Prior to this class, I didn’t know about the Five Pillars of Islam. The first is shahada (profession of faith), which is a declaration of belief in God (Allah) and Muhammad’s role as the messenger of God. The second pillar is salat (prayer), which Muslims pray five times a day, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer can either be alone or in groups as a mosque, but either way is central to the faith. The third is zakat (alms), which means that Muslims must donate time and/or money to charities or in some way help out the community. The fourth is sawm (fasting), which occurs during Ramadan, which is a special holiday for Muslims. They abstain from food and drink so that they can be reminded of how much God has given them and to understand what it’s like to be deprived of necessities. The fifth pillar is hajj (pilgrimage), which is a mandatory visit to Mecca, a holy city in Saudi-Arabia. Every Muslim must make this trip at least once in their life.
I found the Hajj documentary to be very fascinating and informative. The reporter, who was an American Muslim, described the hajj as a feeling of coming home. Only Muslims may enter this city and it is celebrated there because Muhammad received a message from God on the highest mountain in Mecca. One obligation at the Hajj is to circle the Ka’ba, the cubical structure in the center, seven times like the earth revolves around the sun, which symbolizes putting God in the center of our lives. Another tradition is throwing pebbles at a pillar, which is meant to represent the devil. In the documentary, I could see thousands of Muslims from all over the world, which really embodies the idea of coming home to Mecca.