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Section: The Pillars of Islam
The Pillars
of Islam Are Five:
1) Testifying that there is no deity except Allah and
Muhammad is His messenger
- Testification or Shahadah, in
this context, means certainty, strong belief, and conviction.
- Deity means anything that is given worship, even if it is not
worthy of it.
The full meaning of this statement is that there is nothing in
existence that is deserving of worship except Allah, and that our
Master Muhammad is His Messenger to men, jinn, and angels.
2) The establishment of prayer.
- Establishment means to be constant in
doing something, to have perseverance in doing something,
and being continuous in doing something.
- Prayer (
) linguistically means 
or supplication.
- The shariah definition is: a
particular combination of speech and actions that are begun with
takbeer (
), and conclude with tasleem ( 
).
The full meaning is to be constant and
continuous in the performance of the prayer while observing all of
its obligatory aspects and conditions.
3) The paying of zakaat.
- Linguistically zakaat means
growth, and purification.
- The shariah definition of zakaat is: the
name for that which is taken from one's wealth for a specific
purpose.
The full meaning is the giving of zakaat to
those who are valid recipients, which is a duty upon the one who has
the capacity to give.
4) The fasting of Ramadan.
- Linguistically fasting (
) means to abstain from something.
- The shariah definition of fasting is: a
special abstention, with a special methodology, accompanied by a
special intention.
- Ramadan: the name of the 9th
month of the Islamic calendar.
The full meaning is to abstain during the
daytime of every day in the month of Ramadan from all things which
break the fast.
5) The pilgrimage to the House of Allah for whomever has the
means.
- Linguistically hajj means:
to set out for something.
- The shariah definition is: to set out
for the House of Allah with the intention of devotions and
worship.
The full meaning is to set out for the
Ka'ba for the one who has the means to go and return and has the
means to provide for himself during that whole period of time.
Just as the hajj is obligatory on such a
person, so too is 'umrah ( 
), which linguistically means "visitation" but whose
shariah definition is that of the hajj.
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