...HUM/130 Checkpoint: “Five Pillars of Islam” Date: April 6, 2012 Instructor: Rebecca MacArthur By: Sue McClease Checkpoint: Five Pillars of Islam In this assignment, the more I read the more my head spins. As an American and born into the Christian faith, it is hard to grasp the concepts of some of the other religions of the world; however, I would like to try to understand the faith systems of a lot of our neighbors. If there is one thing I know is that it takes a lifetime to understand fully any religious belief, because we are forever learning. If I can understand this correctly, according to Mary Fisher (2005) Islam is an Arabic word meaning peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. This religion calls for complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God. Wow! That sounds enough like any other faith, except that the Islam do not believe that Jesus has the authority to pardon sins, the idea that anyone else has the power to atone or forgive is blasphemous to the Muslim, this power belongs to God alone. This is a monotheist’s religion, believing in one god and in their personal moral accountability before God on Judgment Day. In the Muslim view, the Qur’an was sent as a final...
Words: 546 - Pages: 3
...CheckPoint: Monotheistic Religions Elements Matrix Carmen Welch May 23, 2010 CJS/210 Dr. Donald Howard Axia College Material Appendix H Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix | |Judaism |Christianity |Islam | |Countries of origin |Palestine |PALESTINE |ARABIA | | |EGYPT |ROME | | |HISTORICAL FIGURES AND |JEWS, ABRAHAM, MOSES, & KING SOLOMON |JESUS CHRIST, THE VIRGIN MARY, & THE SAINTS AND |THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD, MOSES, JESUS, & ABRAHAM | |EVENTS | |DISCIPLES | | | |- THE DELIVERY OF THE COMMANDMENTS TO MOSES | |- MOHAMMAD WAS BORN BETWEEN 569 A.D. & 571 A.D. | | |- THE ESCAPE OF SALVES FOR THE PHARAOHS |- THE BIRTH OF BABY...
Words: 468 - Pages: 2
...Five Pillars of Islam HUM/130 Five Pillars of Islam There are Five Pillars of Islam. These acts of worship that the faithful of Islam are supposed to do in order to increase their sense of God and to help create discipline in their attitudes toward others and the use of their time and property. These Pillars are the Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm Ramadan, and Hajj. These came from the Qur’an and Sunnah and shape the lives of Muslims throughout the world. The central belief and teaching of Islam is that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God. This is also the first pillar of Islam, the Shahadah, and the statement is repeated with every prayer. This belief means that every Muslim should strive to freely accept God as having supreme power over everything and strive to live their lives according to the teachings of God. They should also work to build social institutions that reflect God. Of the Five Pillars of Islam the easiest for me to perform would be the first or the Shahadah. Using that phrase with every prayer and trying to live up to it are not that different from what I already do. I may not state it with every prayer but it wouldn’t be hard to start doing that if I was to convert to Islam. The most difficult of the Five Pillars would be the Sawm Ramadan. During the month of Ramadan the faithful of Islam perform a fast called Sawm. They abstain from food, water, evil thoughts, and sexual activity during the day. This is something I would struggle...
Words: 382 - Pages: 2
...Five Pillars of Islam James Williamson HUM 130 February 15, 2012 Philip Towne Five Pillars of Islam The central beliefs of Islam are the unity of Allah (translated means God), (Fisher, 2005) his Angles, and his messenger Muhammad. Another of the central beliefs of this religion is the Day of Judgment and an afterlife when one dies. These core beliefs are reflected in the Five Pillars of this religion in the following ways. 1. The La ilaha ila Allah which is the declaration of faith for all Muslims (Fisher, 2005) which translates into “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet. 2. The Salat which is the daily prayer ritual that is practiced up to five times a day by all Muslims in which they ritually wash themselves (Fisher, 2005), face toward Mecca, and recite the prayer they learned as children. 3. The Zakat or almsgiving is the pillar that helps remind followers to help those who are less fortunate (Fisher, 2005) with two to ten percent of one’s income and is expected to be given voluntarily. 4. Sawm or Fasting takes place during the month of Ramadan during which time no food, drink, smoking, or even sexual intercourse is to take place during daylight hours. Daylight hours are currently determined using a computer, however prior to the use of computers it was generally understood among followers the day began when there was enough light to distinguish between a black and white thread (Fisher, 2005). 5. The last pillar known as Hajj or the Pilgrimage...
