THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam ~ 112 ~ recite repeatedly: “I am at your service Lord, here I am:” this being the perfect expression of Islamic intention. One of Islam’s major goals is that mankind should live in remembrance of that Day when all will be assembled before God. The gathering of the pilgrims on the plain of Arafat is a visible reminder of this crucial moment in the after-life. Islam sincerely wishes that man should be free of the clutches of the Devil and that they should continually chase the Evil One away. The casting of pebbles at the stone devils Rami alJamar gives pilgrims the opportunity to go through the physical motions of a symbolic fight against evil. Islam desires too, that the believer should adhere to the covenant he has made with God, even if this entails the sacrifice of his property or even his life. At Mina, therefore, during the rites of pilgrimage, the pilgrims sacrifice an animal, thus showing themselves ready to make whatever sacrifices are demanded of them. It is also a requirement of Islam that people should patiently endure the inconveniences they have to suffer on