Evidence from Islam

On the authority of Abdullah, the son of Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, "Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the salah (prayer), paying the zakat (obligatory charity), making the hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, and fasting in Ramadhan." [Bukhari & Muslim]

"O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah, pay the Zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House, if you are able to do so."

Write about how the pillars of Islam help Muslims to improve their communal relationships and social responsibilities. [10]

Islam is a religion based on social justice.
God has laid great emphasis on huqaq al ibad and it is incumbent on Muslims to care not only for their fellow Muslims but for humankind at large.
Candidates can, referring to the five pillars and how they impact upon the communal relationships and social responsibilities of Muslims, say that some pillars are mainly concerned with a believer’s responsibilities to God, and some are mainly concerned with responsibilities to other people.
However, the two aspects can overlap.
- For example, salat is mainly responsibility to God but it is often performed in congregation and so brings people together, promotes equality;
- The giving of zakat is about helping the poor and ensuring that everyone helps each other;
- The observance of sawm is about responsibility to God and about understanding the difficulties faced by the less fortunate in society making the better off more compassionate and generous, also the breaking of the fast together at sunset during Ramadan brings the community together.
- The Hajj is a Muslim’s responsibility towards Allah but is a gathering of Muslims who become equal once they don the ihram and again is a forum for promoting equality, sharing ideas, solving problems that face the Muslim communities over the world, etc.