What is Islam?

     The Five Pillars of Islam form the framework of Muslim belief and practice.  They are, to put it succinctly, a code or practice by which Muslims follow.  The Five Pillars encompass Confession of Faith, Prayer, Alms, Ramadan, and Pilgrimage.  The greatest of these pillars is Confession of Faith.

     Confession of Faith is saying with conviction, “There is no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”  The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son.”  This testimony is referred to as Shahada.5 This testimony is essential to the proper mindset or attitude for anyone ascribing to this faith.  It is important to point out that although Muhammad was the PBUH, he was also a man who led by example in worshiping the one God.  Muslims do not worship Muhammad.  He was the divine messenger who brought the direct word of God, but is not thought of in the same light as Christ in Christianity or Krishna in Hinduism.  This brings us to the next pillar- Prayer.

     Muslims perform prayers five times a day.  There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper (hence the difference between Christianity and Islam).  Muslims believe that prayer is a direct link to God.  There is no hierarchical authority or priests.  A learned person, who intimately knows the Quran, usually leads a group in prayer, called Salat.6 The prayers contain verses from the Quran (which means recitation), and are usually said in Arabic, but can be offered in one’s own language.  Prayer is a fundamental tenet of Islam, serving as a focal point of one’s attention given to God. Performance of prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall corresponded to the rhythm of an entire day.  The frequency of prayer serves to reinforce the personal link between the “supplicant” and God.  The next pillar, Alms, serves as a different kind of reinforcement.

     Zakat, or Alms, is the third pillar.  This belief stipulates all things belong to God and that wealth is held by human beings in trust.  The word zakat means both “purification” and “growth.”  Essentially, it connotes two things: one, possessions are purified by setting aside a portion for those in need, and two, like the pruning of plants, cutting back balances and encourages new growth.  Whereas Christians and other religions use tithing, Muslims put aside two and a half percent of their capital. Zakat should be given voluntarily and in private.7 It does not have to involve monetary or material gifts.  To quote the Quran “even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.”  The act of giving to others in need helps shape the believers attitude of humility and the notion that, in the eyes of God, all are equal and deserving of His gifts.  The next pillar in Islamic faith involves purification.

     The Fast, in Islamic belief, takes place in the month of Ramadan.  All Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.  The sick and elderly, or anyone with heath restrictions may break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year.  If they are unable to participate at all, they must feed a needy person for every day missed.  Children may fast, but usually not until they reach the age of puberty.  The Fast is a method for self-purification.  Besides the health benefits, it serves to reinforce the attitude of charity and compassion.8  A fasting person gains sympathy with those who go hungry and will grow spiritually by cultivating this attitude.   This brings us to the last of the Five Pillars, which is Hajj.  

     Hajj, or Pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca), is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it.  Muslims should try making the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.  The Hajj always begins on the twelfth month of the Islamic year.  The Islamic year is based on a lunar cycle, and therefore has fewer days.  Ramadan can happen during the winter or summer, depending on the cycle.  The government of Saudi Arabia, where Mecca is located, has seen to providing modern conveniences and transportation to make the pilgrimage easier.  The clothing participants wear is simple, so as make everyone indistinguishable in class and culture. In this way, all are equal before God.  Certain rites are performed at Mecca.  These rites include circling the Ka’ba seven times, and going seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa. The end of Hajj is marked by Eid al-Adha, a feast day commemorating the end of Ramadan.9 Pilgrimage to Mecca is considered a spiritual high point for every Muslim.  They come from every part of the globe to share and practice their faith, transcending culture, race, and class distinction.  

     The Five Pillars of Islam are straightforward and simple to follow.  Practiced over time, they ingrain themselves into the psyche and thus, transform the soul. This is the strength of Islamic faith and one of its main attractions.  The next part of Islamic faith deals with the Hadith and Sunnah.  Just as the Quran is fundamental to Islam, so are the Hadith and Sunnah, in that it completes the circle of Islamic doctrine.

