Five Pillars of Islam

The religion of Islam consists of faith (إيمان, īmān) and practice (دين, dīn). The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five most fundamental aspects of Sunni Islam. The term is not used in Shia Islam.

For the Sunni sect, the Five Pillars (Arkan-al-Islam) are the five most important obligations of a Muslim under Sharia law, and which devout Muslims will perform faithfully, believing them to be essential to pleasing Allah.

For the Shia sect, the Five Principles (Usool-ul-Deen) are the five fundamental beliefs of Islam. The Branches of Religion (Furoo-ul-Deen), which consist of ten essential obligations for Muslims, correlate more closely to the Sunni concept of the "Pillars of Islam".

The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam

In summary, the practices are:

• The profession of faith in God (Shahadah) – the declaration that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger.
• Prayer (Salah) – establishing of the five daily Prayers.
• Fasting (Sawm) – refraining from eating, drinking and having sex from dawn to dusk in the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
• The paying of alms (Zakaah) – which is generally 2.5% of the total savings for a rich man working in trade or industry, and 10% or 20% of the annual produce for agriculturists. This money or produce is distributed among the poor. Also, one may give 25% of found treasure such as money won in a non-gambling lottery.
• The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) – this is done during the month of Zul Hijjah, and is compulsory once in a lifetime for one who has the ability to do it.

Some Muslims, mainly belonging to the sect of the Khawarij, hold that there is a sixth pillar of Islam, jihād (جهاد), literally meaning "struggle" or "combat", but usually understood to refer to holy war, but this is probably a misunderstanding in some cases. While jihād is widely considered a duty of Muslims, the view that it is one of the pillars is not shared by most theologians.

Shahādah, the profession of faith in God

According to the Qur'an, "There is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is His messenger." This declaration of faith is called the shahadah, a simple formula which all of the faithful Muslims pronounce daily. Intrinsic in this action is the acknowledgment of Muhammad, as "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah has full knowledge of all things." [Qur'an: Surah al-Ahzab 33:40]

Şalāh, prayer

Muslims are obliged to perform ritual prayers or salah five times a day:

• In the morning / right before sunrise (Fajr)
• After midday (Dhuhr)
• Midway between midday and sunset (Asr)
• Right after sunset (Maghrib)
• one hour after sunset (Isha'a)

A Muslim may offer extra optional prayer(s) at any other time.

Although it is preferable for men to pray together in a mosque, there is no strict requirement to do so. On Fridays, congregational prayer (jumu'ah) is held at midday, deemed obligatory for men but optional for women. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in a place of work or a school. It is also requirement for a Muslim to face Mecca during prayer.

Before prayer is the ritual of ablution, a ceremonial cleansing with water (or alternatively, with sand) which is usually performed. The parts cleansed include arms, head, and the feet up to the ankles. If the cleansing was done using water, the Muslim is considered to have wudhu, which means that he or she has cleansed him or herself from the physical manifestations of sin in a lasting fashion that extends between prayers. In other words, unless the Muslim does something to remove this cleanliness, the cleansing would not need to be repeated before the next prayer. When sand is used, the cleansing is only temporary and regardless of whether or not the Muslim commits any physical acts of uncleanliness he or she will need to undergo the ceremonial cleansing immediately before the next prayer.

The salah must be performed in the Arabic language (even if the person neither speaks nor understands Arabic; the prayers are to be recited by heart), and include praises to Allah, the shahada, a plea for forgiveness and various blessings, Chapter one (al Fatihah) and one or more other parts of the Qur'an (by heart) and an optional prayer of one's own. The entire session includes standing upright, bowing down, kneeling and prostrating oneself. The session ends with looking right and left to say "Peace be unto you, and on you be peace" in Arabic to the believers sitting with you. Muslims believe that there are angels sitting on one's both shoulders (the angel on the right is said to record the person's good deeds and the one on the left is said to record the person's bad deeds).

Şawm or şiyām, fasting

Observance of the Siyam involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual intercourse, and other forms of worldly pleasure. This fasting is ordained in the Qur'an, and is observed by devout Muslims throughout the daylight hours of the 29 or 30 days of the lunar month of Ramadan. There are some exceptions, for example for children, pregnant women, sick Muslims, laborers, and travelers.

As well as fasting, Muslims spend more time praying during this period. Siyam is intended to teach patience and self-control, and is seen as a debt owed by the believer to Allah.

Zakāh, the paying of alms

A major principle of Islam is the belief that all things belong to God and that wealth is only held by human beings in trust. The word zakah means both purification and growth. Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually, and for most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital in excess of one's basic needs. A Muslim may also donate an additional amount as an act of voluntary charity (sadaqah), in order to achieve additional divine reward. Zakah is calculated on the basis of 2.5% of an amount in excess of what you have in hand, after the needs of the family has been met.

Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca

The final pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to Mecca performed during the month of Zul Hijjah. Performance of the Hajj at least once in one's lifetime is obligatory to all who are physically and financially able to undertake it, and about two million people go to Mecca each year. Pilgrims wear a distinctive attire of simple garments to strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God. Performance of the Hajj involves a series of rituals, including encircling the most holy shrine of Islam, the Ka'aba, a giant square house covered with a black cloth that lies in the center of a large square court. It also includes throwing stones at a hill outside the court, which symbolizes driving away evil spirits.

In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous and potentially hazardous undertaking. However, with the advent of modern transport and adequate infrastructure, Saudi Arabia is now able to accommodate the millions of annual visitors. A shorter, simpler version of the pilgrimage can be made as well, but this does not 'count' as one of the five pillars.

The Five Principles in Shia Islam

The Usool-ul-Deen (The Principles of The Religion) and the Furoo-ul-Deen (The Branches of The Religion) are the Shia Islamic Beliefs and Practices.

Shia Islam shares four of the practices found in the Sunni concept of the Five Pillars. These four practices are found in the Furoo-ul-deen. The Usool-ul-deen can be regarded as an exegesis on the shahada: Tawheed (Oneness of God) represents "There is no god except Allah"; Nubuwwah (Prophethood) represents "Muhammad is the Messenger of God"; Imamah (God-appointed Leadership of humankind) represents "Ali is the Vicegerent of Allah", which forms the third and final element of the shahada of Shia Islam; Adl (The Justice of God) defines an essential attribute of God; Qiyamaah (The Day of Judgement) affirms the need to proclaim the shahada.

The Usool-ul-Deen (Principles of the Religion)

• Tawhid (The Oneness of God)
• Adl (The Justice of God)
• Nubuwwah (Prophethood)
• Imamah (God-appointed Leadership of humankind)
• Qiyaamah (The Day of Judgement)

The Furoo-ul-Deen (Branches of the Religion)

• Salat (Prayer)
• Saum (Fasting)
• Hajj (The Pilgrimage)
• Zakat (Poor-rate)
• Khums (Wealth Tax)
• Jihad (Striving to please God)
• Amr-Bil-Ma'roof (Enjoin what is good)
• Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid what is wrong)
• Tawalla (To love and respect the Ahl-ul-Bayt and their friends)
• Tabarra (To disassociate from the enemies of the Ahl-ul-Bayt)

Modern Muslims and the pillars of Islam

Despite the fact that the practices of Islam are abolutely obligatory for Muslims to perform, not all Muslims perform them. This is due to a variety of reasons, none of which are acceptable in Islam, unless Islam itself has allowed the reason. For example, if a Muslim becomes ill during the month of Ramadhan, he or she is not required to fast. In Western societies, there are Muslims who claim that praying and fasting is more difficult than in other societies. This, however, is only a perception and it is clearly not the case. For example, the five obligatory prayers take no longer than around five minutes each. Furthermore, due to the usually cooler climates of Western countries, fasting in such countries is actually easier since there is less need to replenish one's thirst. It is also more likely that Western countries have shorter days than Middle Eastern and Asian countries. This therefore means that a Muslim in a Western country fasts for a shorter period of time.

It is incumbent upon Muslims who miss their prayers to pray at the soonest possible time. The same applies to lapsed fasts. Some Muslims may have stopped participating in religious duties altogether, or have chosen to only participate in, for instance, the Ramadhan fast. Such choices, however, are not appropriate for a Muslim and, as a result, Muslims are discouraged from abandoning their duties to God. Islam teaches that God's religion must be practised absolutely; that Islam is not merely a way of life, but is the only way of life; where all other methods contain defects, since all other methods of living have been developed by humans, not God. Islam teaches that it is a total belief system; where all humans must absolutely surrender to a power greater than any known or unknown, namely God. To be called a Muslim, one must believe in all aspects of the word. Indeed, the word "Muslim" means to "surrender to the will of God". As such, a "Muslim" must strive to perfect his or her own knowledge, character, will-power and belief. Islam teaches that every human is born as a Muslim; but that the beliefs and practices are later dictated by one's own thoughts and actions. As such, being a Muslim is not a birth right; rather it takes dedication, knowledge, and most importantly, it takes active participation. It is an honor that is bestowed by God Himself. It cannot be taken away, nor will it perish in the least. Thus, Islam instructs that Muslims around the world must practice their faith, seek beneficial knowledge and seek refuge in God, away from an arrogant mind, an ungrateful heart and a faithless soul.

External links

• Introduction to Islam
• Some Hadith that are relevant to the Five Pillars of Islam
• Usool-ul-deen and Furoo-ul-deen