Five Pillars of Islam

“Five Pillars of Islam”

Five Pillars of Islam

Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life. The Holy Quran presents Pillars of Islam as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. The Five Pillars of Islam are,

Confession / Shahadat

Salat / Prayer

Alms / Zakat

Fasting / Saum

Hajj

Shahadat

Shahadat is the foremost principle of the five pillars of Islam and is the spirit, essence and foundation of all the teachings of Islam. Creed comes from the Arabic word “Shahadat”, which means that one has witnessed (Zulfikar, pp. 492, 2012). The sentence in Islamic law is a statement of belief in the oneness of God (Allah) and Prophet Muhammad as His last Messenger.

Salat

Salat refers to the ritual worship of Muslims. According to Islamic law, the practice of prayer must comply with all instructions given by the Prophet Muhammad, as God commands it to be performed five times a day. Muslims are commanded to pray because according to the Holy Quran, it can prevent the shameful and unjust deeds(Zulfikar, pp. 494, 2012).

In many traditions, the Prophet Muhammad has given a stern warning to those who would rather leave the obligatory prayers, they will be judged to be non-believers and those who leave prayers then on the Day of Resurrection will be paired together with people, like Qarun, Pharaoh and Haman(Zulfikar, pp. 496, 2012).

Zakat

Zakat is a certain amount of property that must be incurred by persons professing the religion of Islam and given to groups, who deserve it (most preferably poor people) in accordance with the conditions set by the God. Therefore, the law of Zakat is obligatory upon every Muslim, who has fulfilled certain conditions(Kamal-ud-Din, pp. n.d. 2010). Zakat is also a humanitarian and social activity that can ...