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The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to what are understood among many Muslims to be the five core aspects of Sunni Islam.

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The Messenger of God said, “Islam is built on five : bearing witness that there is no god but God and Muhammad is His prophet, establishing the prayer, giving zakat, hajj, and fasting during Ramadan.”

The Five Pillars of Islam

In summary, the practices are (In order of priority):

• The Testimony of Faith (Shahadah) - the declaration that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (Arabic:God) and that Muhammad is His last messenger.
• Ritual Prayer (Salat) - establishing of the five daily Prayers.
• Obligatory (religious) almsgiving (Zakat) - which is generally 2.5% of the total savings for a rich man working in trade or industry, and 10% or 20% of the annual produce for agriculturists. This money or produce is distributed among the poor.
• Siyam, Fasting
• The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) - this is done during the month of Zul Hijjah, and is compulsory once in a lifetime for one who has the ability to do it. If the Muslim is in ill health or in debt, he or she is not required to perform Hajj.

Note that the Shi'a branch Amr Bil Maruf and Nahi Anil Munkar (Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil) is also commanded in Sunni Islam but not at the level of The Five Pillars of Islam.

Shahadah, the Testimony of Faith

The shahadah (Arabic: شهادة Template:ArTranslit) (Turkish: Şehadet) is the Islamic creed. It means "to testify" or "to bear witness" in Arabic. The shahadah is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and in Muhammad as his final prophet. Recitation of the shahadah is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam by Sunni Muslims.

Salāt, prayer

Prayer is a requirement upon Muslims five times a day. These five prayers are called Fard or obligatory prayers. The time for these prayers are during set times in the day.

Fajr (Approximately an hour and a half before sunrise) Dhuhr (Just after high noon) Asr (Mid afternoon) Maghrib (Just after sunset) Isha'a (Approximately an hour and a half after sunset)

Before prayer can be preformed, the person must be ritually clean. This cleaning is called Wudu. It must be done if the person has gone to the bathroom, passed gas, vomited, or bled. A more thorough, full-body ablution (ghusl) is required after sexual contact, and is recommended before Friday prayers (Jummu'a)

The salat must be performed in the Arabic language, the language of the Qur'an. During prayer, the person prostrates and kneels in the direction of the Ka‘aba in Mecca. The session ends with looking right and left to say "As-salaamu 'alaykum", or peace be unto you.

Siyam, fasting on Ramadan

Observance of the sawm (fasting), or siyam, involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, drugs of any kind, sexual intercourse, unruly thoughts, and other forms of worldly pleasure. This fasting is ordained in the Qur'an, and is observed by devout Muslims throughout the daylight hours of the 29 or 30 days of the lunar month of Ramadan. There are some exceptions, for example for children, pregnant women and sick Muslims. Children do not have to fast until puberty. In addition, women on their menstrual cycle do not have to fast either.

As well as fasting, Muslims spend more time praying during this period. Sawm is intended to teaammad to be his Prophet.

Zakāt, the paying of alms

Zakat means both purification and growth. Each Muslim calculates his or her own. It is some sort of tax.

Zakāt is 2.5% of a Muslim's net worth or value of their holdings, not just his/her earnings. (Source: Smith, Huston. "The World's Religions," p. 246, (c) 1991.)

Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca

Anyone who is Muslim can perform the hajj, regardless of where they are from. Muslims must perform this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if affordable.

During the Hajj the Muslims recall what happened to important people in their history. Muslim and Western researches trace these traditions to Muhammads own performance of the Hajj. It is a way for Muslims to commemorate Muslims actions.

The order of the Hajj

Muslims arrive at the Port of Juddah, and walk to Mecca. Nearing Mecca, Muslims change into a white cloth called an Ihram. This shows equality among themselves. Rich or poor, black or white, all stand side by side. They all pray to the House of Prayer

• Five Pillars of Islam