Worship and the Pillars

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Miswak (tooth-stick) cleanses and purifies the mouth and pleases the Rubb."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There are five acts which conform to the pure nature: Circumcision, removing of the pubic hair, clipping the nails, plucking the underarm hair and trimming the moustache."

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Trim the moustaches and let the beard grow."

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "(The structure of) Islam is built on five (pillars): Testification of 'La ilaha illallah' (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), that Muhammad (ﷺ) is his slave and Messenger, the establishment of Salat, the payment of Zakat, the pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Ka'bah), and Saum during the month of Ramadan."

Talhah bin 'Ubaidullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A person with dishevelled hair, one of the people of Najd, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). We heard the humming of his voice but could not fully understand what he was saying, till he approached close to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then I came to know that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "There are five (obligatory) Salat during the day and the night." He said: "Am I obliged to perform any other (Salat) besides these?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you observe voluntarily." He (ﷺ) added, "There is the Saum of Ramadan." The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to do anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you do out of your own free will. You may observe voluntary fasting." And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told him about the Zakat (obligatory charity). The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to pay anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you pay voluntarily out of your own free will." That man turned back saying: "By Allah! I will neither make any addition to this nor will I decrease anything from it." (Upon hearing this) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked, "He is successful if he proves truthful (to what he is saying)."

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Mu'adh (May Allah be pleased with him) as governor of Yemen, and at the time of his departure, he instructed him thus: "First of all, call the people to testify 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no true god except Allah) and that I (Muhammad) am the Messenger of Allah, and if they accept this (declaration of Faith), then tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five Salat during the day and night; and if they obey you, tell them that Allah has made the payment of Zakat obligatory upon them. It should be collected from their rich and distributed among their poor."

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I have been commanded to fight people till they testify 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no true god except Allah) that Muhammad (ﷺ) is his slave and Messenger, and they establish Salat, and pay Zakat; and if they do this, their blood (life) and property are secured except when justified by law, and it is for Allah to call them to account."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away, Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) was appointed as his successor (caliph). Amongst the Arabs some men apostatised. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) resolved to fight them. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Bakr: "How can you fight them when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has declared: 'I have been commanded to fight people till they testify La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah); and if they do it, their blood (life) and property are secured except when justified by law, and it is for Allah to call them to account." Upon this Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I would definitely fight him who makes distinction between Salat and the Zakat, because it is an obligation upon the rich to pay Zakat. By Allah I will fight them even to secure the piece of rope which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I realized that Allah opened the heart of Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) for fighting those who refused to pay Zakat, and I fully recognized that Abu Bakr

Abu Ayyub (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ): "Direct me to a deed which may admit me to Jannah." Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)) said, "Worship Allah and never associate anything with Him in worship, establish Salat, pay Zakat, and strengthen the ties of kinship."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Direct me to a deed by which I may be entitled to enter Jannah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Worship Allah, and never associate anything with Him, establish Salat, pay the Zakat which has been enjoined upon you, and observe Saum of Ramadan." He (the bedouin) said: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I will never add anything to these (obligations)." When he turned his back, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who wants to see a man from the dwellers of Jannah, let him look at him (bedouin)."

Jarir bin 'Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I pledged allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ) to establish Salat, to pay the Zakat and to have the welfare of every Muslim at heart..

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted and Majestic said: 'Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except As-Siyam (the fasting) which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it.' Fasting is a shield. When anyone of you is observing fast, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say: 'I am fasting.' By Him in Whose Hand the soul of Muhammad is, the breath of one observing Saum is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The one who fasts, experiences two joys: he feels pleasure when he breaks the fast. He is joyful by virtue of his fast when he meets his Rubb.".In a narration by Al-Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: '(The person observing Saum) has abstained from food and drink, and sexual pleasures for My sake; fasting is for Me, and I will bestow its reward. Every good deed has ten times its reward'."In a narration by Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The reward of every (good) deed of a person is multiplied from ten to seven hundred times. Allah (SWT) says: 'The reward of observing Saum is different from the reward of other good deeds; Saum is for Me, and I Alone will give its reward. The person observing Saum abstains from food and drink only for My sake.' The fasting person has two joyous occasions, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time of meeting his Rubb. Surely, the breath of one observing Saum is better smelling to Allah than the fragrance of musk."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who spends a pair in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Jannah: 'O slave of Allah! This gate is better for you' and one who is constant in Salat (prayer), will be called from the Gate of Salat; and whoever is eager in fighting in the Cause of Allah, will be called from the Gate of Jihad; and who is regular in observing Saum will be called from Ar-Raiyan Gate. The one who is generous in charity will be called from the Gate of Charity." Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Those who are called from these gates will stand in need of nothing. Will anybody be called from all of those gates?" He replied, "Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them."

Sahl bin Sa'd (May Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "In Jannah there is a gate which is called Ar-Raiyan through which only those who observe Saum (fasting) will enter on the Day of Resurrection. None else will enter through it. It will be called out, "Where are those who observe fasting?" So they will stand up and proceed towards it. When the last of them will have entered, the gate will be closed and then no one will enter through that gate."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Every slave of Allah who observes Saum (fasting) for one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will draw his face farther from Hell-fire to the extent of a distance to be covered in seventy years."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When Ramadan begins, the gates of Jannah are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Observe Saum (fast) on sighting the crescent and terminate it on sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy before you, then complete the number (thirty days) of the month."

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the most generous of the men; and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril visited him every night and recited the Qur'an to him. During this period, the generosity of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) waxed faster than the rain bearing wind..

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the last ten nights (of Ramadan) would begin, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would keep awake at night (for prayer and devotion), awaken his family and prepare himself to be more diligent in worship..