The Five Pillars of Islam HUM/130 May 6, 2011 Tanya Gardner The Five Pillars of Islam The Five Pillars of Islam make up the central beliefs of the Islamic faith. These pillars help to shape Muslim society. The Islam doctrine teaches that Muslims who live according to the Five Pillars of Islam, stay within the Islam faith, and sincerely repent of their sins, will make it to paradise or jannah (Slick, 1995-2010). The Islamic religion is monotheistic, so it is not surprising that the center of the Five Pillars of the Islamic faith is the total belief that there is only one God (Shahada). The four other pillars include, fasting (Saum), prayer (Salat), and pilgrimage (Hajj), alms-giving or charity (Zakat), Shahada is a declaration that is made by followers of the Islamic faith, which says, “there is no true God except Allah,” and also says that, “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
Five Pillars of Islam The Five Pillars of Islam are ethical sources of Islamic moral teaching that establish the pathway to Allah. The Five Pillars specify patterns for worship as well as, detailed prescriptions for social conduct, to bring remembrance of God into every aspect of daily life and practical ethics into the fabric of society (Fisher, 2005). These are five duties that make up the Five Pillars in which Muslims show submission to God. The first pillar is believing and professing the unity of God and the messengership of Muhammad. There is no God, but God and Muhammad is the “Messenger of God”.
The Five Pillars of Islam Islam is comprised of five pillars that together provide the structural framework for Muslims daily life. From these pillars are the guidance that includes ritual acts of worship on an individual and community level. Muslims are always reminded of their obligatory duties. They help to reinforce the belief in one God and the rituals create a united Muslim Community. The first of these pillars is Shahada, which is the declaration of faith.
Every religion has its own rituals to sanctify their daily lives. They all have a spiritual meaning and are very significant. Islam and Hinduism have many rituals but, the main ones this essay will focus on are the prayers form Islam and Puja (Pooja) from Hinduism. The prayer in Muslim is a binding promise of the faith, to be performed five times of the day by adult Muslim. In Hinduism Puja (Pooja) is performed as an offering to various deities, distinguished person, or special guests.
In the novel Utopia, by Thomas More and Augustine’s City of God, both authors speak of their own opinions of the perfect world. In Augustine believes that the perfect city is one that is crafted by God and is filled with people who worship God. More, however, believes that Utopia is the best place that one can live in since it is, in essence, the perfect society. In More's Utopia, many of the ideas come from the ideas of Augustine's City of God, which is the reason why Augustine can endorse this type of earthly city. Augustine’s perfect city is the one that is created only by God and have people who worship Him and have his spirit within their body.
In Islam one lives their belief and a true believer must be seen to put that belief into action. A Muslim may worship in public or private. Regardless, there are five ways in which a Muslim must worship Allah. The Five Pillars of Islam support the faith of a Muslim and are essential to spiritual development. These Five Pillars are actions which a Muslim has to perform and are given via the Hadith (a major source of Islamic Law): Shahadah (declaration of faith) Salah (compulsory prayers five times a day) Zakah (annual welfare contributions) Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
The five basic acts in Islam, Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj are the foundation of the life of Muslims and is a primary obligation that one must fulfill in their lifetime to be in full submission to Allah. These core beliefs which express the faith of Islamic adherents are based on beliefs, sacred texts, ethics and rituals. Beliefs are essential within a religion in order to make ethical decisions. Shahada, also known as Declaration of Faith, is the first of the five Pillars of Islam and is a statement of both ritual and worship. This Islamic creed is the profession of faith and trust, in which Muslims bear witness to the oneness of God and profess that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Checkpoint: Five Pillars of Islam The central beliefs of Islam include an oneness of God and humanity, Prophethood, human relationship with the divine, the unseen life, and the last judgment. These beliefs are further extended and explained through the “Five Pillars”. The “Five Pillars” provide instructions for rituals and ways to live. These instructions enable the Muslim people to live their lives in a fashion that brings them closer to God (Fisher, 2005). The first pillar is believing and professing the unity of God and the messengership of Muhammad.
Revelation god revealed his will and law to humanity through the Quran. Salvation Is life after death and judgment day will result in eternal reward or punishment Depending on god’s mercy. In Islam there were many prophets who guided the people to the right paths and the last prophet was Muhammad (P.B.U.H) there is only one Sacred book in Islam and that is the Quran. In the Quran God tells us what is haram forbidden and halal unforbidden. God tells us how we should live our daily lives.
* - my goals for this particular society. * Ie. To achieve a multi-ethnic society of different religious backgrounds and incorporating their values and traditions within “my ideal society” THE BODY OF THE ESSAY WILL BE IN SUBHEADINGS AS FOLLOWS: * Religion: * Islam * Explain in further details what are their beliefs, values, and traditions. * Prayer settings – mosques or if Azaan should be allowed with open speakers outside the mosques. * Considering of allowing other ethnics to practice their religion freely * Having their own prayer sites * Government: Leadership, rules and regulations * There will be one leader for all the people within this particular society in the country.