The Five Pillars of Islam

Islam is at its heart a simple religion. Its basis is found in the Five Pillars of the faith. These are,

1. Shahada. The testimony of faith.
Ashadu en la illaha il allah, ashaduan Muhammaden rasulallah. There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.

Islam holds to a pure monotheism. Its point of view is that God has sent messengers throughout time, such as Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad, as well as the prophets of non-Abrahamic religions to give mankind an understanding of the unity of God and the purpose of Creation. One becomes a Muslim by making the testimony of faith, "I testify that there is no god but God, I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God." This is an affirmation of the Unity of God and that God has perfected his religion through his prophets culminating with Muhammad (saws).

Without this understanding of the unity of the Divine Reality there is no Islam and no Sufism. To learn more on this subject please read On Surrender.

2. Salat. The five times daily prayer.
The daily prayer cycle that is the central practice of Islam offers many benefits, not the least of which are peace and tranquility. To learn more on this subject please read Daily Prayer.

3. Zakat. The poor tax.
Islam is a socially responsible religion. It teaches us that we are better people when we see beyond our individual needs and desires and apply ourselves to helping those in real need. The poor tax is a way for all Muslims who have received material blessings from Allah to share them with those who have been less fortunate. To learn more on the Islamic view of charity please read Zakat & Tithing.

4. Sawm. Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan is set aside for devotion to and remembrance of Allah. The practice of fasting from sunrise to sunset throughout the month is a profound spiritual cleansing. To learn more more about fasting please read Fasting.

5. Hajj. The pilgrimage to Mecca.
Each Muslim is instructed to come to the house of God in Mecca once in his or her lifetime if they are able financially and physically. This is one of the things that binds the Muslim community together. To understand the profound effect that making the Hajj can have on people you only have to look at the life of Malcolm X and the changes that Hajj made in him. To learn more about this subject please read Hajj.

next topic: Good Manners
previous topic: Sufism, a Way of Life