Pillars of Islam

(Arkaan-e-Islam)
Department of Islamic Studies
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Riphah International University Islamabad, Pakistan
Email : life.living@riphah.edu.pk Contact #
+92,320,7863888
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Objectives of the Lecture
• To understand the pillars of Islam for practice.
• To know the basic objectives and purposes of pillars of Islam
• To learn the impact of these pillars on character building of a
Believer.
• To understand the ethical benefits of the pillars of Islam for
successful life in both worlds
• To learn collective benefits of the pillars of Islam.

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 Topics of the
Lecture
Pillars of Islam (Kalimah Tayyeba, Salāt, Sawm,
Zakāh, Hajj) (HML)

Objectives & Purposes

Impact on character
building
Personality
Development(HML)
Collective Benefits
Pillars of Islam
Iman
Islam has Five Main Pillars, namely:

Salah Zakat

Saum
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Hajj
 ‫ َوِإيَتاِء‬،‫ َوِإَقاِم الَّص َالِة‬،‫ُبِنَي اِإل ْس َالُم َع َلى َخ ْمٍس َش َهاَد ِة َأْن َال ِإَلَه ِإَّال ُهَّللا َو َأَّن ُم َح َّم ًد ا َرُس وُل ِهَّللا‬
." ‫ َو َص ْو ِم َر َم َض اَن‬، ‫ َو اْلَح ِّج‬،‫الَّزَك اِة‬
Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):
1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and
Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬.
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and
perfectly.
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) .
4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)
5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.
(Sahih Bukhari,, Hadith no.8)

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Importance of pillars of Islam:
* The structure of Islam, like any other structure is based on pillars which
are certain practices in Islam. Just as the strength and stability of a structure
is based upon its pillars, so does the strength and stability of Islam.
Therefore, Muslims should make them duty-bound with the pillars of Islam.
* The five pillars constitute the basic requirements of Islamic practices and
are accepted by Muslims globally, irrespective of ethnic, regional or
sectarian differences.
* They are mentioned in the Qur’an several times but not altogether in a
single Surah.
* The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has declared that Islam is
founded on 5 fundamental principles, which are called pillars of Islam and
they are as under LIFE AND LIVING
Objective & Purposes of Kalmah Tayyabah:
1) Iman (Faith) is demonstrated through Declaration of Faith i.e Kalma-e-Tayyabah &
Kalimah Shahadat:

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 * Kalmah Tayyabah is here
likened to a noble tree, whose
roots are firmly fixed in the earth
and whose branches reach to the
sky; and all the while it continues
to yield abundant fruit, as
commanded by its Lord.

‫َك ِلَم ًۭة َطِّيَبًۭة َك َش َج َر ٍۢة َطِّيَبٍة‬

Good Word is like a Good Tree
2. Salat (To Establish
Obligatory Prayer)

• “Salat” is a Qur’anic term for “prayer”.

• It means, “supplication, attending to, praying to, or
Lite seeking nearness to Allah”.
rally

• “The Ritual Prayer of Muslims which is performed 5

times a day while facing towards Ka’bah as an
Tech obligatory religious duty according to the instructions
given by the Prophet Muhamamd (peace be upon him)
nical regarding its full procedure”.
ly

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 * The commandment to offer Salat is mentioned 700 times in Qur’an:

‫َو َأِقيُم و۟ا ٱلَّص َلٰو َة َو َء اُتو۟ا ٱلَّزَك ٰو َة َو ٱْر َك ُعو۟ا َم َع ٱلَّر ِكِع يَن‬
(43:‫)البقرة‬
“And establish the prayer and give zakat and bow down with those who bow down”
(Qur’an 2:43, Shaikh & Khatri, 2007)

* The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has taught us practically the way of Salat
(prayer), its essentials, recitals, times and rak’ahs and its full procedure.

“ ‫ َفِإَذ ا َح َضَرِت الَّص َالُة َفْلُيَؤ ِّذ ْن َلُك ْم‬،‫َص ُّلوا َك َم ا َر َأْيُتُم وِني ُأَص ِّلي‬
." ‫َأَح ُد ُك ْم َو ْلَيُؤ َّم ُك ْم َأْك َبُر ُك ْم‬
Pray as you have seen me praying and when it is the time for the prayer one of you “
.”should pronounce the Adhan and the oldest of you should lead the prayer
)Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no.631(

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Objectives & Purposes of Salaah (Prayer):
Prayer is a Source of Avoiding Evil
* Salat (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which is like an
exercise towards which man is attracted with interest and willingness. He
offers it continually, so that his life may be free from all diseases and the
body may be healthy and strong. The Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the
Prophet both are the open proofs of these realities.
(Al- Ghazali, 1989,Muslim’s character , p. 3)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNdSvC7RSn9AInBYpkVPgDRNxw9UZjBL/view)

* To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify from bad deeds are also realities of
the prayer.
* When Allah commanded the compulsory prayers to be established, He stated its
wisdom in this way:
(Qur’an 29:45, Shaikh & Khatri, 2007)
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 A Way to Success:

‫قد افلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صالتهم خاشعون‬...

(1:‫)المؤمنون‬
“ Indeed, successful (are) the believers. Those who [they] during their
prayers (are) humbly submissive”
(Qur’an 23:1, Shaikh & Khatri, 2007)

‫والذين هم على صلوتهم يحافظون‬

(9:‫) المؤمنون‬
And those who [they] over their prayers they guard
(Qur’an 23:9, Shaikh & Khatri, 2007)
 3. Zakat (To Pay
Obligatory Charity)

• Zakat is a Qur’anic term for “monetary charity”.

Lite • It means, “to purify and to develop”.
rally

• “It is an act of monetary worship, according to which,

every Muslim who possesses property equal to or
Tech exceeding a fixed Nisab, has to give away, at the
nica prescribed rate, a portion of it to the deserving poor
lly and needy people”.
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Heads of Expenditure (Masarifeen-e-Zakat) of Zakat:
According to above-mentioned verse 60 of Surah Tawbah, there are following 8
heads of expenditure of zakat:

LIFE AND LIVING (60:‫) توبة‬

 1. 5.
Needy Ransoming
of slaves

3.
2. Masarifee Collecto 6.
Indigent n-e-Zakat rs of Helping Masarifeen- 7. In the
Zakat the e-Zakat way of
debtors Allah

4. Winning
over of
Hearts to 8.
Islam Hospitality
of the way-
farers
Objectives & Purposes of Zakah (Obligatory Charity)

Kindness & Generosity:

* Zakat has been made compulsory on the eligible (Sahib-e-Nisab) persons.
* It is not merely a tax that is collected from the pockets of the people, but its foremost
purpose is to sow the seeds of kindness. sympathy and benevolence, and to provide a chance
of introduction among the various sections of the society and to establish the relationship of
love and friendliness.
• To clean Oneself from the worldly impurities and to raise the standard of the society to the
heights of decency and purity are the wisdom behind the payment of Zakat.
• * This is a sort of financial devotion. Zakat has an obvious social relevance. Purification of
an individual’s possessions takes place through helping others.
* Every Muslim who has a particular amount of wealth, should give an amount of money
after passing a whole year as prescribed by Shari’ah to those who are entitled to receive
zakat.
(Al- Ghazali, Muslim’s Character , p. 3
 4. Saum (To Observe
Obligatory Fast )

• Saum is a Qur’anic term for “Fast”.

Lit • “to abstain from something and to give it up”
era
lly

• “Saum (fast) implies “abstaining from eating, drinking,

Tech smoking and gratifying sex-desire etc”
nica
lly

• The fast begins with sehri meal which is taken a little while
Ti before the dim beginning of dawn and it is commendable to
mi break the fast just after the sunset.
ng
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 * The Qur’an has enjoined it
and provided necessary
instructions concerning it and
also described the merits and
blessings of Ramadan.
* The word Fasting
‫ ِص َياٍم‬mentioned 10 times in
Quran in 10 different verses.

(Fasting In Quran.
https://www.thelastdialogue.org/article/the-topic-fasting-
mentioned-in-quran/)
 ‫ َو اَّلِذ ي َنْفِس ي ِبَيِدِه‬، ‫ َم َّر َتْيِن‬. ‫ َو ِإِن اْم ُر ٌؤ َقاَتَلُه َأْو َش اَتَم ُه َفْلَيُقْل ِإِّني َص اِئٌم‬، ‫ َفَال َيْر ُفْث َو َال َيْج َهْل‬،‫الِّصَياُم ُج َّنٌة‬
،‫ الِّصَياُم ِلي‬،‫ َيْتُر ُك َطَعاَم ُه َو َش َر اَبُه َو َش ْه َو َتُه ِم ْن َأْج ِلي‬، ‫َلُخ ُلوُف َفِم الَّص اِئِم َأْطَيُب ِع ْنَد ِهَّللا َتَعاَلى ِم ْن ِر يِح اْلِم ْس ِك‬
‫ َو اْلَح َس َنُة ِبَعْش ِر َأْم َثاِلَها‬،‫"َو َأَنا َأْج ِز ي ِبِه‬
"Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should
avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently,
and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am
fasting." The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬added, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the
smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah
than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food,
drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting
person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.“
(Sahih al-Bukhari , Hadith no. 1894)

