عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِیَ اﷲ عَنْھُمَا قَالَ :قَالَ رَسُولَ اﷲﷺبُنِیَ الْاِسْلاَمُ عَلیٰ خَمْسٍ: شَھَادَۃُ اَنْ لاَّ اِلٰہَ اِلاَّ اﷲ ُ وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَّسُوْلُ اﷲِ وَاِقَامِ الصَّلاَۃِ ، وَ اِیْتَائِ الزکوٰۃِ وَ حِجِّ الْبَیْتِ وَصَوْمِ رَمْضَانَ (بخاری و مسلم)
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar ؓ : Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle. 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity). 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Explanation:
To begin with, after Kalimah Shahadah, the first principle of Islam is Salah, the importance of which has been described by the Holy Prophet ﷺ is:
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا يُحَاسَبُ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ صَلَاتُهُ فَإِنْ صَلُحَتْ فَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ وَأَنْجَحَ وَإِنْ فَسَدَتْ فَقَدْ خَابَ وَخَسِرَ۔
“The first thing a slave will be called to account from his deeds on the Day of Resurrection will be his Salah. So, if it is correct then he will succeed and earn deliverance, but if it is corrupted then he will fail and lose.”
In another tradition, the Holy Prophet ﷺ explained the importance of Salah to people describing an example:
أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِکُمْ يَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ کُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا مَا تَقُولُ ذَلِکَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ قَالُوا لَا يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ شَيْئًا قَالَ فَذَلِکَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِهَا الْخَطَايَا. (متفق علیہ )
“If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?” They said, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet added, “That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds.”
One of the principles of Islam is to observe the fasts of the blessed month of Ramadhan. Says Allah, the Almighty in the Holy Qura’n:
يٰٓـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ (183)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:2, Ayah:183 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:2 Ayah:183
“O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may be God-fearing.”
In this very verse, the main of objective of keeping fast described by Allah, the Almighty is that it was made obligator even in the previous religions. Hence, even in the religions existing in the world, the practice of keeping fast is found in one or the other form. As for its object, Allah, the Almighty says that it may allows be God-fearing. In fact, keeping fast is a solid proof of the Allah’s fear and strong conviction in the heart of a believer.
One of the most important principles of Islam is paying poor-due. Paying Zakah is obligator on those who become Sahib-e-Nisab (whose property reaches the proportion of paying Zalah). Zakah is received from the well-to-do people of the same residence and distributed among the poor and needy ones living in.
At several places in the Holy Qura’n, Salah and Zakah have been mentioned together which indicates to the fact that for one’s spiritual improvement performing Salah and material improvement paying Zakah is must. These are the two principles the pillars of Islam are erected on. Zakah is the very thing which is considered to be a considerable means of income of any Islamic state. It was the same thing which, endowing Islam with great advancement during the reign of four caliphs, turned it to be a thing of utter surprise for the rest of the communities. Without a shadow of doubt, Islam proved to be a distinguished and golorious religion so long as the same collective system of Zakah was in practice. But, unfortunately, it was doomed to face a regrettable plight since the moment this system ceased to be put into real practice.
As regard to those who do not pay Zakah despite being Sahib-e-Nisab, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَلَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهُ مُثِّلَ لَهُ مَالُهُ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانِ يُطَوَّقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزِمَتَيْهِ يَعْنِي بِشِدْقَيْهِ يَقُولُ أَنَا مَالُكَ أَنَا كَنْزُكَ۔
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle ؓsaid, “Anyone whom Allah has given wealth but he does not pay its Zakat, then, on the Day of Resurrection, his wealth will be presented to him in the shape of a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two poisonous glands in its mouth and it will encircle itself round his neck and bite him over his cheeks and say, “I am your wealth; I am your treasure.” (Bukhari)
The last principle of Islam is Hajj. It is so important principle of Islam that it encompasses all the rest of principles and acts of worship like Salah, Fast, Zakat, Jihad, Khairat and different virtuous deeds. As for those who are endowed with enough property and good health to make a journey to Makkah, it is obligatory upon them to do so. Says Allah, the Almighty in the Holy Qura’n:
’’وَﷲِ عَلَی النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَیْتَ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَیْہِ سَبِیْلاَ‘‘ (آل عمران: ۹۷(
“As a right of Allah, it is obligatory on the people to perform Hajj of the House – on everyone who has the ability to manage his) way to it.”
With respect to its importance, it appears in a tradion:
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ طَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ خَمْسِينَ مَرَّةً خَرَجَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ کَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ (رواہ الترمذی)
Sayyidina Ibn Abbas ؓ reported that Allah’s Messenger said, “If anyone made tawaf of the House fifty times then he will be (as) absolved of his sins, as on the day his mother had given him birth.”
Since, the whole structure of Islam is erected on the same five pillars, a man who puts them into practice is held in a high regard by Islam. On the contrary, one who disregards or rejects it, there is no value of both his soul and wealth in the sight of Allah, the Exalted One.
May Allah, the Almighty grant us Taufique to protect the structure of Islam through abiding by these five principles with our soul and hearts and grant us success and glory in both the worlds!