Five pillars of islam ISRA Presentation

Islamic Law and Ethics Slide 1

Five Pillars of Islam


Content

• Three dimensions of religion

• The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahadah – testifying to creed

2. Salat – offering daily prayers

3. Zakat – paying charity

4. Sawm – fasting in Ramadan

5. Hajj – making pilgrimage


Introduction

• The religion of Islam is balanced through three

dimensions – belief, practice and spirituality.

• In Islam, faith is expressed in a diversity of ways to

engage full human faculties.

• The five pillars of Islam provides a Muslim with a

practical framework to cultivate spiritual growth.

• The five pillars range from once in a lifetime action

(pilgrimage) to daily activities (daily ritual prayers)


Three Dimensions of Religion


Three Dimensions

• Iman – faith dimension

― 6 tenets of Islamic faith

― Mu’min is a believer

• Islam – devotional practice dimension

― 5 pillars of Islam

― Muslim is the one who is on a devotional path to

God

• Ihsan – spiritual excellence dimension

― “Ihsan is to worship God as though you see God;

even if you don’t see God, God sees you”, said

Prophet Muhammad.

― Muhsin is the one who has developed a

personal relationship with God.


Expression of Faith The Five Pillars


Expression of Faith • For a Muslim, it is compulsory to practice the five pillars of

Islam.

• There are important reasons and benefits as to why Muslims are obliged to practise the five pillars:

― Muslims believe that God has commanded them to practise the five pillars. They are a symbol of a person’s willing submission to God.

― The five pillars are acts of worship and have significance for God and His relationship with humans.

― The five pillars are a spiritual regimen to cultivate spiritual development.

― They have additional social, mental, spiritual and physical benefits.


Five Pillars in a Snapshot

Pillar in Arabic Pillar in English Fundamental spiritual benefit

1 Shahadah to testify that there is no

deity but God and

Muhammad is the servant

and the messenger of God

Freedom from fear and

incentive based earthly

masters

2 Salat to offer daily ritual prayers Countering distractive

effects of daily affairs

3 Zakat to pay the compulsory

charity

Attachment to possessions

and money

4 Sawm to fast in the month of

Ramadan

Self-restraint against limiting

and destructive inner

impulses

5 Hajj to make pilgrimage to the

House if one is able to do so

Removal of racism and tribal

attitude to religion


Shahadah – Testifying to Creed

The creed written in Arabic in an artistic manner.



• A person becomes a Muslim when he or she utters the statement of testimony in the presence of witnesses:

― “I bear witness that there is no deity but God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger and servant of God”

• This is a public commitment to the path of Islam

― “He is God, there is no deity but He...” (59:23)

― “Muhammad is the messenger of God…” (48:29)

• There is no compulsion is Islam. No one can be forced to convert to Islam.

― “There is no compulsion in religion…” (2:226)



• With the shahadah a person frees himself or herself from false masters or gods that may exert disproportionate force upon a person.

― For some their self can be their God

― For others it could be wealth, status or powerful people,

― For some they may believe that there are more than one God with supernatural powers

• Islam requires one to reject all such deities and only submit to one supreme God.

― This gives a person freedom from worldly powers that may influence him or her with fear or incentive.


Salat – Offering Daily Prayers


Salat – Daily Prayers

• “Salat is the central pillar of Islam.” – The Prophet

Muhammad

― “Who believe in the Unseen, and perform As-salat

(prayers) and spend out of what We have provided

for them.” (Qur’an, 2:3)

• The word ‘salat’ literally means ‘hot connection’. So,

prayer in Islam is an act of worship that enables the

individual to get close to God through a meditative

state.

• It is a direct and personal communion with God. The

Prophet Muhammad said that a person during prayers is

closest to God at the moment of prostration.



• The meaning of worship is:

― “Human, as a servant of God, being aware of his

limitations, weakness and poverty, prostrates himself

in love and wonderment before the perfection of

God’s Compassion, Lordship and Majesty” Said Nursi

(d. 1960)

• The essence of five daily prayers is to glorify, exalt and

praise God with the heart, tongue and body at spaced

intervals throughout the day.

― The prayer is an index involving all forms of worship

― The prayer is an act symbolising submission to God



• Salat enables a person to detach from daily affairs and

to remember and connect with God on a daily basis.

• Salat raises human consciousness to an awareness of

being in the presence of God and hence greatly

reduces the chance of committing wrongful acts.

• All enjoined prayers can be performed individually or in

congregation.

― Congregation can be formed anywhere. It does not have

to be in a mosque.

― Rows are formed where shoulders touch each other,

hence building social cohesion and solidarity.

― Hence, men and women form separate rows.


Zakat – Paying Charity



• Zakat is the third pillar of Islam.

