Islam: The Five Pillars Of Islam

The Five pillars of Islam are important duties that Muslims have to do daily. The Five Pillars of Islam are the basic foundation of Islam, it center around God, and it also centers around the three prophets Muhammad, Abraham, and Ishmael. The pillars tell all Muslims that God is the only god to worship and Muhammad is his messenger. An important principle is that all things belong to God. The name of the five pillars are shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj. Each pillar has an important meaning and they are mandatory duties that must be done every single day. Shahada has two declarations, “There is no god, but God,” and “Muhammad is the messenger of God.” The declarations signify the entrance of a Muslim into the broader community of Muslims. …show more content…
Another pillar of Islam is salat and it tells Muslims that they must pray 5 times a day. The praying is done at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset, and the evening. It must be done in the direction of Mecca and they must recite prayers from memory. A Muslim can sometimes have their own prayers called a du’a. Muslims prefer to worship God in a mosque, but they can pray where ever they are. Zakat says that you have to donate money to a religious official, representative of Islamic state, or a representative of a local mosque. The amount is set to 2.5% of the Muslim’s income. The money donated is used to feed the poor, encourage people to converge to Islam, supporting the people who are devoting work to God, defend faith, and help travelers. It purifies the believer by letting go of worldly possessions. Another pillar of Islam is sawm or Ramadan. Sawm means that a Muslim has to fast. The fast is during the holy month of Ramadan. It is done from sunrise to sunset and it is meant to be a purification for the Muslim. The Muslim has to stay away from food and drinks during the day. It reminds them of the pain and hunger of poor