The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained “Islam and faith” through the answers he gave, just as something is explained by giving its definition: when asked, “What is such-and-such?” one answers, “It is such-and-such.” Thus, in the authentic hadith:

“When asked, ‘What is backbiting?’ he said, ‘Your mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.’”

And in another hadith:

“Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

Rejecting the truth means denying and refusing to accept it; looking down on people means despising and belittling them. We shall explain, if Allah Most High wills, why his answers varied and how they are all true.

The (point), however, is that his statement, “Islam is built on five,” is equivalent to saying, “Islam consists of the five,” as mentioned in the hadith of Gabriel. For when something consists of several parts, its overall structure is built upon those parts and composed of them. Thus, Islam is built upon these pillars. We shall explain, Allah willing, what distinguishes these five such that they constitute Islam and form the foundations upon which it is built, and why they, rather than the other obligations, have been singled out in this way.

In the hadith of the delegation of ʿAbd al-Qays, he explained “faith” in the same terms with which he explained Islam here, except that he did not mention Hajj. This hadith is reported by both al-Bukhārī and Muslim. He said:

“I command you to have faith in Allah alone. Do you know what faith in Allah alone is?”

They replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”

He said, “To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to give zakat, to fast Ramadan, and to pay a fifth of what you acquire as spoils—or a fifth of the spoils.”

Some chains of transmission give the wording:

“Faith in Allah and testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah.”