Selflessness in Islamic Belief and Practice

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The Five Pillars of Islam are faith, prayer, alms, fasting, and pilgrimage. The selected pillar for exemplifying the selflessness of the given religion is alms or zakat. All Muslims are obliged to allocate some of their wealth to charity to improve the community and support the people in need. It is a direct form of selflessness because Islam insists on putting God or Allah before oneself and one’s self-interests. To express it financially, a Muslim commits some of his or her wealth to help the poor and unfortunate. Depending on a particular school of thought or madhab, the mandatory amount of zakat can vary. However, it is in itself a selfless act, where Muslims abandon their selfishness and unity to improve their communities and the livelihood of their surrounding people.

Zakat is also a way to connect with God because the given act is an expression of love and submission to Allah since it shows that a Muslim values his or her faith more than material possessions. It is stated: “Zakat is also a spiritual connection to one’s maker – to purify your wealth for the will of Allah is to acknowledge that everything we own belongs to Him, and it is for Him that we strive to end poverty and help our brothers and sisters” (“Zakat,” par. 4). Therefore, it is clear that although all pillars of Islam promote some form of selflessness, self-denial is the most evident and direct in the case of mandatory alms, since it does not rely on one’s willingness or wants, but rather forces it by making it obligatory and putting it among the Five Pillars.

Work Cited

“Zakat.” Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2019.

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