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The Importance of the Five Pillars in Islam Religion: The Basics
Hassan
Donna Bolima, Instructor
Language Arts 12A
Junauray 31, 2007
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ABSTRACT
People unfortunately know little or nothing about the fastest growing religion in the world –a
religion that more then one in five people are apart of. This paper presents research on the Basics
of Islam with details on the five pillars, which are the Shahadha Testimony of faith, Salah
prayer, Zakah giving to the poor, Suum fasting on the holy month of Ramadan, and the Hajj
pilgrimage to Mecca. It gives an overall and basic answer to the question ‘what is the Quran and
what are the five pillars of Islam within the Quran?’
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The following quote is from the Islamic religious writings known as the Quran. “In the
name of Allah (God), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” (qtd. in the Quran). This quote
speaks to the reverence for the religious teaching contained in the Quran and how everything one
does as a Muslim is in the name of Allah or God. Islam is the fastest growing Religion in the
world and it is the second largest only after Christianity. As such it is interesting that not many
people know much about this religion or what it holds as important in tenets and values. In fact,
there are some commonalities such as the idea that Muslims who don’t believe in Jesus (peace be
upon) are not Muslims. Islam remains a religion that is misconceived and misunderstood (The
Message). So what is Islam Religion and what are the important practices and values that
underlie this ideology within the Quran?
The Five Pillars
According to the movie “The Message” Islam came out of a world of darkness, where
people worshipped idols, custom made for their feelings. At that time, religion was a business
and the gods were below the people they served. Daughters were buried by their fathers to
insure their family name was not tainted. It was a world where the rich man who helped the poor
were looked down upon. From all this darkness a prophet rose up to preach what his forefather
Ibrahim preached. As a young man his honesty, compassion and trust earned him the title al
Amiin, the trust worthy in Mecca. He used to escape to the mountainside to get away from the
Arab customs of that time and their polytheistic belief. This man was known as Mohammed
(The Message).
According to the Quran, one day while the prophet was meditating inside mountain Hira,
the angle Jibeeral (Gabriel) came to him to deliver the glad tidings that he was the chosen
messenger of Allah. And that he would be a blessing to the worlds. The legacy that he left is
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known as Islam (The Message). The meaning of Islam in Arabic has two meanings “peace” and
“submission.” So those who choose this religion, must submit in peace to God’s will. The core
of Islam ideology resides within the five pillars (building blocks) of Islam. They are Shahada
(testimony of faith), Salah (Prayer), Zakaat (Giving of Alms), Suum (fasting on the month of
Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca once in a Muslims life time). All Muslim are
obligated to perform these duties (Ibid.).
The First Pillar
Shahadais is the first pillar and “the Testimony of Faith.” The “testimony of Faith” is
saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah,” which means there is
no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The testimony of faith
is the most important of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims think of the five pillars as a canopy
with four support beams in the corners and one in the middle (See appendix A). This middle
beam is the “testimony of faith,” and is the most important. Without testimony the canopy of
Islam can not stand, as the first part of the shahada is Belief in one GOD. To emphasize the
oneness of Allah and the importance of the believing on one god, the (Quran) the Muslim holy
book says:
112:1 Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
112:2 Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
112:3 He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
112:4 And there is none like unto Him (Quran)
This short chapter summarizes succinctly and most adamantly the monotheistic belief of
Muslims.
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The second part of the first pillar, which is very important, is the belief in the Prophet.
As the Quran says:
“7:158 day: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the MESSENGER OF ALLAH, to Whom
belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That
giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered
Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided
(Quran).
This quote explains the principle of One God which is reinforced over and over again because of
the importance of monotheism in Islam. It suggests that if someone believes in only one God no
matter how long they are in hell fire one day they will get out (The Message).
Second Pillar
Salah Prayer is also a part of the second pillar. According to the Quran, when the
Prophet went forth to get his ruling from Allah in the Heavens, it was made obligatory for
Muslim to pray fifty times a day. But the prophet Mosa told prophet Muhammed to go back and
ask for less because he knows the conditions of humans. The prophet kept going back until he
got to five and Allah said I make obligatory to your people five times prayer which will be worth
fifty in reward. But prophet Mosa (peace be upon him) still told Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessing be upon him) to go back and ask for less. But finally the prophet could not go back. So
it turned out to be five times a day with a reward of fifty. This represents the establishment of
the five prayers (Ahadith- Traditions of the Prophet).
As stated in the Quran, prayer is a direct communication link between Allah and his
worshipper. In Islam there is no hierarchical authority, no priest. Learned persons whom the
congregation chooses lead the prayers. In the Salat (prayer) one who stands in front of the creator
should forget everything else. To illustrate this devotion, there is a story about the tradition of
the companions. As it goes one companion was a look out for the Muslim during the night. He
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began prayer standing in prostration, when the enemy came near him. They shot arrows into his
back, and another and once more. He removed each one as it struck him, and at last awakened
his companion. Upon inquire why he did not wake them up earlier. He replied, “I had started
reciting Surah ‘Kahf’ in my Salat. I did not like to cut it short, but when the third arrow struck
me, I was greatly concerned that my death might jeopardize the safety of the Prophet (P.B.U.H).
