The 5 pillars of Islam
Islam has been built on 5 pillars. which are called pillars because they are like the strong base of Muslim life.
The 5 pillars of Islam are mentioned in Hadith about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Islam is based on five pillars: the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the Pilgrimage, and the fast during Ramadan
| Reference | : Mishkat al-Masabih 4 |
| In-book reference | : Book 1, Hadith 3 |
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ “
From the previous Hadith, we can say that the 5 pillars of Islam in summary, are:
- The testimony / Shahada.
- Prayer / Salah.
- Zakat / Almsgiving.
- Pilgrimage / Hajj.
- Fasting during Ramadan.
And a Muslim can’t be a Muslim unless he is applying the above pillars
We’ll discuss each one of them and provide detailed explanations.
The first pillar is the testimony / Shahada.
Shahada is the primary and most crucial pillar of the 5 pillars in Islam because it is the gateway to Islam. The statement of the shahada reads as follows:
“أَشهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ”
“Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah.”
And it means:
“I bear witness that there is no God but Allah (Allah, i.e., there is none worthy of worship but Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
The Muslim verbally affirms with their tongue and simultaneously acknowledges in their heart that there is no god except Allah.
The second pillar is Prayer/ Salah
Prayer / Salah is a common part of almost every religion
The prayer in Islam is a different thing; Muslims believe that we are created for the sole reason of worshiping Allah alone. This purpose is fulfilled through the daily
Prayer / Salah:
Muslims pray 5 times a day, Allah recommends to all of his messengers the prayer, when it comes to Islam the prayer is the great cornerstone of Islam, The pillar of Islam, And simply the prayer is a way of worshiping Allah with words and deeds,
The beginning of which is Takbir by saying
الله أكبر
And the end of which is Al-Salam by saying
ألسلامُ عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
For more information about The Prayer/ Salah, Click Here.
The third pillar of Islam is Zakat, also known as almsgiving.
Al-Zakat has economic and religious benefits, and below you will know why that is.
Al-Zakat (الزكاة) refers to the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one’s wealth to charity.
It is not merely a charitable gift but a systematic obligation. The word “Zakat” comes from the Arabic root “Zakaa,” which means to increase, purify, and bless.
After knowing that the Zakat is not merely a charitable gift but a systematic obligation, if all Muslims pay Zakat for the poor people in their country, it will lead to reduced poverty.
The fourth pillar of Islam is Fasting
During the month of Ramadan. Fasting is abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations from dawn (Fajr) prayer to sunset (Maghrib) prayer during Ramadan. The goal is spiritual growth, empathy for the less fortunate, and increased devotion to Allah.
The fifth pillar of Islam is the Hajj
What is meant by Hajj is the Muslims heading to the city of Mecca at a specific time of the year, performing specific rituals in a specific order and manner called the rituals of Hajj. Hajj is an individual obligation that is obligatory for every sane, adult, and capable Muslim. It is one of the basic 5 pillars of Islam.
