Five Pillars Of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
Some of the central beliefs among Muslims are that God exposed the Qur’an to Muhammad, who is believed to be God’s final prophet. Muslims view the Qur’an as the essential sources of Islam. Muhammad is not viewed as the founder, but as the one who brought back the original faith of Jesus and other prophets. Islam means the total surrender of oneself to God.
Islamic beliefs are reflected in the Five Pillars. The First Pillar is the Shahadah, which is a declaration of faith. The Shahadah is the basic statement of belief of Islam. Muslims repeat the Shahadah in prayer; the prayer states that God is the only being worthy of being worshipped and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
The Second Pillar, the Salah, is a ritual prayer that is performed five times a day. Salah is done to focus one’s mind on God. The Third Pillar, the Zakat, is the giving of wealth to the poor. The Zakat is an obligation and not a voluntary charity.
The Fourth Pillar is the Sawm, which is fasting during the month of Ramadam. During the Sawm Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk. The Fifth Pillar is the Hajj, which is a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Every Muslim, who is physically and financially able, must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life. Each of the pillars is meant to bring Muslims closer to God and to remind them there is no god but God.
View Full Essay