Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 8

Text of the hadith

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8 Ubaydullah ibn Musa said: We were informed by Hanzala ibn Abu Sufyan, from Ikrima ibn Khalid from Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, saying: 'The Messenger of Allah said: 'Islam is based on five pillars: there is no god worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, praying, paying qadan and observing qadan'.

Original text (Arabic)

٨: حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ».

Transmitters

• Ubaydullah ibn Musa
• Hanzalah ibn Abi Sufyan
• Ikrimah ibn Khalid
• Ibn Umar
• Messenger of Allah ﷺ

Comments and interpretations

Islam is based on five pillars: the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, praying [1], paying Zakat [2], performing Hajj [3] and fasting in Ramadan

This hadith is also cited by Muslim (16), at-Tirmidhi (2609) and al-Nasai (8/107). See also Sahih al-Targib wa-tarhib (350), Sahih al-Jami' al-Sagir (2840), Sahih al-Tirmidhi (2609).

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One day a man asked Ibn ‘Umar, “Do you not go on military campaigns?” Ibn Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “There are five pillars of Islam” and list the pillars of Islam. Muslim (1/54).

It is also reported that when Ibn ‘Umar mentioned the pillars of Islam, he was asked for jihad, is he a pillar of Islam? He said, “Jihad is a beautiful thing, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this to us.” Ahmad (2/26). The hadith is good.

Qada’ Iyad said: These words of Ibn ‘Umar prove that jihad is not fardul’ain and that it is not one of the pillars of Islam. Jihad is indeed Fardul Kifaya. See al-Iqmal (1/227).

Imam al-Nawawi said: “The words of Ibn ‘Umar indicate that the ghazwa (military campaign) is not fardul’ain, since the pillars of Islam are five, and the ghazwah is not one of them.” See Sharh Saheeh Muslim (1/179).

Al-Abbas al-Qurtubi said: These five pillars are the foundation of the religion of Islam on which it is based. And the mention of only these five pillars came to us, and Jihad was not mentioned with them, despite the fact that it is a means of exalting religion and humiliating the infidels, because these five pillars are fard forever, and jihad is fardul-Kifaya, and moreover, in some cases jihad is interrupted. See al-Mufhim (1/168).

Al-Qurtubi said the same thing to Imam Ibn Dhaqiq al-Eid, agreeing with them. See Sharhu Arba’in-n-Nawawi (48).

Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: “And the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (the pillars of Islam) does not mention jihad, although jihad is one of the best deeds.” See Jami'ul-'ulumi wal-hikam (81).

Sheikh Safiyu-r-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri, after mentioning the words of Ibn 'Umar, said: "Verily, it is obligatory for every person to observe the pillars of Islam on which he is founded, and there are five of them." See Minnatul-mun'im Sharh Sahih Muslim (1/64).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The most important thing in religion is Islam, its support is prayer, and its top is jihad.” Ahmad (5/231), at-Tirmidhi (2616), Ibn Majah (3973).

Hafiz Ibn Rajab, referring to this hadith, said: “But jihad is not the foundation and pillar of Islam on which it is built, and this is for two reasons: One of them is the jihad of fard kifayah, according to most scholars, and not fard ’ayn, unlike the pillars of Islam. The other reason is that Jihad will not continue uninterrupted until the Day of Resurrection, when ‘Isa, peace be upon him, will come down, there will be no religion but Islam, and then the war will take off the burden and there will be no need for jihad. As for the pillars of Islam, they are obligatory for every believer until the decree of Allah comes. See Jami'ul-'ulumi waal-hikam (82).