faith. “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” In English this means “ There is no true God but The God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” This is the most important in Islam and is the first of the five pillars in Islam.

A Muslim supplication that is made: "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah (God), alone with out partner to him, belongs all soverignty and praise as he is over all things omnipotent."

“Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam) is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the Last (end) of the Prophets.”

Quran Soorah Al-Ahzab 33:40

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.”

Quran Soorah Al-Ma idah 5:3

“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.”

Quran Soorah Al- Imran 3:19

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers”

Quran Soorah Al- Imran 3:85

Belief and Law are contained through the Five Pillars of Islam: It is a complete religion, both in its belief and in its Law. It demands from its followers the following belief in the five pillars of Islam:

Monotheism (Tauheed)

1 Believing in Taw’hid (Oneness) of Allah and disbelieving in Shirk (polytheism

An example of Polytheism is that on one occasion, the Prophet's companion 'Adee ibn Haatim, who was a convert from Christianity, heard the Prophet (saws) recite the Qur'anic verse,

"They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allaah,"

Quran Soorah At-Taubah 9:31

so he said: 'Surely we did not worship them,' The Prophet (saws) turned to him and said 'Did they not make forbidden (Haraam) what Allaah had made allowable (Halaal) allowable and you all made it Haraam(forbidden), and did they not make Halaal(allowable) what Allaah made Haraam(forbidden) and you all made it Halaal(allowable)?' He replied, 'We certainly did.' The Prophet (saws) then said, 'That was how you worshipped them'." The word of a religous leader was taken over the word of God that was left to the believer through religous text.

2. Being truthful and not lying.
3. Being just, that is to deal comparable things with equality, and abandoning injustice.
4. Being honest and abandoning treachery.
5. Preserving one’s promises and contracts and not breaking them.
6. Being dutifully good to one’s parents and not cutting ties of kinship.
7. Keeping relations with relatives and not cutting them.
8. Being good with neighbors and not harming them.

“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, Al-I'hsan (excellence in religion), giving (help) to kith and kin, and forbids all evil (deeds), Al-Munkar (all that is prohibited) and injustice. He admonishes you, that you may take heed)’

Soorah An-Nahl 16:90

Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam (peace be upon him) said, what translated means, ‘Islam is built around five (pillars) :

Five Pillars of Islam

1. The testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam (peace be upon him) is His slave and Messenger,
2. To establish prayer,
3. To give Zakaat (obligatory charity),
4. To fast in Ramadhan, and,
5. To perform Hajj (pilgrimage).” [Saheeh Muslim and Saheeh al-Bukharee]

The Shahadah (the testimony) that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam (peace be upon him) is His slave and Messenger, requires solid belief, in the heart. This belief must also be confirmed by the tongue. This frees the hearts and souls from being enslaved to the creation and from following other than the Messenger of Allah pbuh.

Prayer (Salat)

2. Prayer. Muslims perform five prayers a day. Prayer in Islam is directly between Allah and the worshipper. There are no intermediaries between Allah and the worshipper ever. All prayers are only for Allah. The prayers are as follow Fajr before sunrise, Dhur after the noon sun moves up, Asr is in the mid afternoon, Maghrib when sun has began descent and there is red in the sky and Isha is well after sun set. An amazing fact about Muslim prayer is that Allah is constantly being prayed to through the whole day and night as the prayer times are depicted by the movement of the sun and the time is different through the whole world. There is always a prayer time coming in somewhere in the world at all times. As Muslims we have specific supplications we make for any circumstance that comes our way. These suppliations aid us in keeping our faith and staying patient believers in one God.

Establishing the prayers means to worship Allah by praying to Him. One must preserve the prayers by establishing them on time and in the best manner, as taught by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam). Rewards for establishing the prayers include tranquility and happiness that are felt in the heart. Prayer also leads one to abandoning evil deeds and behavior through direct connection and communication to Allah (God) and doing specific repeated supplications and movements through each prayer.