This illustrates the great intention of how to conduct Salat (or prayer), that in this case, was more
important then his life (Saheb 88).
To further shed light on the importance of doing Salat (or prayer) the Quran suggests one
must ask the following questions. Your parents, who gave birth to you, fed, clothed, nursed,
supported, insured, and took care of you. What can you really do for them? Nothing, because
you will always be indebted them. So what about the creator, who gave life to you, your parents
and parents before them. The creator who created the air we breath, the complex body we have,
the world we live in, the delicate universe that we have no control over. What can we do for that
creator? Nothing! So Muslims see it as pleasure to pray in Salat because it is the best thing they
can do, to glorify the creator and worship him. Muslims don’t think of Salat as a duty but rather
a privilege, because it’s the only thing they can do ("The Purpose of Life-part 2”; See Appendix
B). As the “Adhan” is called, it is normal to see Muslims at work, or ones at school disappear
for 5-15 minutes a day, during a given period of the day. They are most likely praying. In
Muslim countries businesses, and traffic a like stop. Everything comes to a stand still when the
time of prayer comes in. In the tradition of the Prophet P.B.U.H, when the Muslims where in
Medina the whole city would stop at the time of prayer and goods left unattended. Travelers to
the country think it is crazy (Saheb 90).
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As stated in FAZA'IL-E-A'AMAAL the “virtue of Salat” is highly valued in the second
pillar. This virtue eliminates minor sins by establishing prayer regularly. A quote that illustrates
the spirit of the virtue of Salat and the importance of sincere prayer is as follows. “One of the
Traditions of is the Prophet got hold of a branch in a tree. It was autumn and the leafs of trees
were dry. The prophet shook the branch and the leafs fell to the ground. He said to his
companion one who make his Salat his sins fall down like the leafs of this tree.” In this case the
leaves represent sin that fall away as sincere prayer is established. In another saying the prophet
asked his companions if a man goes to work every day and between his home and work there lies
five stream of water, and when he comes from work he baths in each stream, will there be dirt on
him? They replied “no” messenger of Allah. Then the prophet said, that is the like one who
makes his Salat. (Kaandhlawi Saheb, 12). The five streams signify five daily prayers and
bathing in the streams represents the consistency of ones prayer. This daily ritual represents one
of the most important values in terms of Islam (Ibid). Finally in a verse of the Holy Quran Allah
says “But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge, and the believers, believe in
what hath been revealed to thee and what was revealed before thee.” This statement refers back
to the first pillar and the importance of believing the messenger. The next part of the statement
“And (especially) those who establish regular prayer” emphasizes the great importance of regular
daily prayer, which is central to the second pillar, and the last part “practise regular charity
emphasizes the great importance of the next pillar –almsgiving” (The Holy Quran) 4:162) .
The Third Pillar
Zakat is the third pillar. According to the Quran “all things belong to Allah, therefore
wealth has been in trusted with human beings. After the first two pillars of Islam comes Zakat,
the third pillars of Islam. The word Zakat means both purification and growth. In order to purify
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the wealth one must set aside a portion of it. Each Muslim calculates his or her own Zakat
individually, and gives 2.5 percent of ones capital every year to give to the poor (SOURCE). As
stated in the Quran 2:110 “Allah speaks “And be steadfast in prayer and regular in Alms: And
whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah. for Allah sees
Well all that ye do. This refers to the two kinds of almisgiving –one that is obligatory which
means you give without question a certain portion of your income to the poor. The second type
of almsgiving is “charity” which is given to whatever extent one can. It is implied that whatever
you can give is not lost, but will return in kind or be rewarded through Allah. As this verse in
the Quran further states “be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down your
heads with those who bow down (in worship).” This emphasizes the importance of giving, but it
is also important to give things you value, as only those things you love are worthy of
“righteousness.” In this case sincerity is of the utmost. Overall, almsgiving is way to do good
with their energy, resources, and money for the needy. In return this expresses their love for
Allah and the hereafter, not love for the worldly goods (Aziz 35-38). Because Almsgiving is
obligatory Allah warns those who hold back. As stated in the Holy Quran surah 9:34 “And there
are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a
most grievous penalty” (The Message).
The Fourth Pillar
Suum is the fourth pillar of Islam and is one of great importance. The month of Ramadan
is when the holy Quran was first revealed to the holy prophet Muhammed. On this holy month
Muslims fast from dawn to dust, abstaining from food, drink and sexual pleasures. For Muslims
fasting goes even further. It means one must keep ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet and all other
organs free from sin. Fasting has inward and outward requirements. The inward requirements
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include not seeing what displeased Allah. Keeping a chaste regard and keeping the heart from
diverting it form the remembrance of Allah. Guarding one’s tongue from lying, backbiting
obscenity, rudeness, and controversy. If the tongue is not busy in the remembrance of Allah then
it should be silent. Even if insulted one’s responds should be, “I am fasting, I am fasting” Just
like one guards the tongues, the ears should be dealt in the same way. So listen to backbiting is
not much different then one backbiting themselves. On this month the devils are chained and it
enables one to see their true state of faith without unseen evil forces at play. This blessed month
is a time of training of the body and spirit. It teaches self-discipline, and teaches those that are
fortunate what it feels to be truly poor. So they in return can give of their wealth more
generously. In the traditions of the prophet it is narrated that the prophet peace and blessing be
upon him who uses Do’aa (prayer). As stated “Ow Allah make me among the poor in this world
and in the hereafter” (Quran). There is also a lot of blessing in the terms of virtues. On the last
ten there is a night is worth 1000 months of worship. So Muslims strive to stand in night prayer
and try to get the blessing of this night in which the holy Quran was revealed. After this month
there is the day of EID Afitra or ‘the day of celebration’ (Al-Ghazali 75-82).
