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.
Muslims are encouraged to be in constant prayer to see their lives more objectively. Praying is also expected to purify the heart, develop the mind and conscience, comfort the soul, encourage the good and suppress the evil in a person, and awaken in the believer the innate sense of higher morality and higher aspirations (Fisher, 2005). The third pillar is Zakat (almsgiving or charity). An important principle of Islam is that all thing belong to God and that wealth is held by human beings in trust. At the end of the year, Muslims are required to donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to needy Muslims (Fisher, 2005).
Very specific instructions for praying are listed in the Quran. Prayer should be preformed five times a day at specific times and, if possible, in congregation (The Ahmadiyya Gazette). Muslims should also face Mecca when they pray. Some Muslims clean their faces and body parts before praying, which was exemplified in the Frontline video. To them, this action is a way to “clean” their souls too (Frontline Muslims).
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).
Michael Gordon “Islamic ethics are based on the principles of shari’ah law and rely on the decisions made by qualified Islamic scholars as well as expert medical opinion.” With reference to this statement, explain Islamic ethical teachings on bioethics. Islamic bioethics touch on all aspects of life, from the home to the work, from the individual to the community. Religious traditions such as Islam have deeply reflected ethical stand points that help guide the adherent in making good life choices. Islamic bioethics is tightly linked to the broad ethical teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunna and inextricably to Shari’ah law. The Qur’an and the traditions of Muhammad laid out specific ethical guidelines regarding various medical issues.
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.
Religions of the World What it means to be a Muslim? The Five Pillars of Islam are the fundamental beliefs that shape Muslim thought, deed, and society. They consist of the faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad, the establishment of the daily prayers, the concern for and almsgiving to the needy, self-purification through fasting, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able. These five religious duties are expected of every Muslim and are mentioned individually throughout the Qur’an, the sacred text of Islam and the highest authority in both religious and legal matters. Also, Muhammad listed them together in the Hadith, which is a record of the words and deeds of the Prophet, his family, and his companions, when he was asked to define Islam.
Nurses intermingle with people from diverse branch of the world with a mixture of civilizing practices, so cultural alertness seems essential in creating a patient-nurse relationship during the interview phase of the health assessment, initial step of the nursing process. Every culture perceives wellbeing and sickness differently; as a result, cultural traditions have power over nurses’ decision making process which represents a baseline to begin action for healing and provides high quality of care that nurses have to give. “Cultural ability means the aptitude of nurses to value and admit the cultural backgrounds of persons and give care that best meets the persons’ requests—not the nurses’ requests” (Edelman & Mandle, 2010, p.
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.
We have come to prosper in this industrialized world we live in, and have reaped countless benefits from science and technology. Yet, from the post-Enlightenment emphasis on science and reason to the women’s movement, the nurse’s efforts to elevate nursing practice to the status of profession and to prove herself intellectual among the scientifically practicing physician, has nearly drown the historical spiritual intentions of nursing. Somehow, during the shifts in our culture and our society, we came to believe (in the world of medicine) that spirit was something to be avoided because science and reason could not explain it. Opportunely, we are on the brink of a shift in paradigm. Healthcare seems to be returning to a more holistic and integrated view of humans.