Only The 5 Pillars of Islam are enough ?!!!!!

[um albanin]

Ramadhan Kareem to our members in ES. May Allah Accept our deeds throughout the wholy month, & Grant Us Heaven & Al3itq min Alnaar..ameen.

Assalam Alaykum Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuhu. Allahum Salli Ala Sayidina Muhammad Wa AAlihi Wa Sahbihi Wa Man Ittaba3ahum Ila yawm Aldeen.

Ive Always had something to write in ES at the begining of Ramadhan after long breaks, May be because I want to push my self to be a better person especielly preparing to be a better worshiper than before...In case it works.:cry:

So this time I decided to write about the stories in the wholy Book, Quran. Mainly because I found that in each story I read about in quran I find similarities in situatons, & sometimes with diffent learning things...No what has this to do with tiltle : Only The 5 Pillars of Islam ?!!!!!
I must stress first that every humanbeing is free to accept or to beleive whatever he/she wants after all,

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ (56)
[56] Verily you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) guide not whom you like, but Allâh guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided.

The problem is I didnt know how to start my thread,but when I was reading through another thread , I found something that hurt me soo much & was nearly going to cry... & didnt know how to reply but I thought may be ...may be this is the way how to start, the stories from the Quran & show others (muslims in particular & others in general) that the 5 pilars of Islam are the basics & that they are actually pillars but remeber you havent built the house (Islam ) yet..you need Tabooq, cement , sand water..etc. each as important, otherwise, everything will collaps.


Lets learn from our prophets, from the good people & from the bad ones...lets see what mistakes have been commited by the some so they were thrown away from heaven.

Personally I have learned allot from the wholy book , so far I did minimum tafseer, but all what you need is to do is to read it with your mind open, feel that its talking to you, calming you , showing you the path & guiding you & beleive me I felt that I wasted all my time in life doing things that are hardly importan & infact sinful some with knowlage & some as an ignorent instead of looking after my true happiness.

Again my point & the sentance which I think is worth looking & studing :

'cause I do what I think is right and I don't bother stressing on the little things Islam expects us to do.

The truth is that this sentance is there in many of the muslim minds, not only the person who wrote it , so Lets go through stories from the wholy Quran & see , why the little things can drive us to somewhere we regret...

Forgive me all for a long introduction, but Would you please forgive me also for any" hurt" feeling I have caused to any one here. I sincerely write so we all can benifit & after all you can take anything & disregard anything you want ..because as you are a humanbeing, you are free.

Am sorry that am in the middle of a project & extremly busy but when I have the time will start In shaa Allah in a new thread.
Stories from the wholy Quran.

Ramadhan Kareem , Please dont waste it , little good things you do counts for allot & little bad things worth allot too. I keep remind myself the same.

[IceTea]

Ramadhan kareem um albanin and this is a good thread. And will be waiting for your new thread (stories from the holy Quran).

Let us not forget that our great prophet PBUH said what it means "avoid the hell fire even by a half date (shiq tamara)"

So how little thing is a half date but it can save us from hell fire.

[Kamakazy]

Again my point & the sentance which I think is worth looking & studing :

'cause I do what I think is right and I don't bother stressing on the little things Islam expects us to do.


Sub7ana Allah, I was thinking about this just the other day. When someone tries to advise another about a teaching in Islam or tries to enforce a teaching, that is the answer that is normally said. :no:

I feel that any small issue in Islam should be follow so, as you mentioned above, to build on it... If we continue to ignore these small issues, it will be forgotten and not practiced anymore...

People say that we have bigger problems in Islam that needs to be addressed and these little things can be kept aside for now, it can be addressed later... I feel that if it forgotten now, it will be forgotten forever...

[Jeff]

Well, you have to remember that whatever is generally right, each person is different.

Maybe if someone has doubts about the details, if they just concentrate on the big things, they will keep their faith. If you push them too hard, they might lose everything.

Instead of looking at it as a religious argument and trying to disprove it, you might think that perhaps it's a coping strategy and just be patient.

[Bimzoori]

Islam is not just about the 5 Pillars, it is a way of life. Islam is here to shape our lives in every aspect: morally, spiritually, financially, politically, socially, intellectually and bodily..