     The Arabic word sunnah, denotes the way the Prophet Muhammad lived his life.  The Arabic word hadith is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical- it refers to the narration of the Prophet or what he approved.  The scripture of the Hadith and Sunnah are second in importance to the Quran.  Here is a more precise definition:

According to Muhaddithiin [scholars of hadith -ed.] it stands for what was transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings, tacit approval, or description of his sifaat (features) meaning his physical appearance. In Islam, the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (saas), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned.10

     The Hadith is composed of two parts: the matn, or text, and the isnad, chain of reporters. The Sunnah gives specific guidance on correct behaviors for Muslims.  As mentioned before, scholars are the custodians of Islamic religion.  There is no hierarchy of priests.  Scholars examine the Hadith in such a way to verify and confirm the truth of the life of PBUH.  Upon confirmation, it becomes part of the Sunnah. Scholars approach it as a science, following certain time-tested formulas.  This practice, followed since the seventh century, preserves and protects the knowledge of PBUH.  They sift through true reports and false reports.11 It is not in the scope of this discussion to detail this approach, or elaborate on the contents of the Sunnah, but it is sufficient to say, verification procedures are stringent.  Muslims consider it essential that all followers of the faith follow the guidance in the Sunnah.  Related to this, is the Islamic concept known as Consensus.                                                         Consensus, in Islamic practice, relates to the state of Islamic community.  Islam teaches that peace be established in the human societies of the world.  They do this by engaging in jihad, which means, “striving.”   This practice, not be confused with “holy war,” involves reaffirming one’s faith by speaking about it, living a holy and righteous life, and being obedient to God’s will. This ties into the vibrancy of Islamic communities, referred to as ummah, by arriving at consensus (or unity) involving three parts: 1) Consensus of the mind, in that all members of the community share the same sense of reality.  2) Consensus of heart, by which all members share the same values. 3) Consensus of arms, in which all members exert themselves (jihad) to actualize their values.12 Consensus then, is the way Islam transcends national boundaries, race, cultures and creeds.  It has a universal appeal, explaining why there are forty nations of the world with large Muslim populations.  However, consensus does not work all the time, and that is where Inference by Analogy comes into play.                     Inference by Analogy is the process by which Muslims settle major differences in understanding.  Though scholars of the Hadith and Sunnah validate and affirm reports, not all sects of Islamic faiths agree on them.  Inference by Analogy comes into play when two schools of thought bring varying understandings or interpretations of the Sunnah.  In other words, there is a controversy of interpretation.13 Again, it is not the purpose of this discussion to go into depth about the process, but to make one aware that it is a tool used to help solve problems of interpretation.  Sometimes however, divisions arise in the Muslim populations that Inference by Analogy, or any other process, cannot overcome.  Hence, the reason for different sects or schisms.  The two most important sects of Islam are the Sunnis’ and Shi’ites.                                                                                  The division between Sunnis and Shi’ites occurred soon after Muhammad died.  Today, ninety percent of all Muslims are Sunnis, and the rest Shi’ites.  There are other sects divisions, but they do not come close to making up a significant population.  Sunnis consider themselves the orthodox branch of Islam, while Shi’ites, whose main population is in Iran, differ on the issue of succession and code of morality in religious duties.  The main difference between the two is Shi’ites believe in the tradition of honorable martyrdom, and the need to employ strong action.  This includes making holy war (the other definition of jihad), to protect their religion. They also believe that the government of the nation should be a theocracy.14 A special spiritual leader, called an Imam, is appointed.  In modern Iran, for example, a moderate holds this position, but that has not always been the case.  These ideological differences bring up the issue of Islam’s political influences and ramifications in the Middle East.                                                                                Because of colonialism, the Muslim world broke into many nation states, creating sizable rifts within and between their respective communities.  While all Muslims believe in the moral imperative of living their faith through proper conduct that is in harmony with the tenets of Islam, a significant problem occurs when traditionalist and modernist come into contact.                          