Social Importance of the Five Pillars of Islam

From its primitive varieties to its most sophisticated and structured existence, the creation of Almighty Allah had that unique tendency to socialize, collaborate and build, supplying the seeds of the cosmopolitan in its nature and following a broader vision to achieve harmonious gathering. 

But, the meaning of socializing in Islam goes in rich dimensions and depths. 

Says Allah the All-Mighty in Quran, Surah 49, Verse 13: (O mankind! We have created you from a male and a  female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with  Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqun (the pious). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing,  All-Aware.) 

In this verse, it’s eloquently stated out that we, as human beings, are created to socialize and interact with each other in order to build productive societies. 

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Islam, the religion of integrity and unity, has been calling upon safeguarding the sanctity of Muslims; whether they were praying, fasting, giving away alms, or performing pilgrimage. 

To elaborate more upon that; yet simultaneously, be concise in this article, I will walk you, my dear reader,  through the five pillars of Islam, and ascend atop the invaluableness of socialization through the lenses of Islam. 

So, here is an abridged summary of today’s topic:

First: This pillar; the precious jewel-casket testimony of the oneness of Allah the All-Mighty, and that Muhammed  (peace be upon him) is His messenger. Hence, it gathers the  Muslims from east to west and belts them to inhabit their roles therein. Showing their devotion to Allah the All 

Mighty and towards each other under the umbrella of the brotherhood of Islam. 

The Second: The pillar in which a myriad of the prophetic sayings have been mentioned to elicit its significance and virtue; As-Salat (prayer). The Islamic adherence is seen when men offer their prayers to their Creator; shoulder to shoulder at the mosques; seemingly, a monolithic united row. 

 The Third: Fasting Ramadan; the pillar in which the purification of the Muslim diverts into two categories: ∙ The vulnerability that draws the slave closer  towards the Creator at its utmost form of  dependency on Allah. 

The fragility which encompasses a Muslim’s hunger out of the duty towards Allah with that pain of the poor who doesn’t have a bite of food that may or may not shush his hunger. Thus, the bond of brethren, not only in Islam but for humanity as well, calls out for his instant action to soothe the misery of the poor. 

The Forth: The pillar that shows Muslims’ true social solidarity in action, which is Az-Zakat (Paying the alms to the needy and poor). When the sparkle of the eyes fade away by the windmill of this worldly life… and the bodies become dehydrated skins while the bones can be crumbled down in bits and pieces to only melt down with the earth!  Prior to this provoking picture that may happen to the poor, the solidarity stirs up the blood in the veins of the human to scurry ahead towards that faint and dimmed imploring voice for help.

The Fifth: The pillar that invites the Muslims to be united and gathered all together from all over the world at the heart of the Islamic world; the city of Mecca: you see communities of divergent backgrounds and cultures… gatherings of varieties of languages and dialects…  Muslims wear one similar white unstitched fabric which is called Ihram out of the state of consecration to Allah the  All-Mighty. 

That is a marvelous image of socializing in congruous patterns and seeking Allah’s satisfaction and His reward. Consequently, the bridges in Muslim nations and societies  become more solid. 

The impact of the Islamic social  solidarity can roughly be seen and felt in those five pillars  of Islam. Moreover, it is perceived on the daily basis of a Muslim’s life as the following: 

• Spreading the Islamic greeting (Salam) 
• Smiling at the faces of others to show clearly how much one’s heart is full of gratitude to the true  Creator Allah the All-Mighty… and exercising the gratification inside out. 
• Feeding one’s family, relatives, neighbors, and community, which is more emphasized upon the affluent figures of Muslim societies. 
• Paying hearty solace to the sick and comforting his/her burden of feeling unwell. 
• Burying the diseased and paying condolences to his/her grieved relatives in the Islamic way. 

And much more of the wisdom that we, as socializing  Muslim nations, are encouraged to embellish ourselves  with when we dive in the bottomless oceans of Allah’s  miraculous Words and His prophet’s unprecedented  sayings.