Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five most fundamental aspects of Sunni Islam. The term is not used in Shia Islam.

For the Sunni sect, the Five Pillars of Islam (Arkan-al-Islam) are the five most important acts of a Muslim under Sharia law, and which devout Muslims will perform faithfully, believing them to be essential to pleasing Allah.

For the Shia sect, there are five beliefs, which are referred to as the Usūl al-Dīn, the Roots of Religion. In addition, there are ten practices, known as the Furū al-Dīn or Branches of Religion . The ten Branches of Religion correlate more closely to the Sunni concept of the "Pillars of Islam".

The Five Pillars of Islam

In summary, the practices are (In order of priority):

• The profession of faith in Allah (Shahadah) - the declaration that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger.
• Prayer (Salat) - establishing of the five daily Prayers.
• The paying of alms (Zakat) - which is generally 2.5% of the total savings for a rich man working in trade or industry, and 10% or 20% of the annual produce for agriculturists. This money or produce is distributed among the poor. Also, one may give 25% of found treasure such as money won in a non-gambling lottery.
• Fasting (Sawm) - refraining from eating, drinking or satisfying sexual needs from dawn to dusk in the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
• The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) - this is done during the month of Zul Hijjah, and is compulsory once in a lifetime for one who has the ability to do it. If the Muslim is in ill health or in debt, he or she is not required to perform Hajj.

Some Muslims, mainly belonging to the sect of the Khawarij, hold that there is a sixth pillar of Islam, jihad literally meaning "struggle" or "combat"; often understood to refer to holy war, this is viewed by many as a misinterpretation. While jihād is widely considered a duty of Muslims, the view that it is one of the pillars is not shared by most theologians. Modern interpretations of Jihad have contributed to the phenomenon of Islamic terrorism and particularly suicide bombers. Adherents are known as Jihadists or Jihadiis and have been involved in a number of spectacular mass murder events, including the notorious 9/11 massacres in the USA, the Beslan school murders in Southern Russia and the train bombings in Madrid and London. Within Islamic states there are frequent attacks aimed at followers of non-orthodox or rival sects or secularised muslims.

Shahadah, the profession of faith in Allah

According to the Qur'an, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger." This declaration of faith is called the shahadah, a simple formula which all of the faithful Muslims pronounce daily. Intrinsic in this action is the acknowledgment of Muhammad, as "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah has full knowledge of all things." [Qur'an: Surah al-Ahzab 33:40]

Şalāh, prayer

Muslims are obliged to perform ritual prayers or salat five times a day:

• Between dawn and sunrise (Fajr)
• After midday (Dhuhr)
• Midway between midday and sunset (Asr)
• Right after sunset (Maghrib)
• Approximately one hour after sunset (Isha'a)

A Muslim may offer extra optional prayer(s) at any other time.

Although it is preferable for men to pray together in a mosque, there is no strict requirement to do so. On Fridays, congregational prayer (jumu'ah) is held at midday, deemed obligatory for men but optional for women. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in a place of work or a school. It is also a requirement for a Muslim to face Mecca during prayer.

Before prayer is the ritual of ablution, a ceremonial cleansing with water (or alternatively, with sand) which is usually performed. The parts cleansed include arms, head, and the feet up to the ankles. If the cleansing was done using water, the Muslim is considered to have wudhu, which means that he or she has cleansed him or herself from the physical manifestations of sin in a lasting fashion that extends between prayers. In other words, unless the Muslim does something to remove this cleanliness, the cleansing would not need to be repeated before the next prayer. When sand is used, the cleansing is only temporary and regardless of whether or not the Muslim commits any physical acts of uncleanliness he or she will need to undergo the ceremonial cleansing immediately before the next prayer.

The salat must be performed in the Arabic language (even if the person neither speaks nor understands Arabic; the prayers are to be recited by heart), and include praises to Allah, the shahada, a plea for forgiveness and various blessings, Chapter one (al Fatihah) and one or more other parts of the Qur'an (by heart) and an optional prayer of one's own. The entire session includes standing upright, bowing down, kneeling and prostrating oneself. The session ends with looking right and left to say "Peace be unto you, and on you be peace" in Arabic to the believers sitting with you. Muslims believe that there are angels sitting on both their shoulders (the angel on the right is said to record the person's good deeds and the one on the left is said to record the person's bad deeds).

Sawm, fasting

Observance of the sawm, or siyam, involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual intercourse, and other forms of worldly pleasure. This fasting is ordained in the Qur'an, and is observed by devout Muslims throughout the daylight hours of the 29 or 30 days of the lunar month of Ramadan. There are some exceptions, for example for children, pregnant women, sick Muslims, laborers, and travelers. The children do not have to fast until puberty, but most start fasting earlier.

As well as fasting, Muslims spend more time praying during this period. sawm is intended to teach patience and self-control, and is seen as a debt owed by the believer to Allah.

Zakāh, the paying of alms

A major principle of Islam is the belief that all things belong to God and that wealth is only held by human beings in trust. The word zakah means both purification and growth. Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually, and for most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital in excess of one's basic needs. A Muslim may also donate an additional amount as an act of voluntary charity (sadaqah), in order to achieve additional divine reward.

Zakat is calculated on the basis of an amount in excess of what remains, after the needs of the family have been met.

Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca

All Muslims that have the financial and physical means to perform hajj are required to do so at least once in their lifetimes. The pilgrimage can only be performed during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. Given only about two million people are allowed by Saudi Arabia to perform hajj each year and that there are currently over a billion Muslims, it is impossible for every Muslim to complete the hajj even if every Muslim performed it only once in his or her lifetime.

Shi'a Muslims

Although the term Five Pillars do not exist in Shi'a Islam, the five obligations that are referred to do apply. In Shi'a Islam, rather than Five Pillars, there are five beliefs and ten practices: Roots of Religion and Branches of Religion