The Five Pillars of Islam: [Taken from a brochure published by the Islamic Cultural Center in Tempe, AZ, USA]
The Five Pillars of Islam Every action done with the awareness that it fulfills the Will of God is considered an act of worship in Islam. But it is the specific acts of worship termed the Pillars of Islam which provide the framework of Muslim spiritual life. These are given below:
1. The declaration of faith. "I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except God (Allah), and that Muhammed is His servant and messenger.'' The Prophethood of Muham- mad obliges Muslims to follow his exemplary life in every respect.
2. Prayers are prescribed five times a day as a duty towards God. Prayer strengthens and enlivens belief in God and inspires man to higher morality. It purifies the heart and controls temptation, wrong-doing, and evil.
3. Fasting during the month of Rammadan. This means abstention from food, beverages, and sex from dawn to sunset, and curbing evil intentions and desires. It teaches love, sincerity, and devotion. It develops patience, unselfishness, social conscience, and willpower to bear hardship.
4. Zakah is a proportionately fixed contribution collected from the wealth and earnings of the well to do and rich. It is spent on the poor and needy in particular, and the welfare of the society in general. The payment of Zakah purifies ones income and wealth and helps to establish economic balance and social justice in the society.
5. Hajj, or pilgrimage to the Ka'bah in Makkah, once in a lifetime, provided one has the means to undertake the journey.