what are the five pillars

What Are the Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are the
framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving
zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the
pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.


1)
The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La
ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true
god but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first
part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be
worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This
testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said
with conviction in order to convert to Islam (as explained previously on this
page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of
Islam.




2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each
prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a
direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between
God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and
comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad said:
{Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.}2 Bilal was one
of Muhammad’s companions who was charged to call the people to
prayers.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and
night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories,
or universities.
(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please
refer to the links at How to Perform Prayer or refer to the book entitled A
Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib.3)




3) Giving Zakat
(Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore
held by human beings in trust. The original meaning of the word zakat is both
‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage
on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The percentage which
is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85
grams of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half
percent. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those
in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and
encourages new growth.

A person may also give as much as he or she
pleases as voluntary alms or charity.




4) Fasting the Month of
Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan,4 all Muslims fast from dawn
until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and *********ual
relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded
principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off
from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true
sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual
life.



5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:
The annual pilgrimage
(Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are
physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to
Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always
filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the
Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away
distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before
God.
Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah. In this mosque is the
Kaaba (the black building in the picture) which Muslims turn toward when
praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which God commanded the Prophets
Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to build.
The rites of the Hajj include
circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between the hillocks of
Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims
stand together in Arafa5 and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness,
in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment.
The end of
the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers.
This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two
annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.