|
| |
Five pillar of Islam
|
Five pillar of Islam
|
Five pillar in the
Islam , every Muslim should know about them. The concept of five
pillars is taken from the Hadith collections Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih
Muslim.To be a proper Muslim, one must perform five things:
(1) SHAHADA (KALMA):
Profess your faith, which is to proclaim, "There is no god but Allah, and
Mohammed is his last prophet." The testimony of faith is saying with conviction,
“There is no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet)
of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has
the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor
son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which
should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam. The testimony of
faith is the most important pillar of Islam.
(2) PRAY:
One should in fact pray five times each day. Prayers are performed at dawn,
noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such
as in fields, offices, factories, or universities. Muslims perform five prayers
a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in
Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no other
medium between God and the worshipper. In prayer, a person feels inner
happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The
content of the prayer is set or stylized: "Praise to Allah as creator of the
world. The merciful, compassionate, Ruler of the day of Judgment."
3)FASTING:
Muslim not only avoid food or beverage but also tobacco or sex from dawn to
dusk during Ramadan, a month long period sign alled by the appearance of the
crescent moon in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It celebrates
when Allah's revelation to Mohammed over 14 centuries ago. Every year in the
month of Ramadan all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food,
drink, and sexual relations. 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.
(4) ZAKAT:
Annually Muslim Zakat is either 1/40th or 1/50th of both income and wealth.
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in
trust. The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and
‘growth.’ Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain
properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The percentage which is due on
gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of
gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our
possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need,
and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new
growth. A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or
charity.
(5) HAJJ :
At least once in your lifetime, make the pilgrimage to Mecca or the hajj,
but only if you are financially and physically able. Although Makkah is always
filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the
Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away
distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God. The rites
of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between
the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Bibi Hajra did during her search for water.
Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafat and ask God for what they wish and
for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of
Judgment. The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha.
| |
|