What Are The 5 Rules of Islam?
As a religion, Islam has been known for its simplicity and ease in its practices; if you were to have a deeper look into Islam you would find that Islam is a beautiful religion that does not aim to put its followers in any suffering, in fact, Islam aims to make Muslims’ lives as peaceful and comfortable as possible. The value of simplicity in Islam is an essential aspect that nearly everything in the Islamic religion is based on this value, and so are the rules of Islam.
If you are trying to get to know more about Islam as a religion, then first off start by getting to know and understand the rules of Islam. The rules of Islam go back to the emergence of Islam; since the word “Islam” is defined as the submission to the will of God; therefore, those who follow Islam tend to go by the rules of Islam, applying them every day in their lives. The rules of Islam were created by God in order to guide Muslims, these rules are an essential part of Islam, in which a person cannot be considered to be a Muslim. The rules of Islam were not only mentioned in the Quran but also the prophets informed Muslims with these pillars highlighting that they are the essence of being a Muslim. Moreover, Muslims do the acts and practices that are required in these pillars in order to show their devotion and faith in God.
There are five pillars or rules of Islam that all Muslims are aware of and try to abide by them, which are as follows; Shahada, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, and Hajj.
Rule 1 (Shahada):
First, Shahada; is the phrase that a person recites to become a Muslim, which is the center of Islam by which people declare their faith in Allah, and their belief in Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the prophet, saying “There is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet.” This phrase is considered to be the essence of expressing the belief in Islam.
Rule 2 (Salah):
Salah or the daily prayers of Muslims is the second rule of Islam, coming as the second pillar highlights its importance. Muslims are required to practice prayers five times a day; dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Muslims can practice their prayers anywhere, they just have to be facing the Qibla, which is the direction of Mecca. Prior to praying, Muslims have to perform wudu, which is the procedure of the cleansing of one’s body parts with the intention of getting ready for prayers, it is considered an indispensable step before salah.
Rule 3 (Zakat):
Then comes the Zakat, to donate or give money to those who are in need, Muslims perform this pillar once a year, and by doing so this ensures that those who are in need are not facing a lot of struggles or suffering to live.
Rule 4 (Sawm):
The fourth pillar in the rules of Islam is Sawm or fasting. Allah created the month of Ramadan so that Muslims would fast from dawn till dusk every day for one whole month. Those who are in good health are the ones whom should fast, depriving themselves of both food and water from Fajr to Maghrib. This pillar helps Muslims in enhancing their feelings of gratitude toward what Allah has provided and blessed us with. In addition, Ramadan gives Muslims the opportunity to prove to themselves that they could have self-control over their human needs.
Rule 5 (Hajj):
Last but not least comes the fifth pillar or rule of Islam which is Hajj; this rule is required only for those who have the ability to perform it. Hajj is visiting the Kaaba in Mecca during a specific month in the Islamic Calendar which is related to Eid Al Adha, it consists of walking around the Kaaba several times, along with other procedures.
Importance of The Rules of Islam:
A Muslim is required to fulfill these practices and abide by these rules throughout his / her life. The rules of Islam were created by God for certain reasons, each has benefits and importance, they complete each other, and are related in one way or another. By so, it is vital for Muslims to be aware of the importance of these rules, so that they would practice them with a suitable mindset and beliefs.
The shahada is not only for people to announce their Islam, but it also acts as a daily reminder for Muslims of their essential beliefs, as they recite the shahada phrase daily during their prayers. As for the salah or the prayer, it gives Muslims the chance to worship Allah and thank him for all his blessings, while standing humbly and reciting some verses from the Quran, bowing giving Muslims a chance to ask for Allah’s forgiveness and request from Allah. Salah is the most important pillar or rule after the shahada, as Muslims perform salah five times a day which portrays how Allah is giving Muslims the opportunity to ask for his forgiveness and guidance several times a day. The Islamic prayers were created to not only ask for Allah’s guidance and forgiveness but also to enhance one’s soul and fill it with peace.
As for the Zakat, it is created to encourage Muslims to not only be grateful for Allah’s blessings but also be generous by helping those who are in need, showing the beauty of Islam and God’s mercy on the poor or those who are in need. The Zakat has been mentioned many times in the Quran, aiming to inform Muslims of its importance and how it should be practiced.
Moving on to Sawm, Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan, which is another opportunity that Allah is giving them to cleanse their souls by practicing self-control, so their sins would be forgiven and they would be obeying Allah.
Hajj or the pilgrimage to Makkah has so many benefits for Muslims, performing Hajj requires following certain rituals in a certain sequence such as the sequence in which Prophet Muhammad performed. Hajj portrays some of the most important values of Islam, which are unity and equality among all Muslims.
It is very important that Muslims not only learn and believe in these five rules of Islam but also go by them and apply them in their daily lives in order to be good qualified Muslims.
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