The Five Pillars of Islam

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Muslim religion and the groups into which the Muslims are divided. The writer explains their core beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars of Islam that are common to all Muslims, as well as the ways in which the groups differ. The paper concludes that the ethos of the five pillars centers around the importance of a man or woman's personal relationship with his or her god, that sometimes submission is suffering, and that through these sacrificing practices followers earn the opportunity to carry on a lifelong dialogue with their god.

From the Paper:

"The five pillars of Islam are set up as a sort of way of life for practicing muslims. They teach followers to fast, give charity, how to pray, to believe in only one god, and to make homage to Mecca. These values represent what Islam finds most important in life--a dedication to god and spending one's life doing things that show that dedication. These values can be looked at as a backbone for the sects of Islam that all fall under the same umbrella. Within Islam operates the Shi'a Islam group and the Sufi Islam group. The Shi'a muslims, though a minority, occupy great influence in the Islamic world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anas ibn Malik. "Al-Isra; wa Mi'raj" Hadith of the Night Journey and Ascension.
• Chittick, William (2001). Sufism: A Very Short Introduction. Oneworld Publications: New York. pp. 1-60
• Graham, William (1993). Beyond the Written Word. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 79-117.

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