Rituals: The Five Pillars

The First Pillar: Creed (Shahadah)

  1. “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”

  2. There is no God but Allah, nothing but Allah should be worshiped. (There is only one God)

  3. Say the Shahadah before 2 witnesses

The Second Pillar: Prayer (Salah)

  1. Salat

  2. 5 times a day

  3. Standing with hands folded on the chest, stomach, or hanging loosely to the side Bowing with the hands on the knees, sitting upright and kneeling with hands on forehead on the ground. (prostration)

  4. ideally in a place of worship but prayer can take place at home, work, or anywhere clean

  5. A Mosque - Friday Prayer is called

  6. Jumu’ah

  7. Mosque - a place where Muslims gather for group worship

  • Imam - A Muslim leader of prayer and giver of sermons in the mosque

Fast Fact: Mecca

The Third Pillar: Almsgiving (Zakat)/ Charity

  1. Zakat

  2. To help build mosques or similar things

  3. share wealth to those in need (approximately 2.5% of their income)

The Fourth Pillar: Fasting (Sawm)

  1. Sawm

  2. during the month of Ramadan

  3. Muhammad first receiving the divine message of Allah

  4. Food, water, evil thoughts, drinking, smoking, and sex

  5. the sick, elderly, pregnant women, women on their periods, and children (sick women and women on their periods must make it up on later days)

  6. families and friends gather to break the day’s fast with a light meal and some merriment

  7. Eid al-Fitr (festival of breaking the fast)

The Fifth Pillar: Pilgrimage (Hajj)

  1. once in a lifetime (as long as they can afford it and are healthy enough)

  2. Hajj

  3. the Kaabah Mecca

  4. Muslims who can afford it

  5. special clothing called ihram

  • men are expected to wear 2 seamless garments made from white cloth

  • women where clothes that conceal their bodies and hair, leaving their hands and face uncovered

  • aims to emphasize equality and remind pilgrims how in death they will leave all material things behind

  1. the Kaaba

  1. circle the Kaaba 7 times counterclockwise to symbolize the 7 times Ibrahim circled it (Tawaf)