Islam Paper
4-7-12
The Five Pillars of Islam Like many other religions, the Muslim faith has experienced many changes and branches. Like Christianity, the original faith is still practiced by some, but others have started new branches with their own unique interpretation being Muslim. Despite these differences within the Muslim religion, one set of rules for moral guidance is central to all. These rules are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars act as a moral compass for Muslims and are universally accepted as they are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an, the sacred Muslim book of God’s words as they were recited to Muhammad (Molloy, 425). The first of the Five Pillars is the creed. The creed states, “There …show more content…
Ramadan is a sacred holiday in the Muslim faith. It falls in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is a celebration of Muhammad’s first revelations from God. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. This continues until the end of the month, when a celebratory feast occurs in remembrance of Muhammad’s great revelations. Muslims incorporate fasting into their ritual because they believe it is a disciplined way of displaying empathy to those less fortunate. They believe fasting will open up the opportunity for the less fortunate to have what they would have indulged in throughout the day. Fasting includes withholding from the consumption of food, liquid, tobacco, sexual relations (Molloy, …show more content…
All Muslims are expected to make this religious journey at some point during their lifetime. The only way to be exempt from the trip is due to severe illness or poverty. Sickness and pregnancy are two ways to be exempt, however, it is expected that the believer will complete the trip later when they are physically able. The pilgrimage fulfills one of the requirements of the Muslim faith, but also offers travelers a chance to create a better understand themselves, as well as their religious beliefs. Both men and women complete the journey, and if they succeed, they are greeted with a greater amount of respect and prestige within the community upon return. Although it is now relatively easy to complete the pilgrimage, it used to be a very dangerous journey and often times, travelers would parish along the way (Molloy,