Five Pillars of Islam

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Six Articles of Belief God Prophets Holy books Angels The Last Judgement Predestination Five Pillars of Islam Shahada Salah Sawm Zakat Hajj Sunni theological traditions Ahl al-Hadith Atharism1 Ilm al-Kalam Ash'arism2 Maturidism3 Mu'tazilism
Shi'a Theology of the Twelvers4,5 Tawhid Adalah Prophecy Imamah Qiyamah Ancillaries of the Faith Salah Sawm Zakat Hajj Khums Jihad Commanding what is just Forbidding what is evil Tawalla Tabarra Seven pillars of Ismailism6 Walayah Tawhid Salah Zakat Sawm Hajj Jihad Theology of the Zaydis
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The Five Pillars of Islam (arkān al-Islām أركان الإسلام; also arkān ad-dīn أركان الدين "pillars of the

Though comparable practices were performed in pre-Islamic Arabia and by Jews and Christians at the time of Muhammad, they were changed in the Quran and Hadith, given a carefully monotheistic center, and identified with the life of Muhammad.^[citation needed] In the Quran, in spite of the fact that the Shahada does not show up in full, Quran 8:20 urges the individuals who accept to obey God and his Messenger. Prayer is alluded to multiple times, with prayer times referenced in Quran 20:130, and the demonstrations of bowing and prostrating in 48.29. In a few chapters, Muslims are urged both to pray and give alms (for example Q.5:12), however what, when and to whom gifts ought to be made is clarified in more detail in the hadith.^{[citation needed]} There is a critical entry on fasting in the Quran (2:183-187), which alludes to the period of Ramadan and sets out the detail on who ought, and ought not fast, to a certain extent under specific conditions. Regarding the matter of the Hajj, the longest Quranic section (2:196-203) recommends the destination location of the pilgrimage, the lead and exercises of the individuals who participate, urging them to have God as a top priority consistently.^{[citation needed]}

Pillars of Sunni Islam

First pillar: Shahada (Declaration of Faith)

The first pillar of Islam is the Shahada, the assertion of faith. There are two shahadas: "There is no god but God" and "Muhammad is the messenger of God". This set statement is normally recited in Arabic: lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu-llāh (لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله) "There is no god but God (and) Muhammad is the messenger of God." It is essential to utter it to become a Muslim and to convert to Islam.^[13]

The first shahada promotes the essential unity of the faith, proclaiming that there is no god but God. The Tawhid, which is the prayer that states "no god but God" is a major component of the Islamic faith, for it asserts the monotheistic aspect of Islam, promoting unity of God as the source of existence. The second shahada demonstrates God's essential mercy. This prayer proclaims Muhammad as the last prophet, and it uses Muhammad as the prime example of guidance for all Muslims. Muhammad received revelation that was distorted by earlier communities, such as Jewish and Christian societies; Muhammad was the recipient of the Quran's guidance himself and now is bearer of this guidance for the rest of the Muslim community throughout history.^[14]

The Shahada, or profession of faith is said five times a day during prayer.^[15] It is the first thing said to a newborn, and the last thing to a person on their death-bed, showing how the Muslim prayer and the pillars are instrumental from the day a person is born until the day they die.^[14]

Second Pillar: Salah (Prayer)

The Second Pillar of

The Third Pillar of Islam is Zakāt, or alms giving or charity.^[16] Zakat means purification which indicates that a payment makes the rest of one's wealth legally and religiously pure.^[16] By following this pillar, Muslims have to deduct certain amount of their wealth to support the Islamic community — usually about 2.5% of their wealth. This practice is not found in the Quran but rather in the hadith. The tax is used to take good care of the holy places and mosques in the individual's specific Muslim community or to give assistance to those in need or who are impoverished. The word zakāt can be defined as purification and growth because it allows an individual to achieve balance and encourages new growth. The principle of knowing that all things belong to God is essential to purification and growth. Zakāt is obligatory for all Muslims who are able to do so. It is the personal responsibility of each Muslim to ease the economic hardship of others and to strive towards eliminating inequality.^[17] Zakāt consists of spending a portion of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor or needy, such as debtors or travelers. A Muslim may also donate more as an act of voluntary charity (sadaqah), rather than to achieve additional divine reward.^[18] Also, Muslims are required to give back to the poor, specifically through financial support, on the streets in addition to the Zakāt. Zakāt shows how the Islam faith impacts the financial situation of a believer, drawing into all aspects of life.^[15]

There are five principles that should be followed when giving the zakāt:

1. The giver must declare to God his intention to give the zakāt.
2. The zakāt must be paid on the day that it is due.
3. After the offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual means.
4. Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy then he or she needs to pay a portion of their income. If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior toward others.
5. The zakāt must be distributed in the community from which it was taken.^[19]

Fourth Pillar: Sawm (Fasting)

The Fourth Pillar of Islam is

Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan.^[23] Muslims must abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other sins.^[23] Fasting is necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty (unless he/she suffers from a medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so).^[24]

The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness and to look for forgiveness from God, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy.^[25] During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, profane language, gossip and to try to get along with fellow Muslims better. In addition, all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided.^[26]

The final Pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage. During one's life, a Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca during the 12th month of the lunar calendar. This ritual consists of making journey to Mecca wearing only 2 white sheets so all of the pilgrims are identical and there is no class distinction among them.

