In this essay, I am going to examine the Five Pillars of Islam. I believe that when we understand other religions and the main practices of these religions, we can break down barriers and come to a better understanding of our religious reality in the world. Further, there are so many stereotypes and so much misinformation regarding Islam, as we have already discussed. Thus, it is my goal, in discussing the Five Pillars of Islam, to show that Islam is a peaceful religion with specific guidelines that guide Islam’s religious adherents, known as Muslims.
In the media, we are often given a picture of Islam that it is a religion full of hatred, bigotry, and radical adherents. With images such as the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the United States, organizations such as Al-Qaeda and Hamas, and a general lack of understanding, it is easy to see how public perception of Islam has taken such a hit. However, I would suggest that most people do not understand anything about the religion. Undersanding one of the most basic aspects of the religion, the Five Pillars of Islam, is a fantastic place to start when attempting to understand Islam.
The first Pillar is “faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet hood of Muhammad (Zahid, 2016).” This is called the “shahadah” in Arabic (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). This pillar is important for a number of reasons. First, it states that there is only One God, and that the adherent must profess that. During the time when Islam was becoming founded, there were numerous idols and polytheistic religions that were part of the society. Thus, it was incredibly important for Muhammad to get rid of the idols and polytheistic groups that were there.
A second reason that this is important is because it specifically talks about the finality of Muhammad as the last prophet. In Islam, all major Christian and Jewish figures are recognized as prophets. Thus, Jesus is a prophet in Islamic religious ideology. However, in Christianity, Jesus is the Messiah, but in Islam Jesus is only a prophet. Thus, in Islam, Muhammad is the last prophet that will come and Islam is the last iteration of the major religions.
Salat
The second Pillar of Islam is “performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day (Zahid, 2016).” This is called the “Salat” in Arabic (“Five Pillars of Islam” 2009). This is one of the Pillars that is much more public than any of the rest. If one is in an area that is diverse, you can sometimes see Muslims performing one of their daily prayers.
It is important to note that prayers are done facing towards the Middle East. Often, you can find some type of marker in Mosques or other rooms that faces towards the Middle East in order for Muslims to know which direction they are facing. This seems to be one of those religions practices that keeps the adherents rooted in their tradition and signify the importance of their history.
This pillar is very similar to other religions that have guidelines for prayer. While in Christianity there are not specific times that the adherents are required to pray, many Christians pray when they first wake up, go to bed, or prior to a meal. I imagine that this is similar for other religions as well that have some type of prayer requirement.
Zaket
The third Pillar of Islam is one that is not as well known, perhaps, as some of the others. This is the “paying an alms tax to benefit the poor and needy (Zahid, 2016).” This is known as the “zaket” in Arabic (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). Unlike other religions, the Muslim tax is 2.5% of an entire net worth. In Christianity, it is often 10% of someone’s salary. This makes it an interesting idea because instead of a paycheck, which doesn’t take into account other assets or debts, this does and can be more or less depending on someone’s financial status.
As just alluded to, this is something that is prevalent in other religions as well. Muslims believe that they have a responsibility to assist with the poor and needy, and their almsgiving goes a long way in order to assist the poor and needy.
Muslims giving back to the community is also incredibly important. In Tresa Baldas’ article, she discusses a Detroit based organization that was wrapping gifts for underprivileged members of the community. A 9 year old girl stated, “my mom wanted me to give something to somebody who didn’t have anything (Baldas, 2016).” The article goes on to state that there were over 100 children that were given gifts during the holiday season who otherwise would not have had anything (Baldas, 2016). Ultimately, stories like these showcase just how important giving back to the community is, and I think that the Islamic faith does a great job at it.
Sawm
The fourth Pillar of Islam is fasting during the month of Ramadan (Zahid, 2016). This is known as “sawm” in Arabic (“Five Pillars of Islam,” 2009). This is particularly interesting to me, as, according to the BBC, adherents wake up before dawn to eat and then go the entire day without eating (“Five Pillars of Islam,” 2009). They then break their fast again at the end of the day. What is the interesting about this is that depending on the season it can be much easier or much more difficult. For example, if Ramadan, which changes year to year, is in the winter, then the days are shorter and the fasting is less difficult. However, if Ramadan falls in the middle of the summer, it becomes incredibly difficult, I imagine, as the days are long.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan seems to be unique to Islam. According to a variety of sources, one of the primary reasons for fasting during the month of Ramadan is to work on one’s self control (“Ramadan and its Significance,” n.d.). Another reason to fast during the month of Ramadan is to “attain nearness and closeness to God (“Ramadan and its Significance,” n.d.).” Also interesting to note is that charity and generosity is in the Islamic literature as reasons to participate in fasting during the month of Ramadan, which goes straight back to the ideas of other pillars.
This makes a lot of sense, due to the fact that fasting during the day for an entire month would absolutely take significant amounts of self control. Further, this embodies a lot of the Muslim faith is about, and it roots its adherents to the faith and religion.
Hajj
The fifth and final Pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to Mecca (“Five Pillars of Islam,” 2016). This is known as the “hajj” in Arabic (“Five Pillars of Islam,” 2016). This is, perhaps, my favorite of the Pillars to think about. The pilgrimage is something that each Muslim should attempt to do once in his or her life. Essentially, this means making a trip, wherever you are from in the world, to Mecca, which is one of the primary cities in the Islamic faith. Ultimately, the goal is to do a variety of the same things the prophet did while making his own pilgrimage to Mecca. One of the neat aspects of this trip is walk around the Ka’ha’ba, which is a large black structure that Muslims walk in a very large circle around. It is an extremely popular event, and in 2012 it was reported that 3,161,573 people went on the pilgrimage, with 1,700,000 coming from outside of Saudi Arabia (Hajj, 2014).
This is certainly unique in that it is a requirement for Muslims. Many Jews and Christians attempt to make the trip to Israel to see some of their own religious history, and I imagine other faiths also make pilgrimages to their own significant religious places, but it is not a requirement in other religions.
In conclusion, in order to understand the Islamic faith, it is important to understand the Five Pillars of Islam. In a world where there are so many misperceptions about the Islamic faith, understanding the Five Pillars is a great place to start when breaking down barriers and misunderstanding. In this essay, each Pillar was discussed in depth in an attempt to bridge the gap and provide for understanding of all religions.
Works Cited
Baldas, T. Dearborn Muslims Give Back to the Community. Detroit Free Press, 2 Jan 2016. Web.
12 March 2016. Accessed from http://www.freep.com/story/news/2016/01/02/dearborn-muslims-give-back-community/78211304/
BBC. Five Pillars of Islam. British Broadcasting Company, 2009. Web. 12 March, 2016.
Accessed from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/fivepillars.shtml
Huffington Post. Hajj 2014, Islam’s Pilgrimage to Mecca: Facts, History, and
Dates of the Muslim Holiday. Huffington Post, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 March, 2016. Accessed from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/hajj-2014_n_5889806.html
The Lahore Admadiyya Movement. Ramadan and Its Significance. The Lahore Admadiyya
Movement, n.d. Web, 12 March 2016. Accessed from http://www.muslim.org/islam/ramadan.htm
Zahid, Ishaq. Five Pillars of Islam. Islam 101, 2016. Web, 12 March 2016. Accessed from
http://www.islam101.com/dawah/pillars.html
