Pillars of Islam


The ritual obligations of Muslims are called the Five Pillars.They are acknowledged and practiced by Muslims throughout the world.

1-First pillar: ShahadaFaith)
The first pillar of Islam is the Shahada, the assertion of faith. There are two shahadas: "There is no god but God" and "Muhammad is the messenger of God". This set statement is normally recited in Arabic: la ?ilaha ?illa-llahu mu?ammadun rasulu-llah."There is no god but God (and) Muhammad is the messenger of God." It is essential to utter it to become a Muslim and to convert to Islam.[14] By saying these word a muslim gives a oath that He is bounded to oney each n every order of Allah n His Prophet(P.B.U.H)


2-Second Pillar: Salah (Prayer)
The Second Pillar of Islam is Salah, or prayer. Before a prayer is observed, ablutions are performed including washing one's hands, face and feet.[17] A caller (Muezzin in Arabic) chants aloud in from a raised place in the mosque.[17] Verses from the Quran are recited either loudly or silently.[17] These prayers are a very specific type of prayer and a very physical type of prayer called prostrations. These prayers are done five times a day, at set strict times, with the individual facing Mecca. The prayers are performed at dawn, noon, afternoon, evening, and night: the names are according to the prayer times: Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (noon), (afternoon), Maghrib (evening), and (night). The Fajr prayer is performed before sunrise, Dhuhr is performed in the midday after the sun has surpassed its highest point, Asr is the evening prayer before sunset, Maghrib is the evening prayer after sunset and Isha is the night prayer. All of these prayers are recited while facing in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and form an important aspect of the Muslim Ummah. Muslims must wash before prayer; this washing is called wudu ("purification").


3-Third Pillar: Zakah ( charity)
The Third Pillar of Islam is Zakat, or alms giving or charity.[17] Zakat means purification which indicates that a payment makes the rest of one's wealth legally and religiously pure.[17] By following this pillar, Muslims have to deduct certain amount of their income to support the Islamic community, and it usually about 2.5% of an individual’s income. This practice is not found in the Quran but rather in the hadith. The tax is used to take good care of the holy places and mosques in the individual's specific Muslim community or to give assistance to those in need or who are impoverished. The word zakat can be defined as purification and growth because it allows an individual to achieve balance and encourages new growth There are five principles that should be followed when giving the zakat: The giver must declare to God his intention to give the zakah. The zakah must be paid on the day that it is due. After the offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual means. Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy then he or she needs to pay a portion of their income. If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior toward others. The zakah must be distributed in the community from which it was taken.[20]


4-Fourth Pillar: Sawm (Fasting)
The Fourth Pillar of Islam is Sawm, or fasting. Fasting takes place during Ramadan, which is the holy month in the Islamic calendar. Using a lunar calendar means the month of Ramadan shifts 11 days earlier each year. Sawm is directly stated in the Quran saying: “eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night…”. The fast occurs from dawn to sunset each day during which time believers are expected to prohibit themselves from any food, drink, sexual intercourse, or smoking. However after sunset and before dawn, individuals can participate in any of the actions previously stated as they desire.[16] The reason for fasting during Ramadan is to remind Muslims that all individuals are similarly needy upon the assistance of Allah and that there are less lucky individuals who need their assistance. Ramadan is a period of reflection when Muslims are called upon to recharge their faith, increment their charity, and make apology. In the Quran, the month of Ramadan was first revealed to Muhammad.[10] Ramadan fasting ends with the “Id-ul-Fitr” (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast), which lasts for three days; of the first day of this festival, there is a meeting at the mosque for prayer celebration and each family head gives money for alms.


5-Fifth Pillar: Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The final Pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage. During one’s life, a Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca during the 12th month of the lunar calendar. This ritual consists of making journey to Mecca wearing only 2 white sheets so all of the pilgrims are identical and there is no class distinction among them.[16] Amid the hajj, every single Muslim man dresses alike in a straightforward fabric, again to emphasize their uniformity. Ladies wear a less complex type of their ordinary dress.[10] Pilgrims put the white sheets on when they enter the sanctuary area of Mecca and enter a state of “ihram” or purity. After a Muslim makes the trip to Mecca, he/she is known as a hajj/hajja (one who made the pilgrimage to Mecca).[33] The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba termed Tawaf, touching the Black Stone termed Istilam, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah termed Sa'yee, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina termed Ramee.[33] When at Mecca, the pilgrims go to the Ka’aba in the mosque and walk around it in a circle. They then pray together in official ceremonies, and then they go out to perform the “standing ceremony” to remember the Farewell Sermon of Muhammad on the Arafat. On the return trip, pilgrims stop in Mina, where they throw 7 stones at stone pillars that represent Satan as to express their hatred for Shaitan (Satan). They then return to Mecca for final ceremonies by circumambulating the Ka’aba seven times and then leave Mecca to journey back home. Ability, physical strength, and economic needs can play a role in whether or not an individual is able to complete this pilgrimage, for the Quran specifically says that only those capable of making the pilgrimage are required. The reason for this journey is to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, hoping to gain enlightenment as Muhammad did when he was in the presence of Allah. The pilgrimage of the Hajj is in the Quran.[1


6-Jihad: (Striving for the cause of Allah)
The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war. Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle: A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible The struggle to build a good Muslim society Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary