THE FIRST PILLAR
Acknowledging the oneness of Allah and believing in the
prophethood of Muhammad a and then calling to the
kalima is a basic fundamental of Islam. Only through the
kalima can a person be identified as a Muslim. In addition,
the prosperity of humankind in this life and salvation in
the afterlife lies in four things:
1. Ikhbat (submissiveness to Allah)
2. Tahara (adopting cleanliness)
3. Samaha (benevolence and generosity)
4. ‘Adl wa Insaf ( justice and fairness)
Salah is an embodiment of the first two parts as cleanliness
is essential for the validity of salah and because salat is the
personification of submissiveness toward Allah. Zakat integrates
the other two parts: justice and generosity because
giving zakat is the peak of benevolence, and that in itself is
a form of justice; the fact that a person of means may fulfil
the rights of the needy from that which Allah has bestowed
upon him. The believer is also in need of a deed by which
he may be able to overpower and suppress his lusts and
desires, and that is the purpose of fasting.
In addition to all that has been mentioned, all the previous
Shari‘a of Allah sanctified His signs. There are four signs of
Islam:
1. The Qur’an,
2. The Ka‘ba
3. The Prophets
4. Salat
The pilgrimage to Makka is essentially to glorify the Ka‘ba.
Instilling the spiritual love and zeal for Allah within oneself
is also an objective of great import for the pilgrimage. The
heart of every believer contains within it a burning ember
of divine love. The motive of hajj is to stoke that ember
until it becomes a flame.
There are other obligations in Islam, such as struggling in
the path of Allah and enjoining good and forbidding evil.
However, the five pillars integrate special qualities that are
not found in other deeds. Their importance lies in the fact
that they exist as an absolute visual and perceptible image
of Islam. In addition, the legal status of the five pillars (as
compulsory) is not determined by specific circumstances
or contingency, but their innate importance. This is unlike
other acts of worship such as struggling in the path of Allah
and enjoining good etc., whose compulsoriness is contingent
on specific situations.
Many people believe that the first pillar falls under the
heading of Islamic doctrine, thus having little practical
value in the life of the believer. This is how the term arkan
arba‘a (i.e., four pillars) was coined, despite the fact that a
testimony is a legal practice that is executed by the defendant
once he rejects the claim of the plaintiff. Likewise,
the testimony of the kalima shahada should be made before
those who deny the belief in tawhid and prophethood (i.e.
the first pillar relates to the actual doing of something rather
than mere belief.)
Then, just as the duty of the witness is only to testify, it is
the job of the judge to pronounce the verdict. Similarly,
it is the duty of the Muslim to proclaim the kalima to the
non-Muslims. The final verdict will be passed by Allah on
the Day of Judgement. He says, “Allah will judge between
you on the Day of Resurrection”(22:69).
But what if the witnesses fall short in fulfilling their responsibility?
Then on what basis will the judge decide? In fact,
witnesses can even be subpoenaed and held accountable
for failing their duty. So, if we fail to proclaim the kalima
and propagate the Deen to non-Muslims, and become a
means of people not attaining salvation, then we are guilty
of the sin of negligence. But now, we have removed proclamation
of the testimony of faith from practical life as a
work of da‘wa (calling people to the deen) and confined it to
the realm of Islamic beliefs.
Even more incredulous is the fact that even Muslims are
deprived of the kalima; we were not even able to pass on
the kalima to those who believe in it, let alone convey it to
those who disbelieve. Of course, we proclaim the kalima
in our adhan but that has, over time, become more of an
intonation.
HOW SHOULD WE GIVE THE TESTIMONY OF FAITH
Let’s say you have a non-Muslim co-worker, or you are
sitting on the bus next to a non-Muslim. Be the first one to
break the silence and start up a conversation. You may ask,
“What is your religion?”
“My religion is such and such,” he will say, i.e., ‘I am an
atheist,’ for example. The conversation sputters up and
then he may ask you about your faith. That is when you
say, “I am a Muslim and I believe that there is only one God
who is worthy of worship, and that is Allah. There is none
worthy of worship beside Him. I worship Him alone. I do
not bow or prostrate to anyone but Him. Fourteen hundred
years ago, a man was born in Makka by the name of Muhammad
a. I believe him to be the last messenger of God. I
try to live my life according to his way, which he conveyed
to us from Allah.”
Once you have said this much, you have given the shahada
(testimony). Now, if he is a mindful person, and Allah has
destined good for him, he will reflect upon what you have
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