Summary
Every religion adopts its principles and practices that must be exercised by its believers. Islam is one of the common global faiths that is practiced in many countries. The religion has adopted five pillars which are considered obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. Hadith of Gabriel summarizes the five pillars as observed in the Islamic religion. While the Sunni and Shia emphasize the pillars, Shia refers to them by different names. The Sunni lists the five pillars as Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawn, and Hajj. Meanwhile, the pillars of Shia Islam are the Twelvers and the seven pillars of Ismailism. Each of the five pillars of Islam serves a different purpose that strengthens the beliefs of the Muslims.
Shahada (Faith)
Faith is an essential ingredient among religious believers since it motivates them to do accepted acts before men and God. Shahada is the first pillar of Islam, meaning assertion of faith. In Islam, there are two Shahadas: “There is no god but God” and “Muhammad is the messenger of God” (Pschaida, 2022). The two Shahadas are normally expressed and recited in Arabic. The first Shahada promotes the monotheistic approach among Muslims. The Shahada is expressed through the Tawhid prayer, “no god but God”, asserting the unity of God as the existence source (Alves, 2021). The first Shahada is important since it encourages the worshipping of only one God.
Meanwhile, the second Shahada uses Muhammad as an example that should be imitated by the Muslims. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the recipient of distorted revelation by the Jewish and Christians, among other earlier communities (Alves, 2021). Additionally, Muhammad is the recipient and bearer of the Quran guidance among Muslims. The Shahada is recited five times a day and marks the important events in a Muslim life: birth and death. Therefore, the Shahada demonstrates the importance of prayer among Muslims from birth to death.
Salah (Prayer)
Prayer is considered a means of communication to God among Muslims and Christians. It is through prayers that believers seek God’s intervention during troubling and happy moments. Salah is the second pillar of Islam that allows them to make requests and thank God. Ablutions must be performed before observing Salah as a ritual among Muslims. Some of the ablutions include the washing of one’s feet, hands, and face. Muzzein chants aloud from a raised place in a mosque to alert the believers on prayer time. The Muslims must face Mecca when observing Salah, and do so five times a day. Each prayer time has a specifically designated name: Fajr for dawn, Dhuhr for noon, Aṣr for the afternoon, Maghrib for the evening, and Ishā for the night (Ali & Shah, 2021). Although prayers can be observed in any place, the Mosque is the preferred venue. Women on periods, prepubescent children, and mentally challenged people are disallowed to observe Salah.
Zakat (Almsgiving)
Charitable activities are crucial among various religious beliefs since they promote unity and sympathy. Zakat is the third pillar of Islam which indicates that almsgiving makes one’s family wealth legally and pure in religion (Muslim Aid, n.d.). The pillar encourages the believers to offer part of their wealth in support of the Muslim community. 2.5% of the wealth, is the set amount an individual should contribute to the community. Although the pillar is not found in the Quran, the hadith provides for the pillar. The offered wealth is used to promote Islamic activities such as taking good care of holy places and individuals who cannot afford basic needs. Zakat serves an important function of making an individual achieve balance and new growth (Muslim Aid, n.d.). Therefore, Zakat exhibits how the Islam influences financial situations of the believers.
Sawm (Fasting)
During Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast. Sawn is the fourth pillar of Islam that prohibits the intake of any food or drink (Daldal et al., 2021). The pillar is expressly stated in the Quran: “eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night” (Quran 2:187). The Quran recognizes three kinds of fasting which are ritual fasting, fasting as compensation for repentance, and ascetic fasting (Alves, 2021). Sawn is exercised by all Muslims who have reached puberty unless suffering from illness. Fasting is significant among Muslims since it allows them to seek nearness to God and express their gratitude to Him.
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Hajj is the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith that requires them to make a pilgrimage journey to the holy Mecca. During Hajj the Muslims are required to wear only two white sheets for identification. Additionally, the ritual promotes equality, negating class distinction among Muslims. While men dress in a straightforward fabric, women wear clothes that are lesser complex than their ordinary dressing. The pillar is observed through main rituals of walking seven times around Kaaba, touching Istilam, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically stoning the devil in Mina (Elgammal & Alhothali, 2021). Hajj is important among Muslims since it serves as their devotion to God.
Salah (prayer) serves a significant role in the daily life of a particular Muslim. Just like any other believer, a Muslim depends on God for providence. Consequently, observing Salah during the day makes one closer to God. The first prayer, Fajr, is made in the dawn to thank God for the gift of life and another chance of waking up while healthy. Additionally, Fajr allows an individual to ask for God’s guidance during the day since the future is unpredictable. The guidance may include protection against enemies or action that could to temptation and consequent sin against God.
The individual observes Dhuhr at noon to thank God for the peaceful before noon activities. The prayer could also be a chance for the individual to seek forgiveness for the sins done. Thereafter, Aṣr is observed to praise God and seek guidance for the remaining part of the day. In the evening the individual makes Maghrib thank God for the successful day. Moreover, he could repent for any sin committed after the afternoon prayers. Finally, at night the individual observes Ishā thank God for providing during the day and keeping their families healthy. The night prayer is also an opportunity for the individual to pray for others and have a peaceful night.
Various Christian organizations serve in the Islamic context, obeying the practices of Muslims. Coptic Church in Egypt is one such organization that operates in a country that is dominated by Muslims. The church diverged from other Christian in the 5th Century due to their divided opinion on the nature of Christ (Tadros & Habib, 2022). The Coptic church operates on the principle that Christ had two natures: one human and one divine. Meanwhile, other Christians believe that Christ was fully human and fully divine. Therefore, the Coptic Christians have different beliefs from other Catholics. The Coptic church in Egypt observes the practices as taught in Saint Mark’s ministry. The church criticizes some of the five pillars of Islam.
Although expressed in different ways the Coptic church believes in the existence of one God, observation of prayers, charity, and fasting. Unlike the Muslims, who believe in Muhammad as the bearer of God’s prophecy, the Coptic church believes in Jesus Christ (Demichelis, 2021). With regards to the second pillar of Islam, the church does not perform prayers five times a day and there is no restriction on women in periods. For the third pillar, the Coptic church believes in almsgiving. However, there is no set percentage offering in the Coptic church. Meanwhile, the Copts observe fasting but do it for between 180 to 210 days out of the 365 days (Šebelová, 2021). The Copts do not perform the pilgrimage journey as done by the Muslims. Instead, they are involved in various missionary activities that promote their faith. Therefore, while the Copts and Muslims exhibit the five pillars of Islam, they take different approaches.
The Coptic Church in Egypt observes almsgiving as the Muslims do. The two denominations can utilize the third pillar of Islam, Zakat, to develop a relationship with the Muslims. Although the Copts have no specific percentage of their income that must be offered to God, they are actively invoked in Charitable activities. Some of the activities include helping the poor and the sick in the community. Meanwhile, the Muslims’ offerings are used in promoting the well-being of dysfunctional families among other activities prescribed in Zakat. The two believers can develop a united initiative that utilizes offering in support of the community. During the activity, the Muslims and Copts can interact and share their perspectives on denominational unity.
References
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