THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
All thanks and praises are due to Alláh, Who sustains all creation with His favor. He is the only deity worthy of worship. O Alláh! We only worship You, seek and invoke You for help for each and everything, and appreciate and praise You for Your bounties. I hereby testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Alláh Alone, without partners and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger whom He sent as mercy for mankind and the jinn. O Alláh! Send Your mercy and blessings to Muhammad, his progeny, Companions and people of knowledge and correct guidance.
Alláh the Exalted said:
“O you who have believed! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful.” (22:77)
In this Ayah Alláh commands His believing slaves to worship Him by bowing down in Ruku’ and prostrating in Sujud for Him Alone. He also commands them to do good things so that they might acquire guidance. Doing good entails enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, It also entails worshipping Alláh in Tauhid with sincerity, being kind and compassionate, offering sincere advice to all people and direct them to what ensures their happiness and correctness. All this Alláh commands us to do, prefers for us and rewards us if we implement and adhere by it.
O Alláh’s slaves! Islam is built on five pillars. Believing in them makes a person Muslim, provided he or she abides by these pillars and implements them sincerely and faithfully. These pillars are: testifying that none has the right to be worshipped except Alláh and that Muhammad(pbuh) is His slave and Messenger, performing prayer, paying what is due of Zakát, fasting the lunar month of Ramadhán, and performing Hajj to the Sacred House of Alláh for those who can afford the journey.
‘Lá iláha illalláh’ means, ‘None has the right or is worthy of being worshipped except Alláh.’ This Testimonial requires performing all acts of worship for Alláh Alone, including invoking, supplicating and feeling humbleness and fright from Him Alone and none else. Furthermore, only Alláh should be feared and he should be the sole source of hope and aid. None of these acts can or should be directed towards anything or anyone other than Alláh. Otherwise, one’s testimony that ‘none has the right to be worshipped except Alláh’ becomes useless.
Testifying that Muhammad(pbuh) is the Messenger of Alláh requires adhering by the Praphet’s command and refraining frorn whatever he forbids. This Testimonial also requires referring to the Sunnah of the Prophet(pbuh) for judgment and accepting his decisions with full submission.
“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad(pbuh)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” (4:65)
There are five compulsory daily prayers, and they constitute the second pillar of Islam after the Two Testimonials. One of the conditions of having prayer accepted and not rejected is that it is performed in total sincerity to Alláh, with faith and humbleness. The prayers do, (and should) forbid those who perform them from committing sins and evil acts, as long as they are performed properly and on time.
“As-Salát (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshá’ and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed).” (29:45)
The third pillar of Islam is the Zakát, especially if it was given away with a sincere good heart. The Zakát cleanses and purifies the heart and increases one’s wealth. Paying it takes the Muslim away from the evil characteristics of miserliness. Also, the Zakát is the right that the poor and needy Muslims have on one’s wealth and its amount is not substantial. When Zakát is paid with a good heart, Faith, sincerity and given to poor and needy Muslims who deserve it to comfort them, then this act of charity will purify the heart of its giver and cleanse his money. This is a primary wisdom behind the ordainment of Zakát. We should also assert that Zakát entails one’s good use of his position and social status that Alláh had given him to intercede for good causes:
Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have the reward thereof.” (4:85)
Also, the Messenger of Allah(pbuh) : said:
“Intercede for a good cause and you will have a reward thereof.”
Therefore, O slaves of Alláh! Fear Alláh and purify your hearts and intentions for Him Alone in all of your actions.
Fasting the lunar month of Ramadhán is an obligation required by Alláh and has such a unique status that all the actions of mankind are theirs except the Fast, for it is for Alláh and He rewards for it. Alláh accepts the Fast from His believing slaves, rewards them for it, and indeed, He has the best rewards. During the Fast, one abandons his food, drink and satisfying his lusts as an act of drawing closer to his Lord, obeying His orders and seeking His merey, pardon and kindness. The Fast requires one to restrain his senses from committing evil. For instance, the hand fasts by restraining it from committing harm and being used to consume unlawful things, while the leg fasts when it is restrained from walking to evil and any act that might bring Alláhs Anger. The tongue fasts when it is restrained from uttering evil, foolishness, lying and backbiting. The ear fasts by not listening to words of calumny, ties, backbiting, musical instruments and songs. The eye fasts by not looking at unlawful things, especially women whom one is not allowed to look at. Also, the eyes should be restrained from peeking at other people’s secrets and private affairs. The Messenger of Alláh(pbuh) included all these meanings in his comprehensive statement:
“Verily, the Fast is Junnah (a shield or protection). Therefore, when it is a day when one of you is fasting, let him not commit Rafath (sexual intercourse with the wife), or dispute foolishly and unjustly.”
Alláh endowed Ramadhán, the Month of the Past, with goodness, blessing and kindness, in addition to the revelation of the Qurán as guidance and mercy for mankind. Alláh ordained the Past during Ramadhán and His Messenger established the Sunnah of Qiyam (voluntary prayer) during its nights. The Messenger of Alláh(pbuh) said:
“Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadhán faithfully, out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Alláh’s rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.”
Allah’s slaves! Perform acts of righteousness and good deeds so that you earn Allah’s generous rewards. Invoke Alláh to forgive you for your sins and to guide and direct you to success. Beg Alláh to save your Islam, to allow it to prevail above all other religions and to protect and aid its people and defenders. O Alláh! Make us among those who earn Your forgiveness and acquire safety from the fire.
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