The Five Pillars of Islam contribute to why so many people converted to
Islam. The Pillars were sent from God to Muhammad. Muhammad
then recited them to people. The first Pillar has to do with
Monotheism. Monotheism means one God. This first Pillar states that
you must put all your faith into Allah. You can only worship one
God. A famous and very important quote that came from this Pillar was, “No
God, But Allah”. Allah is the same thing as God to other religions.
Many people liked the idea of worshipping one God rather than hundreds of
idols. The second Pillar of Islam was Salat. Salat means to
prey. You must pray 5 times a day. Once at sunset, evening, dawn,
noon, and at afternoon. An imam, leader of prayer is different. They
have no special authority unlike a priest. Many people liked the idea that there
wasn’t anyone who was better than them, especially someone who conducts
religious ceremonies. Many people converted because they wanted a nice
after life and thought that praying was a way of reaching that goal. The
third pillar of Islam is the Zakzt. The Zakzt goes with charity and
welfare. This money is given to the poor and the sick. Also donating
money shows an honest Muslim and opens a gateway to heaven.
Many poor
people converted to Islam, one of the reasons being because it helped
them. Other people converted because they wanted a nice after
life. The fourth pillar of Islam is the Sawm. The Sawm is the most
demanding. It’s when you observe Ramadan. Children and the Elderly are
exempt from this. They are not allowed to eat or drink from sun up
to sun down. Islamic people do this to honor God. They believe that
Ramadan creates stronger ties with the family and community. Many people
were drawn to the idea that not only does fasting make you closer to God but
also to yourself, family, and the community. The last pillar of Islam is
something that recreates Muhammad’s return to Mecca.
This one unlike
all the others may be skipped is necessary. This is called the Hajj. The
Hajj is when a Muslim go to Mecca on a pilgrimage. When they get there you
go to the Kabah. Once you get to the Kabah there are things to be done
that would symbolizes what Muhammad did when he returned. The
Shahada, Salat, Zakzt, Sawm, and the Hajj are The Five Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars are one of the reasons why so many people converted to
Islam. All of these Five Pillars result in a life of being closer to God
and virtue.
"The Five Pillars of Islam." BBC. Google, 8 Sept. 2009. Web. 27
Oct. 2013.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/
fivepillars.shtml>.