|
|
 |
The Five Pillars of Islam
DEVOTIONAL PRACTICES
The structure of Islâmic devotional
practices rests upon the five pillars,
namely :
Declaration of faith.
Prayer.
Compulsory charity.
Fasting.
Pilgrimage.
Declaration of faith: There is no
object worthy of worship besides Allâh
and Muhammad is the messenger of Allâh.
COMMENTARY:
By declaring the oneness of Allâh and
the prophethood of His apostle
Muhammad (SAW), we willingly recognize
the sovereignity of Allâh and humbly
submit and surrender to His law and
directives as shown to us by His final
prophet Muhammad (SAW). It further
implies that the only Law Maker,
Sovereign and absolute object of
worship is Allâh and we obey the
Prophet (SAW) with unquestioned
obedience. His example and teachings
are to be followed unconditionally. We
offer absolute loyalty and allegiance
to him. He is the model of perfection
and only in following him could we
obtain divine pleasure.
NOTE:
The Prophet (SAW) did not only
transmit the word of Allâh, but also
gave the exposition of its meaning,
i.e. the Prophet (SAW) was not given
the freedom of explaining the word of
Allâh based on his own understanding.
The intent and interpretation of the
Qur’ân was also from Him (Allâh). If
the Prophet (SAW) was not authorized
to determine its meaning and
significance on his own accord, it
would be preposterous to suggest that
any person could arrogate to himself
the right to interpret the Qur’ân
according to his own thought and
opinion.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) stated: "The
Israelites were divided into 72 groups
and my followers will be split into 73
groups. All of them shall be in the
fire of hell except one. The
companions asked, "Which one will be
saved?". He replied: "Those who are on
my path and the path of my
companions." The above prophecy has
undoubtedly been fulfilled. Many
splinter groups purporting to be
Muslims have sprung up, however the
majority of the Muslims subscribe to
the ‘Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’at’, the
people of the path of the Prophet and
his companions.
PRAYER
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"Surely I am Allâh, there is no object
of worship but I, serve Me and
establish prayer for My remembrance."
The primary object of prayer is the
remembrance of Allâh. Prayer is
prescribed 5 times daily, wherein a
Muslim acknowledges the Greatness of
Allâh, seeks His forgiveness and
guidance.
Prayer destroys evil tendencies and
bad habits.
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"Verily prayer wards off indecencies
and lewdness."
Prayer purifies the heart and develops
the mind
It consists of three elements:
Humility of heart.
Recognition of the Majesty of the
Almighty.
Physical demonstration or reverence.
FASTING
Fasting literally means abstention
from food, drink and sexual relations
from the break of dawn till sunset,
during the month of Ramadhân - the
ninth month of the Islâmic calendar.
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"O you who believe, fasting is
prescribed for you, as it was for
those before you, so that you may
learn self - restraint."
The primary objective of fasting is to
subjugate the beastly
tendencies/inclinations in man. The
dictates of lust and passion are
greatly subdued. It generates a spirit
of sympathy and generosity for the
poor and destitute. It is a
prescription for self-control and will-
power. It contributes to the
preservation of health. A physician
once said: "Take away food from a sick
man’s stomach and you begin to starve
not the sick man, but the disease."
ZAKÂT - COMPULSORY CHARITY
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"And establish Salât, and pay the
Zakât (compulsory charity) and offer
to Allâh a beautiful gift."
Zakât (compulsory charity) is a
charity enjoined by Allâh upon all
those who can afford it. It purifies
the wealth of the owner and cleanses
him of greed and selfishness. It
promotes the spirit of social
responsibility on the part of the
donor and a feeling of security and
belonging on the part of the recipient.
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"Extract from their wealth charity, it
would cleanse them and purify them...."
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has
stated: "The hand that gives is better
than the hand that receives."
HAJJ - PILGRIMAGE
The performance of pilgrimage is
obligatory upon a Muslim at least once
in a life time, if he is financially
capable and physically fit. Pilgrimage
is a journey undertaken to Makkah in
the month of Zul-Hijja, the 12th month
of the Islâmic calendar. It is a
commemoration of the great sacrifice
of Ibrahim (AS) and his triumph over
infidelity. It is the largest annual
convention of faith. It is the
demonstration of the universality of
Islâm. It is to confirm the commitment
of the Muslim to Allâh. It is a
reminder of the great assembly of the
Day of Judgment.
The Holy Qur’ân states:
"Haj (ought to be performed) in the
months well known. If any one
undertakes to fulfill the obligation
therein, let there be no obscenity,
nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the
Haj..."
|
