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Five Pillars of Islam

Overview

The Five Pillars of Islam (arkān al-Islām أركان الإسلام; also arkān ad-dīn أركان الدين "pillars of the religion") are fundamental practices in Islam, particularly Sunni Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. They are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on the basic details of the performance and practice of these acts, but Shia denominations may have their own lists of pillars that differ from the Sunni five, such as the Twelver Ancillaries of the Faith (consisting of four pillars and six obligatory acts) and the Ismaili Seven Pillars. The five pillars are: profession of faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting in the month of Ramadan (Sawm), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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  1. But by sacred things one must not understand simply those personal beings which are called gods or spirits; a rock, a tree, a spring, a pebble, a piece of wood, a house, in a word, anything can be sacred. A rite can have this character; in fact, the rite does not exist which does not have it to a certain degree.

    Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life

    States what Five Pillars of Islam is.

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  2. I. The passions of anger and revenge, of which the Fifth Commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill." This Commandment has one work, which however includes many and dispels many vices, and is called meekness. Now this is of two kinds. The one has a beautiful splendor, and there is nothing back of it.

    Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

    States what Five Pillars of Islam is.

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  3. In all the five books commonly attributed to Moses nothing is promised, as I have said, beyond temporal benefits, such as honors, fame, victories, riches, enjoyments, and health. Though many moral precepts besides ceremonies are contained in these five books, they appear not as moral doctrines universal to all men, but as commands especially adapted to the understanding and character of the Hebrew people, and as…

    Benedictus de Spinoza, The Philosophy of Spinoza

    Close in meaning to Five Pillars of Islam; the term itself is not named.

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Philosophers who discussed Five Pillars of Islam

Related ideas

Place in the tradition

Part of Contemporary Islamic philosophy.

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