The Five Pillars of Islam include Shahada (Faith), Salat (Prayer), Zakat (Charity), Sawm (Fasting), and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). These five tenants are considered essential for those who follow Islam.
Shahada (Faith) is sometimes translated as "bearing witness" in English. To proclaim one's faith, a Muslim is expected to state God's divinity and Muhammad's status as his messenger: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." The Shahada statement is typically learned by all Muslims when they are children, and all converts to Islam must proclaim it at the point of their conversion.
Salat (Prayer) is to be carried out five times per day, and each prayer typically takes no more than a few minutes to complete. These prayers, performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night can be conducted just about anywhere. The only stipulation is that all Muslims must face their prayer mat toward Mecca and women must have their heads covered.
Zakat (Charity) is the giving of money to those less fortunate. This money is typically given to a person's local mosque, which then takes responsibility for using it to support those in the community who are in need.
Sawm (Fasting) is a semi-regular practice for Muslims. Each year during the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, meaning they abstain from all food and drinks, including water. Muslims may also fast on other holy days throughout the year apart from Ramadan, such as the Day of Arafah. The practice of fasting is considered spiritually purifying.
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) is the practice of traveling to Islam's most holy site, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. This pillar, unlike the others, is not obligatory, but instead is only required for those who have both achieved maturity and have the financial resources to make the pilgrimage. During Hajj, Muslims spend five days performing various rituals.
The five tenets or pillars of Islam are: Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj.
Shahadah is the first of the five pillars and requires one to state that, 'There is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is his messenger'. A person that professes this statement three times with complete sincerity in front of witnesses is considered to be a Muslim.
The second pillar is Salat which requires Muslims to pray five times a day: upon sunrise, midday, late afternoon, after sunset and between sunset and midnight.
The third pillar, Zakat, means giving a portion of one's assets to charity.
Sawm is the fourth pillar and it means fasting during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and from sunrise to sunset, Muslims must not eat, smoke or perform any sexual activity.
Hajj, the fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is expected to be done at least once in a lifetime for those Muslims that are physically and financially capable.
Islam is a monotheistic religion where its followers, known as Muslims, believe in one God who is referred to as Allah. It is one of the three Abrahamic faiths along with Christianity and Judaism.
Islam's basic tenants are based on five pillars:
1. Shahadah: This is the first tenant, which is the belief that "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."
2. Salah: Salah is the Arabic word for prayer. Muslims pray five times a day: Fajr (dawn), Zuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), Isha (night)
3. Zakat: Zakat is an obligatory payment that Muslims give annually (2.5 % of savings) that is used for charity towards the poor and needy
4. Sawm: Sawm is the Arabic word for fasting. Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. This is the month of internal purification and reflection upon oneself.
5. Hajj: Hajj is the Arabic word for pilgrimage. Muslims are required to perform the pilgrimage to Makkah (Saudi Arabia) at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so (finance, health, etc).
The basic tenets of Islam are called the five pillars of Islam. They are as follows:
The first is professing that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammed is his messenger.
The second is repeating five set prayers at specific times during the day while facing Mecca.
The third is charity. A person is required to give a portion of his or her income each year to help the needy. If an individual does not have much money, he or she can perform charitable acts to help someone more needy.
The fourth is fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan, while being conscious of one's sins.
The fifth is making the hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one's lifetime.
In short, the basic tenets of Islam are exclusive faith in Allah and Muhammed; prayer; charitable giving; fasting; and pilgrimage to Mecca.
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