الرئيسية
من طرف What Are the Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of a Muslim’s 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) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha
illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means
“There is no true god but God (Allah),1 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, a simple formula which should
be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not
take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islamis a direct
link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries
between God and the worshipper.
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. }1 Bilal was one of Muhammad’s _companions who
was charged to call the people to prayers.
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.
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by
human beings in trust. 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.’ The
percentage which is due on gold, silver,
and cash funds that have reached
the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for
one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our 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.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as
voluntary alms or charity.
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan,1 Muslims fast from dawn
until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and
sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health,
it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual
self-purification. By cutting oneself off
from worldly comforts, even for a short time,
a fasting person gains true sympathy with
those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
The Pilgrimage to Makkah
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once
in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to
perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from
every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with
visitors,
the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the
Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which
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
and going seven times between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as
Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand
together in Arafa1 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 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.
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of a Muslim’s 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) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha
illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means
“There is no true god but God (Allah),1 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, a simple formula which should
be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not
take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islamis a direct
link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries
between God and the worshipper.
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. }1 Bilal was one of Muhammad’s _companions who
was charged to call the people to prayers.
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.
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by
human beings in trust. 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.’ The
percentage which is due on gold, silver,
and cash funds that have reached
the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for
one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our 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.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as
voluntary alms or charity.
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan,1 Muslims fast from dawn
until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and
sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health,
it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual
self-purification. By cutting oneself off
from worldly comforts, even for a short time,
a fasting person gains true sympathy with
those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
The Pilgrimage to Makkah
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once
in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to
perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from
every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with
visitors,
the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the
Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which
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
and going seven times between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as
Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand
together in Arafa1 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 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.
