Five Pillars of Islam

Islam is an ancient religion that is classified as an Abrahamic religion just as Judaism and Christianity are. It follows the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, who was revealed the word by God or the Qur'an. Although Islam is mostly divided between two different groups, the Sunnis and Shi'a, they both generally follow and agree with one another on the issues of faith. (Fisher, 2005)

The Pillars of Islam are the foundation of Islam belief and must be followed by all followers of Islam. The first pillar is Shahadah, which is the core of the Muslim faith and states "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." The second pillar is Salah, or prayer. Faithful Muslims are to pray five times a day reciting prayers and passages from the Qur'an and are to always face Mecca, the center of Islam. The third pillar is Zakat, or spiritual tithing and almsgiving. A tithe of at least two and one half percent are to be given to the poor or needy and for those employed to collect Zakat; also, for bringing hearts together, freeing captives, for those in debt and for the stranded traveler. The fourth pillar is fasting from food and drink. Fasting is frequently recommended but it is required from dawn until dusk during the holy month of Ramadan. The purpose of fasting is to feel closer to God, and during it Muslims express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their sins of the past, and think of the needy. The final pillar is Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is required at least once in every Muslims lifetime and is designed to bring the faithful as close as possible to

God.

I believe that the easiest of the Five Pillars to fulfill would be the Zakat because it only requires 2.5% which is minimal compared to the expectations of Christianity. It is also easy to donate your money when you know it's for a good cause. I feel the hardest pillar to follow would be the fasting during Ramadan. Then feeling of needing to eat or drink during the day would be hard to overcome, for me anyway. But I do understand the significance of fasting and why it is so important to the followers of Islam.