The Five Pillars of Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Five Pillars of - Essay Example ncerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith, Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day, Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy, Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan, Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca†. (bbc.co.uk, 2009) The first pillar, Shahadah requires that Muslims recite â€Å"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger† (bbc.co.uk, 2009). This is an important requirement, a breach of which might amount to blasphemy and even apostasy. This rule ensures that an individual member of the faith completely and unconditionally submits himself to Allah and his messenger Prophet Muhammad. The Salat, the second pillar of Islam is a way to discipline the mind and body by offering prayers five times a day. The ideal times to perform these prayers are dawn, midday, late afternoon, after sunset and before midnight. This habit is inculcated into children as young as seven years of age, so that they will continue it in their adult lives. Since Islam was founded in the Middle-East, which is close to the equator, the Salat helped organize a day into different parts. There is evidence to suggest that the Salat has been practiced by Muslims since the time of Prophet Mohammad in 7th Century A.D. (Fareed, 2008, p.60) The third pillar, called the Zakat serves a social and economic function in that it ensures that the meek and the poor get their basic needs fulfilled. Zakat serves a function, which in modern nation-states would be termed a social welfare mechanism. What is remarkable about this observance is that it offers a practical solution to the problem of poverty among Islamic communities. The fourth pillar is the Sawm, which stands for fasting. The most devout expression of this pillar of Islam is during the month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims do not take food or drink of any kind during day time. They also abstain from smoking and sexual intercourse. While all Muslims aspire