What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
One sentence, five prayers, a share of savings, a month of fasting and one journey: Islam's core practices fit on one hand.
▶ Start the storyThe Five Pillars are the core practices that Muslims regard as obligatory acts of worship: the shahada, a profession of faith; salah, prayer five times a day; zakat, giving alms; sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan; and hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Each is alluded to in the Quran, and the details come from the Hadith.
They run through a whole life. The shahada, "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God", is the sentence a person says to become a Muslim. By tradition it is the first thing said to a newborn and the last thing said to someone on their deathbed. Prayer happens at set times, facing Mecca. Zakat, which means purification, is usually about 2.5 percent of one's wealth, given to the community and people in need. The Ramadan fast lasts from dawn to sunset, with exemptions for children, the elderly, the sick and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
≈ 2.5%
The Hajj is required only once, and only for those physically and financially able. Millions of pilgrims converge on Mecca together, dressed in plain white cloth so that rich and poor look the same.
Two caveats. The famous list is above all Sunni; Shia Muslims hold the same practices as fundamental but classify them differently. And practice varies from person to person, as in every tradition: not every Muslim prays daily or makes the Hajj.
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Recap
Say, pray, give, fast, go: one sentence, five daily prayers, about 2.5% of wealth, a month of daytime fasting and one Hajj if you can.
Surprising fact · By tradition the shahada is the first sentence a Muslim newborn hears and the last one said at their deathbed.
Sources (2)
No source, no claim. Every fact in this lesson (19 claims) cites at least one of these.