THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam ~ 106 ~ and drink, but from anything which is wrong, such as negative thinking, ill-conceived and hastily executed initiatives, in fact, any practice which might prove injurious to others. He is also to refrain from attempting to make lawful that which God has disallowed. Abstinence of this nature comes more easily to those who have undergone the rigours of fasting, than to those who have led a life of unrestricted self indulgence. Fasting, in short, chastens the soul and strengthens the will to do good. ZAKAT The fourth pillar of Islam, zakat is the giving of alms out of one’s own private means at a minimum fixed rate of 2.5% per annum. This money is given in the name of God and is to be spent on worthy religious causes and on meeting the needs of the poor and the helpless. Zakat is in the nature of an annual reminder to man that everything he possesses belongs to God, and that nothing should, therefore, be withheld from Him.