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THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

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The Five Pillars of Islam and their Significance

The lives of Muslims, their faith, and faith-based practices are wholesomely guided by

the five pillars of Islam. The establishment and description of these pillars in the Holy Book

(Quran), institute them as the very foundation of dedicated Islamic life. By so observing these

practices, a Muslim achieves sanctity before Allah, and lives the perfectly expected life of a

devotee. In a symbolic representation, the pillars get compared to the foundations of great

constructions that must be perfect for the systems to stand. Just like a building cannot survive

without a good foundation, so can’t the devotion of a Muslim succeed without their complete

observance of the five pillars. This notion establishes the pillars as basic, fundamental, and

compulsory for complete and successful devotion.

These pillars include the complete belief in

the oneness of Allah and His Prophet Muhammad, the institution of the five daily prayers, the

charitable acts of almsgiving to the needy, acts of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan for self

purification, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Shahadah marks the first proclamation and pillar of the faith of Islam. In this Pillar,

the faith of Islam proclaims the supremeness of Allah as the only one worthy of worship,

adoration, and praise. And peace be upon him (phuh), the prophet Mohammed remains the

recognized messenger of Allah. In this establishment, the Islamic faith seeks to institute the

importance of God in their lives as the sole source of life. They recognize Allah as the giver and

taker of life, and subsequently recognize the fact that all life can only be successful if all people

lived as Allah expects, obeyed His commands, and honored His expectations.

Hence, this pillar

. Iguchi, Masatoshi. Java Essay: The History and Culture of a Southern Country

(Kibworth Beauchamp: Matador Publishing, 2015), 151.

. Ibid.

draws the purpose of life as observing and obeying the commands of Allah, all of which are

found in the teachings of Muhammad, the recognized messenger and prophet of Allah.

Salah or prayer; defines the second pillar of Islam. Prayers in the Islamic faith, are

believed to connect the supplicator directly to Allah, since the faith does not believe in

intermediaries. In this sense, every devotee connects directly to God through prayer. The Muslim

prayers are five and are delivered across the day from dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and

nightfall. Preferably, these prayers should be done in a mosque under the leadership of a

congregation-appointed prayer leader, but, since people must go about businesses to survive, the

faith allows them to conduct prayers anywhere including fields, offices, and educational

institutions. Notably, all the prayers get delivered in Arabic, which is the original language of the

revelation o the faith of Islam trough the prophet Mohamed.

The significance of these prayers is

that they make devotees communicate with Allah frequently and remind themselves of Allah’s

expectations on them.

Zakah or offerings, defines the third pillar of Islam. In the Islamic context, Zakah defines

purification and growth in faith. In the native Islamic belief, all wealth and earthly property

belongs to Allah. The human beings who posses wealth, so do it in trust from Allah. Just like

plants are pruned to increase their growth and success, so are humans. To succeed more in life,

people must take from their income and wealth, to give to the less fortunate in the society as

offerings. In the words of prophet Mohamed, charity remains an obligation of everyone in the

society. It remains a responsibility in many aspects and must be practiced by all adherents of the

. Petersen, Kristian. Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language

in the Han Kitab (New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2018), 97.

faith.

So, by giving to the faith and helping the needy, are faithful moved closer to Allah, and

the beliefs and practices professed by Mohamed, the messenger of Allah.

Fasting during Ramadhan, defined as Sawm is the other pillar of Islam. Muslims are

expected to fast during the day but can carry out other activities in the evening throughout this

holy month of Ramadhan. It is a holy month where all Muslims, with exceptions of the sick,

elderly, and pregnant, are required to refrain from drinking and eating during the day. Human

beings must fulfill their natural needs, such as sex, and such needs can only be practiced after

fasting. The Muslims fast with the aim of spiritual self-purification but scientists view fasting to

have health benefits such as cellular repair.

A person who is fasting experience growth in his/her

spiritual life and gain sympathy with those that go without food.

Pilgrimage to Mecca or Hajj is the last pillar. This is an obligation that is practiced by

those that are able to perform it financially and physically. It takes place between the 8

and

of the last month of the lunar calendar of the Islam. It focuses on going to Kaaba and going

around it seven times on the first and last day. Another rite performed here is “stoning the devil”

by throwing pebbles at pillars which represents Satan. Performing this practice signify the

commitment of an individual to God.

The end of Hajj is celebrated with prayers and marked by

a festival known as Eid Al-Adha.

In conclusion, the five pillars of Islam establish the foundations for all Islamic practices.

They define the respect for God and His Prophet Mohamed, they dictate prayer and connection

to God, define the charitable acts of Muslims and specify how and when to fast for purification.

Finally, they define the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the provisions under which it is carried out.

. Ibid., 98.

. Hawting, Gerald. The Development of Islamic Ritual (London: Routledge Publishing,

2017), 3.

. Ibid., 5.

Bibliography

Hawting, Gerald. The Development of Islamic Ritual. London: Routledge Publishing Limited,

2017.

Iguchi, Masatoshi. Java Essay: The History and Culture of a Southern Country. Kibworth

Beauchamp: Matador Publishing, 2015.

Petersen, Kristian. Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han

Kitab. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2018.

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