What are the 5 PILLARS of Islam

The Islam is one of the most important religions of the world, but for a large part of the western population it is a somewhat unknown belief, since we do not have as extensive knowledge about it as if we have it from others such as Christianity. To understand one of the main elements of Islam in this lesson from a Teacher we must talk about what are the 5 pillars of Islam.

The Islam is the monotheistic religion originating in the Arabian Peninsula, being created by Muhammad in the seventh century influenced and based on the Abrahamic texts from which Christianity and Judaism drink, but replacing the usual God with one known as To.

Followers of Islam are called Muslims, which means submitted to the will of Allah and is currently used to refer to many towns where Islam is the predominant religion and not so much to refer to believers in Yes.

Today, Islam is the second world religion with 25% of the world population, being especially important in Asian regions, with great predominance in the Arab zone, but occupying more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Like the rest of the great religions of the world, Islam also is divided into two great ideologies with different ways of seeing Islam: they are called Sunni and Shiite, the former being the ones with the largest number of faithful in the world and the Shiite variant found in some countries such as Iran, Iraq or Azerbaijan.

Focusing on the topic of this lesson, about what are the 5 pillars of Islam, we must list them, analyzing and describing each of them individually to understand why it is so important for Islam. These 5 pillars are the basic precepts and key of religion for the part sunni, its use being mandatory to be a true Muslim.

Shahada

The first of the pillars is the Shahada or profession of faith, being considered by many to be the main one of them all. The basic idea of ​​Shahada can be summed up with the phrase "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet."

The idea is that all branches of Islam are the same, and that a Muslim can only believe in Islam, denying any other religion and deity. At the same time, he fights against the characteristic polytheism of Arabia before the appearance of Islam and against the idea of ​​the three gods in one of Christianity.

Salat

The salat, prayer, azala, or salah is the idea that every Muslim must pray five times a day, regardless of the circumstances or the situation, the five daily prayers always being essential. Muslim prayers are a rite, in which the believer must first wash his face, hands, feet and head, and sometimes even a full body wash for which in some mosques they have a ritual washing place prepared.

The sentence it is done barefoot And it can be done individually and anywhere, since all the earth on the planet is sacred, so it is only done in groups in mosques at certain times. An obligation within prayer is to do it looking towards mecca, the sacred place of religion and central place of all its beliefs.

The idea is that the prayers are performed in the dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and night, although the hours may vary depending on the lifestyle or month of the year.

Azaque

Azaque or alms is the third of the pillars of Islam, forcing Muslims to give a handout to the poorest people of your community. It tends to be thought of as giving a part of the family's savings, but sometimes the alms may be some kind of food instead of money.

The idea of ​​alms is that no one can have exaggerated wealth and very high compared to the poorest people, as a way to avoid problems in society such as greed or avarice, and at the same time help the community to prosper.

Sawm or fasting

Possibly the pillar of Islam best known to non-Muslim people, the fast being performed during the Ramadan month. During this period, the Muslim can't eat while it's daytime, having to wait for the sun to set to be able to consume food and drink, and creating a way of life centered at night and in large groups.

Fasting it is not just food, Rather, the Muslim is prohibited from having sexual relations, attacking his neighbor and causing himself to vomit. It should be taken into account that not everyone is obliged to fast, and people such as the sick, travelers, children or pregnant women can abstain.

Hajj

The last of the pillars of Islam is the Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca, being the obligation to visit Mecca once in their life, as long as they have the money and the health for it, although in some branches they are still obliged in these cases.

Made during the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar it is considered the least relevant pillar, being only necessary once in a lifetime.

López, F. B. (2019). Knowledge of Islamic religiosity in Modern Spain: the five pillars of Islam. History Links, (8), 92-113.

FROM ISLAM, Y. P. 7. THE RELIGIOUS LAW AND THE PILLARS OF ISLAM.

Flaquer, J. (2004). Islam: current description, world dimension, Islamic movements.