Conclusion: Integrating the Five Pillars of Islam in Mālikī Thought

Section 7

Conclusion: Integrating the Five Pillars of Islam in Mālikī Thought

7.1 Summary of the Pillars

The Five Pillars of Islam represent the foundation of Islamic life. Each pillar is a distinct act of worship that binds the Muslim to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and the community of believers (Ummah). Together, they form a holistic spiritual structure encompassing belief, worship, charity, discipline, and unity.
Pillar                Description           Key Concepts
Shahādah  Declaration of Faith   Tawḥīd, sincerity, acceptance
Ṣalāh          Ritual Prayer            Punctuality, humility, presence of heart
Zakāh           Almsgiving          Social justice, purification of wealth
Ṣawm          Fasting Ramaḍān      Taqwā, patience, spiritual renewal
Ḥajj        Pilgrimage to Makkah    Submission, sacrifice, unity
These pillars, while obligatory for all Muslims, are interpreted and applied within the framework of the four Sunni madhāhib. The Mālikī school, grounded in the practice of the people of Madīnah and guided by the jurisprudence of Imām Mālik ibn Anas (رحمه الله), offers profound insight into the balanced, contextual application of these obligations.
7.2 Mālikī Contributions to the Understanding of the Pillars
Mālikī scholars emphasize:
1. ʿAmal Ahl al-Madīnah: Practices of the people of Madinah as a legal authority
2. Maslaḥah Mursalah: Public interest in application of rulings
3. Taysīr (Ease): Particularly in ʿibādāt (worship), considering circumstance and hardship
This perspective allows the Mālikī madhhab to preserve the essentials while maintaining compassionate adaptability in changing times. For example:
a. In Ṣalāh, Mālikīs allow combining prayers during hardship.
b. In Zakāh, they extensively detailed agricultural and livestock rules due to their relevance in North and West Africa.
c. In Ḥajj, they encourage Ifrād and advise caution for women without maḥram.
7.3 Integrative Spiritual Vision
The Five Pillars are not mere rituals but serve to transform the believer spiritually, morally, and socially:
a. Shahādah aligns the heart b Ṣalāh disciplines the soul c. Zakāh purifies wealth and uplifts others d. Ṣawm breaks desire and strengthens willpower e. Ḥajj symbolizes death, rebirth, and global brotherhood
As Imām Mālik said:
 العلم نافع ما وُقِفَ به عند حدود الله
“Beneficial knowledge is that which restrains one at the limits of Allah.” 
(al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalā’)
7.4 Final Reflections
The Five Pillars are timeless, providing structure in a world of change. Their performance is an act of love, obedience, and servitude. They elevate the individual and reform society. The Mālikī tradition continues to safeguard their balance between literal adherence and contextual application, fulfilling the higher objectives of Sharīʿah (Maqāṣid ash-Sharīʿah).
May Allah grant us the strength to uphold these pillars with sincerity, knowledge, and humility.
 رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
(Qur’ān, al-Baqarah 2:127)
 Reference
Al-Bukhārī, M. I. (2001). Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Dār Ibn Kathīr.
Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj. (2006). Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Dār Ṭawq al-Najāh.
Mālik ibn Anas. (1994). Al-Muwaṭṭa’. Dār al-Fikr.
Al-Tirmidhī, M. I. (1998). Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī. Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī.
Al-Nasā’ī, A. (2001). Sunan al-Nasā’ī. Dār al-Maʿrifah.
Tafsīr and Classical Mālikī Works
Al-Qurṭubī, M. A. (2006). Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, Y. (1992). Al-Kāfī fī Fiqh Ahl al-Madīnah. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.
Al-Qarāfī, A. (2001). Al-Furūq. Dār al-Fikr.
Al-Dhahabī, M. (2004). Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalā’. Dār al-Risālah.
Modern Studies and Commentary:
Kamali, M. H. (2008). Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence. Islamic Texts Society.
Jackson, S. A. (2005). Malik and Medina: Islamic Legal Reasoning in the Formative Period. Brill.
Nasr, S. H. (2002). The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. HarperOne.