Five pillars of faith

     In Islam there are five basic acts that are mandatory for believers. These are called the five pillars of faith and they are:
The faith or belief in the oneness of god and the certainty of Mohammed being a prophet.
The salah or daily prayer.
Concern for the donation to the needy.
Fasting for self purification.
The pilgrimage to mecca for those able to.


     Iman is the declaration of faith. Salah is the prayer that is performed five times a day And can be done anywhere if not with a congregation. Zakah is charity where one fortieth of a persons capital is donated. The charity also means to share good intent and wisdom. Swam is the act of fasting which occurs every year in the month of Ramadan. It is a method of self purification and self restraint tjat brings your focus closer to god. Finally the Hajj is the pilgrimage to mecca. This pillar is only for those who are physically and financially able to do so. Pilgrims wear special cloths as to not distinguish themselves and to stand equal to all before god. The tradition has pilgrims move around the Ka'bah seven times and between the Safa and Marwa hills seven times. They later stand for prayer for gods forgiveness on the plains of 'Arafat.
     At one point in earlier ages there was a sixth pillar of faith called Jihad. This was the war against non-believers of Allah and Mohammad. This is part of what cause the struggle with the western European powers in the early 1000s.