― “But those among them who are well-grounded

in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what

has been revealed to you and what was

revealed before you: And (especially) those who

establish regular prayer (salat) and practise

regular charity (zakat) and believe in God and

in the Last Day: To them shall We soon give a

great reward. (Qur’an, 4:162)



• Muslims are enjoined to give alms, which are called the purifying alms and considered a right of the poor rather than being purely charity.

• The minimum obligatory amount of alms (zakat) for a Muslim is 1/40 (2.5%) of excess personal wealth. It is paid once in a year. Once collected, zakat can only be distributed to poor, needy and other rightful beneficiaries.



• By observing the command of God to pay zakat a Muslim acknowledges that he is not the true owner of the wealth and that he is only a temporary holder.

• Zakat enables a person to detach from wealth and possessions removing another impediment in his her spiritual journey.

• Through zakat a person exhibits her compassion for other less fortunate people and this in turn develops her sense of compassion and conscience.

• Zakat deals with the social problem of the ‘don’t care’ attitude of the rich.

• Therefore, zakat bridges the gap between the rich and the poor.


Sawm – Fasting in Ramadan


Sawm – Fasting in Ramadan • Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam. Muslims are

required to fast for one month is a year over

consecutively days in the lunar month of Ramadan.

― “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you

as it was prescribed for those before you that you

are expected to be truly obedient.” (Qur’an,

2:183)

• From dawn to sunset a practising Muslim abstains

from eating, drinking and sexual relations while

spending time in reflection, doing good deeds and

being careful in one’s conduct.



• At the sunset each day, fasting is broken with a meal usually with family and friends who compete to invite one another to break fast with them in groups.

• A fasting Muslim usually wake up before dawn for an early breakfast.

• Fasting is the best form of true thanksgiving, which is to know that all sustenance comes directly from God, to acknowledge its value and to feel our need and dependence on that sustenance.



• In Ramadan, Muslims usually go to the mosque every night for a special congregational prayer.

• At the end of the month of Ramadan, there is a three day festive celebrations (Eid) where Muslims visit their families and friends.

• By fasting 30 days in a row, one acquires the habit of controlling one’s inner impulses.

• One month of fasting rests the digestive system and other related organs, especially the liver.


Hajj – Making Pilgrimage


Hajj – Pilgrimage

• The fifth pillar of Islam is Hajj (pilgrimage); to visit the

holy lands once in their lifetime. It is obligatory for

all Muslims who are rich and healthy enough to

make the journey.

• Pilgrimage consists of visiting a number of sacred

places, circling the Ka’bah and being present in

the plains of Mt Arafat at a specific time in the

lunar year.


Hajj – Pilgrimage

• “Verily, the first house (of worship) appointed for

mankind was that at Bakkah (Mekkah), full of

blessing, and a guidance for His creatures. In it, are

manifest signs, the Station of Abraham; whoever

enters it attains security. And Pilgrimage to the house

(Ka’bah) is a duty mankind owes to God, those who

can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, God

stands not in need of any of His creatures.

(Qur’an, 3:96-97)


Hajj – Pilgrimage

• With Pilgrimage, the central aims of worship – exalting, glorifying and praising God – occur individually and collectively in large numbers.

• According to Islamic tradition, Mt Arafat is the place where the first man, Adam and his partner Eve sincerely repented and received forgiveness for their mistake.


Hajj - Pilgrimage

• Revolving around a central axis is a universal act of worship Hence Muslims circle Ka’bah.

― “All that is in the heavens and on the earth extols and glorifies God, for He is the Tremendous, the Wise,” (Qur’an, 57:1)

• Hajj is about connecting to the monotheistic tradition and to realise that Islam is not a new religion but the primordial religion of God.


Hajj – Pilgrimage

• Pilgrimage is a total human experience and has multiple outcomes for a Muslim.

• A Muslim truly appreciates the universality of belief in one God (tawhid) and oneness of humanity.

• Therefore it detaches a person from tribalism in religion and racism. Many people have a significant leap in their faith and go through a transformation after Hajj.

• Hajj is one of the most spectacular religious and social annual events in the world. It brings together millions of Muslims from all around the world.


Conclusion • Expression of faith in the form of five pillars makes a person

recognisably Muslim. Yet, if not practiced a person does not cease to be a believer or Muslim.

• The five pillars of Islam are:

1. Shahadah – to testify that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.

2. Salat – to offer daily ritual prayers.

3. Zakat – to pay the compulsory charity.

4. Sawm – to fast in the month of Ramadan.

5. Hajj – to make pilgrimage to Mecca if one is able to do so.

• The five pillars is a regimen for spiritual development. It is possible to excel spiritually by following these practices.


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