MY PESPECTIVE OF THE 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM(1st blog official entry for 2nd qrtr.)

I think .. Islam is the MONOTHEISTIC RELIGION articulated by the QUR'AN, a TEXT considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of GOD. and by the PROPHET OF ISLAM MUHAMMAD'S teachings and normative example. ISLAM literally means "submission". Islam also is one of the 3 major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity. The follower of Islam is called a "Muslim", which is in Arabic means "one who surrenders to GOD". The 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM are basically the tenets which Muslim all over the world follow in order to fortify the foundation on which their faith rests.

The 5 PILLARS of ISLAM ...

1.The SHAHADAH(the 1st pillar)~>or the affirmation of the oneness of Allah and of accepting Mohammed as one of his prophets. The utterance of this sentence is powerful in its simplicity because once accepted it means that a m
Muslim cannot worship or bow down in worship in any other human being or object. It gives a human being strength to survive in this world because he accpets the presence of his maker throughout his life.

2.The SALAT(the 2nd pillar)~>praying 5 times a day to Allah while facing the "EAST" in the manner that was taught to us by Prophet Mohammed and to him by the angel Gabriel. The prayers are the ultimate form of meditation and begin with ablution to mentally and physically prepare the Muslim. During prayer time, a Muslim has a chance to spend some time away from the normal hustle and bustle of life and focus on his maker to remind himself of his mortality in the grand scheme of things.

3.The SAUM(the 3rd pillar)~>fast begins at dawn and ends at dusk and no food or drink is taken until the opening time of the fast. This teaches the Muslim self-discipline and how to abstain from indulgence and also remind us on how to give to those who are hungry and deprived in this world.Charitable acts are encouraged in this month in addition to keeping the mind, body and spirit in the state of purity.

4.The HAJJ(the 4th pillar)~>Hajj of Pilgrimage which every Muslim should endeavor to undertake at least once in his lifetime.By so doing you get an opportunity ti visit the Kaaba which is the holiest shrine for Muslims in mecca whose foundation was was laid by Abraham himself.

5.The ZAKAT(the 5th pillar)~>every Muslim should pay 2.5% of his wealth to charity. The aim of Zakat is to ensure that poverty is alleviated and no person goes without the necessities of life. It is the way the collected Zakat money is distributed among those in need that will determine the success of the principle behind it.

=These 5 pillars form the basis of Islam to believe, to practice purity of mind body and soul to give charity. For a religion that exists with the thought of Allah ever watchful over everything he does and say, a Muslim has a responsibility to cultivate exemplary attributes in his character not just for himself but to all those he comes in contact with in his life.