Pillars of Islam Notes

Pillars of Islam
Lecture by Br. Ibrahim Hindy

Why Islam was revealed:
-Allah created all of humanity in a state of monotheism and the shayateen misguided them
-Shayateen made Allah’s slaves prohibit what they were allowed and vise versa
-They made them associate others with Allah
-Allah has sent our Prophet SAW to test him and to test with him; to test all the people who were deviated from the right path
-Humanity always needed new revelations until it reached its level of maturity
-Islam is the only religion that is complete and that will be accepted by Allah
What is Islam?
-Linguistic meaning:
-surrendering
-humility
-submission/subservience
-to what the human is being warded to do or what he is being prohibited from doing
-Islamic meaning:
-The Five Pillars:
-Testifying with Shahadah
-Establishing Salah
-Giving Zakah
-Fasting in Ramadan
-Performing Hajj
SHAHADAH:
-A very unique way to enter into it Islam
-The use of the tongue which is very important and powerful in Islam
-Words can be used in a positive way for him or in a negative way against him
-The tongue is used in heavy covenants/oaths such as the Message of the Prophets (Laa ilaaha illallah) and in marriage
-Use of tongue also used for divorce and business contracts and transactions
What’s not being said is sometimes more important than what’s being said:
-Literal meaning of laa ilaaha illallah: No entity of worship except Allah
-True meaning of laa ilaaha illallah: No entity WORTHY of worship except Allah
Conditions of Shahadah:
-knowledge
-certainty
-intention
-upholding the rights of the shahadah

SALAH:
-Linguistic meaning:
-chain/link
-du’a (sending du’a for the Prophet SAW and greeting him with salaam)
-rahmah/mercy and blessings
-Islamic meaning:
-everything from Takbeer to Tasleem
-First thing slave will be asked about is his salah
-If it is good, all his affairs will be good; if it is corrupted, then all his affaris will be corrupted
-Salah protects one from sins
-The closest the slave can be to Allah is in his sujood
-The contract/oath between Allah and his slave is salah
-Salah increases good in oneself and decreases evil
-Good deeds remove evil deeds and praying salah washes away minor sins
-It increases humility
-Salah is the rememberance of Allah that is constant
-It will be noor for his slaves in the hereafter
-To wait for salah with wudu is to have the highest sense of endurance
-Salah always keeps one’s heart alive
-Salah is not completed when one doesn’t feel connection to Allah
- During salah the heart is in submission to Allah

ZAKAH:
-Linguistic meaning:
-to grow
-Islamic meaning:
-to purify
-Successful are the ones who have purifies themselves
-It is to give 2.5% of annual savings
-If zakah is not given, then all savings become corrupt
-Abu Bakr RA did not distinguish people those who left zakah and salah
Those who are eligible for Zakah:
-poor
-needy
-employed to gather zakah
-bringing hearts together: those who are close to accepting Islam or have newly accepted Islam
-free captives/in jail or slaves
-in debt for Allah sake
-stranded traveler who needs to go back home
-Zakah brings love in the hearts for the poor and needy and joins hearts together
-Prophet Shu’ayb AS asked, “Does your prayer have any relation to our salah?”
-A connection to Allah is through the salah and zakah
-Belief in Allah effects everything in our life, including business transactions and how we live our life and make decisions
-Prophet SAW used to make du’a for protection from poverty and disbelief
-Quantity of money doesn’t distinguish one’s level of importance in the society
-The more money one has, the more he may be drawn to the dunya and its pleasures
Muslim start giving Zakah when:
-reaching the age of puberty
-savings have never been touched for 1 whole year
-having assets (gold, collectible cars, etc.)

SAUM:
-Linguistic meaning:
-to refrain/prevent oneself from something
-Islamic meaning:
-to refrain from food, drink, sexual pleasure and intentional vomiting from dawn to sunset
-to become conscience of Allah
-Fasting helps gain taqwa and thankfulness
-Allah says, “Fasting is for Me”
-fasting is completely for Allah and only the one fasting knows that Allah is seeing him
Types of fasting:
-regular fasting
-people who are chosen: they avoid all that is haraam to say and do
-those who abstain from everything except for the rememberance of Allah; they are in a state of worship at all times
-those who fast from anything other than Allah; to wholly please Allah, eat minimally to gain energy and live to survive and worship to Allah; they expect to purify their soul with their fasting
-One who fasts in Ramadan with faith and expectations of reward from Allah will be forgiven his sins he did before
-This will bring him closer to Allah and purify his soul
-Siyam is an invisible shield that protects one from corruption and decreasing of reward
-Prophet SAW always used the best of words and said that Junnah means shield; it comes from the family Jannah and Jinn, which all are unseen and invisible, and protects us from evil

HAJJ:
-Those who have the physical and financial means to perfom Hajj are required to do so
-Hajj is not fard upon a woman who has no mahram
-If one has health, money and all other capabilities (health, etc.) then Hajj is fard upon him
-The Mount Safa and Marwa are the Signs from Allah
-Whoever acknowledges and glorifies the Signs, he gains taqwa in his heart
-Tawaf (going around the House), Sa’ee (running between Safa and Marwa), Rami wal Jamaraat (throwing rocks on the pillars of ‘shaytaan’) establishes rememberance of Allah and increases the love for Allah and his Prophet SAW