The Five Pillars of Islam The Islamic religion rests entirely upon what are referred to as the five pillars of Islam. Similar to the ten commandments of Christianity, these pillars provide a basic outline of Muslim faith. These pillars are also referred to as the five pillars of faith, and are to be strictly adhered to be all followers of Allah. The first pillar is belief in a single deity, and faith only in Allah. The second pillar emphasizes the importance of daily prayer. The third pillar outlines the necessary concern and care for the poor through generous giving. The forth pillar deals with fasting, primarily during the month of Ramadan (August). The firth and final pillar describes the pilgrimage to Makkah, also known as Mecca, for …show more content…
According to Islamic Path, the statement of faith must include the following six articles: belief in one God, belief in the Prophets, belief in the Holy Books, belief in angels, belief in the Day of Judgement, and belief in fate. Allah is the only God Muslims are permitted to believe in. Islamic Path also says there are five Holy Books of Allah, which include: The Suhuf (Scrolls), the Taurut (Torah), the Zabur (Psalms), the Injil (Gospels), and the Qur’an. Each of these Holy Books was sent by Allah through different prophets. The Scrolls were received by Abraham, the Torah by Moses, the Psalms by David, the Gospels by Jesus, and the Qur'an by Muhammad. The second pillar of Islam is prayer. Every Muslim is required to pray five prayers each day. According to Matt Slick, the names of the five prayers are Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha. Slick also states that there is a sixth prayer said right after Fajr is said, called Shurooq. Maghrib is the sunset prayer, while Isha is said after the sun sets. The third pillar of Islam is charity. This is also known as Alms-giving, and Zakat. Muslims believe giving charity to the poor will "kill two birds with one stone" by, according to Slick, helping the poor and moving the giver towards more holiness and submission to