What are the Five Pillars of Islam? - CREST Research

The five pillars – the declaration of faith (shahada), prayer (salah), alms-giving (zakat), fasting (sawm) and pilgrimage (hajj) ... ProjectFromtheProjectActorsandIdeologiesinSocialContextYoumayalsolikeArticleMarkYoungmanLearningfromideologicalvarianceandchangeArticle|3minreadGuideKimKnottBritishMuslims:MosquesGuide|1minreadGuideKimKnottBritishMuslims:DemographyandcommunitiesGuide|2minreadGuideKimKnottBritishMuslims:CharitiesandorganisationsGuide|2minreadGuideKimKnottBritishMuslims:AhistoryGuide|1minreadAlotofwhatmostpeoplethinktheyknowaboutIslamisfoundinthemedia,wheretalesoffundamentalismandviolencearethenorm.Thefivepillars–thedeclarationoffaith(shahada),prayer(salah),alms-giving(zakat),fasting(sawm)andpilgrimage(hajj)–constitutethebasicnormsofIslamicpractice.TheyareacceptedbyMuslimsgloballyirrespectiveofethnic,regionalorsectariandifferences.UpholdingthepillarsisconsideredobligatoryforallsincerefollowersoftheProphetMuhammad,maleandfemale,SunniandShi‘a,butthatdoesn’tmeanthatallthosewhoidentifyasMuslimskeepthemconsistently.Asinallreligions,circumstancesvaryandsomepeoplearemorecommittedthanothers.Suchthingsasage,stageoflife,work,familyresponsibilities,healthandwealthallmakeadifference.ThepillarsTheShahadaisthefundamentalstatementoffaithandcommitmentmadebyMuslims:“ThereisnoGodbutGod(Allah),andMuhammadisHisMessenger.”ItdistinguishesMuslimsfromthoseofotherfaiths.TheShahadaisperhapsbetterknownintheWestastheArabicphraseontheflagsofISIS,al-ShabaabandBokoHaram.However,theShahadaisbynomeansthepreserveofviolentgroups,infactrecitingitthreetimesinfrontofwitnessesisarequirementofbecomingaMuslim.SalahistheritualprayerofIslamthroughwhichallMuslimsconformtothewillofAllah.PrayerisperformedinthedirectionofMeccafivetimesaday.Fridayissetasideasthedayforcongregationalprayer(Jum’a).ThereadyknowledgethatlargenumbersofMuslimswillbegatheredtogetherforcommunalprayerhasfrequentlybeenexploitedbyterroristnetworkssuchasIslamicState.In2015and2016,Shi‘amosqueswerebombedinKuwait,Yemen,SaudiArabiaandIraq.BokoHaramhasalsoattackedmosquesinnorthernNigeria.Placesofworshipfullofpeopleatprayerrepresenteasysymbolictargetsforsuicidebombers,wheremaximumdamageandlossoflifecanbeachieved.ThetermzakatreferstotheobligatorydonationofaportionofaMuslim’ssurpluswealth.Islamiccharitiesencouragedonorstousetheirservicestorelievesufferingandtohelprefugees,victimsofenvironmentaldisasters,theurbanpoorandthoseinconflictzonesandinrecentyearsreliefhasbeenprovidedinGaza,Syria,YemenandIraq.Whilstthemajorityofcharitiesoperatewithinthelaw,somehavebeenbannedfollowingallegationsthattheyhaveusedtheirresourcestofundterroristactivities.Sawm–MuslimsareexpectedtofastduringRamadan–theninthmonthintheIslamiccalendar.Duringdaylighthours(whichvarydependingonthetimeofyearinwhichRamadanfalls),theyabstainfromfoodanddrink,sexualactivityandsmoking,breakingthefastwithamealaftersunset.Thosewhoareelderly,ill,pregnantorbreast-feedingareexempt,andchildrenarenotrequiredtoparticipate.CompletingtheHajj,thepilgrimagetoMecca,isadutythateveryMuslimshouldperformduringtheirlifetime.Allpilgrimsshouldbeingoodphysicalandspiritualhealthbeforetheymakethejourney.WhilstinMecca,theycompleteaseriesofindividualandcollectiveactionsonthevariousdaysoftheirvisit,followingapatternsetbyMuhammad.SometwomillionMuslimsfromaroundtheworldwentonHajjin2015.The25,000pilgrimswhotravelledfromtheUKjoinedthousandsofMuslimsfrommanyothercountries,allperformingthesameritualsirrespectiveoftheirmanydifferences.KnowingsomethingaboutthefivepillarsandtheirsignificanceforMuslimsisn’tjustimportanttocorrectmisunderstandingsaboutwhatMuslimsbelieve,itisalsoimportantintheworkenvironmentandforgoodworkingrelations.Forexample,MuslimcolleaguesmayrequestbreaksandaspaceforprayeraswellassupportwhilstfastingduringRamadanorannualleaveatthetimeoftheHajj.TheseareimportantissuesforallMuslims,andnotmarkersoffundamentalism.UnderstandingthisbettercanhelpovercomeprejudicesaboutMuslims.CopyrightInformationAspartofCREST’scommitmenttoopenaccessresearch,thistext isavailableunderaCreativeCommonsBY-NC-SA4.0licence. Pleasereferto ourCopyrightpageforfull details.  IMAGECREDITS:Copyright©2021R.Stevens/CREST(CCBY-SA4.0)MENUClosemenuHomeBASS22 AboutOpensubmenuGetInvolvedNews&SocialContactGovernanceCopyrightPrivacy&CookiesProjectsMagazineOpportunities CategoriesOpensubmenuBehaviouralAnalyticsBeliefs&IdeologyCVECyberriskDecision-makingDisinformationExtremistactorsInterviewingProtectivesecurityRadicalisationRiskassessmentStress&ResilienceAuthorsCopyrightinformationBacktotop