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| Five Pillars of Islam |
- Shahādah: To testify
that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's
Apostle.
- Salāh: To offer the
(compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
- Zakāt: To pay Zakāt
(Obligatory Charity).
- Sawm / Roza: To observe
fast during the month of Ramadan. (Sawm / Roza).
- Hajj: To perform
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca).
1.
First Pillar: Shahādah
Narrated Abu Huraira (R.A): I heard Allah's Apostle (SAW) saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet (SAW) added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds."
(Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 1, Book 10, Hadith # 506)
Zakāt or alms-giving is the practice of charity
by Muslims based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all who are able
to do so. It is obligatory for any
practicing Muslim, who is Sahib-e-Nisab
(i.e., who possesses 75 gms gold or 520 gms Silver or equivalent amount in
cash or any other form of assests / liabilities) to pay Zakāt.
Sawm (Roza) is to fast in the month of Ramadan.
Fasting is essentially an attempt to
seek nearness to Allah and increase one’s piety. One of the remote aims of
fasting is to sympathize with those less fortunate ones who do not always have
food and drink readily available. Also one must try to avoid cursing and evil
thoughts. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling one’s desires (of
hunger, thirst, anger & other worldly desires) and focusing more on
devoting oneself to God.
Fasting is necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty (unless he/she suffers from a medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so). Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast are those who are ill or traveling.
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| Kalma-e-Shahadah (in Arabic lang.) formed by trees. One of the many miracles of Allah. |
The Shahādah is the first pillar of
Islam. Shahādah is the declaration of faith, i.e. There
is no God but Allah and Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, is the
Messenger of Allah.
It states “Ash-hadu an La ilaaha illallaah,
Wa Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullaah”; "I bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad
is His Messenger." Reciting this statement is obligatory in daily prayer (Salāh) as well as on other occasions. It
is also a key part in a person's conversion to Islam.
The first part of the Shahādah (known
as Tawheed), that there is no God but Allah, attests the Oneness of Allah. The
second part, that Muhammad (SAW) is His messenger, states about the Nubuwwah /
Prophethood of Muhammad (SAW).
2.
Second Pillar: Salāh / Namaz
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| Artistic view of Kalma-e-Shahadaha as a man offering Salāh |
Salāh is the name given to the formal Islamic
prayer. Its supreme importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of
the paradigmatic Five Pillars of Islam.
Offering Salāh is
obligatory on all adult Muslims, with a few dispensations for those for whom it
would be difficult.
To offer valid Salāh
Muslims must be in a state of ritual purity, which is mainly achieved by
performing ritual ablution (Wudu) according to prescribed procedures.
Also the place of prayer should be clean.
Each of the five periods
is preceded by the Adhaan (or Azaan as it is more commonly called).
The muezzin (more correctly mu'adh-dhin)
calls out the Azaan on each occasion.
Salāh consists of five daily prayers according to the Sunnah; the names are according to the prayer times:
Salāh consists of five daily prayers according to the Sunnah; the names are according to the prayer times:
1.
Fajr (Offered
just before morning dawn).
2.
Zuhr (Offered
at noon time after the sun has surpassed its highest above you).
3.
Asr (Offered during evening).
4.
Maghrib
(Offered just after sunset).
5.
Isha (Offered
during the night).
Narrated Abu Huraira (R.A): I heard Allah's Apostle (SAW) saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet (SAW) added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds."
(Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 1, Book 10, Hadith # 506)
3. Third Pillar: Zakāt
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| Zakāt is spending 2.5% of Wealth |
Zakāt
consists of spending 2.5% of one's wealth (1/40th Part of the
wealth), every year, for the benefit of the poor or needy including slaves,
debtors and travelers.
It is considered to be a
personal responsibility for Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and
eliminate inequality.
There
are five principles that should be followed when giving the Zakāt:
- The giver must declare to Allah his intention to give the Zakāt.
- The Zakāt must be paid on the day that it is due.
- After the Offering, the payer must not exaggerate on
spending his money more than usual means.
- Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy
then he or she needs to pay 2.5% of their income.
- The Zakāt must be distributed in the community from
which it was taken
Not
paying the Zakāt (For those who are financially able to do so) brings disasters
upon the Muslim Ummah. Neglecting to give Zakāt can
result in damnation in the afterlife, while those who give Zakāt can expect
reward from God in the afterlife. The giving of the Zakāt is considered a means
of purifying one's wealth and one's soul.
The Qur'an talks about the Zakāt
in more than 30 different verses, mainly in the Madinian Surahs. In the
Qur'anic view, Zakāt is a way to redistribute the wealth, thus increasing the
role of charity in the economy with a particular interest in the poor and the
dispossessed. However, Zakāt is considered more than charity - one must give Zakāt
for the sake of one's own salvation.
4. Fourth Pillar: Sawm / Roza
Sawm (Roza) is to fast in the month of Ramadan.
Allah says in the Quran:
يَا
أَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى
ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
(O those who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you
as were enjoined upon those before so that you be God-fearing. [Surah Al-Baqara, Verse:183]).
Muslims are prohibited from eating,
drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual intercourse (and are
to be especially mindful of other sins) from dawn (Fajr)
to sunset (Maghrib) while observing the fast.
Fasting is essentially an attempt to
seek nearness to Allah and increase one’s piety. One of the remote aims of
fasting is to sympathize with those less fortunate ones who do not always have
food and drink readily available. Also one must try to avoid cursing and evil
thoughts. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling one’s desires (of
hunger, thirst, anger & other worldly desires) and focusing more on
devoting oneself to God. Fasting is necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty (unless he/she suffers from a medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so). Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast are those who are ill or traveling.
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): Allah’s
apostle (SAW) said:
“Allah said, All the deeds
of Adam(AS)’s sons are for them, except fasting which is for me, and I will
give the reward for it.”…
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book 3, Hadith 128)
5.
Fifth Pillar: Hajj
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| Pilgrims in the position of Sajda while in Salah at the Kaaba |
Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs
during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah to the holy city Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world. Every able-bodied Muslim is
obliged to make the pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime (who can
afford to do so). The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim
people, and their submission to Allah.
The
pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last
month of the Islamic calendar.
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| The arkān (Obligations / rituals) of Hajj explained diagrammatically |
When the pilgrim is around
10 km (6.2 mi) from Mecca, he/she must dress in Ihram clothing, which
consists of two white sheets. Ihram is also the name given to the special
spiritual state in which Muslims live while on the pilgrimage. Both men and
women are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. The main rituals of the
Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching / kissing the Black
Stone, traveling / running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, going
to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil and symbolically stoning (throwing
stones at) the Devil in Mina. The pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a
ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three day global festival of
Eid-ul-Adha.
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| Beautiful night view of the Kaaba during Hajj |
The
Hajj is associated with the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from the 7th
century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Makkah is considered by Muslims to
stretch back thousands of years to the time of Ibrahim (AS).
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| Pilgrims trying to touch the door and the walls of Kaaba (Baitullah) during Hajj |
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| Pilgrims performing Tawāf during Hajj |
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