The Pillars of Islam and Hajj

THE PILLARS OF ISLAM AND HAJJ Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Zakat, and Hajj are the five pillars of worship in Islam. These five pillars must be established in one’s life in both form and spirit. T he concept of worship is related to every aspect of a person’s life. There are five fundamental pillars that form the basis of worship. The Prophet of Islam described these pillars as follows: “Islam is built upon five pillars: bearing witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing the prayers (Salah), paying the obligatory charity (Zakat), performing the Hajj pilgrimage, and observing fasting during Ramadan.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 8) It is as if these are the five pillars on which the building of Islam stands. A structure is something that is visible. In this hadith, the metaphor of a building is used to illustrate the essence of Islam. Just as a building cannot be erected without pillars, the establishment of Islam is also dependent on these five pillars. To establish Islam means to establish these five pillars in one’s life. There is both spirit and form of these five pillars of Islam. Undoubtedly, the primary importance lies in