In the cool embrace of their dimly-lit living room, with the moon’s silvery glow seeping through the curtains, Amina snuggled close to her father on their velvety, midnight-blue sofa.

“Daddy, my school building has so many pillars, I keep bumping into them all the time. Do we really need so many pillars? What are pillars used for?” Amina asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Her father, a man with a gentle voice and a patient smile, wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a snug embrace.

“My dear, pillars are used to give strength to the structure. They act like the foundation on which mega structures are built.”

“You will often find them in big buildings giving them support and strength. Like this one…”

“Or like this huge museum building…”

“Or even this beautiful masjid…”
The father continued, “Do you know Amina, Islam has 5 pillars?”

Amina’s eyes widened with excitement, “Really?” she said.

“Wow! I want to see them, where are they?” she asked excitedly.

Her father replied “Hahaha! These pillars help us understand the foundations of Islam, even though they are not physically present.”

He continued, “The Five Pillars of Islam are like the foundation of a house. Just like our home needs a strong foundation to stand, our faith needs these five pillars to be strong and steady,” he explained, his voice soft and inviting.

“Oh! Please tell me more Daddy,” exclaimed Amina. “What are these 5 pillars?”

Father lifted Amina up into his lap and started narrating, “The first pillar is Shahada, which means faith. It’s believing with all your heart that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad(PBUH) is His messenger.”

“It’s like when you know in your heart that I love you and will always take care of you,” he explained, pointing to his heart, a tender look in his eyes.

“Next, we have Salah, which means prayer. Muslims pray five times a day to thank Allah for all our blessings and to remember Him.”

“It’s like when you talk to me about your day; it keeps us close,” he said, mimicking the motion of prayer with his hands.

“It’s like when you talk to me about your day; it keeps us close,” he said, mimicking the motion of prayer with his hands.

“The third pillar is Zakat, which means giving to those in need. Imagine if you have two toys, and you give one to someone who doesn’t have any.”

“It makes you feel good, right? Zakat is like that but with money,” he continued, his hands gesturing the act of giving.

Amina’s eyes sparkled with understanding. “I can share my toys with kids who don’t have any,” she said excitedly.

“Exactly, my dear,” said the father.

“Then we have Sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan. It’s when we don’t eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.”

“It helps us understand how people who are hungry feel and teaches us self-control,” he explained, drawing an arc in the air to represent the sun’s journey.

Amina’s brows furrowed slightly, a look of concern crossing her face. “But, Daddy, isn’t it hard not to eat all day?”

“It can be, but it also makes us stronger and brings us closer to Allah. And remember, we eat a meal before sunrise and break our fast at sunset,” he reassured her, squeezing her hand gently.

“Lastly, we have Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. It’s a journey that Muslims make at least once in their life if they can.”

“It’s a way to feel closer to Allah and to see that no matter where we come from, we are all equal in His eyes,” he concluded, his voice filled with reverence.

Amina sat in silence for a moment, then looked up at her father with a smile.

“Daddy, the Five Pillars of Islam sound really important. I want to learn how to do them all with you,” she said earnestly.

Her father hugged her closer, his heart swelling with pride and love.

“And we will, together. These pillars will help guide you throughout your life, just like the stars guide travelers in the night sky,” he said, pointing towards the window where the first stars were beginning to twinkle.

In that peaceful room, filled with the gentle warmth of their bond, Amina and her father shared a moment of profound connection and a promise to walk the path of faith together, guided by the Five Pillars of Islam.

THE END