Islam is a world religion based on the fundamental principles of Sharia. They are at the core of all creed. These include the five pillars. It is noteworthy that in the Quran, the main book of Islam, the classification of these five pillars of Islam is not presented. But it is in Muhammad's hadith.
The five pillars are the fundamental principles of Sharia, which every Muslim believer must strictly adhere to.
These are commandments, and they not only call for obedience to Allah Almighty, but also paint the basis of life. Islam would not be true without them.
Pillars:
- shahada
- namaz
- uraza
- zakat
- hajj
What do the pillars of Islam mean
- Islamic testimony in firm belief. One should unconditionally believe that Allah is one and there are no other gods. At the same time, Muhammad is a recognized Muslim Prophet of Allah, who is also worthy of veneration.
- The duty is to pray daily.
- The annual fast that is considered the most important. It is observed in the strictest month.
- Alms given annually by wealthy people to the poor.
- Pilgrimage of believers to the capital of Islam, Mecca.
To comprehend all the pillars of faith, first of all, one should accept Islam by pronouncing the shahadah. A Muslim is obliged to do namaz, and when Ramadan comes, it is imperative to fast from the first to the last day of the month.
As soon as the lunar year ends, every rich Muslim is obliged to pay zakat by sharing the excess with the poor.
If a believer deliberately does not fulfill the precepts of the five pillars, then he commits a grave sin and greatly harms himself and his soul.
Shahada
This is the very first responsibility of an adult believer in the mind who is ready to convert to Islam. He recites the shahadah. Thus, he out loud recognizes the testimony, after which he acquires the Muslim faith.
The Shahada sounds like this in Russian: “There has never been and there is no god worthy of worship, except for the Almighty Allah. I certify that Muhammad is His Messenger. A short initiation, however, it contains thousands of meanings, and it contains the five requirements of faith.
- These few words are spoken from the bottom of their hearts, with immersion in their deep meaning and with inner firmness in their decision.
- The main condition for pronouncing the shahada is the absolute rejection of all other past beliefs that are not pleasing to Islam.
- According to the canons of religion, the prayer should be said only in Arabic, if possible in the presence of Muslim believers.
By saying a prayer, you open the gateway to Islam. Now the believer can be considered a member of the Islamic ummah (community).
At the initial stage, in order to accept Islam, there is enough general knowledge, and after accepting it, a person is already immersed in all the prescriptions of Sharia and begins to strictly follow them.
Namaz
This is the second, but no less important pillar of religion. Namaz is the duty of every Muslim. It is prescribed by the holy book of the Koran. It should be done in the same way as the Prophet Muhammad did.
- Namaz is performed five times: at sunrise, in the afternoon, in the afternoon sun, in the evening sunset and at night.
- You can pray, making certain movements and pronouncing the prescribed words, in all places. Not only in the mosque. For example, at home, by the bed. At work and at university. And even on a city street. The main thing is that this place is clean and suitable for the ceremony.
- The prayer is read both by everyone individually and in the jamaat (that is, together with the others).
According to the Muslims themselves, namaz is the very foundation of religion, representing a direct connection between the prayer and the Almighty. Therefore, the place for its commission does not matter. Whether it's a holiday or illness, war or peace, a long journey or home.
But even if a believer missed namaz at the right time, he can fill it up at the first convenient opportunity. If a weak person cannot get up for prayer, he can pray while sitting, as well as lying down. While on the road, prayer can be shortened.
Before prayer, ablution takes place, then you need to stand facing the Kaaba, think about prayer and raise your hands with words that in translation sound like "The Most High above all." At this time, one should read the suras (chapters) from the Koran, praise God and pray. The last phrase of the prayer should be addressed to others, and it is translated as “Peace and mercy of Allah to you”.
Uraza
As in some other religions, fasting in Islam implies the refusal of food, water and physical intimacy. In Islam, fasting is observed only in daylight, that is, from the first ray of the sun over the horizon until its complete sunset.
Fasting is described in detail in the holy book of the Qur'an.
In fact, Uraza cleanses the human body from sins, pacifies the spirit and teaches them to fulfill their religious obligations. In the daytime, in good time, the believer indulges in meditation and does good deeds (like an angel who does not feel the need for food and entertainment and who worships Allah).
The feeling of hunger and one's own weakness during fasting is a blessing for a true Muslim. If fasting is easy, then at the end of Ramadan one should thank Allah. But in difficult cases, one should not complain either, but one should rejoice and ask the Almighty to forgive all bad deeds and strengthen the faith.
Zakat
Donations in Islam are measurable. They are not taken from the poor, and the rich must annually give alms in the amount of 2.5% of their entire fortune and property. That is, in fact, these are not even voluntary donations, but a tax called in Islam "zakat" (translated from Arabic as "purification").
Allah alone is the true and rightful owner of all human property and wealth. If he was generous to some, then they should be shared with less fortunate Muslims.
Zakat is not levied on property and things from everyday life, it is paid only on savings or gold owned by livestock, products or goods intended for sale, etc. This is the religious duty of the rich and one of the pillars of Islam.
Hajj
In the month, which in Islam is called Zul-Hidja (translated as "having a pilgrimage"), one should make the main pilgrimage in life to the capital of all Muslim believers, Mecca. Hajj must be performed at least once throughout your life.
The city of Mecca is located on the Arabian Peninsula. Only insane, infirm people, underage children and people without financial ability to fulfill it are exempted from the Hajj.
Hajj unites all Muslims in the world. All races, nationalities, trends. They become equal to each other. Everyone puts on white fabrics (a symbol of lack of clothing after death) and performs the same rituals.
This is the most important event in the life of any believer. This is the main opportunity to beg forgiveness of all sins, start life from scratch, stop being afraid of the Day of Judgment.
