the muezzin traditionally calls worshipers from a tower called a minaret.
Zakaah- Zakaah is required as a way of assisting the poor. The english term for Zakaah is almsgiving, which means purification. Muslims "purify" their wealth by giving a certain percentage of it to the needy and recognizing that all things ultimately belong to God. Zakat is paid once a year, in the form of a tax. Most zakat donations go to mosques, Islamic centres, or welfare organizations. Some Muslims supplement zakat with a voluntary form of giving called sadaqa, which means sincere gift in Arabic. The aim of Zakaah is to keep your wealth free of greed and selfishness. It is also a test of Muslims honesty and expenditure.
Sawm- Every Muslim must fast in the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is lunar, so each month follows the phases of the moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. As a result, Ramadhan falls at different seasons of the year. Muslims believe that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad during Ramadhan about 610 A.D. The Quran instructs Muslims to fast from dawn to sunset during Ramadhan. While fasting, Muslims do not eat any food, drink any beverages, smoke, or engage in sexual relations during daylight hours. At night, they may eat, drink, and resume other normal activities. The final breaking of the fast after Ramadan is marked by one of the two Muslim annual festivals, known as Id al-Fitr (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast, or the Lesser Festival). On this day Muslims go to the mosque to perform special prayers of thanksgiving. They celebrate by exchanging visits and greetings and preparing special dishes.
Hajj- The Quran commands Muslims to make a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The hajj takes place over the first several days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. The first requirement of the hajj is that men wear two pieces of unsewn white cloth, called the ihramwhich means garment of consecration. This simple attire is worn by rich and poor alike, and symbolizes the equality of all believers before God. One cloth is wrapped round the waist and the other over the left shoulder.
Salah may effect a muslims person life. This could happen when muslims have to leave work early and go and attend Jummah prayers. The Friday prayer is the obligatory congregational prayer and all muslims men must attend this prayer. Before the Friday prayer, the imam delivers a reading from the Quran, and a sermon. It will be hard for the Muslims to leave their work but if they do it will bring them closer to God. They will also gain peace and tranquillity, it will also draw the mind away from personal worries and problems towards God who could at any moment change the entire course of a persons destiny. People who are disabled and cant go to the mosque for the Jummah prayers, can pray at home. It is better when Muslims pray together, they stand before God in real sense of brotherhood, shoulder to shoulder in al line, facing the Kabah sanctuary in Makkah.
Zakaah can effect a Muslim persons life, this can happen if he/she is in debt or in any other type of situation, then that person can pay the Zakaah later. If a person can pay the Zakaah but he doesn’t not do it, then he is not be called a Muslim.
“He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbour remains hungry by his side.”
The Zakah money may be used for certain set of purposes like to help the poor, to release from debt, to help needy travellers, to win people over to the cause of Allah or to free captives. By paying Zakaah, it will clean your heart of love of money and the desire to cling to it.
Fasting effect Muslims in many ways . An example for this would be whan a muslim student goes to school and there all the people around him would be eating This might tepmt him to eat and he might break his fast. Another effect could be if the person is sick, injured, elderly or a pregnant woman. These people don’t have to fast but they have to fast at a later time instead. Fasting is not only about not eating and drinking. It is also about control of one's own desires and come closer to Allah.
“If you do not give up telling lies God will have no need of your giving up food and drink.”
Ramadan is traditionally a time when Muslims try to devote themselves to meditation, prayer, and reading the Quran. The Quran was revealded in this month to Muhammed. Fasting makes Muslims appreciate God's generosity in giving us the gift of food, which can all too easily be taken for granted. Muslims fast to practise spiritual reflection, self-restraint, concern for others, and obedience to God.
Hajj also effects the life of a Muslim person. A Muslim person might not be able to pay for the journey to go for Hajj or they are not physically fit. Then on these people Hajj is not compulsory. It is must for every Muslim to go for Hajj if they can afford the journey.
Men have to wear Ihram. This simple attire is worn by rich and poor alike, and symbolizes the equality of all believers before God. It also increases the feeling of unity among Muslims. Women must wear a long white gown and headscarf. While wearing these garments, a pilgrim may not kill any animal or insect, remove any hair from his or her body, or engage in any sexual act. The second requirement is that pilgrims walk around the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction.
Is it an advantage or a disadvantage for the religion to have a set of principles such as the five pillars?
Some people agree to this and say it is an advantage for the religion because without one of the pillars Islam would fall apart. The five pillars bring unity, brotherhood,equality, self sacrifice and single mindedness example for this is Hajj when all muslims are united in a particular sacred area, or when all muslim go to pray together in the mosque, and when all the Muslims are fasting. The five pillar make the fist of Islam and it will be hard to destroy it. The five pillars brings Muslims closer to Allah and it reduces the likelihood of disobeying God by committing sins.
Others disagree with the strict rules because if one pillar is weak, the islam falls apart like if the first pillar was weak then the rest are meaningless. The other argument is that it would be hard to keep these strict rules because they can not do it or they do not have facillities. Like it will be hard for Muslims to keep their rules in a non islamic countries where there is no facillities to perform their rituals like mosques or no halal shops.
I personally think that having these strict rules makes a Muslim not go astray. It also brings more faith and closer to Allah. With these pillars the Ummah(world wide Muslim community) looks stronger and shows brotherhood.