The first of the pillars, Shahadah, is a profession of faith, typically recited in Arabic. When translated to English, it comes out to –“I profess that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
The second of the pillars, Salah, is the daily prayer of Islam. Salah consists of five prayers, Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha’a, which are said at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening, respectively. All prayers must be directed towards Mecca.
The third of the pillars, Zakat, is the practice of alms-giving, or making charitable donations. Muslims consider it a personal responsibility to ease the economic hardships of others and eliminate inequalities.
The fourth of the pillars, Sawm, is fasting, which is an obligation during the month of Ramadan. Unless it would be considered dangerous, Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercorse drom dawn until dusk. They must also be extra mindful of other sins.
The fifth and last of the pillars, Hajj, is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that all Muslims must go on at least once in their lifetime so long as they’re able, financially and/or physically, to make the trip.
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