Zakat (Religous tax)

3. Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy). This is the third most important pillar in the five pillars of Islam. Zakat means ‘purification’ and ‘growth’. Giving Zakat means giving a certain percentage of your earnings to the poor. The percentage of zakat is 2.5% of savings, gold and silver (note this is a percentage on savings and not earnings). As everything belongs to Allah money is given to humans in a trust and we are to help the poor and needy with our own share ourselves. This Zakat works the same as pruning a rose bush the cutting back encourages new growth for the roses and for your finances while purifying the possessions you currently have. Paying Zakat is worshipping Allah by paying the amount of charity obligated on the ones who have enough money or possessions saved to help the poor in the community. Paying the required Zakat leads to cleansing the heart from the evil of misery. It also fulfills the needs of Islam and Muslims.

"By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it."

Soorah Al-Imran 3:92

Fasting (Sawm)

4. Fasting the month of Ramadhan. This is the fourth most important of the five pillars in Islam. The Muslims will eat breakfast and than fast from before dawn until early sundown for an entire month. By fasting the Muslims become truly compassionate for the hungry and also excel in their spiritual growth. Fasting Ramadhan, contains worshipping Allah by: fasting during the days of this month, addded supplications, increasing good works and sayings, being more charitable and seeking more knowledge of Allah and Islam. When you are not eating, drinking, engaging in sexual tendencies or any other behavior that takes ones mind off of Allah from dawn to sunset you obtain a serenity and better understanding of Islam. Fasting trains the soul to abandon what is preferred and desired by seeking the pleasure of Allah. It is the hope and prayer of all Muslims to obtain many good deeds during the month of Ramadhan that will become habits they will performe through the rest of the year. Insha Allah (If Allah wills).

A Muslim supplication that can be made when breaking fast is: " O Allah (God), I ask You by Your mercy, which encompasses all things, that You forgive me.

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

5. It is obligatory for every Muslim to attend Hajj once in their lifetime. The month for the annual Hajj is the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. Those that are physically and financially able to perform Hajj must perform it. to be financially able the person intending on going to Hajj must have all debt paid off and leave enough money home for the rest of the family to be fully supported. Muslim men must wear simple white cloths that cover their body so they all look the same way and there are no distinctions of their class and culture so that everyone stands equal before Allah. Muslim women wear their typical daily dress however they must leave their faces uncovered.

Performing Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) is worshipping Allah by visiting the Holy House to perform the rituals of Hajj. Hajj trains the souls to spend time and physical effort, seeking to obey Allah. This is why Hajj is considered a type of Jihad (struggle).

A Muslim supplication that is made when inteding to attend Hajj and have arrived for Hajj is: "I am here at your service, O Allah (God), I am here at your service. I am here at your service, You have no partner, I am here at your service. Surely the praise, and blessings are yours, and the dominion. You have no partner."

The Five pillars of Islam along with studying Islamic law make the Muslims pure and clean. This leads to preserving the religion of Truth and dealing with the creation in the best manners of justice and truthfulness.

“And if the people of the towns had believed and had piety, certainly, We should have opened for them blessings form the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (of evil deeds). Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they were asleep? Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they play? Did they then feel secure against the plot of Allah? None feels secure from the plot of Allah except the people who are lost.”

Quran Soorah Al- Araf 7:96-99.

Islamic ‘Aqeedah (creed),( a major part of the five pillars of Islam) its pillars are: Believing in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and the good or bad that Qadar (predestination) brings. These pillars are mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam (peace be upon him).

A Muslim supplication made regarding the first of the five pillars of Islam is as follows: "O Allah (God), I have entered a new morning and call upon You and upon the bearers of Your Throne, upon Your angels and all of Your creation to bear witness that surly You are Allah (God), there is none worthy of worship but You alone, You have no partners, and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your messenger."

Allah said, what translated means,

“Righteousness is not that you (only) turn your faces towards the East and (or) the West (in prayers); but righteousness is (the quality) of the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets”

Quran Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:177

With regards to Qadar (predestination),

“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar. And Our Commandment is but one, as the twinkling of an eye.”

Quran Soorah Al-Qamar 54:49

This is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) peace be upon him.

In the Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah said, in answer to Gibreel when he asked him about Iman (belief), “Iman is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the Qadar (predestination) and what it brings of good or bad.”

Five Pillars Of Islam