There is no dispute about the importance of following the 5 Pillars.. the other teachings provided in the Quraan and Sunna are essential brick walls which complement the main Pillars, collectively providing a complete way of life for its followers.. Who would want to live in a house with pillars but no brick walls?

I can't put it any better than Leopold Weiss (Muhammed Asaad):



"Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other; nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking, with the results of an absolute balance and solid composure" Source (http://www.welcome-back.org/profile/m_asad_01.shtml)

I believe that our religion comes as a complete package; it's not a vegetable market where we can pick and choose what teachings to follow and what not to.. and I also believe that some minor teachings were left open ended to allow for the religion to be adaptable over the scope of time and across cultures; however, as a person lacking the full knowledge of Sharee'a I would follow the judgements of the prominent Scholars of my time on such matters rather than come up with my own conclusions..

[Kamakazy]

Well, you have to remember that whatever is generally right, each person is different.

Maybe if someone has doubts about the details, if they just concentrate on the big things, they will keep their faith. If you push them too hard, they might lose everything.

Instead of looking at it as a religious argument and trying to disprove it, you might think that perhaps it's a coping strategy and just be patient.

Nothing comes easy, and a person should look at one self before judging others... :angel:

We need to be improving our grip with religion, doing our best to reach the highest purity of the soul... and that could only be done by following our religion the best we could...

[um albanin]

:yes:

I think what kama & bimi said explains it all. May Allah guide us the best.

[IceTea]

Well said of course to the couple.

Actually they are enough if practiced correctly and with 'taqwa' because they will lead to follow other teachings stated in the holy Quran and the authentic prophet sunnah.

For example taking care of the prayer should prevent the Muslim from committing the following acts:

[45] Recite (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Qur'ân), and perform As-Salât (Iqamât-as-Salât). Verily, As-Salât (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshâ' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed) and the remembering (praising) of (you by) Allâh (in front of the angels) is greater indeed (than your remembering (praising) of Allâh in prayers. And Allâh knows what you do.

And fasting is reason to gain 'taqwa' as it is not just for the purpose of abstaning from food and drink:

O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious).

[IceTea]

And here is more interesting information related to the topic, just posted some parts of it:



On the authority of Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Islam has been built upon five things - on testifying that there is no God except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadhan."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

This Hadith stresses the fundamental aspects of the outward submission to Allah. This submission is based on some pillars, similar to a structure. If a person fulfills these aspects, he has laid a solid foundation for his deen as a 'home'.

The other acts of Islam, which are not mentioned in this hadith, can be taken as fine touches to complete this structure.

If a person fails to fulfill these obligations (building the pillars), then the entire structure of his deen/iman may be threatened. This depends on how much is being violated - e.g. violation of the shahadah is the most dangerous.

First Pillar : The Shahadah

The first part of the Shahadah is testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.
There are seven conditions of the Shahadah:

Knowledge - to understand what it means
Certainty - to have no doubt about anything confirmed in the Quran or Sunnah
Acceptance - by the tongue and the heart of whatever the Shahadah implies
Submission/compliance - the actual physical enactment by deeds
Truthfulness - to say the Shahadah sincerely, with honesty, to actually mean it
Sincerity - to do it solely for the sake of Allah
Love - to love the Shahadah and to love its implications and requirements and what it stands for
The Shahadah is not simply saying it with our tongue. We need to adhere to these conditions. If we say the Shahadah sincerely and with honesty, we will not do anything which contradicts with or violates the Shahadah.

The second part of the Shahadah carries the following conditions:

To believe in the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and in whatever he told us and conveyed to us
To obey him in whatever he commanded us to do
To stay away from or avoid whatever he commanded us not to do
To follow or emulate him in our ibadah, akhlaq and way of life
To love him more than we love ourselves, our family and anything else in this world
To understand, practice and promote his Sunnah in the best way possible, without creating any chaos, enmity or harm


Second Pillar : Establishing the Prayers (Salah)

Some interpretations of this hadith translate "iqamatus salah" as 'performing' the salah. "Iqamatus salah" is a broader concept than what the term 'performing' means. The Scholars say "iqamatus salah" implies:

