5 Pillars of Islam and 3 Types of Muslims
Islamic Traditions The Muslim concept of worship is very broad. Muslims consider everything they do in this life according to Allah 's will, an act of worship. Worship of Allah is foremost in a Muslim 's mind all the time. There are also five formal acts of worship which help strengthen a Muslim 's faith and obedience that are referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam. The first of the five pillars is the testimony of faith called Shahadah. The statement is "Ashadu alla ilaha illa Allah, as ashadu anna Muhammad ar-rasool Allah," which means "I bear witness that there is no God other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger" (Smith, 14). When one declares this statement, one testifies to the Unity of Allah, and to the message of the Prophethood. When one bears witness that Muhammad is His messenger, one is confirming that all of the prophets before him were also His messengers. A person becomes a Muslim once this statement is declared with purity of heart and conviction of heart. The second pillar is the act of prayer called Salat. Formal prayer is the very important because it is "mankind 's connection to Allah through which on gathers strength, guidance, and peace of mind" (Norcliffe, 119). Muslims repeat and refresh their beliefs by taking time out of their day to remember Allah and renew their effort to follow His guidance five times a day: (1) Fajr-before sunrise, (2) Zuhr-after the sun begins to decline, (3) Asr-mid-afternoon, (4) Magrib-after sunset, and (5) Isha-night. The third pillar is act of fasting called Sawm. Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, and intimate sexual contact from the break of dawn till sunset. This is a unique Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love and devotion to Allah.
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may learn self-restraint. Fast for a fixed number of days....Ramadan is the
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may learn self-restraint. Fast for a fixed number of days....Ramadan is the
Bibliography: Besancon, Alain. "What Kind of Religion is Islam?" Commentary 117.5 (2004): 42-48. Caner, Emir. Unveiling Islam: Muslim Life and Beliefs. New York: Kregel Publications, 2001. Norcliffe, David. Islam: Faith and Practice. London: Sussex Academic Press, 1999. Smith, Huston. A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper, 1995. The Holy Quran. Translated by Maulana Muhammad Ali, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore, Incorporated, 1991. Waliullah, Shah. Sufism and the Islamic Tradition. New York: Octagon Press, 1980.