The five pillars of Islam

Islam is one of the most popular and largest religion in the world. It has five main fundamental pillars on which its building stands. Every building has a strong base that gives strength to the whole building. In the same way, Islam also has a strong base that consists of five pillars. These pillars provide a path and strength for the faith of a Muslim to live his or her life according to Islam. The pillars are given below:

⦁ Shahdah: declearation of faith
⦁ Salaah: obligatory prayer
⦁ Zakaat: compulsory giving
⦁ Fasting: give up food and drink
⦁ Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca/Makkah

Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.H.U.):

بُنِيَ اْلإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ : شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُوْلُ اللهِ وَإِقَامُ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيْتَاءُ الزَّكَاةِ وَحَجُّ الْبَيْتِ وَصَوْمُ رَمَضَانَ

Translation:
“Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the Salah (Namaz, Prayer), paying the Zakat (obligatory charity), performing the Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House of Kaaba, and fasting in Ramadan.” (Bukhari: 8)

Shahdah (declaration of faith):

Shahdah means to believe in one God, who is ALLAH and that Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) is His last prophet and messenger of Allah. It is the first and most fundamental principle of Islam. Following is the shahdah:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Translation:
“I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”

Shadah has a great importance. It is not only a verbal affirmation but also a commitment that shapes a Muslim’s entire life. It is a lifelong testimony that is pronounced with sincerity and conviction by anyone who wishes to convert to Islam, as shahdah is the entry point into the islamic faith. Muslims pledge to live according to the teachings of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.).

Salaah (obligatory prayer):

Salaah, also known as namaz and prayer, It is the second pillar of Islam and has great importance. Muslims offer obligatory salaah five times a day, and there are some non-obligatory salaah as well. Every salaah has a specific, designated time. The names of the salaah are:
⦁ Fajr (at dawn)
⦁ Zuhr (at mid-day)
⦁ Asar (at after-noon)
⦁ Maghrib (after sunset)
⦁ Isha (at night)

There is a specific method of offering salaah that includes specific postures and the recitation of duas at every specific position. Salaah is a source of direct communication between Allah (S.W.T.). When a person recites dua in namaz, Allah (S.W.T.) answers it. (The detailed version of salaah/namaz will be discussed separately in a separate article.)

Zakaat (compulsory giving):

The third pillar of Islam is Zakaat. It is obligatory charity or giving to guarantee the circulation of riches in the entire community (of Muslims) to offer assistance to the community, or maybe collection in a particular first-class course. It shows the social responsibility of all Muslims to give zakaat to the poor  so that they can also join them in the celebrations of Eid. (As zakaat is better to give in the month of Ramadan.)

The word zakaat means “purification,”  which means to purify the wealth. Zakaat is about 2.5% of total savings above a certain threshold known as ”nisab”. In the Quran, surah tau’ba Allah (S.W.T.) tells us to give zakaat to the poor, the needy, the new Muslims, those who are in debt, etc. (This will be explained in detail in a separate article.).

Fasting (fasting in Ramadan):

Fasting also refers as Saw’m. It is another pillar of Islam. Fasting means to give up or not eat or drink anything during daylight hours from fajr to maghrib. Fasting in the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar) is obligatory for everyone (not for children, especially those under puberty).

Fasting is not only about giving up food and drinks; it is also about giving up all kinds of sins and practicing spiritual exercise, self-discipline, and self-control. Fasting is a great source of strengthening our faith by avoiding all kinds of sins and making us closer to Allah (S.W.T.).

Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca/Makkah):

Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. It is a holy journey that Muslims undertake to fulfill one of the five pillars of their faith. It is obligatory for those Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform Hajj at least once in their lives.
Hajj is a great source of spiritual recharging; it teaches us unity and brotherhood and strengthens our faith. Hajj has a specific procedure that includes the wearing of ihram, tawaf-e-kaaba, sa’i, waquf-e-arafat, travel to muzdalifah, stone collection, trimming of hairs, etc. (this is explained in the Hajj article).

Conclusion:

Islam has five fundamental pillars that teach Muslims in every aspect of life. These are shahdah: declaration of faith; salaah: obligatory prayer; zakaat: compulsory giving; fasting: giving up food and drink; and hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca or Makkah. They provide a framework for individual spirituality, ethical conduct, and social cohesion.

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