5 Pillars of Islam
For a building to hold, it is generally supported by pillars.
Similarly, the core of Islam is built on 5 pillars.
Without these pillars, a Muslim’s faith is not complete.
These 5 pillars are:
- Faith
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Charity
- Pilgrimage
Faith
The word for faith in Arabic is “Iymaan”.
Iymaan is a pre-requisite to all actions and beliefs. If a person does not have Iymaan, all other deeds are void. This is the primary and most basic of all items.
This item is a MUST. One cannot be a Muslim without belief (faith) in all the required articles (as we discussed on the “Islam’s Basics 101” page).
Without Iymaan (faith), the other pillars cannot hold and therefore, this is the most important and a required pillar of Islam.
Prayer
Muslims have been commanded by Allah to pray 5 times every single day.
After all, the purpose of our creation is stated in the Quran…
“I have not created Man and Jinn but to worship me”
In other words, the purpose of Allah creating all of us, is to worship him and no one else.
Therefore, prayer is the 2nd most important pillar in Islam.
In fact, it is so important, it will be the first item which we will be asked about on the Day of Judgment (to be discussed later).
The Arabic word for Prayer is “Salah”.
Muslims worship Allah 5 times every single day from before sunrise until after dusk.
Fasting
Fasting is a very virtuous act and the rewards are great.
The compulsory fasts are kept during the Islamic month of Ramadhan.
Fasting outside of this month is optional.
When fasting, a Muslim does not eat or drink anything from pre-dawn until sunset.
When a person is fasting, he also abstains from futile actions. Instead, he spends most of his time in the remembrance and worship of Allah.
The Arabic term for fasting is “Saum”.
Charity
Islam commands every muslim (who has the means and who qualifies), to give 2.5% of his wealth to the poor and the needy on an annual basis.
Of course, if the muslim is poor himself, then he is absolved of his duty.
However, giving charity according to the rules and as commanded by Islam, serves to not only help the helpless, but also purifies one’s wealth. It gives a person blessings within his own wealth and actually increases his sustenance.
There are lots of rewards and virtues for charity as related by the prophet.
The Arabic term for charity is “Zakah”.
Pilgrimage
The holiest place on the face of this earth is the Ka’ba, which is a cube shaped structure, located in Makkah, Saudia Arabia.
(We will talk about the only places and their significances in a different section).
It is incumbent upon every muslim to at least visit the holy ka’ba and perform the rituals of pilgrimage.
However, it is only compulsory to perform the pilgrimage if one has sufficient means to do so.
If one is unable to perform the pilgrimage due to a lack of money or resources, then he/she is excused.
The pilgrimage to Makkah involves performing many acts and rituals as demonstrated by our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The pilgrimage is an experience which one will find extremely spiritual and exhilarating. Muslims who perform the pilgrimage have the opportunity to receive its rewards and immense blessings.
In Arabic, this pilgrimage is called “Haj”.
Before you continue learning the basics of Islam, it’s important to know what we understand and comprehend regarding Allah.
To this end, please read the section on Allah from the link below…
