Religion and Theology

Solid theological foundations and theological system are vital for any religion, and Islam does not constitute an example.  In fact, in Islam these foundations are vividly manifested and emphasized as Five Pillars or Acts of Worship.  However, it is important to understand that the Islamic doctrine of good works differs sharply with that of Evangelical Christianity (McInerney, 2003).  Islamic doctrine makes very evident that good works achieve merit, and these merits improve ones chances of entry into paradise.  As the Quran postulates, The balance that day will be true those whose scale of good will be heavy, will prosper those whose scale will be light, will find theur souls in perdition (Quran, 78).  Therefore, from religious perspective, of great importance in weighting the scales in ones favor is the faithful performance of Islams Five Pillars.
Traditionally, Five Pillars are the recitation of the creed (shahada) five daily prayers of recitation toward Mecca (salat) almsgiving (zakat) the yearly fast during the month of Ramadan (sawm) and making the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime (hajj) (McInerney, 2003).  Entrance into Muslim religion and community is granted by simply embracing the confession of faith known as the shahada There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet.  Reciting this creed three times with sincerity makes one a Muslim.

Prayer (salat) in Islam is a specified ritual which combines action, feeling and thought.  It is done five times each day, and, salat serves as a means of psychological centering.  To understand what God is saying, the person must pay close attention he must concentrate.  One should not think about past experiences or anticipate events in the future. Prayer trains the individual to focus on what is happening in the present, in the here and now.  Salat also helps the individual keep the daily experiences of life in perspective.  Each prayer begins with Allah Akbar (God is Great), which is intended to remind the individual that problems faced in life are a small part of Gods plan and that one should not think about them more than he or she thinks about God.  Sawm means fasting, and its purpose is to weaken the individuals animal instincts for pleasure and power, making it possible for the mind to take over. Fasting is required in Islam from sunrise to sunset thirty days a year during the month of Ramadan. The Quran says in this regard, The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of guidance and the distinction therefore whoever of you witness the coming of this month, he shall fast therein (Quran, 2185).  Zakat is yearly tax that is paid and redistributed to the people in the community who are in most need of it. The Quran says regarding zakat, And keep up prayer and pay the zakat and offer to Allah a goodly gift (Quran, 7320).  The purpose of zakat is to fight against greed, which is an inherent characteristic of humankind.  Hajj constitutes the pilgrimage to Mecca, the city in Saudi Arabia where Mohammed first began receiving and preaching the Message of Islam.  According to the Quran, and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, upon every one who is able to undertake the journey to it (Quran, 397).  Hajj is a unifying experience, bringing Muslims together from all over the world and emphasizing the Islamic belief that all human beings are equal and should work together toward the common good.

From the religious perspective, following Five Pillars of Islam can lead to the absolution of sin.  A prayaer said in the mosque is said to have twenty-give times the weight of a prayer at home said at the congregational gathering on Fridays, five hundred times, at Medina or Jerusalem, fifty thousand times and at the Kaaba in Mecca, one hundred thoughsand times (Sweetman, 197-198).  For a truthful follower of Islam, there perhaps is no difficulty in fulfilling any of the Five Pillars.  From the critical perspective, a daily prayer or salat represents the pillar of highest priority.  The most challenging pillar to accomplish would be hajj.  It is not surprising that many Muslims believe that a trip to Mecca absolves one totally from sins committed up to that point.  However, hajj is only required once in an individuals life, and only if one can afford it.