FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The five pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life.  They are summarized in the famous Hadith of Gabriel.

They make up Muslim life, prayer, concern for the needy, self purification and the pilgrimage. They are :

1.         Shahadah: Declaring there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God’s Messenger  .

2.         Salat: Ritual prayer five times a day.

3.         Zakat: Given 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy.

4.         Sawm: Fasting and self-control during the blessed month of Ramadan.

5.         Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if he/she is able to.

The Shia  and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance and practice of this acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name.