AN EXPLANATION OF THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
It is estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide follow Islam, with Indonesia claiming the largest Islamic population, 88 percent of its 206,491,000 people (Yost, 1998, 11).
The term "Islam" is derived from an Arabic word "salaama" (submission) and is generally agreed to mean submission to Allah's will and obedience to Allah's law. The Muslim (adherent of Islam) believes that everything in the world (with the exception of man) is ruled by Allah-made laws. The writings of Islamic teaching discuss Five Pillars of Islam, each of which is described below. The Five Pillars are:
1. The act of "witnessing" that there is only one God and his name is Allah, and Mohammad is His messenger.
4. Observation of the fast of Ramadan
5. The Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) if affordable.
Allah is described in the Koran (the Islamic Holy Book)and he asks absolute submission. Allah also believes that the sole purpose of life is to worship him. The Koran explains that this means living life according to Allah's rules.
Human beings are considered the highest creatures in this cosmogony and human beings are given the gift of a rational mind and also have a spiritual aspect. Men and women are all born Muslims (according to this belief) and Allah gave each person at birth spiritual and intellectual potential.
This first pillar is called "shahada" and it is described by Sachedina (1997) as "the formula through which a person converts to Islam. Belief in God constitutes the integrity of human existence, individually and as a member of society" (Sachedina, 1997, 26).
Pillar Two: The establishment of prayers
This pillar, known as "salah" means praying to Allah on a daily basis. This is for man's benefit, not Allah's, since Allah is considered to be free of all needs. Prayer is an act of worship. As Ala Maududi (1984) points out, "salah" is a
"matchless and unprecedented formul...