Darul Huda

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

KITAB ARBA'IN AN-NAWAWI
by: Imam An-Nawawi

(May Allah have mercy on him)


Compilation and Arrangement:
Dr. Nakwa Parvez Ahmed Madani
(May Allah preserve him)

Hadith No. 3

The Five Pillars of Islam

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «بُنِيَ الإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ»۔

[رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ]

Translation:

Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Islam has been built upon five pillars: to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to pay Zakat, to perform Hajj to the House of Allah, and to fast during Ramadan.’[Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Benefits of the Hadith:

  • 1
    Islam as a Magnificent Structure:
    In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ compared Islam to a strong and firmly established structure that stands upon five solid pillars . If these pillars collapse, the entire structure is placed in danger .
  • 2
    Tawheed and Prophethood as the First Pillar:
    The testimony of faith (Shahadah), which consists of affirming the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ, is the fundamental and most important pillar of Islam . Without it, a person cannot enter the fold of Islam, nor can deeds be accepted .
  • 3
    Prayer as a Pillar of Religion:
    After the two testimonies of faith, prayer holds the highest position among the pillars of Islam . It is a distinguishing act of worship between a believer and a disbeliever and is an obligation that cannot be abandoned, whether a person is healthy or ill .
  • 4
    Combination of Financial and Physical Acts of Worship:
    Islam has prescribed both physical acts of worship, such as prayer and fasting, and financial acts of worship, such as Zakat . This ensures the support and care of the poor and needy within society .
  • 5
    Importance of Hajj and Fasting:
    Fasting during Ramadan is a means of purifying the soul and developing Taqwa (God-consciousness) . At the same time, Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime upon those who possess the means to perform it . It is also a profound manifestation of Muslim unity and submission to Allah .
  • 6
    Virtue of the Narrator of the Hadith:
    The narrator of this Hadith is ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who held a distinguished position among the Companions due to his knowledge, piety, and devoted adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ .