Religion 100
Islam is the obedience of oneself to the Will of the almighty Allah. The obedience comes from within, a genuine belief to the almighty Allah. Allah is the Creator of all creatures on earth including humankind. Muslims believe that Allah is a Creator, not just an extraordinary god. The messenger of Allah is Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and accepted the holy word of the almighty Allah through Gabriel, the archangel or the Holy Spirit. The revelation consists of the Islam religion. The genuine revelation is recorded in a book form, the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the accurate word of the almighty Allah to humankind.
Muslims testify to their belief as witnesses, announce their faithfulness, and accept Islam as their religion. The Five Pillars of Islam is the most important practices of Muslims. In order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam, Muslims perform these five obligations faithfully. The Five Pillars of Islam build the person’s religion and makes the person perfect in the eyes of Allah. The Five Pillars of Islam is the main foundation of Muslim life. The five pillars consist of Faith (Shahadah), Prayer (Salah or Salat), Charity (Zakah or Zakat), Fasting (Sawm), and Pilgrimage (Hajj).
The declaration of faith is the Shahadah, a simple way that all the faithful pronounces, “Ashhadu an la ilah ila Allah wa Ashhadu an Muhammad rasul Allah” and it means, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Prophet Muhammad (Peace on him) is the messenger of Allah.” This declaration has its significance, the belief that the only purpose of life is to serve and obey Allah. It is achieved through the teachings and practices of the last prophet, Muhammad. Muslims declare the Shahadah not in words but in faith. If non-Muslim people converted their religion to Islam, then they can declare Shahadah.
The Muslim prayers are obligatory; it is performed five times a day called Salah or Salat, the second pillar of Islam. Salah is a direct link between the worshipper and Allah. Prayers are said at dawn (Salat al-fajr), mid-day or after the sun passes its highest (Salat al-zuhr), late part of the afternoon (Salat al-‘asr), just after sunset (Salat al-maghrib), and nightfall or between sunset and midnight (Salat al-‘sha). These five prayers contain verses from the Qur’an and in Arabic language. However, prayers are offered in one’s own language for personal supplications. Muslim prayers are not simply phrases spoken by worshippers. The prayer involves the unity of mind, soul, and body. Muslims can pray alone or together in the Mosque or Masjid with separate area for males and females. Correct actions and postures are required while praying and to start the prayer, face the Qibla the direction all Muslims face to turn in prayer toward Kabah and the “Allah – Akbar” that translates "Allah is the greatest." Recite Isteftah Dua and follow it with the opening chapter of the Qur’an, the Surah Al- Fatiha. The Surah is recited in each Rak'ah.
The third pillar of Islam is Sawm. In the month of Ramad-an, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown. The ninth month of the lunar calendar is the Ramad-an. Fasting is an obligation on every healthy adult Muslims. Muslims during fasting abstain from food, drinks, and intimate relations with their spouses. Some Muslims are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. Those who are permitted are the sick, elderly, on a journey, women who are menstruating, pregnant, and nursing. They feed the poor one meal for each day of fasting they missed. A fasting person focuses on his purpose in life by being aware of the presence of Allah constantly. In the Qur’an, Allah states: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may learn self-restraint." (Qur'an 2:183). In addition, “d al Fitr is a festive that celebrates the end of Ramad-an.
Zakah or Zakat is the fourth pillar of Islam. This is the financial obligation or act of charity of Muslims. An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to Allah, and the wealth is entrusted to humankind. The word Zakah or Zakat means purification and growth. Muslims have the possession of purified selves by setting aside a proportion for the needy and for the society as a whole. Each Muslim, male or female, calculates his or her own Zakah individually. This involves the annual obligatory charity on every Muslims, a fortieth of one’s excess wealth that excludes items as primary residence, car, and professional tools or it depends on the person’s wealth. The government workers who are not free to make money elsewhere are also supported by the Zakah. The Qur'an talks about the Zakat in more than 30 different verses.
The fifth or the last pillar of Islam is the Hajj or Pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim around the world is required to perform the pilgrimage once in a lifetime to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, only if financially and physically able to perform the Pilgrimage. Hajj begins every year during the month of Dul Hejja, the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar year. The Hajj is a spiritual journey where devoted Muslims forget all worldly things and focus their attention and time to Allah alone. All Muslims from every corner of the world have the opportunity to meet one another. Pilgrims wear special clothes, simple garments that set aside distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before Allah.
All the Five Pillars of Islam are very significant for every Muslim; it affects the entire life of Muslims who are working hard to perform the Pillars faithfully.
