Download The Five Pillars of Islam Students frequently have misconceptions

The Five Pillars of Islam
Students frequently have misconceptions about the basis of Islamic faith, or they simply
memorize the five pillars without truly understanding them. In order to help them gain a more
complete understanding of Islam I divide them into two groups. I assign 2-3 students to each
pillar. Students read a prepared article on the Five Pillars of Islam. These students are in charge
of “teaching” about their pillar to their classmates.
The two students assigned to each pillar meet to discuss the important aspects of the pillar. I
then line up the students in two rows, with each of the original pairs facing each other.
Students in one row then rotate to their left, while one row stays still- the pillars. They then
teach their new partner about their assigned pillar. In their notebook, each student needs to
make a chart on each pillar and what it means.
We continue rotating until everyone has information on each of the pillars. They get an
opportunity to become experts in one of the aspects of Islamic faith and learn about the others.
As they go along they fill out a chart, so by the end of the activity they will have completed it.
With their final partner they compare and discuss what they have learned and evaluate the
quote, “"For the west, much of the history of Islam has been obscured behind a veil of fear and
misunderstanding." (source: PBS video Islam: Empire of Faith). They must indicate to what
extent they agree or disagree with the statement.
What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the
testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month
of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.
1) Confession of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying in Arabic with conviction, “There is no true god (deity) but God
(Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god
but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither
partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada (sha-HEH-da). The testimony of faith is
the most important pillar of Islam, because it affirms both God’s oneness and the central role of the
prophet. The Shahada appears in daily life in many different ways, from being proclaimed in the call to
prayer to being inscribed on flags and coins.
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to
perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries
between God and the worshipper. Within this pillar, the believer washes according to a particular
ritual and prostrates him or herself on the group in the direction of Mecca, while reciting certain
phrases.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or
her. The Prophet Muhammad said, “Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.”
Bilal was one of Muhammad’s companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.
Muslims are summoned to prayer by a muezzin (myoo-EZ-in) from a minaret. Prayers are
performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere,
such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
In addition to the five daily prayers, all male believers gather together on Friday for the noon prayer
and listen to a sermon by a leader of the community. The rules for women’s attendance at Friday
worship have varied over time and place. In many places today, women also attend Friday worship,
although they are segregated from the men and pray behind, beside or above them.
3) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, all Muslims
fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual selfpurification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person
gains greater awareness of God’s presence, true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth
in his or her spiritual life.
The Muslim calendar is measured by the cycles of the moon, versus Christian measurements
according to the sun. As a result, the Muslim lunar year is 11 days shorter than traditional calendars.
The conclusion of Ramadan is marked by a feast, known as the Id al-Fitr, or break-fast feast.
4) Giving Zakat (zuh-KAHT) (Support of the Needy):
Muslims believe all things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.
The fourth Pillar of Islam is to give alms to the poor, and Muslims are supposed to donate a fixed
amount of their property to charity every year.
The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakat means
‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ Possessions are
purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting
back balances and encourages new growth.
While most Muslims today donate money, one of the most common forms of charity in medieval
Islamic cities was to establish a public drinking fountain.
5) The Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Mecca:
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are
physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Mecca each year from
every corner of the globe. Although Mecca is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed
in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple white clothes that strip
away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.
The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times. Then the pilgrims journey 12 miles
east and stand together in Arafat and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is
often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment.
The end of the Hajj is marked by a solemn festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers.
This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two annual festivals of
the Muslim calendar.