Islamic Education

Shahadah

The first and most important of the pillars of Islam is the Shahadatain which means, the two testimonies. The first is to affirm one’s belief in Islamic monotheism. A Muslim must testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. When the Muslim states this fact, they are obligated to leave all false deities behind, and direct all forms of worship towards the almighty creator, Allah, Glorified and Most High.

With the second testimony, the Muslim states that Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is the messenger of Allah. By testifying to this fact, the Muslim is acknowledging that Prophet Mohammad was sent by Allah to mankind as His messenger with the final revelation, The Quran. With this affirmation, the Muslim is obligated to obey the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with him, in all matters concerning the faith.

Salat

The second of the 5 pillars of Islam is the prayer. With this pillar, the Muslim must establish the five obligatory prayers, also known as Salah, within their correct times.In addition to performing the prayers on time, the Muslim must also perform them according to the method taught to us by Prophet Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with him.

The Islam prayer is not only significant because they were ordained by Allah. Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation whenever possible. Doing so helps to unite the Muslims as brothers.

The Prophet has stated that prayer in congregation is worth 27 times more than prayer alone.

Muslims reject all intermediaries between them and Allah. Therefore, when a Muslim makes the prayer regularly and with sincerity and focus, they are communicating directly with Allah. This brings humility, satisfaction, and serenity to their character, Inshallah (if God wills).

The prayer is so important that the one who deliberately abandons it is no longer considered a Muslim. For as Prophet Muhammad has said: “(The difference) between a believer and a disbeliever is abandonment of the prayer.”

Zakat

The third of the five pillars of Islam is giving charity, or zakat. By giving zakat, the Muslim is taking action to purify his wealth by sharing his wealth with those less fortunate. This also helps to mitigate envy between different classes within a society, and also fosters brotherhood amongst Muslims. Such actions can go a long way in establishing a just and crime-free society.

In addition to creating harmony within society, paying zakah also creates harmony within the individual. The person who gives the proper charity to those in need is protecting himself from selfishness and miserliness which induces cleansing of one’s ill deeds

Ramadan

The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, the Muslim must abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn till sundown.

Performing this pillar establishes patience and humility within the believer. Fasting also helps to bring a person’s carnal desires under control. A Muslim who is fasting is far less likely to commit a major sin than one who is not. In fact, there are many Muslims, who outside of Ramadan are addicted to cigarettes, yet they are able to leave them alone for a full month!

A Muslim is encouraged to fast throughout the year, but it is only during Ramadan that fasting is compulsory. Ramadan is an important month for Muslims as that is the month during which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with him. And the devils and evil jinn are locked up during the month of Ramadan as well.

Fasting has many other benefits. It allows the rich to experience the suffering of the poor. And since many Muslims usually break fast and pray together during the month of Ramadan, this is also a chance to further strengthen the ties of brotherhood.

Hajj

The last of the 5 pillars of Islam is to perform a pilgrimage, or Hajj, to the Kaaba (Mecca, Saudi Arabia)  at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime. This is a difficult and arduous feat, but the Muslim who performs Hajj correctly will receive unlimited rewards.

The Hajj is especially important in bringing Muslims together. Muslims are spread out all over the world. Performing the Hajj pilgrimage helps to bring the global Muslim community together in a unique way. Only those Muslims who are financially and physically able are required to perform the Hajj.

But for the one who does it, conducts themselves in the appropriate manner, and performs all of the required rituals as taught by Prophet Mohammad, they will have all of their previous sins wiped clean. Inshallah.