How Hajj (Pilgrimage) and Salah (Prayer) Alone Can Introduce Islam as a Practical Religion

The five pillars of Islam help non-believers familiarize themselves with the essence of being a Muslim. The first pillar is shahaadah, which is the declaration of faith. The second is prayer (salaah), which serves as the most visible act of worship in the Islamic faith. The third one is sawm, which implies fasting on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Zakaah is the fourth pillar, which requires all believers to allocate 2.5% of their annual savings to charity. Pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a crucial duty for every Muslim to participate in Hajj and cleanse themselves of all the sins. All of the pillars are essential to the Islamic faith.

At its core, Islam is a simple and practical religion. For example, salaah serves a definitive purpose of uniting all Muslims in prayer. It brings them together and reminds all believers that they are equal and that Allah is watching over them. Equality comes from the notion that everyone is praying at the same time; no one has special privileges. Salaah has a practical purpose of separating people from their everyday troubles and reminding them of the gift they have received, their life. Local legislation in Islamic states makes it easier for people to pray multiple times a day since the law encourages prayers and provides workers with the time to pray in peace. Similarly, Hajj brings the international community of Muslims together and makes them work towards the same goal, which unites them and reminds them of the idea of universal human brotherhood. Hajj is grounded in practicality since its purpose is to teach believers the importance of sacrifice.