The Portrayal of The Five Pillars of Islam in World Religions

In Houstin Smith’s “The Worlds Religions”, The Five Pillars of Islam includes the process Muslims practice in order to uphold the house of Islam, along with the forbidden practices that should be done such as gambling, stealing, consumption of alcohol, eating pork, lying, and sex before marriage. Basically, the five pillars tells the principles that Muslims should live by during their everyday life. The five pillars are a defined method for Muslims to live faithfully in devotion and promise to Allah by providing five basic requirements that all Muslims must follow.

The first pillar of Islam is known as the Islam’s creed or confession called Shahada. Shahada is known as the creed that gives a summary of the beliefs of Islamic faith. Muslims recite the Shahada during times of hell and turmoil, in order to practice their faith in Allah and to remember he is the answer to any and all their questions. "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His Prophet".

The second pillar of Islam tells the Muslims that they must pray five times per day. This prayer is known as the canonical prayer and must be constant. Muslims must be admonished in order to be constant with their prayer in hope to keep their own lives in perspective. This is due to the fact that they must give thanks to Allah as well as to remember Allah is their creator and they must submit prayer to him to show appreciation. There are five stipulated prayer times which are when they wake, when the sun reaches zenith, the suns mid decline, sunset, and before retiring the day. They prayers consist of gratitude and supplication

The thrid pillar of Islam is that they must show hospitality to the less fortunate or anyone in need. Middle to upper class Muslims are required to give a portion of their income to the poor and lower class citizens. This process helps the Muslims create a sense of brotherhood amongst each other as it connects all of the people rather than creating social clichs.

The fourth pillar of Islam is the month of fasting, also known as the observance of Ramadan. During this month the healthy Muslim citizens must fast from dusk to dawn for the entire month. This pillar is extremely important to the people because it helps them remember their dependence and commitment to Allah. It helps the people connect to the less fortunate and understand the feeling of starvation. It also helps the people be more willing to help the poor as they have that feeling all times of the year.

The fifth pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to Mecca. At one point during a Muslims life who is physically and economically fit, they must go to Mecca where Gods climactic revelation was born in attempt to deepen his or her understanding of faith and devotion to Allah. This pilgrimage reminds Muslims of the world’s community of the other Muslims who have dedicated their lives to God