The 5 pillars of Islam

There are over a billion people who believe in Islam. One out of every five people believe in it. The whole Islamic religion focuses on on the Kabba in Mecca. Mecca is the birth place of Islam. The five pillars of the Islamic religion are the Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and the Hajj. The five pillars of Islam are formal acts of worship to the god Allah. The Muslims don't believe that Jesus was the last prophet, they believe Muhammad was. These five pillars are exercises of the faith. ( Islam

The first pillar of Islam is Shahadah which means the declaration of faith that there is one god and that Muhammad was the last messenger of the god Allah. It is the Muslim faith in there one and only god Allah. The Shahadah says in Arabic, "La ilaha ill'Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah", which means that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. The first pillar is the worship of Allah alone.

The second pillar of Islam is Salah. This pillar required a true Muslim to pray five times a day facing Mecca. The person bows, kneels, and then places his or her head on the ground. Before they begin to pray one must purify there body with water or sand. The prayer usually starts like this, "Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe!, The compassionate, the Merciful, King of the Day of Judgment!. You alone we worship, and to you alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path, The path of those whom You have favored, Not of those who have incurred Your wrath, Nor of those who have gone astray".

The third pillar of Islam is Zakah which was that a Muslim was to give to the poor and give regularly to charity. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God. The word zakat means "purification." This pillar says that you must give a average amount of money to those who are poor and to charity. Though if someone could not give money, it was considered okay. Zakah helped keep money flowing within the society.

The fourth pillar of Islam was Sawm or fasting. Every year in the month of Ramada-n, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, fasting from food, drink, and sexual relations with people. If those who were sick, on a journey, elderly or women who were pregnant were permitted to break the fast and make up the number of days later in the year when they were healthy or able. This fasting time was not only for purification but it was also there health.

The fifth pillar was the Hajj which was the pilgrimage to Mecca or in other words the trip to Mecca. To go to Mecca you must be a Muslim, for it was the holy time to worship Allah. Usually Muslims who traveled to Mecca went in a group of people. Muslims have been going to Mecca for many years now and each one is required to go there at least on or twice in his or her lifetime. The journey made to Mecca is mandatory for all who are able to go. Without going to Mecca, Muslims do not fulfill all the five pillars.

Movie notes: Islam people, culture, and conflict
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