Five Pillars of Islam
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The Five Pillars of Islam (أركان الإسلام) is the term given to the five duties which are compulsory (Fard) for every Muslim. This concept is not found in the Qur'an, but within the sira and hadith, without which four out of five of these pillars would not exist. These pillars are as follows:
- Shahadah (profession of faith)
- Salah (prayers)
- Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan
- Zakat (giving of alms to other Muslims)[1]
- Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Jihad is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, as it is also a compulsory duty, and Prophet Muhammad referred to it as "better than standing in prayer for sixty years"[2] and second in importance only to the belief in Allah and himself.[3] According to some Shi'ite sects it is the seventh not sixth pillar.[4]
See Also
References
- ↑ Haytham bin Jawwad al-Haddad, "The way of giving Zakat al-Fitr in non-Islamic Lands", IslamicAwakening, Article ID: 984, November 20, 2002 (archived), http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=984.
- ↑ "Standing for an hour in the ranks of battle is better than standing in prayer for sixty years." - Saheeh related by Ibn Ade and Ibn Asakir from Abu Hurayrah 4/6165. Sahih al Jaami as Sagheer no. 4305
- ↑ "Allah's Apostle was asked, "What is the best deed?" He replied, "To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, "What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, "To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah's Cause."" - Sahih Bukhari 1:2:26
- ↑ Sixth pillar of Islam - The Fact-Index, accessed October 2, 2010