Words: 399 - Pages: 2
...Joyce Ashe July 20, 2014 Hum/130 The Five Pillars of Islam What are the central beliefs of Islam, and how are they reflected in the "Five Pillars" (Fisher, 2014). The central beliefs of Islam are complete faith in the power of God. God and PEOPLE are one and unified. An Islamic belief is that Islam includes all religions and honors all prophets. Muslims believe that god is all knowing and to know what god knows is to leave in peace and happiness. Islamic people also believe in angels and saints. One Islamic belief is the last judgment, which is when all the people of the world will be judged and the world will end. These beliefs of Islam are reflected in the "Five Pillars" by many ways. The first pillar is the practice of professing faith in the unity of one god and the prophet Muhammad which directly reflects the beliefs of Islam. The second pillar is a continual prayer session that happens daily. These prayer sessions illustrate the desire to learn the ways of God. The fourth pillar reflects the central beliefs of Islam because the fourth pillar is fasting. Fasting is used to achieve purity and a clear mind. This is an example of how Muslims can learn to be like God. The fifth pillar also illustrates this central Islamic belief because Muslims have to pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime in order to get closer to God. Which of the Five Pillars do you feel would be easiest to fulfill, and which would be the most challenging? (Fisher, 2014). The Muslims...
Words: 414 - Pages: 2
...Five Pillars of Islam Hum 130 October 5, 2014 Five Pillars of Islam The central beliefs of Islam are to worship the one and only Allah, to do the ritual worships per Quran, which is their Prophet, Muhammad teachings, to do good actions, and to maintain good morals. These factor into Islam five main obligations of life which is called the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. The five pillars of Islam define the basic uniqueness of Muslims, their faith, beliefs and practices. I would say Zakat would be the hardest one for me for me to fulfill. I’m not against giving to people in need. But to have to give a certain of my percentage net worth would be hard. If I’m making a decent living it’s because I work hard for it and my family should benefit from not. I wouldn’t like just giving away my hard earnings because some people are too lazy to do it themselves. Don’t get me wrong there are people out there that cannot help the living condition they are in but some can and I would hate to take away from people who really need it just to give to someone that is lazy. The easiest one for me to full fill would be Sawm. I think the purpose behind this one is to know how it feels to be less fortunate. To be put in someone else’s shoes is educational for some people. To not be able to eat or drink anything for 24 hours is an eye opener. It really makes you understand what it’s like to be hungry or thirsty...
Words: 323 - Pages: 2
...Five Pillars of Islam Melissa Ziepfel HUM/130 Five Pillars of Islam Islam is a religion that was founded in Mecca in 570 A.D. by Muhammad. Islam is one the more popular religions in the world. It has millions of followers. People believe Islam is more of a life style then a religion. People who believe the Islam religion are known as Muslims. Muslims believe in one God, Allah. The Muslims believe it is important to pray toward the holy city of Mecca. The Muslims have six main beliefs; belief in Allah, belief in angels, belief in holy books, belief in the prophets, belief in the Day of Judgment, and the belief in predestination. The book important to the Muslims is the Qur'an. They show the written word a great deal of respect because every letter and word is sacred. Muslims worship in buildings known as mosques. Muslims and anyone visiting a mosque is required to remove their shoes to keep the sacred place clean for worship. Friday is the Muslim holy day, the day of prayer. Also important to Muslim followers is the Five Pillars of Islam. These are duties that every Muslim must perform. The first pillar is known as Shahadah. This is the declaration of faith. Muslims must recite "I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." to enter the Islam religion. The second pillar is known as Salah. This is the requirement to pray. Muslims are required to wash before prayer. They are required to pray five times a day facing toward...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...Five Pillars of Islam Mishap Livingston HUM/130 When it comes to the central beliefs of Islam, there are the Six Articles of Faith, meaning that all that is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” This relates to the first pillar of Islam with believing and professing the unity of God and the messenger ship of Muhammad: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” The Qur’an requires the faithful to tell others of Islam; so that they will have the information they need to make an intelligent choice. The second pillar of Islam is Salah, the requirement to pray 5 times a day at fixed times during the day.