[PrettyFifa12]

1.Declaration of faith
2.Pray/Worship (5 times a day)
3.Fast (in Ramadhan)
4.Alms-giving (2.5% of one's wealth)
5.Pilgrimage (to Makkah)

All religions have concepts of the 5 items above but it is elucidated in the 5 pillars of Islam so well!

The list looks very simple but it is so profound.

[Klavalala]

1.Declaration of faith
2.Pray/Worship (5 times a day)
3.Fast (in Ramadhan)
4.Alms-giving (2.5% of one's wealth)
5.Pilgrimage (to Makkah)

All religions have concepts of the 5 items above but it is elucidated in the 5 pillars of Islam so well!

The list looks very simple but it is so profound.

ASWW
Yes MashaAllah they are! In fact someone gave a good analogy.
He says these 5 are the foundation but people do not look at the foundation of the building but rather at the glitz and glamor of the decor and ambiance associated with the building.
In the same way, he says us Muslims also need to show our practical good side in every aspect of life and not only in mosques!
I hope we are on the same wavelength. IA

[shkarpet$]

An outsider to Islam may say they are quite reasonable but pray F-I-V-E times a day? Surely once or twice is enough? Or three times (morning, afternoon, night) maximum. But 5? That's too strict?

Or in Ramadhan fasting without water? Isn't that bad for the body? How do people in a hot country in manual labour working outside cope?

How do we respond?

[nithhysfusy]

An outsider to Islam may say they are quite reasonable but pray F-I-V-E times a day? Surely once or twice is enough? Or three times (morning, afternoon, night) maximum. But 5? That's too strict?

Or in Ramadhan fasting without water? Isn't that bad for the body? How do people in a hot country in manual labour working outside cope?

How do we respond?

The basis of deen is submission to will of God. He gave us so many blessings and created us only to worship Him. Hence we show gratefulness to our Lord by all of these acts of worship He has mandated. We worship out of love and hope of a great reward from our Allah and we don't act immorally as it may displease Him. For a lot of Muslims who pray they wish they could pray more and they do. They spend their nights in prayer....although they don't have to. Why? They love their Lord and wish to meet Him while He is pleased with them. They submit patiently and are not complacent.

When a person starts asking question upon a divine law, he is not submissive to His Lord and that's what the issue is. I see it like whoever finds praying hard etc is just not submissive enough and they still want to please themselves over Allah. Islam is very unique and beautiful in that within it we learn that Allah has told us the way we worship Him, which we must submit to- in other religions you don't see such intricate and detailed acts of worship that only God has prescribed. So some of them say you can pray whenever you want. Think about for a minute, what's better worshipping God the way you think is right and whenever you want to suite your own desires? Or worship Him as He has instructed you to do at fixed times and proving that you are seeking the pleasure of your Lord over the pleasure of yourself.

I am not sure if that's how I would answer a Non Muslim but that's what I think.

Wassalam.

[MasTaBlau]

For almost 1400 years people all over the world have been doing the pillars of Islam...therefore it is unlikely to be harmful. Human beings have a tendency to get into a trance like state, distracted, eyes are open but the mind is on auto pilot, we might eat food and drink without giving them much thought. The five daily prayers are designed to bring us out of the distractions, to reconnect with Allah, to recognize and become aware that this life is temporary and we can die at any moment. Our attachment to food and drink can also be brought into focus in Ramadan...we become aware of our distractions. When hungry you realize that you are a dependent creature....5 days without food and most of us would be finished, so why have pride and arrogance?