Pillars of Islam

There are some basic duties that a Muslim must perform. These are known as the pillars of Islam. If any of these is refused by anyone then he or she will not be considered as Muslim. There are five pillars of Islam and these are –

1.    Shahada is the profession of faith. It is a statement professing monotheism and accepting Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the messenger of ALLAH. It is a set statement that is recited in Arabic. The meaning of this statement is – I profess that there is no God but ALLAH and Muhammad is the messenger of ALLAH. It is the first step that must be completed by a non-Muslim to be Muslim. A Muslim has deep faith in this statement and offers his whole life to worship ALLAH.   

2.    Salah means prayer which is a daily work of Muslims. It is consisted of five prayers and these are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha’a. These prayers are made compulsory by ALLAH for every Muslim man and woman. Salah make the difference between Muslims and the Non-Muslims. Muslims recite the prayers facing towards Kaaba of Mecca. It is the sign of unity. Muslim don’t worship the Kaaba.

3.    Sawm means fasting. It is obligatory for every Muslims of above age 11 in the month of Ramadan. It is a ritual fasting and Muslims abstain themselves from food, drink, and sexual activities from dawn to dusk during this month. Muslims are not allowed to do any Haram activities. Haram refers to those activities which are forbidden by ALLAH. During this month of Ramadan Muslims especially avoid all the sins and Haram activities. Because especially during this month they seek nearness to ALLAH and ask forgiveness for past sins as ALLAH has given a very special preference to this month. Muslims fast only for the sake of ALLAH.

4.    Zakat means giving alms to the needy people. It is compulsory for every Muslim who is able to do so. It is one of the beautiful and very efficient ways according to Islam to remove inequalities from society. Islam encourages the voluntary charity.

5.    Hajj means the pilgrimage. A Muslim who has attended the Hajj is known as Haji. Muslims, who are capable to perform this, must fulfill it as it is mandatory for them. This pilgrimage takes place in the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the holy city of Mecca.