First Reminder

At the end of the first printed page of his introduction and the beginning of the second, the author states: “They showed their admiration for the book’s style and for the way it presents the Prophet’s guidance on the greatest pillar of Islam, namely the prayer.”

I say: The author—may Allah pardon us and him—erred when he spoke unreservedly of prayer as “the greatest pillar of Islam.” It must be qualified with the words “after the two testimonies of faith,” a point on which there is no disagreement among Muslims.

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs, the Musnad of Imām Aḥmad, the Jāmiʿ of al-Tirmidhī, and the Sunan of al-Nasāʾī it is narrated from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Islam is built upon five: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying the zakat, making pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī records it in Kitāb al-Ṣalāh with the wording: “Islam is built upon five supports,” the remainder matching the previous wording; Muslim has a version that reads: “Islam is built upon five,” with the rest in similar terms.

Imām Aḥmad and Abū Bakr al-Ājurrī also relate from Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Bajalī (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Indeed, Islam has been built upon five …,” and he mentioned the same items as in the ḥadith of Ibn ʿUmar.

Likewise, the Musnad, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and the Sunan transmit from ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Gabriel said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “Inform me about Islam.” He replied, “Islam is to testify…"