Islam and its Pillars in Brief

The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God.  ‘Mohammedanism’ is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad, rather than God. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. Islam is not a new religion. It is the same truth that God revealed to all His prophets throughout history. Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness that should not be associated with acts of violence against the innocent.

The Five Pillars of Islam

• The Declaration of Faith [Shahādah]: This consists of the two statements of declaration: ‘La ilāha illa’Llah, Muhammadun rasūlu’llah’ [There is no deity worthy to be worshipped except One God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.] All the prophets of God including; Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them), invited the people to the same thing, to worship The One God without any partners, son or associates.

In order to understand why we must worship Allah (The One God), we must first accept the Oneness of the Lordship of Allah i.e. Tawhid Ar-Rubiyyah. This means to believe that there is only One Lord for everything that exists, its Creator, Organizer, Originator, Planner, Sustainer, Authority, Giver of Security, etc. and this is Allah (One God) The belief in the Lordship of One God cannot be separated by the act of worshipping the One God i.e. Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah. This means to believe that none has right to be worshipped (e.g. praying, invoking, asking for help from the unseen, swearing, sacrificing, pilgrimage, fasting, giving charity, etc.) but Allah.

The final aspect of Tawhid is the Oneness of the Names and Attributes of Allah. This means: 1. We must not name or attribute anything to Allah except with what Allah or His Messenger has named or attributed to Him. 2. None can be named or attributed with the Names or Attributes of Allah such as the Mighty (Al-’Aziz). 3. We must confirm all of Allah’s Names and Attributes stated in His book (The Qur’an) or mentioned through His Messenger Muhammad without changing them or ignoring them completely or twisting the meanings or giving them resemblance to any of the created things These three aspects of Tawhid are included in the meaning of La ilaha il-Allah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah) It is essential to follow Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) and it is part of the worship of the One God (Tawhid-al-Uluhiyyah). This is included in the meaning of’ I testify that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah,’ and this means, ‘None has the right to be followed after Allah’s’ Book (The Qur’an), but Allah’s’ Messenger,’ Allah said: ‘And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it’. (59:7)

• Prayer [Ṣalāh]: Muslims perform five obligatory prayers each day. Prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and God for there is no hierarchical authority or priesthood in Islam. A learned Muslim chosen by each congregation leads the prayers. Prayer is the second pillar of Islam and is the duty of every Muslim – male and female – who fulfills the requirements of prayer. There are many verses in the Qur’an that command Muslims to perform prayer regularly at the correct time. The Qur’an says [what means]: ‘And establish prayer and give Zakāh and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].’ [43] and further: ‘… Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers, a decree of specified times.’ [4.103] The Messenger of God [pbuh] reminded the believers of the importance of prayer and warned them of the consequences of neglecting it. The minimum time of each prayer will be about five minutes but it may take longer if the person wishes. Muslims can pray anywhere except in impure places, at any time, alone or in congregation, in a mosque or at home, at work, on the road, indoors or out. Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] said, ‘The entire earth was rendered a masjid [mosque] for me.’ [al-Bukhārī] In special cases such as illness, journey, or war, certain allowances are made in order to make it easy for Muslims. Muslims pray at five times throughout the day: 1. Between first light and sunrise; 2. After the sun has passed the meridian; 3. Between mid-afternoon and sunset; 4 Between sunset and the last light of the day; 5. Between the arrival of darkness and before dawn.
• Poor-due [Zakāh]: One of the important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and that wealth is only held in trust by human beings. Zakāh purifies wealth by setting aside a portion for those in need. This payment is usually 2.5% of one’s capital every year, provided it reaches the nisāb [the minimum amount of wealth on which Zakāh is due. The nisāb by the gold standard is 3 ounces of gold (87.48 grammes) or its cash equivalent. This is approximately £2,254 (2015) but will vary with the current market value of gold. The nisab by the silver standard is 21 ounces of silver (612.36 grammes) or its equivalent in cash. This is approximately £193 (2015)
• Fasting [Ṣawm]: During the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast from Fajr [first light] until Maghrib [sunset]. Fasting teaches Muslims many lessons such as self-purification, piety, patience, discipline, sympathy and compassion. Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
• Pilgrimage [Hajj]: A pilgrimage to Makkah, or Hajj, is an obligation for those who are physically, mentally and financially able to do so once in a lifetime. Muslims gather as members of the diverse human family into a single community. They perform prescribed acts of worship at the Holy House of the Ka’ba in Makkah [Mecca] which, according to the Qur’an, was originally built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael; and at Mount Arafat, where they remember the pure and original way of life of Adam, the progenitor of the human race, reaffirmed by the Patriarch of the entire human family, the Prophet Abraham, and finally perfected and completed by God for all humanity through the mission of the Prophet Muhammad – the way of life known as Islam which has at its heart the doctrine of the unity and uniqueness of the One God.