The Shahadah is the Muslim declaration of faith and the first Pillar of Islam. It expresses the belief that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. In order to become Muslim, a person simply has to declare the Shahadah in front of witnesses:

“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.“

The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:

Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah.

Salah is performed at specific times of day to remind Muslims of the importance of Allah in their life. Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day. These times include, but may not be limited to:  dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer includes a recitation of the opening chapter (sura) of the Qur’an, and is sometimes performed on a small rug or mat (sajjāda) used expressly for this purpose.

Find prayer rugs (sajjāda) here!

Zakat is the paying of alms or a charity tax to benefit others. Zakat is central to the Ummah, the worldwide community of Muslims. Zakat is also an act of ibadah (duty and worship). The payment of Zakat purifies the wealth that a Muslim has left so that no harm can come to them from it. Zakat is calculated as one fortieth of a Muslim’s income and savings after they have taken care of their families.

Fasting in Islam is a ritual act of worship and quite different from merely abstaining from food and drink. Rather, fasting in Islam calls for complete and total restraint to protect oneself from evil and wrongdoing:

“It is an armour,” declares the holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), “with which one protects oneself (Bukhari).”

The holy Quran was sent down to mankind during the holy month of Ramadan, a month of religious fasting. “Fasting is divided into two main categories: (1) the fard, or the obligatory fasting and (2) the tatawwu, or the voluntary fasting. The fard fasting comprises the Ramadhan fasting, the kafara, or the fasting of atonement, and the nadhr relating to the taking of a vow. The restraint from the animal instincts for food, drink and sex enables the attention of a man or a woman to be directed to higher and nobler aspects. Fasting in the light of Islam helps him or her overcome lust and thereby sets us at the mouth of the road leading to perfection — perfection to be achieved through prayers and penance, taqwa and tarawwih, contemplation and acts of charity, total restraint and abstinence from all evil acts and thoughts.” (The Daily Star)

Hajj is the Islamic annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the most ancient, most holy city in all of Islam. Hajj is a mandatory duty that each Muslim must complete at least once in their lifetime by all adults who are physically and financially capable.

As Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back (free of sin) as his mother bore him.”