Five Pillars of Islam:
Islam has five primary obligations, or pillars of faith, that each Muslim must fulfill in his or her lifetime.
Remember, Islam is a religion that teaches in oneness of Allah. It is the continuation of Abrahamic religion driven by the book of God that is Quran, which most of its adherents believe it as the divine book sent down to the last messenger and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
What is Islam Religion Beliefs:
Muslims believe that understanding of Quran and acting upon its teaching through the actions and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the proper way to adhere to this religion. Such person is considered a pious Muslim.
Name of the religion Islam is of Arabic origin which means peace and submission.
More importantly, Islamic religion was introduced by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in early 7th century. It then spread to the Arabia peninsula.
A person is considered a Muslim if he or she believes in the Oneness of Allah and Muhammad as his final messenger. Muslims also have to declare their belief through tongue which is called kalma-tul-shahadat.
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muḥammadur-rasūlu-llāh:
“There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
Once this declaration is made a person formally enters into the folds of Islam.
What Do Muslims Believe:
Muslims believe that the teachings of Islam were revealed to the previous prophets like “Noah”, “Abraham”, “Moses”, “Jesus”. That is why it is a part of faith in Islam to believe in these Prophets.
However, Muslims also believe that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) revived the pure form of Islam and completed the religion in its truest essence.
The Five Pillars of Islam:
There are five pillars of Islam that are also called as the obligatory religious practices of Islam. It is compulsory on every Muslim to observe these obligatory practices with good intention.
Islam is built upon the Five Pillars of Islam which are as follows:
- Declaration of Faith.
- Obligatory prayers.
- Obligatory fasting.
- Obligatory giving.
- Pilgrimage to Mecca.
1- Declaration of Faith:
As mentioned above Muslims declare proficiently that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad P.B.U.H is his final messenger. Muslims strictly follow monotheism in Islam.
2- Obligatory Prayer:
“O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere”.(The Quran 2:53)
Muslims believe that after declaring their faith the next stage is to practice the religion. That is why Muslims offer their prayer five times a day.
“Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind)”.(The Quran 2:238)
How Many Times Do Muslims Pray:
Muslims have made mosques where they gather and offer their prayer. These five prayers are obligatory on every Muslim. Which means that they cannot skip it. Moreover, these prayers times are divided into different times of the day.
Fajr Prayer:
Muslim first prayer, Fajr start from early morning before sun rise.
Dhuhr Prayer:
Second prayer, Dhuhr starts right after mid-day.
Asr Prayer:
Third prayer, Asr is afternoon prayer which is called as the afternoon prayer.
Maghrib Prayer:
Fourth prayer, Maghrib is sunset prayer which is offer at the time of sun set. It is also called as the Maghrib prayer.
Isha Prayer:
Last and the final prayer(Isha) is night prayer that is also called as the Isha prayer.
3- Obligatory Fasting:
Obligatory Fasting is a whole month of fasting which is called as Ramadan. Now the question is what is Ramadan and when is Ramadan coming?
Ramadan is an Islamic month in which Muslims all over the world fast for the whole month. In this month Muslims make special efforts to achieve their spiritual connection with their deity. Muslims keep their fast before dawn and break it at sun set. In Ramadan, Muslims try themselves to be more practical in their religious practices and abstain themselves from wrong doing.
4- Obligatory Giving (Zakat):
One of the five pillars of Islam Zakat(charity) is obligated on the wealthy Muslims to give a certain percentage of their wealth to the poor and needy Muslims. Islam clearly states that zakat cannot be given to non-Muslims. The category of people defined in Quran whom wealthy Muslims can give Zakat to is mentioned below.
“The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise.”(The Holy Qur’an 9:60).
“Who believe in the unseen, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them, they give to charity”.(The holy Quran 2:3).
5- Pilgrimage to Mecca:
Pilgrimage to Mecca which is also called Hajj in Arabic, is annual pilgrimage that Muslim perform in the Islamic month of Zil-Hajj. It is obligatory to adult Muslims once in their life time provided that they are physically and financially sound.
However, It is one of the largest Muslim gathering in the world. The word Hajj is an Arabic word which means making intention to take a journey. The Hajj is the utmost projection of Muslim solidarity among each other and ultimate act of submission to God.
Main Sects of Islam:
In Islam there are main two denomination of Muslims, “Sunni and Shia”.
- Sunni Muslims comprise of 80% of Muslim population.
- Shia comprise of 20 % of Muslim population.
Majority of Muslim population reside in Northern Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia. We can also find large number of Muslim population in Europe, North America, Australia and India.
Conclusion:
In the end it is clear that, it is a well-established fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion of the world. Muslims believe that Quran and Sunnah are the best source of their spiritual connection between them and their God. And to establish their spiritual connection they practice their obligatory prayer with utmost devotion. Islam is the second biggest religion of the world and it is the continuation of previous Abrahamic religion that is why Muslims find harmony and respect with other major religions of the world.
