Islam

Group Details

...5 Pillars of Islam...

There are 5 pillars in Islam. The 5 pillars of Islam are duties which are obligatory on all Muslims. These duties are Shahadah, Salaah, Zakaat, Saum and Hajj.

   1.   <u style="line-height: 1.45em;">Shahadah:

The 1st pillar is Shahadah. Shahadah is to believe that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger.

    2.   <u style="line-height: 1.45em;">Salaah:

The 2nd pillar is Salaah. Salaah is prayers, that are performed five times a day. Prayers are led by an Imam in the Mosque. Prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. Each salaah is performed facing towards the Kaba. Salaah is compulsory on all Muslims. Children should start praying 5 times daily at the age of 10 or 12. Prayers help Muslims communicate and worship Allah. Prayers are said in Arabic and Wudhu is performed before praying to spiritual clean and purify the soul. In Salah, Muslims follow set movements called rakaahs which include kneeling, bowing down and sitting.

The Prophet said, "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business centre."

     3.  Zakaat:

The 3rd pillar is Zakaat. Zakaat is charity given to the poor and needy. Zakat means "purification." Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually. The Prophet said, "Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is an act of charity." The Prophet also said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim."

    4. Saum:

The 4th pillar is Saum. Saum is fasting in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. It is an obligatory act for all adults and children from the age of 10.It helps develop self-control and helps us to overcome selfishness, greed and laziness. You open your fast with a date. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk during this month. The fast is meant to remember the needy and seek nearness to Allah.

    5.  Hajj:

The 5th pillar is Hajj. Hajj is to visit the Kaba, in Mecca during the Islamic month of Zul – Hijjah. It is Sunnah for all Muslims who are sane to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Everyone wears white clothes to show we are all equal.