The Five Pillars duties of Islam

All Muslims are expected to practise the following five main religious practices. They are called as the five pillars or the five duties of Islam.

1. The Recital of creed (Shahadah): This is the recitation of the creed – “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the prophet of God”. A new convert has to recite this creed while joining Islam. The Muslim is expected to say this aloud several times in a day and with conviction.
2. Prayer (Salat): All Muslim men and women above the age of ten are expected to say prayers (Salat) five times a day. This prayer can be said either alone or in a congregation in a Mosque. Before the prayer a Muslim must ceremonially cleanse his face, arms, hands, ankles and feet with clean water by repeating the name Allah, the Beneficent and the Merciful. While worshipping, he must recite in Arabic, the first Sura of Quran or other selections from Quran facing Kaaba in Mecca.

Usually the call for prayer is sounded by the Muezzin (the Muslim crier) from the mosque by saying ‘God is the greatest, I bear witness that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to security. God is the greatest”. While praying the Muslim must adopt eight set postures called Raka. The Muslim stands for the first three acts, then bows down for the fourth act and stands for the fifth one. Then he kneels, his forehead touching the ground, kneels up, bows down to the ground again and then kneels again. After completing these eight separate acts of devotion he says, ‘peace be upon you and the mercy of God’. He has to pray two Rakas early in the morning, four Rakas at noon, three just after sunset and four Rakas after sunset before retiring to bed.

1. Fasting (Saum): Fasting is abstaining from food, drink, smoking and sexual intercourse for a Muslim. In the month of Ramadan, he fasts for thirty days from dawn to sunset. This fasting is compulsory for all men, women and children above the age of ten. Only sick, old and weak persons are exempted from fasting. The fasting for Muslim is not eating food or drinking anything throughout the day. On a fasting day, he rises early in the morning and eats breakfast before sunrise and has the next meal only after sunset. This fasting is to conquer his physical desires.
2. Alms giving (Zakat): A Muslim must give one fortieth of his income to the poor or religious causes. He is also expected to give free will offering (Zaquah) as a voluntary giving.
3. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj): The pilgrimage to Mecca is a requirement for all Muslims once in their lifetime. It is believed that this trip helps them to attain salvation. In Mecca they ask for forgiveness and perform certain rituals like walking around Kaaba seven times, stoning the devil, saying the prayers at the ‘Station of Abraham’ and drinking water from the well of Zamzam (in memory of Hagar and Ishmael). The basis for the pilgrimage is the great sacrifice of Ishmael being sent out. 

Now Holy war (Jihad) is added as the sixth pillar. Jihad is the religious war to defeat the infidels and spread Islam. It is believed that those who die in Jihad will go to heaven directly. This holy war was practised by Mohammed and Quran also supports holy war.