Five Pillars of Islam

                                                                   INTRODUCTION-

The pillars of Islam are deeds or acts that are considered mandatory among Muslims and are the basic principles of Islam. All of these acts are the basic foundation of a believer’s life. The five pillars of Islam have been described and summarized in the famous Hadith which was based on the message that the angel Jibriel conveyed to
the Holy Prophet (PBUH). In total, there are five Islamic pillars. The following are the five pillars of Islam that make up the foundation of both Islam and the life of a Muslim or believer:

1. Shahadat or Faith

2. Prayer 



3. Fasting

4. Zakat

5. Pilgrimage (Hajj) Descriptions of the five pillars of Islam

The following is the complete descriptions of the five pillars of Islam, also known as the five Islamic pillars.

1. Shahadat or Faith In simple terms, Shahadat/Faith is the act of declaring that there is no God except Allah and that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is His messenger. Basically, the declaration of faith or the declaration of being a believer is called Shahadat.
One can declare faith by pronouncing a simple formula. Unbelievers who are willing to accept Islam need to recite or pronounce the declaration of faith in order to fully accept Islam .The declaration of faith basically means that there is no entity in this world worthy of worship other than Allah and that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the messenger of Allah.

2. Salat or Prayer Praying is the act or performing prayer. Salah refers to the five obligatory prayers that Muslims need to perform five times a day. Prayers are a direct link or connection between a believer and Allah. The time of performing each of the five obligatory prayers and certain other prayers such as the prayer that is to be performed on Fridays is denoted by Azan, which is the call to prayer. Prayers can be performed in a group or individually and can be performed wherever a person is, as long as the place where they will be performing their prayers is free of any impurities.

3. Zakat- Translated into English, Zakat means both “purification” and “growth”. Zakat refers to the purification of one’s money, wealth and monetary assets which, in turn, leads to their growth. The concept of Zakat is similar to the concept of pruning a plant. When a plant is pruned (cut down from certain points or places), it will grow bigger and better.

4. Fasting - Every Ramadan, Muslims fast from a little before sunup to sundown. This is the act of fasting and is mandatory for Muslims who are physically and mentally capable of performing it. Muslims fats in order to experience what the needy and the helpless experience every single day.

5. Pilgrimage- It is the act of performing Hajj. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah which is performed every year, is one of the most important Islamic pillars. Pilgrimage is obligatory only for the believers who are mentally, physically and financially capable of doing so. If a believer is not capable of performing Hajj, they do not need to. What are your thoughts regarding the five pillar of Islam?