The Five Pillars of Islam

The most important Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five
Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to
live a good and responsible life according to Islam.
Why are they important?
Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's life,
and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of
religious devotion. No matter how sincerely a person may believe, Islam regards
it as pointless to live life without putting that faith into action and practice.
Carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates that the Muslim is putting their faith
first, and not just trying to fit it in around their secular lives.
The Five Pillars consist of:
1. Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." The

Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam. This is the basic statement of the
Islamic faith. Anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.
When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet
That they personally accept this as true

That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life

Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone
need do to become a Muslim. A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out
loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.
The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:
Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah. The
Shahadah is written in Arabic on the flag of Saudi Arabia, the state that contains
Islam's holiest places.
The dalil about shahadah is :

Meaning: "God declares that there is no god but He (the right to be worshiped),
the upholding of justice. The Angels and the people of knowledge (also stated
such). There is no god but He (the right to be worshiped), the Mighty, the Wise.
"(Q.S. Ali Imran, 18)

2. Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day

Salat is the obligatory Muslim prayers, performed five times each day by
Muslims. It is the second Pillars of Islam. God ordered Muslims to pray at five set
times of day:

Salat
Salat
Salat
Salat

al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise

al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highest
al-'asr: the late part of the afternoon
al-maghrib: just after sunset

Salat al-'isha: between sunset and midnight

All Muslims try to do this. Muslim children as young as seven are

encouraged to pray. This prayer timetable gives Muslims the pattern of their day.
In Islamic countries, the public call to prayer from the mosques sets the rhythm
of the day for the entire population, including non-Muslims.
The prayer ritual, which is over 1400 years old, is repeated five times a
day by hundreds of millions of people all round the world. Carrying it out is not
only highly spiritual, but connects each Muslim to all others around the world,
and to all those who have uttered the same words and made the same
movements at different times in Islamic history.
The set prayers are not just phrases to be spoken. Prayer for a Muslim
involves uniting mind, soul, and body in worship; so a Muslim carrying out these
prayers will perform a whole series of set movements that go with the words of
the prayer.
Muslims make sure that they are in the right frame of mind before they
pray; they put aside all everyday cares and thoughts so that they can
concentrate exclusively on God. If a Muslim prays without the right attitude of
mind, it as if they hadn't bothered to pray at all.
A Muslim prays as if standing in the presence of Allah. In the ritual prayers
each individual Muslim is in direct contact with Allah. There is no need of a priest
as an intermediary. (While there is a prayer leader in the mosque - the imam they are not a priest, simply a person who knows a great deal about Islam.)
Muslims can pray anywhere, but it is especially good to pray with others in
a mosque. Praying together in a congregation helps Muslims to realise that all
humanity is one, and all are equal in the sight of Allah. Muslims must be clean
before they pray. They make sure of this by performing ritual washing, called
wudhu.
The dalil about salat is :

It means: "(They are) those who believe the unseen, who establish salat, and
spend their sustenance which We have bestowed upon them." (Q.S. Al Baqarah,
3)
3. Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy

Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one's wealth to

charity. It is regarded as a type of worship and of self-purification. Zakat is the
third Pillars of Islam.
Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts given out of kindness or generosity,
but to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one's wealth each year to benefit the
poor. The benefits of Zakat, apart from helping the poor, are as follows:

Obeying God
Helping a person acknowledge that everything comes from God on loan
and that we do not really own anything ourselves and since we cannot
take anything with us when we die we need not cling to it
Acknowledging that whether we are rich or poor is God's choice. So we
should help those he has chosen to make poor
Learning self-discipline
Freeing oneself from the love of possessions and greed
Freeing oneself from the love of money
Freeing oneself from love of oneself

Behaving honestly

The 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold and silver, and commercial items.
There are other rates for farm and mining produce, and for animals.
The dalil about zakat is :

It means: "And establish prayer and pay the poor. And whatever good ye for
yourselves, ye will get his reward with Allah. Indeed Alah Seer what you do.
"(Q.S. Al-Baqarah, 110)
4. Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan

Sawm is fasting. It's the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims are
required to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During
the 29/30 days of Ramadan all adult Muslims must give up the following things
during the hours of daylight:

Food or drink of any sort

Smoking, including passive smoking

Sexual activity

Muslims who are physically or mentally unwell may be excused some of

these, as may those who are under twelve years old, the very old, those who are
pregnant, breast-feeding, menstruating, or travelling. If an adult does not fast for
the reasons above they should try to make up the fast at a later date, or make a
donation to the poor instead.
Muslims do not only abstain from physical things during Ramadan. They
are also expected to do their best to avoid evil thoughts and deeds as well. There
are many good reasons for this fast, including:

Obeying God
Learning self-discipline
Becoming spiritually stronger
Appreciating God's gifts to us
Sharing the sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for them
Realising the value of charity and generosity
Giving thanks for the Holy Qur'an, which was first revealed in the month of
Ramadan

Sharing fellowship with other Muslims

During Ramadan many Muslims will try to eat a large meal called sahur
just before dawn. When daylight is over, most Muslims will break or open the fast
with dates or water, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, before
having a proper meal later. The evening meals during Ramadan are occasions for
family and community get-togethers.
The month of Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. This is marked
by dressing up and visiting the mosque for prayer, and with visits to family and
friends for celebratory meals.
The dalil about sawm is :

It means: "(Some days it is specified) the month of Ramadan, the month in which
reduced (beginning) the Qur'an as guidance for mankind and explanations of the

instructions and the difference (between the right and the false). Therefore,
whoever among you is present (in a country where he lives) in the month, then
let him fast the month, and whoever sick or traveling (and he is breaking), then
(wajiblah her fasting), as many days that left it , on the other days. God desires
ease for you, and does not want hardship for you. And ye, and let moderation
bilangannya glorify God for His guidance is given unto you, that ye may give
thanks. "(Q.S. Al-Baqarah, 185)
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

Hajj is the fifth Pillars of Islam. Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group,
colour, social status, and culture gather together in Mecca and stand before the
Kaaba praising Allah together.
It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood
and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah.
The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth, and the
afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth, and pride. In the
Hajj all are truly equal.
The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram. During the
Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose
in the world. Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is so holy that no nonMuslim is allowed to enter.
For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It occurs in the
month of Dzulhijjah which is the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is
the journey that every sane adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their
lives if they can afford it and are physically able.
The hadith about hajj is :

It means: "And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allah. If you are prevented (by
the enemy or because of illness), then (slaughter) animal are easily obtainable,
and do not you shave your head, before the victim arrived at the slaughter place.
If any of you who are sick or there is an interruption in his head (and then he
shaved), then it must-well, ie: fasting or alms or a sacrifice. If you have (feel)
safe, then for anyone who wants to do 'Umrah before Hajj (pilgrimage in the
month), (wajiblah he slaughters) of victims are easily obtainable. But if he does
not find (or can not afford a sacrificial animal), then it should fast three days
during hajj and seven days (again) if you have come home again. That is ten
(days) is perfect. Thus it (the obligation to pay fidyah) for those whose families
are located (around) the Haram (the people who are not residents of Makkah).
And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in punishment. " (Q.S. Al-Baqarah,
196)