The Fifth Pillar
Hajji is the fifth pillar of Islam and it is prescribed on those who have the wealth and the
health for the trip. This is one of the marvelous things of Islam .
According to Abdullah Yusuf Ali, this year, 3 million are in the whole city of Macce to perform
the hajji and growing. These people wear only two sheets of cloth all equal in appearance to
exemplify the equality of man before Allah. The first house of Allah was the Kaaba a small
black cubic building in the middle of the great Mosque of Mecce. Then it was rebuild by prophet
Ibrahim peace be upon. And it commemorates the acts of prophet Ibrahim and his son, prophet
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Ismaeel peace be upon them. Those that get the blessings of the Hajji have their sins forgiven.
And the biggest celebration of the Muslims is the day of Arafat. On this day of Arafat the
pilgrims stand on the plains of Arafat and ask for the forgiveness of there sins. And on that day
their sins are forgiven, so it truly is a day of celebrations celebrated by Muslims all over the
world. In the Hajji there is a lot of great blessings. When one performs the Salat in the great
Mosque it counts as 1000 prayers. And an act of charity is worth 1000s times. The city as a
whole is signified as the city of safety. As Allah says in the Holy Quran, 48:24 “And it is He
Who has restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Makka, after
that He gave you the victory over them. And Allah sees well all that ye do” (qtd. in Abdullah
Yusuf Ali). The prophet called this the city of safety and that one should not kill any living thing
inside it. Those who complete the hajji are called “haajjii.” The “Hajji” as a pillar of Islam is
hard in the scourging heat of the desert heat and a sea of people for the weak. So the prophet
Muhammed, made it obligatory on those who have the health and those that have the wealth to
take the trip, in order to save the weak and those too poor to make the trip because of their own
hardships (FAZA'IL-E-A'AMAAL).
These are the five pillars of Islam and if one is missing then a complete collapse follows.
It is the duty of every Muslim. Some might see these and other acts of worship as hardship but
for those who have true faith it is easy and even delightful. These pillars represent the basic and
most crucial tenets of Islam that allow each Muslim to express faith and practice the fundamental
teaching of Islam in the most virtuous manner possible.
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Reference page
Kaandhlawi Saheb, Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya. FAZA'IL-EA'AMAAL. 2nd. Johannesburg, South Africa: Waterval Islamic Institute, 2000.
From the life of the Prophet Mohammed (saw), 06-23-2002, Living Islam, Islamic
tradition, Tues 12, 2006, http://www.abc.se/~m9783/o/mhmd_e.html#eml
Cornell, Vincent J. "Islam." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. [Place of access.
Date of access.] <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar282380>.
Adams, Charles J. "Ramadan." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. [Place of
access. Date of access.]
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar458770>.
Martin, Richard C. "Hajj." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. [Place of access.
Date of access.] <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar242500>.
The Message. Dir. Akkad, Moustapha. Perf. Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael
Ansara. Johnny Sekka, Michael Forest, . DVD. Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1976.
The Purpose of Life . Perf. Khalid Yasin. DVD. TheTreasure Uncovered Collection,
2003.
Aziz, Zahid. Introduction to Islam. 1st ed. Columbus, Ohio: Ahmaiyya Anjuman Isha at
Islam Lahore, 1993.
Al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship . Ratby Lane, Markfield: Islamic
Foundation, 1983.
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Appendix A
Five Pillars of Islam: A Visual
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Appendix B
Five Prayers of Salat form the Quran
The five prayer are Fajir (Dawn), Zuhur (Noon), Asar (Mid-afternoon), Magrib (Sunset), and
Isah (nightfall). Before Muslim prays, Wudu (ablution) must be made. In which they wash their
face, hands, head, and feet. When Wudu is made and the time has come to pray the caller of
prayer (The Muaadin) will call to prayer. These are the words in Arabic.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. God is most great, God is most great.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. God is most great, God is most great.
Ashahadu an la ilaha illa Allah, I testify that there is no god except God.
Ashadadu an la ilaha illa Allah, I testify that there is no god except God.
Ashadadu an Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, I testify that Muhammed is the Messenger of God.
Ashadadu an Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, I testify that Muhammed is the Messenger of God.
Haya’ala Salah, Come to Prayer
Haya’ala Salah, Come to Prayer
Haya’al Falaah, Come to success
Haya’al Falaah, Come to success
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. God is most great, God is most great.
La ilaha illa Allah I testify that there is no god except God.