First Pillar - SHAHADAH (Testimony of Faith): The first duty of a Muslim is to declare that Allah is One and Muhammad (PBUH) is his slave and messanger. Bearing witness to this declaration is called Shahadah. This statement must be declared publicly by uttering the Kalimah - 'La ilaha il Allah, Muhammadur-rasul Allah' which means 'There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'.
Second Pillar - SALAH (5 Daily Prayers): Salat is obligatory worship and must be performed five times a day at prescribed times. These five times are dawn (Fajr), immediately after noon (Dhuhr), mid-afternoon (Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and early night (Isha). Salah is offered to remember & thank Allah, to be close to him, and to gain his favour. It trains muslims to do good things and give up bad things. Salah can be performed individually or in a group.
Third Pillar - ZAKAH (Alms Giving): Zakah is defined as that portion of a man's wealth which is reserved by Allah for the poor. Hence, Zakah is NOT a voluntary charity. It is a DUTY to Allah and is a compulsary payment. Zakah was made compulsary on the first of Ramadhan in the second year of the Hijrah - 2 AH. Zakah literally means
By paying Zakah, one learns to share his wealth with those who are less fortunate. Zakah purifies the wealth of the giver and clears his heart from being greedy & selfish. Zakah is to be paid once a year at a rate of 2.5 percent of the excess wealth possessed for a year.
Fourth Pillar - SAWM (Fasting in Ramadan): The Arabic word for fasting is "Sawm" - meaning to stop or abstain. A fast then means that one refrains from eating, drinking and other physical things (all those things that are otherwise allowed) from dawn to sunset. Sawn is obligatory on every muslim (who is healthy & sane) during Ramadhan (the ninth month of the Islamic calender)...more
Fifth Pillar - HAJJ (Pilgrimage to Makkah): Hajj is often referred to as a visit to Al-Ka'bah, the house of Allah, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is obligatory on a muslim to perform Haj atleast once in his/her lifetime, provided he/she has the physical ability and financial means to perform it. Hajj is performed in the month of Dhul Hijjah (12th month of the Islamic calender).