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Key points
- The Prophet ﷺ said Islam is built on five: the shahadah, prayer, zakat, Hajj and fasting in Ramadan (Bukhari 8).
- The pillars are the base every Muslim’s practice stands on, the way a building stands on its pillars.
- Hajj is the fifth pillar: once in a lifetime for every adult Muslim who is able to go, in health and money.
- Umrah is not one of the five pillars, but it is a great act of worship that many do before or after their Hajj.
Islam is built on five
Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said Islam is built on five: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving zakat, Hajj, and fasting in Ramadan (Bukhari 8).
These five are not the whole of Islam. Good character, honesty, kindness to parents and neighbours are all part of it. But the pillars are the base that everything else stands on.
1. Shahadah: the declaration of faith
“Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah”: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. It is how a person enters Islam, and a Muslim repeats it in every prayer.
It means worshipping Allah alone (47:19) and following the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
2. Salah: the five daily prayers
Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha, at their times, every day (2:43). Salah keeps a Muslim connected to Allah through the day. For men, praying in congregation at the mosque carries great reward.
On a journey, the four-rak’ah prayers can be shortened. Our guide on prayer while travelling explains how.
3. Zakat: the yearly charity
A Muslim whose savings reach a minimum amount (the nisab) and stay there for a lunar year gives 2.5% of them in zakat. The Qur’an names who may receive it, such as the poor and the needy (9:60).
Zakat is a right of the poor in the wealth of the rich, not a favour. Ask a scholar to help you work out your own zakat on gold, savings and business stock.
4. Sawm: fasting in Ramadan
Every adult, healthy Muslim fasts from dawn to sunset through the month of Ramadan, leaving food, drink and marital relations (2:183). The sick, travellers, and women who are pregnant, nursing or on their period have concessions, and make up the days later or pay a ransom where that applies.
Ramadan is also the month of the Qur’an, extra night prayer and charity. Many pilgrims from India go for Umrah in Ramadan for its special reward.
5. Hajj: the pilgrimage to Makkah
Hajj is due once in a lifetime on every adult Muslim who has the health and the money to go (3:97). When someone asked the Prophet ﷺ whether it was every year, he said it was not, or it would have become too hard (Muslim 1337).
Hajj takes place on 8 to 13 Dhul Hijjah, in Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Umrah, the “lesser pilgrimage”, can be done any time of the year and is not one of the five pillars, although scholars differ on whether it is required once.
Questions
The shahadah (declaration of faith), salah (the five daily prayers), zakat (yearly charity), sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), as the Prophet ﷺ said in Sahih al-Bukhari 8.
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Official guidance
This guide is general travel information. For religious rulings, please ask a qualified scholar.
