The Pillars of Faith

1What holds up the roof?

Mugisha's class is building a model house from sticks and cardboard. Every time they put the roof on, it falls in. "You need pillars," says their teacher, "strong posts that hold the roof up." Then she smiles. "Religions have pillars too: the main beliefs and practices that hold up a believer's life."

2The main pillars of the Christian faith

Many Christians say their main beliefs together in church, in a statement called the Creed (from a Latin word meaning "I believe"). In simple words, Christians believe:

• in one God, the Father, who created heaven and earth;
• in Jesus Christ, God's Son, who was born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross and rose again on the third day;
• in the Holy Spirit, who guides and strengthens believers;
• in the Church, the family of all believers;
• that God forgives sins, and gives eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"Perish" means to be lost or to die. The Bible also shows how the first Christians lived out their faith:

"They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer." (Acts 2:42)

So the main practices of Christian life are:

• Learning God's word: reading and listening to the Bible.
• Fellowship: meeting and caring for each other.
• The breaking of bread: Holy Communion.
• Prayer.
• Baptism: the sign of joining the Christian family. Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19)
• Love: "But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

3The Five Pillars of Islam

Muslims call their five main duties the Five Pillars of Islam:

"Establish worship, pay the poor-due, and bow your heads with those who bow (in worship)." (Qur'an 2:43)

"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);" (Qur'an 2:183)

"Establish worship" means pray regularly, and "the poor-due" is Zakat. Young children do not have to fast, and people who are sick or travelling may fast on other days instead (Qur'an 2:185). About Hajj, the Qur'an says it is "a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither" (Qur'an 3:97), which means for everyone who is able to make the journey.

4The Six Beliefs of Iman

Iman means faith. Muslims believe in six things:

1. Allah, the One God.
2. The angels, such as Jibril, who brought the Qur'an.
3. The holy books: the Tawrat (given to Musa, or Moses), the Zabur (given to Dawud, or David), the Injil (given to 'Isa, or Jesus) and the Qur'an (given to Muhammad).
4. The prophets and messengers, such as Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa, 'Isa and Muhammad, the last prophet.
5. The Day of Judgement, when everyone will answer to Allah for what they did.
6. Qadar: that everything happens by Allah's knowledge and plan.

"Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers" (Qur'an 2:285)

5Pillars side by side

Both faiths have beliefs (what you believe in your heart) and practices (what you do). Both include prayer, reading God's word, giving to people in need and belief in one God.

Try it yourself