The five pillars of islam

أركان الأسلام

The five pillars of
islam

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.

[b]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 (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, a
simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam
. The testimony of faith is the most
important pillar of
Islam.
Prayer

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة الصورة بالحجك
الطبيعي.

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.
In prayer, a person feels inner
happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The
Prophet Muhammad The five pillars of islam Salla

said: {Bilal, call (the people) to
prayer, let us be comforted by it.} Bilal was one of Muhammad’s The five pillars of islam Salla

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.

Giving Zakat (Support of the
Needy

All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore
held by human beings in trust

. The five pillars of islam Ch3-16-3-img1

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.

Fasting the Month of
Ramadan

The five pillars of islam Ch3-16-4-img1

Every year in the month
of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown,
abstaining

from food, drink, and ***ual
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 five pillars of islam Ch3-16-5-img1

Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah. In this
mosque is the Kaaba (the black building in the picture) which Muslims turn
toward when praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which God commanded the
Prophets Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to build.

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
Arafaand 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

منتدى مجلة مدرسة معروف الرصافي