[3] The time of day to pray are at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. Each salah is performed facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Salah is intended to focus the mind on Allah; it is seen as a personal communication with Allah, expressing gratitude and worship. According to the Qur'an, the benefit of prayer “restrains one from shameful and evil deeds”. Prayer, for Muslims, shows their belief about God is the single most important belief in Islam and arguably the central theme of Islam. The third pillar is zakat, or spiritual tithing and almsgiving. Its literal meaning is “purity,” for it purifies the distribution of money, helping to keep it in healthy circulation. Muslims believe the founder of Islam, Muhammad, is revered as “the Seal of the...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...The Five Pillars of Islam Amber Spencer HUM/130 January 16, 2014 Randi Jo McLeod There are many central beliefs associated with Islam. In the Muslim belief God is all knowing and knowingly created everything for a divine purpose, nothing happens without the will or knowledge of God which fits right in to the First Pillar Shahadah. Muhammad received the Quran as a copy of the eternal Quran . God created heavenly beings called angels to serve God and they are met by evil spirits. God sent his prophets to the earth at their chosen times, and the Prophet Muhammad was the last and greatest messenger of God which goes with the Second Pillar. There will be a last day of world history called the Day of Judgment. Good and evil will be weighed in the balance. The bad will be punished and the good will enjoy eternal life in Bliss which fits right with Zakat. (Fisher, 2014, Chapter 10). The “Five Pillars” are made up of Shahadah, Salaah, Zakat, Saum, and Hajj. Shahadah (declaration of faith): "I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith. Salaah (prayer): Muslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying. Zakat (charity): Muslims are required to give away a proportion of their incomes to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion. Saum (fasting): Muslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period...
Words: 480 - Pages: 2
...Shelby Hooper Matthew Franks HUM/130 June 28, 2014 Five Pillars of Islam The first pillar of Islam is the “Shahadah”, this is the assumption in no god but God, this wholeness shows their loyalty to God. The other part of this one pillar is to give others outside of the religion this communication, in order to increase the word about the religion, but they aren’t to admit the message under pressure. The second pillar is to do regular prayers, Muslims need to pray five times a day, to use water or sand, face Mecca and repeat a order of prayers that come from the Qur’an. They do this by bending over on their hands and knees. The third pillar is called zakat, this where all Muslims must contribute, half of their yearly earnings to the underprivileged and deprived people. This is believed to help with prejudice in wealth among the people, but it is also meant to keep a person from being money hunger. According to Fischer (Fischer, 2005) Saudi Arabia gives fifteen percent of the country’s gross domestic product earnings to development and relief projects all over the world every year. The Islamic Relief association is subsidized by this; they support communities all over the world after tragedies and other problems. The fourth pillar is fasting, it is urged that all Islamic people do constant fasting; the time that it is necessary is during Ramadan, commemorating the first announcement of the Qur’an to Muhammad. (Fischer, 2005). The fasting during Ramadan takes place between...
Words: 463 - Pages: 2
...Five Pillars of Islam your name HUM/130 University of Phoenix The Five Pillars of Islam are the five basic acts or beliefs in the Islamic faith. Most believers of the Muslim faith believe that these pillars are the foundation of Muslim life and that they are obliged to follow these beliefs. The Quran outlines these beliefs as the principle for worship and a commitment to the Muslim faith. The Five Pillars can also be described as the framework for Muslim life and they are: Faith (Shahada), Prayer (Salat), concern for the those in need (Zakat), self purification or fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). Shahada is The Muslim's declaration of faith and professing that there is only one God(Allah) and that Muhammad is the holy messenger. There is a statement that all Muslim's must recite in their daily prayers. That statement is "I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger." The muslim faith believes that the first part of the Shahada, "none worthy of worship exept God" refers to us not to be tempted by anything that can be put in the place of God. The second part of the Shahada "Muhammad is his servant and messenger" illustrates that a message of guidance has come through a man like ourselves. Salat is the Islamic prayer, and according to the Sunna there are five daily prayers. Each of the prayer names coincides with the time that these prayers should...