What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
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What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? |
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, givingzakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able. |
1) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam (as explained previously on this page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Salla](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/salla.jpg)
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Salla](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/salla.jpg)
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please refer to the links at How to Perform Prayer or refer to the book entitled A Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib.3)
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Ch3-16-3-img1](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/ch3-16-3-img1.jpg)
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Ch3-16-4-img1](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/ch3-16-4-img1.jpg)
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annualHajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.![]() |
Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah. In this mosque is the Kaaba (the black building in the picture) which Muslims turn toward when praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which God commanded the Prophets Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to build. |
The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers. This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.
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Footnotes:
(1) For more details on the word Allah, click here.
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Back](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/back.jpg)
(2) Narrated in Abu-Dawood, #4985, and Mosnad Ahmad, #22578.
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Back](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/back.jpg)
(3) To order this book, click here.
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Back](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/back.jpg)
(4) The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (which is lunar, not solar).
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Back](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/back.jpg)
(5) An area about 15 miles from Makkah.
![What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? Back](https://2img.net/h/www.islam-guide.com/back.jpg)
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» What is Islam? (part 1 of 4): The Core of Islam
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