5 Pillars of Islam

Task 1: Watch the video in the link provided on google classroom and read the handout on
the five pillars
FIVE PILLARS
Objectives
 Discover the five pillars of Islam
 Explain the importance of the five pillars

The Five Pillars of Islam are five practices that are essential to Sunni Islam. Shi'a Muslims
subscribe to different sets of pillars that substantially overlap with the Five Pillars. They are:
1. The shahadah, which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam: "I testify that there is none
worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must
repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required
to recite the creed.
Importance: The rest of the pillars are meaningless without it
o When one makes this declaration and truly believe in heart, they have truelly
entered Islam
o First words whispered to a new born baby and last words whispered to a dying
person
o First words used by Bilal, the freed slave from Ethopia used to used to summone
the faithful to prayer
2. Salah, or ritual prayer, which must be performed five times a day. Each salah is done
facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is
seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah
is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. In
many Muslim countries, reminders called Adhan (call to prayer) are broadcast publicly
from local mosques at the appropriate times. The prayers are recited in the Arabic
language, and consist of verses from the Qur'an.
Importance: Draws mind away from personal worries and problems towards God
o Remind people constantly of God and His greatness
o Demonstrate obedience
o Show equality, unity and brotherhood
o Bring people closer to Allah
3. Zakat, or alms-giving. This is the practice of giving based on accumulated wealth, and is
obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion is spent to help the poor or
needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. The zakat is considered a religious obligation
(as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is
seen as a "trust from God's bounty". The Qur'an and the hadith also suggest a Muslim give
even more as an act of voluntary alms-giving (sadaqah).
Importance: Paid in secret so that rich people receive no false praise or admiration, since
they are doing no more than their duty
o To win people over to the cause of Allah
o Help needy travellers, the poor
4. Sawm, or fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among
other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins.
The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should
express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of
the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would constitute an
undue burden. For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed
fasts usually must be made up quickly. Some Muslim groups do not fast during
Ramadan, and instead have fasts different times of the year.
Importance: Develop self control and overcome selfishness, greed and laziness
o Restrain passion and appetite
o Prepare for any real sufferings that may be faced later
o Gain spiritual strength
o Experience companionship through shared “ordeals”
5. The Hajj, which is the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city
of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is about ten kilometers from
Mecca, he must dress in Ihram clothing, which consists of two white seamless sheets.
Rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching the Black
Stone, running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically
stoning the Devil in Mina. Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa and ask God for
what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the
Day of Judgment.
The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with
prayers. This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the
two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.
The pilgrim, or the hajji, is honored in his or her community, although Islamic teachers
say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God instead of a means to gain
social standing.
Importance: Sign of obedience to the Islamic faith
o Love for God
o It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood
by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah.
o The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth, and the afterlife, by
stripping away all markers of social status, wealth, and pride. In the Hajj all are truly
equal.
o The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram. During the Hajj the
Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose in the world.
TASK 2: Answer the question below
‘Only Muslims should practise the duties of the five pillars.’ Discuss this statement. Give
other points of view (2 points/reason some Muslims might agree and 2 points /reasons
other Muslims would not agree) as well as your opinion (give two reasons for your
opinion fully developed). Refer to Islam in your answer. [6]
Note: For full marks;
 Paragraph your work

 Give 2 points /reasons that are fully developed for each point of view (2-agree, 2-
disagree and 2- opinion)

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Task 1: Watch the video in the link provided on google classroom and read the handout on

the five pillars

Importance: Sign of obedience to the Islamic faith

o Love for God

Note: For full marks;

 Paragraph your work

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