The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of Muslim life and outline the duties required of a Muslim. The pillars include shahada (faith), salat (prayer), zakat (charity), sawm (fasting), and hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). As Muslims carry out their duties through the Five Pillars it connects them to Allah every day and creates the foundation of Islam as the center of life. The Five Pillars are important to Islam because it builds, connects, and unifies the Islamic society by strengthening their faith to Allah.
Of the Five Pillars, the first is shahada, the profession of faith that states, “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger” (Mohammad, 278). By saying this everyday it reiterates that Muhammad was just a prophet, messenger of God, and that there is only one God, Allah. This strengthens the faith,
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The next pillar is salat, daily prayer. Muslims are required to pray five times a day towards Mecca. Before the prayer they prepare themselves by washing their hands and feet through a ritual purification called wudu (Mohammad, 279). The prayers serve as a reminder of how important faith and the practice is to Muslim’s daily life. By requiring prayer every day, it reminds Muslims throughout the day to do good and thank Allah. The third pillar is zakat or charity; which states Muslims are to share their wealth with those they identify in need among their community of believers (Ibrahim). This helps close the wealth gap in the Islam community to try and get closer to everyone living equally. By giving to the needy it lessens the value of money and material items. The fourth pillar is sawn, which requires fasting on Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and having sex from sunrise to dusk to learn Taqwa, God-consciousness (Macaulay-Lewis). This teaches through first-hand experience what it is like be