Five Pillars

Five Pillars

  • Submitted By: tabithas
  • Date Submitted: 02/22/2009 5:12 PM
  • Category: Religion
  • Words: 320
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 1

According to www.religionfacts.com, the Five pillars are recognized by all sects of Muslims, even though Shi'ites have added extra required duties, including: jihad, payment of the imam's tax, the encouragement of good deeds and the prevention of evil.
The Five Pillars of Islam are:
1. Daily confession of faith (shahada)
• They believe that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
• They do not believe that Jesus is Christ and is considered offensive to them.
2. Daily ritual prayer (salat)
• They are required to pray toward Mecca at least five times a day.
• Praying is supposed to purify the soul and saying the name of Allah will keep the rust off of your heart.
• Men are in the front rows with women in the back. The purpose of this is so that the women do not distract the men from praying.
3. Paying the alms tax (zakat)
• All Muslims must donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to needy Muslims at the end of the year.
• The Shi’a are also obligated to give one-fifth of their disposable income to the Imam on top of what they give for zakat.
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan (sawm)
• For all who are beyond puberty, but not in poor health or menstruating or nursing children, a dawn-to-sunset abstention from food, drink, sexual intercourse, and smoking is required for the whole month of Ramadan.
• Fasting is supposed to allow the body to destroy impurities and provide one with “a Transparent Soul to transcend, a Clear Mind to think and a Light Body to move and act”

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)
• The pilgrimage to Mecca is 875 miles.
• Males ware garments that resemble burial shrouds. They are not sewn and because every male has the same clothes, no class distinction is shown between them.

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