Five Pillars of Islam
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The "Shahada" is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam. With the pronunciation of this testimony, (There is no God but ALLAH, and Prophet Mohammed Sallalahu Alaihiwasallam (PBUH) as the messanger of ALLAH ) with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold if Islam.
Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one's previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness.
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?"
When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. The person's record after becoming Muslim is clean, and it is as if he was just born from his mother's womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible. God has promised paradise for the people leaving this world with this testimony of faith.
The Five Pillars
of Islam are:
SHAHADAH
Declaring there is NO GOD except ALLAH, and Muhammad Salallahu Alaihiwa Sallam (Peace be Upon Him) is ALLAH's Messenger.
The Essence of the above affirmation is that;
- There is no one greater than the Creator Almighty ALLAH for worship and to seek relief.
- Prophet Muhammad Salallahu Alaihiwa Sallam (Peace be Upon Him) has been begotten to this world as a role module to the mankind.
SALATH
Ritual prayer five times a day.
The Essence of the above affirmation is that;
There will be unity and dignity amongst mankind by worshiping to one single creator the Almighty ALLAH five times a dayHAJJ
Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if one is able.
The Essence of the above affirmation is that;
Hajj is an expression of devotion to God Almighty ALLAH, not a means to gain social standing.Hajj provides the teaching of brotherhood in Islam gathering at the Holy "Quarbathullah" in Mecca wearing white colour cloth which reflects the equalities irrespective of cast, wealth, race, height, language or sex.
ZAKATH
Giving 2.5% of one's savings to the poor and needy
The Essence of the above affirmation is that;
There will be no disequilibrium in income distribution amongst the rich and poor if all the wealthy people contribute 2.5% of their savings to the poorest as described by Holy Quran.SAWM
Fasting and self-control during the holy month of Ramadan