The Five Pillars of Islam

Islam’s core beliefs and practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam:

Shahadah (The Declaration of Faith): The Belief that “there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah.” This phrase occurs regularly in the Quran e Pak, Islam’s holiest book of divine revelations. By reciting this phrase with faith, one becomes a Muslim.

Prayer (Salat / Namaz): The Namaz or Salat ought to be recited 5 times every day. We pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. 

Alms (Zakat): In accordance with Islamic law, We Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need. Many rulers and wealthy Muslims build mosques, drinking fountains, hospitals, schools, and other institutions both as a religious duty and to secure the blessings associated with charity.

Fasting (Sawm / Roza): During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink. Through this temporary deprivation, we renew our awareness of and gratitude for everything Allah has provided in their lives including the Qur’an, which was first revealed during this month. During Ramadan we share the hunger and thirst of the needy as a reminder of the religious duty to help those less fortunate.

Pilgrimage (hajj): Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), believers from all over the world have gathered around the Kaaba in Mecca on the eighth and twelfth days of the final month of the Islamic calendar.