Detachment...
On the authority of Abu Abdur Rehman Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, who said, I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
“Islam has been built on five pillars: testifying that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayers, paying the poor-due making the pilgrimage to
the House, and fasting in Ramadhaan.” (Recorded in Bukhari and Muslim)
Testimony...
THE FIVE PILLARS
OF ISLAM
Shahaadah: Testimony of faith: The declaration of faith is the detachment from things conflicting with
monotheism, which we seek to achieve by testifying that we worship only one God.
As humans, we have many attachments during our life in this world. We rest upon various pillars, for example:
people, money, beauty, our careers, our degrees, the way we dress, our sense of control, our own intelligence.
The struggle to free our heart from all of these attachments, to liberate ourselves from the selfish, imperfect
desires of man and align our desires with The Most High is the greatest struggle of this life, and this struggle is
the essence of Tawheed- the true monotheism. The five pillars are essentially a structure enabling detachment
from the worldly life and constructing a secure relationship with and true reliance upon the Creator.
This testimony is: (ašhadu an) lā ilāha illá l-Lāhu (wa ashhadu 'anna) Muḥammadan rasūlu l-Lāhi"
(I profess that) there is no god worthy of worship except God and (I profess that) Muhammad is the Messenger
of God.“
Prayer...
The Arabic ‘lā’ demonstrates an absolute rejection and negation of worshipping anything other than the one
true God. And our ultimate devotion, love, fear and hope is in God. To free oneself from all other attachments
except the attachment to the Creator is the true manifestation of Tawheed. (For the proof of God and the
Islamic concept, refer to Part 1: The Existence of God).
Salaah: Ritual Prayer: Muslims are obligated to pray five times a day to pull away from our worldly affairs and
focus on our Creator- which is the ultimate purpose in life. But why five? One prayer a day could have been
possible! But no, the prayers have been spread throughout the day upon the will of God. Aside from being a
means of self-discipline, wisdom dictates that if one keeps to their prayers at the specified times, there is no
opportunity to get attached to something other than the Creator. The five obligatory prayers are: Fajr (between
true dawn and sunrise), Dhuhr (after the true noon, when the sun starts to decline to the West post its zenith),
Asr (afternoon before sunset), Maghrib (sunset until the twilight remains) and Isha (once the redness of the
twilight has disappeared from the sky).
Ritual prayer is one of the most beloved acts of worship to God; it is a direct conversation with our Lord. It was
obligated upon the Muslims directly by God himself and not through the angels as with the other pillars. It is
the first action we are held to account for on the Day of Judgement, and it was what the Prophet (peace be
upon him) reminded the Muslims to hold on to in the moments before his death.
Prayer as a manifestation of worship has been evidenced throughout history, before the coming of the final
Messenger (peace be upon him). Abraham (peace be upon him) prostrated to the ground: “And Abram fell on
his face and God talked with him…” (Genesis 17:3); as did Moses (peace be upon him): “And Moses made
haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” (Exodus 34:8) There is even evidence of Jesus
(peace be upon him) bowing his face to the ground in an act of complete worship: “And he went a little farther,
and fell on his face and prayed…” (Matthew 26:39)
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Prayer...
THE FIVE PILLARS
OF ISLAM
The prayer is a divine link, an opportunity to purify ones intentions and actions and turn to the Creator and
Sustainer throughout the day. It is considered a grave and self-destructive action to leave the prayer, as it is
amongst the pillars that constructs the Muslim’ way of thinking and actions and provides peace and direction in
a life so polluted with distractions. “And seek help through patience and prayer…” (Qur’an, 2:45)
Fasting...
Siyaam: Fasting the Month of Ramadhaan: This pillar pertains to the detachment from our physical needs,
desires, and pleasures. The purpose of fasting is to restrain our physical self and purify our spiritual self, for the
origin of the word Siyaam is related to the concept of Imsaak: ‘to abstain’. The month of Ramadhaan (the 9th
month of the lunar calendar) is a time of spirituality and reflection, to contemplate one’s relationship with
himself, the wider community and his Lord.
Charity...
Zakaat: Paying the Poor-due: is the detachment from our wealth and possessions. Charity in this form is not
only encouraged as in some other faiths, but a minimum is obligated upon Muslims who have the financial
means, to sacrifice a distinct portion of their wealth every single year. As well as the obvious benefits to the
poor and needy, in giving our wealth purely for the sake of God, the relatively wealthy amongst us have the
opportunity to evaluate which of our possessions will be of true value to us after our death.
Pilgrimage...
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah: This is one of the most comprehensive and profound acts of detachment. For Hajj,
a pilgrim leaves everything behind that he or she possesses in life; for example: family, salary, warm bed,
clothes and etc., and uses only two pieces of garments and sleeps on the ground or in a crowded tent. Here
there are no status symbols; no one is to be seen as rich or poor since everybody is wearing the same white
garment, walking side by side. Neither nationality nor any other means of worldly identity is given precedence;
all performing Hajj are considered equal. This is a simple reflection of the notion in Islam that the only
distinguishing feature between people is the level of piety. As Muhammad (peace be upon him) declared in his
final sermon: “Every Muslim is a brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over
another except by piety and good action.”
Pillars...
‘Abdullah bin Shaqiq al-’Aqili, a pious predecessor, said: “The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
did not consider the leaving of any action as disbelief, except for the prayer.” However, the actions of the
prayer alone, with an absence of heart and humility, are not sufficient; the keys to benefitting from the prayer
include:
‒Know what you are saying and Who you are saying it to.
‒Read not just the translation, but study the Tafsir (detailed commentary) of the opening chapter of the Qur’an
which is recited in every prayer.
‒Leave enough time for your prayer so you can focus, reflect rather than rush. Plan the day around the prayer,
not the prayer around the day.
‒Pray in congregation when you can, to revitalise the values of brotherhood on a daily basis.
The word pillar often denotes structure and strength. As Muslims, we seek not only to have belief, but
conviction; not rhetoric, but action. These pillars are pillars of action; they lay the foundational structure for
Islam on a practical level and create a unique link between the Creator and the created. As intelligent men and
women, we need to ask ourselves: what pillars are our lives built upon? Are they material, limited and based on
our wants, whims and desires? Or are they actions for this life and the next, pillars that spread throughout our
lives, give stability to all our affairs, and remain spiritually, physically and socially constructive?
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