Islamiyat - Unit 3 : Pillars of Islam -

The Foundation – Shahadah (The Declaration of Faith)

Islam is based on five important pillars.

The most important belief is that Allah is One.

No one shares His powers.

A person cannot be a Muslim without believing this.

Muslims must also believe that Hazrat Muhammad is Allah’s last messenger (Khatam-an-Nabiyyeen).

The first Kalima (Kalima Tayyaba) states this belief.

It says: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.”

Anyone who recites the Kalima and believes in it becomes a Muslim.

This belief is called Shahadah in Arabic.

The other four pillars of Islam are built around the Shahadah.

To show we are Muslims, we must perform Ibadat (worship).

The four other pillars are Namaz, Zakat, Roza, and Hajj.

These are practiced to gain Allah’s favour.

Salat (Prayer)

We must pray only to Allah because we accept Him as our Lord.
Namaz is the worship of Allah, also known as Salat.
We offer Namaz to remember Allah and His blessings.
It brings us closer to Him.
We also offer it to seek His help and guidance.
A verse in the Qur’an (20:14) commands us to serve only Allah and establish prayer.
Namaz is compulsory for all Muslims.
We must pray five times a day.
The timings are set for our convenience:
- Fajr: From dawn until just before sunrise.
- Zuhr: After mid-day until afternoon.
- Asr: From late afternoon until just before sunset.
- Maghrib: After sunset until night begins.
Each prayer time allows us to remember and thank Allah at different points in our day.
Isha is prayed from night until just before dawn.
It is a time to remember and thank Allah for all His gifts at the end of the day.
Namaz is offered after proper cleansing (taharat).
This cleansing is done through wuzu (ablution) or, if needed, ghusl (full bath).
Cleansing removes dirt and impurities from the body.
Namaz must be offered with complete focus.
The sole purpose of Namaz is to please Allah.

Zakat (Compulsory Charity)

Zakat is a compulsory charity for all well-to-do Muslims.
They must give 2.5% of their yearly savings and the value of their gold (jewellery) to the needy.
This ensures the poor are taken care of.
It makes the rich unselfish, caring, and generous.
It helps both rich and poor learn to live together peacefully.
Zakat is based on the equal distribution of wealth in an Islamic society.
Through Zakat, a Muslim purifies their wealth.
It prevents wealth from staying with just one person.
Zakat is an Ibadat (act of worship).
We gain Allah’s favour by returning some of His given wealth to help the poor.

Sawm (Fasting in Ramazan)

Allah has made it compulsory for Muslims to fast in the month of Ramazan.
Fasting is called Roza or Saum.
Muslims do not eat or drink anything from the Fajr azan (call to prayer) to the Maghrib azan.
Roza is observed solely for the sake of Allah, and He will reward the person who fasts.
Roza teaches us patience and self-control.
It helps us understand the hardships and hunger of the poor.
Fasting helps control our bad habits.
During fasting, it is forbidden to do deceitful acts, lie, cheat, or say bad words.
Fasting makes us feel the hunger that poor people feel every day.
It helps us understand how they feel when deprived of food.
Ramazan also helps poor Muslims so they can celebrate Eid.
Ramazan is a month of Ibadat (worship).
The Holy Qur’an is read countless times during Taravih prayers after Isha.
This takes place all over the world in Muslim countries and communities.

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Hajj is the fifth and last pillar of Islam.
It is obligatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able.
It must be performed at least once in a lifetime.
Hajj is performed in the holy city of Makkah.
It takes place in the Islamic month of Zil-Hajj.
Muslims travel from all over the world by air, sea, or land.
They leave everything behind to perform Hajj.
They pray to Allah and spend time in His worship.
It is a chance to create bonds of love and brotherhood between Muslims.
Muslims are united before Allah, forgetting all differences.
There is only one language: the language of Ibadat (worship).
Racism, color, and cultural differences are forgotten.
Hajj shows the world the strength and unity of the Muslim Ummah (community).
Opponents of Islam are awed by the sight and dedication of the Muslims.
The single purpose of Hajj is to gain Allah’s favour.
Hajj is performed according to a strict set of rituals.
More details about Hajj are learned in higher classes.

Question & Answer

1. Name the five pillars of Islam.
The five pillars of Islam are:

Shahadah (Belief in one God and Prophet Muhammad)
Salat (Praying five times a day)
Zakat (Giving charity to the poor)
Sawm (Fasting in the month of Ramazan)
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah)

2. Write the meaning of first Kalma.
The first Kalma means: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.“

3. Give two reasons why we must pray to Allah.
We must pray to Allah:

To remember Him and thank Him for His blessings.
To seek His help, guidance, and to get closer to Him.

4. What does roza teach us?
Roza teaches us:

Patience and self-control.
To understand the hunger and problems of poor people.

5. What is zakat?
Zakat is compulsory charity. It means giving 2.5% of your yearly savings and gold to help poor and needy people.

6. How many times is Hajj compulsory to Muslim?
Hajj is compulsory at least once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is healthy and can afford it.

Fill In the Blanks

a. Every Muslim must pray five times a day.

b. Namaz is also known as Salat.

c. Muslims do not eat or drink anything from the call (azan) for Fajr to the call for Maghrib in Ramazan.

d. Zakat is a charity from the yearly savings of a Muslim.

e. Muslims from all over the world come to Makkah for Hajj.