Five Pillars of Islam

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The Five Pillars of Islam Islam is probably the world’s most misunderstood religion. Islam is very different from what mainstream media usually portrays it to be. Dramatically spreading through the Western world, it is nearly a billion people strong. It guides people through discipline and unity at its very roots. Greatly known for its strict and tough traditional rituals, every Muslim has certain duties to conduct throughout his everyday life. Acts of worship that every Muslim must perform in order to show his faith in God. These acts of worship are also known as the Five Pillars. They help people to practice and remind them of their very purpose in this world. These are mandatory to every Muslim at all times, unless the individual is unable to perform them due to sickness or age. All in all, it is safe to say that commitment in no joke is Islam. The very first of the five pillars as Emerick states “helps Muslims to remind themselves about the reality of God in their lives” (Emerick 118). The Shahadah, the practice in which an individual declares his faith in God and confesses that Muhammad is the messenger of God. The statement “I declare there is no god except God, and I declare that Muhammad is the messenger of God"(Qu ‘ran 3:191) is to be said with pure sincerity and great commitment. Some Muslims recite that statement 17 times every day. They are also required by The Qu 'ran to recite “May peace and the blessings of God be upon him” (Qu ‘ran Surah, chapter 13), to show respect to Muhammad. By the phrase “Muhammad is our messenger”, Muslims affirm that Muhammad is not to be considered divine. They look up to him as a role model for a husband, a father and a politician. This statement of faith in God has two noticeable parts, the affirmative and the negative. The first phrase 'I declare that there is no god except God' is written in rather a negative tone.

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