🕌 Islamic education

The five pillars of Islam

📖 In short

Islam is like a strong house that stands on five big pillars, called the “pillars of Islam”: the declaration of faith, prayer, zakat, fasting in Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the Sacred House for those who are able. Every Muslim learns them from childhood and carries them out as they grow up.

بُنِيَ الإسلامُ على خمسٍ: شهادةِ أن لا إله إلا الله وأنّ محمدًا رسولُ الله، وإقامِ الصلاة، وإيتاءِ الزكاة، والحجّ، وصومِ رمضان.

Islam is built on five things: bearing witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing prayer, giving zakat, making the pilgrimage, and fasting in Ramadan.

Hadith, reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim

🤩 Did you know?

  • Prayer is the only pillar a Muslim carries out 5 times every day.
  • Every year more than a million Muslims from many countries gather for the pilgrimage.
  • In Arabic, the word “zakat” means “growth and purity”: it purifies wealth and blesses it.
  • Children start practicing prayer at the age of 7.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 The declaration of faith

Bearing witness that there is no god but God, meaning we worship God alone, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, meaning we follow what he brought. It is the first pillar of Islam and its foundation.

🔍 Prayer

Five prayers each day and night, when we stand before God to thank Him and call on Him. Prayer is a link between a person and their Lord; in Arabic, the word “salat” is close to the word for “link”.

💡 Zakat

When a Muslim has gathered a lot of money and a year has passed, they give a small part of it to the poor. That way rich and poor help each other and love one another.

🎯 Fasting and pilgrimage

In Ramadan we fast from dawn to sunset, learning patience and feeling for the hungry. The pilgrimage is a journey to Makkah where Muslims from every country gather, once in a lifetime for those who are able.

📚 Key words

Pillar
The strong part something stands on, like a column holding up a house
The declaration of faith
Saying: I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God
Being able
Having the health and the means

🌱 Put it into practice today

Draw a house with five columns, and write the name of a pillar of Islam on each one. Hang it in your room and try to explain it to a brother or sister.

🧩 Test yourself

1 What is the first pillar of Islam?

2 How many prayers do we pray each day and night?

3 Who must make the pilgrimage?

📚 Read next

🎮 Try it yourself