Following The Pillars of Islaam – Five Practices That Make You A Devout Muslim

In order to properly understand Islam, it is essential that you have the right guidance on Islamic principles. To be a devout follower of Islam, you must perform five basic duties during your lifetime. These duties are known as the five pillars of the religion and they are - Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm Ramadan and Hajj.

Shahadah – First Pillar of Islam        
Shahadah is the declaration that there is deity worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah – La llaha illal-lahu Muhammad resululah.

Salah – Second Pillar of Islam           
Salah is prayer. It is one of the compulsory acts that make a person a devout Muslim. The Salah should be performed five times a day. The purposes of the five obligatory prayers are to keep a person’s relation with Allah intact, to invoke and implore him, to refrain himself from committing mistakes.

Zakat - Third Pillar of Islam               
Every person must practice benevolence, according to the teachings of Allah. A person must keep aside a certain amount of his possessions (his income) to serve the poor. Zakah can be performed either by paying in gold, silver, food grains, real estate etc.It is compulsory for a person to perform Zakat and treat the poor with kindness. According to Islamic teachings, Zakat has a social role and helps strengthen the mutual love between the rich and poor. Performing Zakat means a person is soothing a poor’s feeling while satisfying his needs.

Sawm Ramadan - Fourth Pillar of Islam         
The ninth month of the Hijri calendar is celebrated as Ramadan in Islam. It is the month of fasting and abstinence. During the whole month, Muslims are expected to fast from dawn to dusk. During this period a Muslim is expected not to drink, eat or have sexual relationship. The purpose of Ramadan is to please the Lord and come closer to Him. According to Islam teachings, there are numerous benefits of fasting - it teaches a man to refrain himself from lust, it helps him abstain from eating and drinking with the sole purpose of obeying Allahand worshipping Him.

Hajj - Fifth Pillar of Islam   
The final pillar of Islam is pilgrimage or Hajj. It is believed that every Muslim must at least once in his lifetime go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He can do it more than once, if done voluntarily. By undertaking Hajj, a person expresses his devotion to Allah. 

About Author – (Lekan Yakub) is a mentor who spreads knowledge and guidance on Islamic principles to everyone who wants to connect with Allah. He has every type of information about Islam religion which he spreads in the form of writings and teachings.