Islam has established 5 pillars of faith:
- Shahadah, which is the profession of faith. The point of this pillar is to express the constant commitment to islam and shows acceptance by the muslims who recite the creed that there is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of this God.
- Salah, which is prayer. Through the islamic religion, it is very important to maintain their direct relationship with God, and prayer is how they accomplish this. There are 5 daily prayers that muslims take part in, where they can pray anywhere but it is recommended that they pray at a Mosque.
- Zakat, also known as almsgiving. Social responsibility is factored into the responsibilities one has to service God; therefor, Zakat brings to life this duty. Those who worship the muslim religion it is said that you should be giving 2.5% of income as a donation in terms of social responsibility.
- Sawm, which is the fasting portion during the month of Ramadan. This fasting is an act of deeper, more meaningful connecting to God. When one fasts, they must do so before the sun rises and only when the sun sets. The end of Ramadan is followed by 3 days of celebration, where those who fasted break their fast!
- Hajj, pilgrimage to Makkah. This is said to be the most important manifestation to islamic faith. Muslims who are able to make the trek to Makkak (financially and physically) get to embrace this sacred, meaningful moment in their religion. This is a huge gathering for muslims where those who are in attendance follow the ritual that the Prophet Muhammad performed during his last pilgrimage.
Learning these were all so eye opening and allowed me to peak inside a religion I had no solid knowledge about!