Traditionalist adhere to original beliefs and practices of Islam that manifest in a literal understanding of Islamic law and its applications to contemporary life.  On the other hand, modernists believe eternal truths of Islam must adapt in the face of changing human circumstances, including loyalties to political states.15 One of the main reasons for the war between Iran and Iraq involved the manifestation of this problem.  Sadam Hussein believed Iran was extreme in their traditional beliefs, and wanted to prevent the threat of its spread into other Islamic communities.   His aim was to conquer Iran, install a new government (not based on a theocracy), and absorb the fundamentalist Iranian Shi’ites into the modernist community of Iraq.  Of course, a stalemate ensued over the eight-year period of the war.  However, millions of Muslims died on both sides because of this cultural divide between modernist and fundamentalist.                                                                There are other examples of cultural divides against modernization in the Islamic world, but the most noteworthy was the Taleban (The Seekers), belonging to the Jamiat-e-Ulema sect. They ruled ninety percent of Afghanistan for approximately seven years with their “pure” form of fundamentalism, which involved punishing citizens who did not follow strict interpretations of the Sharia (Islamic law).  Their Department for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice relied on soldiers to enforce violations of religious degrees, such as depictions of living things (photographs, stuffed toys), length of beards, wear of clothing, and so on.16 Citizens suffered through invasions of privacy, violent beatings, and public executions.  It was a return to the Middle Ages, but the success of Operation Enduring Freedom marked the end of the Taleban, and the stronghold for Al-Qa’ida. Al-Qa’ida, of course, was a splinter Islamic organization with similar fundamentalist beliefs. Their commitment to the overthrow most Islamic governments, and eject anything Western in the Arab world, continues to be a concern today.                                                                                                  From these two examples, we can see that geo-political de-stabilization revolves mostly around the issue of mass ethos and lack of toleration for different cultures.  Organizations such as the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews, Islamic Army for Liberation, and Palestine Liberation Organization, are just a few of that make their presence known through drastic, and often violent, measures. These organizations are part of the political landscape and should not be confused with Islamic faith.  The Middle East is, and continues to be, a focal point of political turmoil.  It is easy to obfuscate Islamic doctrine when used as a pretext to advance political causes.  This is an important point, because an outsider may not see the distinction.  If one is familiar with the basic tenets of Islam, then it is not so difficult to separate the political aspects from the religious ones.  Cultures, throughout the centuries, have homogenized their religions with their political foundations.  Given the powerful influence of Islamic practice on institutions in general, private or public, this is, perhaps, even more true.                                                                                          Islam, like any religion, can take on many guises when seen through the filter of different cultures and nationalities.  There are, to be sure, various interpretations of the faith, or there would not be various sects and factions.  Mix that with the exertion of power by rogue factions, misunderstandings, like in the aftermath of 911, are the norm rather than the exception.  However, the teachings of Islam have remained relatively unchanged throughout the centuries.  The attraction of Islam lies in its utter simplicity, as expressed in the Quran.  The various sects of Islam do not dispute its veracity, just the manner in which they should respond its veracity.                                                                  Understanding Islam is not difficult, as this discussion as shown.  The Five Pillars of Islam describe the manner in which Muslims express their faith through confession, prayer, giving alms, fasting, and pilgrimage.  The Hadith and Sunnah describe the life of Muhammad, who served as an example of leading a pure life, giving guidance on how one should best conduct themselves.  The Hadith must go through consensus before it becomes part of the Sunnah, and differences are usually solved through Inference.  When major differences occur and cannot be agreed upon, sects and factions form, with the two largest being the Sunnis and Shi’ites.  Like any religion, political influences come into play.  Issues such as toleration and mass ethos, or fundamentalist against modernist, have had a major impact on world events.   However, the belief that Islam helps one establish a direct link to God is an enduring one.  Islam’s common roots with Christianity and Judaism make it a tolerant religion that is respectful of others.  If one understands Islam, it is not difficult to return the same respect.                                        

                                        End Notes