the five pillars of islam

The Five Pillars of Islam
=

What Are The Five Pillars Of Islam ?
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of
faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and
the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.

The Testimony of Faith
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur
rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and
Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god
but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has
neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula
which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam . The testimony of faith is
the most important pillar of Islam.

Prayer
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to
perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no
intermediaries between God and the worshipper.]
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with
him or her. The Prophet Muhammad said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be
comforted by it.} Bilal was one of Muhammad's Companions who was charged to call the
people to prayers.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may
pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.

Giving Zakat ( Support of the needy )
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original
meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakat means ‘giving a
specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The
percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached...