Pillars of Islam:

Taharah (Purification)

'The Key to Paradise is Salah and the Key to Salah is Taharah'. Cleanliness of the body and clothes is called Taharah. Prayer, according to the Quran and Hadith, is the means for purification of soul, and of the body and the garments a man wears, which is declared to be necessary as a preparation for prayer. The importance of outward cleanliness in the religion of Islam may be shown

Salah (Prayer)

Salah is the most important of the five basic duties in Islam. It is a particular way of worshipping Allah and offering devotion to Him which Allah and His Prophet have taught us. We came close to Allah, by performing it regularly, correctly and with full awareness of its significance and meaning. Salah is the practical proof of our faith in Allah and Islam. Salah is offered five times a

Sawm (Fasting)

Sawm, the fourth pillar of Islam, is another act of Ibadah. Fasting means abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and conjugal relations from before sunrise to sunset. Sawm develops self-control and helps us to overcome selfishness, greed, laziness and other faults. Fasting teaches us to control the love of comfort. It helps us to remain truly obedient to Allah's

Zakah

'Prayer carries us half-way to God, fasting brings us to the door of His palace, and alms procure us admission.' Zakah (welfare contribution) is the third pillar of Islam. The word Zakah means to 'purify or cleanse'. Zakah is the name given in Islam to that portion of money or wealth which as per Allah's command is given to the poor and the needy so that they become the

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. The word Hajj literally means. repairing to a thing for the sake of a visit and in the technicality of law the repairing to Baitullah (The house of Allah) to observe the necessary devotions (iqamat-an li-l-nusuk). Baitullah is one of the names by which the Ka'bah is known; and nusuk means ibadah (worship or devotion), or ta'a (obedience); it is also the

Tawhid - The Unity of God

All the basic principles of Islam are fully dealt with in the Holy Quran, and so is the doctrine of faith in God, where of the corner stone is belief in the unity of God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic belief. The Unity of God, according to the Holy Quran, implies that God is One in His person (dhat), One in His attributes (Sifat) and One in His works (af'al). His oneness in His person means there is neither

Al-Qadr

Everything in the universe has a pre-determined set course which we call Al-Qadr. Nothing can happen without the will and knowledge of Allah. Allah knows the present, the past and the future of every creature. The destiny of every creature is already known to Allah. (25:2, 33:38)

Akhirah (Life after Death)

Life after death is the last of the basic principles of Islam. Belief in Akhirah is very important and is vital for Muslims. Out life on earth is temporary and is meant to be a preparation for Akhirah which is never ending. There are different terms used for Akhirah in the Holy Quran, but the future or the next life, is the real meaning conveyed by all those terms. Death, in the light

Risalah (Prophethood)

Risalah is a channel of communication between Allah and mankind. Allah, in His infinite mercy has provided man with guidance to follow the right course and so make this world a happy and peaceful place to live in. There will be a great reward in the life after death for those who follow this guidance.

Books of Allah

Allah's greatest favour to mankind is His guidance contained in the books of revelation. The pure, perfect and most useful knowledge comes only from Allah, the Wisest and the Greatest. (2:146-147, 4:163, 53:1-6)

The Day of Judgement

The Day of Judgement is the day when all human beings and living souls shall die, the entire world shall perish, the mountains shall blow like cotton puffs, the stars shall disintegrate and fall down, and almost all the objects shall be reduced to nothingness.