1.2 The 5 Pillars - The Olton Project

iSyllabus for Schools Y.1.M.1.L.2
1.2The 5 Pillars
God will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge,
in high degrees; and God is Aware of what you do (58:11)
Learning Objectives:
Key Terms:
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
Shahadah: The Muslim declaration of faith
Salah:
Performing prescribed prayers five times each day
Zakat:
Almsgiving, giving charity to benefit the poor and the needy
Sawm:
Fasting during the month of Ramadan
list the five pillars of Islam and give a brief
description of each
understand the importance of the 5 pillars
explain why the 5 pillars are important in the
lives of Muslims
The 5 Pillars
The pilgrimage to Makkah
Activities: Discuss
There are five main duties that each Muslim must
fulfill in order to live a good and responsible life
according to Islam.
These five pillars of Islam are called Shahadah, Salah,
Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. Some are done everyday,
others once a year and one of them is done once in
a person’s lifetime.
A pillar is a structure that is used to support a
building, without which the building would collapse.
This means that these five pillars are what Islam is
built upon.
These pillars are the most important Muslim practices
in Islam. They are described briefly in this lesson and
looked at in more detail in the following chapters. The Prophet Muhammadssaid, “Islam is founded
on five (pillars): declaring that there is no god but
God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
God, establishing prayer, giving charity, making a
pilgrimage to the House (the Ka’bah) and fasting
in Ramadan.”
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Hajj:
1 How do the 5 pillars affect our Muslims’ lives?
2 Which pillar is the most important?
Shahadah
The declaration of faith is the first pillar of Islam.
Muslims bear witness to the oneness of God by
reciting, “There is no god but God and Muhammad
is the Messenger of God.”
This is a simple and yet meaningful statement
which shows a Muslim’s acceptance of and total
commitment to Islam. The Shahdah is recited in the
Salah, or prayer, everyday and it is also recited by a
person who newly becomes Muslim.
ISLAM
Salah
Prayer is the second pillar of Islam.
Islam is based on the belief that human beings have a
direct connection with God.
Muslims turn towards the Ka’bah in Makkah to pray
to God at five different times during the day.
The Fajr prayer is performed before sunrise, Dhuhr
is prayed just after midday, Asr is performed in the
afternoon, Maghrib is the evening prayer performed
just after sunset and Isha is the night prayer.
Muslims must also wash themselves in a certain way
before praying, this is called Wudu.
Although salah can he performed alone, it is more
rewarding to perform it with others. The Friday
prayer, or Jummah, takes place in a mosque.
Zakat
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Sawm
Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is the
fourth pillar of Islam.
The fast is an act of worship in which Muslims seek to
increase their connection with God. It also reminds
the person who is fasting about the sufferings of the
poor and hungry.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating,
drinking and other sensual pleasures from sunrise
to sunset.
Almsgiving is the third pillar of Islam
Social responsibility is a key part of a Muslim’s life.
Looking after the poorest and neediest members
of a community rests upon Muslims giving a small
proportion of their wealth and possessions every year.
The amount of zakat a person pays is equal to
2.5 percent of their wealth.
Giving zakat creates compassion and love among
Muslims and it makes a person more thankful to
God for their own blessings.
Activities: Write
3 Choose one of the 5 pillars and write a short
paragraph about it, in your own words.
4 Write down 3 reasons why paying Zakat
is important
5 List 4 reasons why it is better to pray Salah in
the Mosque
Activities: Discuss
6 Why do Muslims fast?
7 What does the verse from the Qur’an
‘enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong’ mean in your everyday life?
Hajj
The pilgrimage to Makkah is the fifth pillar.
The Hajj is performed once in a lifetime by those
Muslims who are physically and financially able to
make the journey to Makkah.
The main rituals of the Hajj include walking around
the Ka’bah seven times, travelling seven times
between two small hills called Safa and Marwah,
standing and praying for forgiveness at a place called
Arafah and symbolically throwing stones at the Devil.
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iSyllabus for Schools Y.1.M.1.L.2
Activities: Discuss
8 What is the title given to a person who has
performed the Hajj?
9 What kind of preparations do Muslims have to
make before going to Hajj?
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Faith and Identity
Did
The five pillars of Islam define the basic identity
of Muslims.
?
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The worldwide Muslim community is bound
together in terms of their faith, beliefs, shared
values and practices.
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By accepting and following the five pillars Muslims
show that they are putting their faith first and not
just trying to fit Islam into their busy lives.
No matter how sincerely a person may believe in God
and the Prophet Muhammadstrue belief
in Islam is shown by putting their faith into action
and practice.
SUMMARY
The 5 pillars form the framework which every
Muslim must follow in order to live a good and
responsible life according to Islam.
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ISLAM
Questions
Circle the correct answer (True or False)
1 It is better to perform the prayer with others T / F
2 Zakat is only given by Muslim men
T / F
3 In Ramadan, Muslims do not eat from sunset till sunrise
T / F
4 Visiting the Prophet’ssMosque is part of Hajj
T / F
Answer in the space provided
5 Write down the names of the five prayers.
6 When is the Shahadah read by Muslims?
7 If you have £120, how much zakat do you have to pay?
8 Write down two rites of the Hajj.
9 How does fasting help Muslims think of others?
10 The Prophetssaid ‘The fast is a shield’, what does this mean?
Homework
• Find out about this year’s Hajj deals. Choose 3 travel agencies and compare their Hajj packages. Compare prices, hotel standard and distance, flights, and food options.
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