Zakat is a form of financial worship that purifies one’s wealth. It is an obligation that is just and full of wisdom as it benefits the poor and the downtrodden while causing no harm to the rich who have to pay a negligible amount from their vast wealth resources as zakat.
The fourth Pillar of Islam is fasting in the month of Ramadan. This is a physical form of worship that has been declared as a confidential matter between Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and His slave. No one except Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has knowledge about this act of fasting
The first pillar is shahadatain meaning the two testimonies. The first testimony declares that there is no God except Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and the second one testifies that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ).
Mentioning of salah as the second pillar after the “shahadatain” is a testimony to its importance, value and virtue. The Prophet ﷺ stated that prayer is the pillar of this deen.
The fifth Pillar of Islam is Hajj, this is a kind of worship that consumes both the physical and financial resources. Hajj is mandatory only once in an individual’s lifetime.
