Sixth Pillar of Islam

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Part of a series on the Islamic creed: Aqidah
Five Pillars of Islam
Shahādah - Profession of faith Salah - Prayer Zakâh - Paying of alms (giving to the poor) Sawm - Fasting during Ramadan Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca
Sunni Six articles of belief
Tawhīd - Oneness Nabi and Rusul - Prophets and Messengers Kutub - Divinely Revealed Books. Malā'ikah - Angels Qiyâmah - Judgment Day Qadr (Predestination)
Shi'a Twelver Principles of the Religion (Usul al-Din)
Tawhīd - Oneness Adalah - Justice Nubuwwah - Prophethood Imamah - Leadership Qiyâmah - Judgment Day
Shi'a Twelver Practices of the Religion (Furu al-Din)
Salah - Prayer Sawm - Fasting during Ramadan Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca Zakâh - Poor-rate Khums - One-fifth tax Jihad - Struggle Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf - Commanding good Nahi-Anil-Munkar - Forbidding evil Tawalla - Loving the Ahl al-Bayt Tabarra - Disassociating Ahl al-Bayt's enemies
Shi'a Ismaili 7 pillars
Walayah - Guardianship Taharah - Purity & cleanliness Salah - Prayers Zakâh - Purifying religious dues Sawm - Fasting during Ramadan Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca Jihad - Struggle
Others
Kharijite Sixth Pillar of Islam. This box: view • talk • edit

The term Sixth pillar of Islam refers to an addition to the Five Pillars of Islam; the five pillars of Islam explain the basic tenets of the Sunni Islam faith, Shi'a Islam uses other concepts.

1 Introduction
2 Jihad
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Introduction

Most Sunni Muslims believe there are precisely five Pillars of Islam, and consider the concept of a sixth pillar to be heretical. The idea of there being more than five pillars is not a mainstream idea; Sunni leaders have taught that there are only five major pillars of the faith.

A few Muslims, mainly some Kharijite groups in ancient times and the founder of Islamic Jihad recently, have taught that Jihad, or personal struggle, should be considered the sixth pillar of Islam. In this context, Jihad is viewed as external war against those perceived to be enemies of Islam.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Jihad

Jihad is a term for struggle, or pursuit of a good cause. It can connote the whole range of effort necessary to promote Islam in both personal and social life. Moreover even when it refers to military matters, it need not primarily be offensive. The more ordinary reason for going to war, in the Muslim view of past history, was opposition that would have denied Muslims the chance to practice or spread the faith of Islam. Seeing such a denial as opposition to God, the Qur'an, and the prophet, Muslims have felt obliged to fight, as they could feel obliged to fight on behalf of brother and sister Muslims who come under attack.

Most experts on Islamic war suggest the protection of noncombatants, women, children, the elderly, and prisoners of war to be in accordance with Islamic ethics.