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 Objectives & Purposes of Saum (Fasting)
Developing Virtues & Controlling Evil Desires:
* Islam has made fasting compulsory. But it does not mean that people should keep away
from their evil desires, emotions and other prohibited things for a fixed period only.
Fasting is a means to develop self-control over our low desires even after the end of
Ramadan.
(Al- Ghazali, Muslim’s Character , p. 3
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNdSvC7RSn9AInBYpkVPgDRNxw9UZjBL/view)

* Fasting is important during Ramadan as it allows Muslim to devote themselves to their

faith, get closer to Allah and learn patience and compassion. It’s about nourishing your
soul, rather than only focusing on your physical body. It’s goal is developing virtues,
performing good deeds, and controlling our sinful passions.
(What is Ramadan and why is it so important to the Islamic faith?
https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/what-ramadan-important-islamic-faith/)
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 5. Hajj (To Perform
Obligatory Pilgrimage)

• Hajj is a Qur’anic term for “Pilgrimage”.

• It means, “to visit” or “to have the intention of going
Lite on pilgrimage”.
rally

• “It implies that all embracing worship in which a

Tech Muslim visits the Holy Ka’abah at Makkah and
nica performs prescribed practices”.
lly
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* The word Hajj ‫ حج‬is
mentioned 12 times in Quran
in 8 different verses. But as a
topic it is mentioned in few
other verses as well.
* Following is the
commandment given by the
Holy Qur’an about
performing Hajj:

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 Objectives & Purposes of Hajj (Obligatory Pilgrimage):
Self-control:
Giving commands about this compulsory worship, Allah states:
‫ٱْلَح ُّج َأْش ُهٌۭر َّم ْع ُلوَم ٌۭت ۚ َفَم ن َفَرَض ِفيِهَّن ٱْلَح َّج َفاَل َر َفَث َو اَل ُفُسوَق َو اَل ِج َد اَل ِفى ٱْلَح ِّج ۗ َو َم ا َتْفَع ُلو۟ا ِم ْن َخْيٍۢر َيْع َلْم ُه‬
‫ۗ ٱُهَّلل‬
(197: ‫) البقرة‬ ‫َو َتَز َّو ُد و۟ا َفِإَّن َخْيَر ٱلَّز اِد ٱلَّتْقَو ٰى ۚ َو ٱَّتُقوِن َٓيُأ۟و ِلى ٱَأْلْلَبِب‬
“The pilgrimage shall take place in the months appointed for it. And whoever
undertakes the pilgrimage in those [months] shall, while on pilgrimage, abstain
from vulgar speech, from all wicked conduct, and from quarrelling; and whatever
good you may do, God is aware of it. And make provision for yourselves - but,
verily, the best of all provisions is God-consciousness: remain, then, conscious of
Me, O you who are endowed with insight”.
(Qur’an 2:197, Asad, 1980)

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Collective Benefits

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 Summary

All these pillars teaches believer, self-control, piousness, humility, humbleness,

modesty, high morals, caring and love, and purify Muslims so much so that they attain

moral perfection both inner and outward, while people see it and when no one is

watching them, from their tongue and what they have in their heart. They completely

eliminate hypocrisy and Riya (show off) and instill real character and noble qualities.

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References:
1. Let us be Muslims by Sayyid Abu A’la Mawdudi,
2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/17XLqWSq8nrtAL1thuIJlwS_sO-CDhpfr/view
3. Understanding Islamic Civilization (Islami Tahzib Aur Us Ke Usul Wa Mabadi), By
Sayyid Maududi, The Islamic Foundation (November 29, 2016), Leicestershire, UK.
4. Muslim’s character by Imam Al- Ghazali,
5. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNdSvC7RSn9AInBYpkVPgDRNxw9UZjBL/view
6. Islam at a Glance by Maulana Sadruddin Islahi,
7. https://www.islamicstudies.info/literature/glance.htm
8. Elias, 2021, The Purpose of Fasting in Islam

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References:
9. Muslim Ibn Hajjāj, Abul Hussain, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ed. Hafiz Abu Tāhir Zubair ‘Ali Za’I, Riyadh:
Dār al-Salām, 2007.

10. Muḥammad Ibn Ismā‘īl Al-Bukhari, Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhari, Trans. Dr. Muḥammad Muhsin Khan,
Riyadh: Dār al-Salām, 1997

11. Jami Tirmidhi, www.Sunnah.com

12. What is Ramadan and why is it so important to the Islamic faith?

https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/what-ramadan-important-islamic-faith

13. Fasting In Quran. https://www.thelastdialogue.org/article/the-topic-fasting-mentioned-in-quran/

14. Deen-e-Mustafa by Allamah Sayyad Mehmood Ahmad Rizwi.

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