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...Islam’s five Pillars of Faith HUM/130 March 4, 2012 Jim Strader With the religion of Islam they are fully into the teaching and God’s guidance. A Muslim is a follower of the Islam faith. Being a Muslim is to follow the teachings of God and using his guidance to the best of your ability. The beliefs of an Islam are going to be peace with everyone, purity to say as pure as possible, acceptance of what you can’t and sometimes can change, and commitment when they make a commitment they are expected to keep it. The Five Pillars are as follows, the first one is called Shahadah it also means faith. This to make know that the only purpose for their lives is to serve and obey God. They do this through the teaching of the last prophet Muhammad. The second one is Salah; this is the name of their prayer that they pray five times a day. Their prayer contains verses from the Quran. This is part of the commitment they have to God. The third one is Zakat means both purification and growth. This is also known with their finances. Whatever they have they are to give to God because it is a gift from God. The Muslim religion wants to also help with other people so they do not fall into poverty. They have a special month known as Ramadan. During this month a family is to give to another family just what they have. The forth pillar is Sawm: with is fasting. During the month of Ramadan they are too fast from sun up to sun down. There will be no eating, drinking, or sexual...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...Five Pillars of Islam Sharon Pinter HUM/130 Religions of the World Aug 24, 2014 Andrea Lynch Five Pillars Islam The Five Pillars seem to be a road mark of the Muslim religion. It is not just a set of rituals but a way of believing in God. The Five Pillars were adopted after the death of Muhammad, the Messenger of God. (Fisher, 2014) The first pillar (Shahadah) teaches that there is one God and no others god plus there is his Messenger Muhammad. It is required by the Qur’an that the believers tell others so they might make a decision to what is true. (Fisher, 2014) The second pillar is the salaat or prayers. Muslims face Mecca and do prayers five times a day. It is believed that when everyone turns to one area it makes them join as family. Doing prayers seems to strengths God hold to goodness and on to his life. Prayer is used to clear your mind, purifies ones heart and keeps the evil from your soul. The chant “Assalamu Alaymum” means peace be with you and mercy of God” (Fisher, 2014, p 392 par 2) this is what is being chanted over and over again. It is also known that on Fridays there is a special pray. People say prayers other than those said during the five prayers toward Mecca. The third pillar is that know as zakat which is linked to prayer. Muslims are supposed to give a portion around 2.5% of their wealth to the needy. They have the Islamic Relief Organization that helps. Doing so keeps a person’s head not to be greedy. They have a pray that is said so it helps...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...Understanding Islam Dawnette McCree HUM/130 May 31, 2015 Daniel Mages Understanding Islam The Muslims are a very devout group. They are steeped in tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. They are devoted to the study and recitation of the Qur’an on a daily basis. They map their lives according to the Five Pillars that are mentioned in the Qur’an as a support for one’s life and faith. They are adamant about Ramadan and use it as a means to gain both self-enlightenment and unity with other Muslims. The Qur’an is the Holy Book of the Muslims. It is the equivalent of the Holy Bible in Christian faith. Its name means recitation. The Qur’an is a compilation of Muhammad’s sermons and revelations. It is in no particular order or chronology. Unlike other religious texts the Qur’an talks about other religions and the people of other religious texts. It consists of 114 suras. The Qur’an is very repetitive which makes the memorizing of scripture easier. They are repeated daily in prayer and sermons. The Qur’an is also very descriptive in nature. Reading the Qur’an, a person can easily visualize what they are reading. Passages from the Qur’an are incorporated into works of art. Because of the beauty of the written Arabic language, it is also used to decorate mosques and religious schools. The Qur’an teaches about the Five Pillars that support one’s faith. All Muslims are expected to practice the Five Pillars. These are: creed, prayer, charity to the poor...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...Understanding Islam Tracey Walker HUM/130 April 28, 2015 Prof. Michael Woods The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. Under the Muslim belief, Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. Muhammad was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca, the Quraish, around 570 A.D. The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. Several trade routes intersected at Mecca, allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west coast of Arabia, north to Syria, and south to Yemen. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. They eventually married. When Muhammed was in his forties, he began having visions and hearing voices. Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel (Jibra'il in Arabic) appeared to him and instructed him to recite "in the name of the lord." This was the first of many revelations that became the basis of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. These early revelations pointed to the existence of a single God, contradicting the polytheistic beliefs of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula. The Qur'an was dictated by Muhammad but...
Words: 1142 - Pages: 5