The pilgrim, or the haji, is honoured in the Muslim community. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God, not a means to gain social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine their intentions in performing the pilgrimage. This should lead to constant striving for self-improvement.^[32] A pilgrimage made at any time other than the Hajj season is called an Umrah, and while not mandatory is strongly recommended.

Pillars of Shia Islam

Twelvers

Twelver Shia Islam has five Usul al-Din and ten Furu al-Din, i.e., the Shia Islamic beliefs and practices. The Twelver Shia Islam Usul al-Din, equivalent to a Shia Five Pillars, are all beliefs considered foundational to Islam, and thus classified a bit differently from those listed above.^[33] They are:

1. Tawhid (monotheism: belief in the oneness of God)
2. Adl (divine justice: belief in God's justice)
3. Nubuwwah
   (prophethood)
4. Imamah
   (succession to Muhammad)
5. Mi'ad (the day of judgment and the resurrection)

In addition to these five pillars, there are ten practices that Shia Muslims must perform, called the Ancillaries of the Faith^[34] (Arabic: furūʿ al-dīn).

1. Salah: 5 daily prayers
2. Sawm
   : Fasting Ramadan
3. Zakat: Almsgiving, similar to Sunni Islam, it applies to money, cattle, silver, gold, dates, raisins, wheat, and barley.
4. Khums: An annual taxation of one-fifth (20%) of the gains that a year has been passed on without using. Khums is paid to the Imams; indirectly to poor and needy people.
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
6. Jihad: Striving for the cause of God
7. Enjoining good
8. Forbidding wrong
9. Tawalla: Expressing love towards good.
10. Tabarra: Expressing disassociation and hatred towards evil.^[35]

Ismailis

Isma'ilis have their own pillars, which are as follows:

• Ismaili Imams
  and their representatives
• Tawhid, "Oneness of God".
• Salah: Unlike Sunni and Twelver Muslims,
  Nizari
  Ismailis reason that it is up to the current imām to designate the style and form of prayer.
• Zakat: with the exception of the Druze, all Ismaili madhhabs have practices resembling that of Sunni and Twelvers, with the addition of the characteristic Shia khums.
• Sawm: Nizaris and
  Musta'lis
  believe in both a metaphorical and literal meaning of fasting.
• Hajj: For Ismailis, this means visiting the imām or his representative and that this is the greatest and most spiritual of all pilgrimages. The Mustaali maintain also the practice of going to Mecca. The Druze interpret this completely metaphorically as "fleeing from devils and oppressors" and rarely go to Mecca.^[36]
• Jihad "Struggle": "the Greater Struggle" and "the Lesser Struggle".

History of the Pillars

One of the greatest assumptions about Islamic history is that the Five Pillars were already set and in place at the time of Muhammad's death in 632 CE. However, most changes to these Islamic rituals came from small differences among minority Muslim groups. The major beliefs of the Pillars were already in place, taking the shape of the life and beliefs of Muhammad. The Five Pillars are alluded to in the Quran, and some are even specifically stated in the Quran, like the Hajj to Mecca. However, the difference in practice of these traditions are accepted in Islam of the Five Pillars, but this does not mean they have all existed since the life of Muhammad. The evidence of differences shows pillars have not always been consistent to what they are today, so it has taken many years for the Pillars to get to their current and classic form.^[37]

See also

• Schools of Islamic theology
• Jewish principles of faith
• Sixth Pillar of Islam

References

Bibliography

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• Brockopp, Jonathan; Tamara Sonn; Jacob Neusner (2000). Judaism and Islam in Practice: A Sourcebook. Routledge.
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• Khan, Arshad (2006). Islam 101: Principles and Practice. Khan Consulting and Publishing, LLC.
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• Kobeisy, Ahmed Nezar (2004). Counseling American Muslims: Understanding the Faith and Helping the People. Praeger Publishers.
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• Momen, Moojan (1987). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism. Yale University Press.
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• Levy, Reuben (1957). The Social Structure of Islam. UK: Cambridge University Press.
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• Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei (2002). Islamic teachings: An Overview and a Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet of Islam. R. Campbell (translator). Green Gold.
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• Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. & Lawrence Davidson (2005). A Concise History of the Middle East (8th ed.). Westview Press.
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• ISBN 978-0-85229-760-5
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• Ridgeon, Lloyd (2003). Major World Religions (1st ed.). RoutledgeCurzon.
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Encyclopedias

• P.J. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P. Heinrichs (eds.).
  ISSN 1573-3912
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• Salamone Frank, ed. (2004). Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals (1st ed.). Routledge.
  ISBN 978-0-415-94180-8 https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre00sala. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help
  )

External links

Look up five pillars in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Tenets of Islam
• Pillars of Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
• Pillars of Islam. A brief description of the Five Pillars of Islam.