Doing the wudu in the proper way
To do the salah in its time
To do it in congregation (jama'ah) - where the reward is 27 times than praying alone
To fulfill the six conditions of salah
To observe the proper manners (adab) of doing it such as submission and humility
To follow preferable actions (sunnan) in our salah
It is important that we follow these conditions and not violate them if we want to truly fulfill the second pillar of Islam i.e. "iqamatus salah". We should remember that Allah initially commanded us to pray fifty times a day and it was eventually reduced to five times (with the reward of fifty) - the prayer times are very reasonably spread out throughout the day - it can even help us to manage our time - it can help us to manage our affairs, allowing the Muslim community to meet during congregation and care for and help each other which will lead in turn to solidarity. Thus, the prayers should not be seen as a burden as some Muslims might regard them today.source (http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith03.htm)

[Cherry]

I agree with you all here... Bimzoori, Kamakazy, Umalbanin and IceTea. Yes, Islam is a way of life, and you can't choose to leave parts out of it and follow others.

But I also agree with Jeff. For a person who's been brought up in this 'way of life' there is no excuse not to follow the big or the little things Islam expects us to do. However, if a person is not used to it or hasn't been raised in following the guidelines of Islam, or are more culturally based - then here is when it differs with people, because I have been there too.
Religion, Islam especially cannot be forced upon a person. That need to follow has to come from within, and once a person mainly focuses on the 5 pillars of Islam and follows it correctly, eventually the rest will follow .. i.e the smaller things, but it's the big things that need to be followed first.

I am not belittling the little things in Islam, we have our holy book and instructs us to do certain things, so yes, they are all compulsory. It's just that I'm clarifying Jeff's point of view and I agree with him when he said 'if you push them hard they might loose everything'. I agree with you Umalbanin, that other little things are also important and the same thought comes to my mind when I hear that statement. The thing is I understand where it's coming from, it may be in this case ignorance or it may be that person's trying to get the five pillars right and trying his/her best to stay on the path.
May Allah guide us all to the right path.

[BrAiKi]

I see this thread is full of self-rightous advices and such.
However, I see it the other way round. I think nowadays, for certain ages, people who do the 5 Islamic Pillars are far more better than those who do not do it at all.
We all got our own phases and experiences that made us know what should and shouldn't be done, that's how we gained wisdom. So why not let the young ones reach their own conclusions using their own wisdoms?
Having bad experiences does not make the person bad. It might end up making him a better person in the long run. Many of the known preachers that appear on TV had bad experience themselves!

[Jeff]

I think Cherry and Braiki are seeing something of what I am seeing.

Every person has a path to walk and no one can walk that path for another person. They have to find the way themselves.

When you grow up with a religion which is given you from outside, you have to find a way to encounter it for yourself and decide whether you will make it your own.

You might have a person who follows all the rules out of habit or because they don't want to upset others and answers all the questions correctly, but has nothing in his heart.

And you might have another person who rejects things and launches out on their own but finds their own way bit by bit toward the goal.

The first person might seem more "religious" but the second person is taking religion seriously.

[ToomuchaT]

So why not let the young ones reach their own conclusions using their own wisdoms?



Maybe because:

1. "الدين النصيحه" .. or the religion is a way of advice and guidance.

2. " وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ " .. Muslims are obliged to invite to all that is good.

3. " لا يؤمن احدكم حتى يحب لاخيه ما يحبه لنفسه " .. A true believer must love for his/er fellow what s/he loves for him/erself.

..and many other things.. maybe!!

[Cherry]

The truth is that this sentance is there in many of the muslim minds, not only the person who wrote it , so Lets go through stories from the wholy Quran & see , why the little things can drive us to somewhere we regret...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the stories that you'll share :)
I see that it's a point of concern and people should be more aware.

[Tinta]

Maybe because:

1. "الدين النصيحه" .. or the religion is a way of advice and guidance.

2. " وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ " .. Muslims are obliged to invite to all that is good.

3. " لا يؤمن احدكم حتى يحب لاخيه ما يحبه لنفسه " .. A true believer must love for his/er fellow what s/he loves for him/erself.

..and many other things.. maybe!!

Nice verses and ahadeeth (trans?)