Islam: The Five Pillars or Duties of the Muslim

Qur’an, the Center of the Islam Religion

• Chanting of the Qur’an is the primary music of Islam.

• Islam teaches that piety demands memorization/recitation of its texts.

• Reciting the Qur’an serves as a pledge of discipleship or a statement of one’s faith.

• Mohammed’s statement inreference to the Qur’an:– “If any man recites the Qur’an and

memorizes it, God will cause him to enter Paradise and will grant him the right to intercede successfully for 10 people of his household, all of whom deserve Hell fire.”

Qur’an, the Center of the Islam Religion

• Mohammed’s statements inreference to the Qur’an:– “The best man among you is he who

learns the Qur’an and teaches it.”– “The most excellent act of worship is the

reciting of the Qur’an.”– Translating the Qur’an from Arabic into

other languages is viewed as tantamount to profaning sacred scripture.

Qur’an, the Center of the Islam Religion

The role of Angels in Muslim Doctrine

• Angels are frequently mentioned in the Qur’an.

• Supposedly, the angel Gabriel delivered revelations to Mohammed; thus, he was the heavenly mediator of the Qur’an.

• Angels are seen as intermediaries today, asking God to forgive the believers’ sins.– What about 1 Timothy 2:5? (Jesus)

• Islam teaches that when a man dies, angels receive his soul.

• Angels also are said to keep records of human behavior—then serve as witnesses for or against a person in judgment.– Hebrews 4:13– God sees all things we do or think—He needs

no angels to record facts.

The role of Angels in Muslim Doctrine

Islam’s Five Pillars (religious duties)

• The Old Testament (Jewish law) had its various sacrifices, holy days, and obligations to God.

• Christians are commanded to study God’s word, obey it, and worship Him in a prescribed manner.

• Islam also has its religious duties…

Regular Verbal Quotation of the Islam Creed (the Shehada)

• “There is no other god but God; and Mohammed is the prophet of God.”

• “There is no other god but Allah; and Mohammed is the prophet of God.”– Professing this creed essentially makes one a

Muslim—if believed, repeated aloud, and understood.

– This comes close to being the Muslim plan of salvation.

#1

Ritual Prayer Each Day(the Salat)

• Muslims are required to pray 5 times daily—dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, evening, and night.

• Before they participate in public prayers, they must ritually cleanse themselves.– Wash their foreheads, hands, and feet before prayer

– If no water is available—they are to use fine sand.

– Prayers are to be offered kneeling on a rug or mat—a symbol that the area has been purified for prayer.

– Shoes or sandals are to be removed before prayer.

– To face Mecca when praying.

#2

Pay Religious Tax (THE Zakat)

• This is a 2.5 per cent (1/40th) tax on income now generally collected by the government in Islamic countries (cf. freewill offerings).

• It is used for: caring for the poor, wayfarers, captives, and tax collectors; and in the cause of God. The latter category allows funds to be used for the general welfare of the community, for education, for public works, and for the defense of Islam and the Muslim community.

#3

Keep a Required Fast (THE Siyam)

• Most of us have heard of Ramadan—the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year.

• During Ramadan, Muslim are to abstain from food, drink, and sexual activity during the daylight hours. Their literature, however, speaks of joyful and celebratory eating after sunset on those days. (cf. Catholic fasting, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras)

• Those who faithfully keep this fast are assured of remission of sins.– Notice how a self-imposed action replaces the

sacrifice of Christ to remove sins.

#4

Make a Pilgrimage (The Hajj)

• Each Muslim must make a pilgrimage (trip) to the holy shrine of Ka’ba in Mecca—generally at least one time during his lifetime.

• The pilgrimage must be made from the 7th to 10th day of the 12th month on the Islamic calendar.

#5

Conclusion…

• We again note that Islam is totally adverse to Christian faith. Christ and His work are both minimized and outright denied.

• Beyond that fact, Islam really mirrors the errors of all other false religion– It elevates man’s authority above God’s word (Cf. Pope,

Joseph Smith, etc.)– It establishes a different gospel (plan of salvation)—

predicated on man’s own works, rather than faith in God’s redemptive plan.