investigating islam essay

f possible, interview a practicing Muslim individual or an imam, which can be used as an academic resource. If you would like to take pictures during your visit to this community or place of worship, be sure to obtain permission.

Write an essay of 1,000-1,250 words that analyzes the Five Pillars of Islam.

Describe each of the five pillars and reflect on why they are referred to as Pillars of Islam.
Make a detailed analysis of how one of the pillars would function in the daily life of a particular Muslim individual.
Identify one ancient Christian community living or serving in an Islamic majority context, such as Coptic, Marionite, Chaldean, Armenian, etc. Compare and contrast how this ancient community practices similar rituals as the Five Pillars of Islam.
Utilize the course textbook and a minimum of three academic resources, one of which can be your interview and should include topic materials and external resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

ANSWER

In order to live a good and responsible life, every Muslim must adhere to the five most important Muslim practices. The five pillars comprise Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawim, and Hajj. The five pillars are vital in providing a framework of religious obligations to a Muslim’s life and aids in traversing everyday duties and activities through devotion to religion. Islam doctrine states that no matter how honest a person’s belief may be, it is worthless unless it is in action and practice and conducting the five pillars is proof that a Muslim puts faith first, not as an option but as a commitment. This essay examines these five pillars of Islam and how they would function daily in the life of an individual; additionally, the essay identifies one ancient Christian community living or serving in an Islamic majority context and how such an ancient community practices similar rituals as the Five Pillars of Islam.

Shahadah refers to a Muslim’s profession of faith, which states that “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God” (Dogan 2013). The pillar is the first of the five, and every Muslim must confess this in a lifetime out loud, on purpose, correctly, and will full comprehension of its implications. Anyone who cannot make this confession wholeheartedly is not a true Muslim. The confession contains three proclamations, that Allah is the only true God with Muhammed as his prophet, that a Muslim admits the truthfulness of this proclamation, and lastly, that they purpose to heed all the roles and duties of Islam life. The recitation is also used when a non-Muslim aims at becoming a Muslim by reciting it three times in the presence of witnesses.

Salat refers to the compulsory Muslim ritual prayers offered five times every day and is the foundation of the second pillar. The five prayers include “ṣalāt al-fajr (dawn/before sunrise), ṣalāt al-ẓuhr (midday, when the sun is at its peak), ṣalāt al-ʿaṣr (late afternoon), ṣalāt al-maghrib (just after sunset), and ṣalāt al-ʿishāʾ (evening/in between sunset and midnight)” (Dogan 2013). Postponing prayer is, however, allowed under circumstances that making praying impossible such as sickness, war, journey, and many more unavoidable circumstances. Salat is communally performed in the Mosque but not necessarily. In the event of large proximity to the Mosque, prayer can be offered in a clean space in the direction of the shrine of the Ka’Bah in Mecca (). Salat on Friday is different in the afternoon and comprises a sermon. Individual prayers of devotion are also highly recommended.

Zakat moves from faith to the economy, where every Muslim is required to offer a fraction of their wealth annually. The beneficiaries of these collections are the poor and other parties that facilitate the Muslim activities at the Mosque. The offer is supposed to be directly proportional to a Muslim’s wealth. Traditionally, wealth was offered in harvest, livestock, gold, silver as well as other items of value, but in the modern world, wealth is offered in terms of currency. In Islam countries, the offer is mandatory and enforceable by Islamic law, but the rest is optional and left to the commitment of the individual (Dogan 2013).

Sawm is the fourth pillar of Islam and refers to fasting. Fasting is giving up most, if not all, luxuries and necessities as a form of religious commitment. Every Muslim is expected to go into fasting every ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting is often in 29 or 30 days, and during this period, food and drink, smoking, sex are all given up during the day. Illness, pregnancy, travel, and age are, however, excused from this practice. However, an adult and healthy Muslim who does not fast is expected to recuperate at a later date. Through practice, Muslims show their devotion and obedience.

The last pillar is Hajj, which refers to the holy pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Besides financial and geographical constraints, every Muslim is expected to make the journey at least once in a lifetime. Hajj occurs annually and is intended to promote brotherhood among Muslims, referred to as Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood (Dogan 2013). In the pilgrimage, both poor and rich alike make the journey signifying equality in the eyes of Allah. During Hajj, everything is kept simple and humble, including the food, dressing, and housing as a symbol of removing all worldly intricacies like wealth, pride, and status. Mecca is an extremely holy place in the Islam religion that no non-Muslim is allowed entry (Wolf 1951).

The Coptic is an example of an ancient Christian community serving in an Islamic majority. They exist in Egypt and date back to the decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus and makeup 10% of the population in the country (Pennington 1982). The Egyptian Copts practice Christian rituals that differ from the Islamic ritual. For example, in April, the Copts engage in the death and resurrection of Jesus, starting with Palm Sunday all the way to the journey of the Cross. Similarly, the Christian holy city is in Jerusalem in Israel rather than Mecca. However, the pilgrimage is similar where the journey to the holy cities constitutes devotion and obedience to God. Copts also engage in daily prayers and a sermon on Sundays. They read the Bible for guidance and instruction just as Muslims read the Quran.

References

Dogan, R. (2013). Five pillars of Islam. FB PUBLISHING.

Pennington, J. D. (1982). The Copts in Modern Egypt. Middle Eastern Studies, 18(2), 158-179.

Wolf, E. R. (1951). The social organization of Mecca and the origins of Islam. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 7(4), 329-356.