The Five Pillars of Islam

1) SHAHADA.

The testimony of faith will soon become the source of your guidance, and it will be the cement that will unite your entire life with Allah and His Messenger. There is no God but Allah, nothing worthy of worship except Him, nothing nor nobody can give or take away except what He has already prescribed for you. Converting to Islam is usually followed by great trials, and tremendous stress and anxiety. It may affect your work and your studies, and it may distance you from life-long friends and family members. These trial are meant to bring you closer to Allah and to develop a love towards His Messenger (peace be upon him) as you strive to learn more and understand better the new and bright life you have chosen for yourself. Rely upon Allah to help you work through your trials and hardships as you put your best effort forward. Remember that the Prophet, Allah's peace and blessing be upon him, went through even harder trials than you will ever go through, and so studying his life should be second only in importance to learning and understanding the Quran. His life will balance yours, the beauty of his character will beautify yours, and insha'Allah every aspect of his life will inspire you to become a better human being.

2) PRAYER

Praying five times a day, an obligation on all Muslims, becomes our personal communion with God and is the foundation of our daily life. Prayer becomes the medium through which we search for peace, for inspiration, for protection against sinning, repentance, among many other things. It is therefore of paramount importance that you learn how to pray properly.

The best way to learn how to pray is through the help of another Muslim.  Befriend a good practicing Muslim and ask him/her for help, but to get you started the following explanation should prove to be useful.  As we mentioned above it is our duty to Allah to pray five times a day.  Each prayer should be performed within the timeframes as described below, with the starting and ending times for each one being available at most mosques or better yet, on-line. 

	PRAYER	TIME FRAME
1	Morning Prayer (Fajr).Two rakahs	Begins about one hour and twenty minutes before sunrise and ends about ten minutes before sunrise. It is recited out loud
2	Noon Prayer (Zuhr). Four rakahs	Begins when the sun passes the meridian and ends about two and a half hours afterwards. It is recited in silence
3	Afternoon Prayer (Asr). Four rakahs	Begins from the time the noon prayer time ends and ends about 10 minutes before sunset. It is recited in silcence.
4	Sunset Prayer (Maghrib). Three rakahs	Begins soon after sunset and ends before darkness approaches. The first two rakahs are recited out loud, and the third is recited in silence.
5	Night Prayer (Isha). Four rakahs	Begins from the time the sunset prayer ends and extends till just before the morning prayer. The first two rakahs are recited out loud, and the last two recited in silence.

3) FASTING: THE MONTH OF RAMADAN

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and will fall in different times of the year as the Islamic months follow the lunar calendar. Fasting is obligatory on all Muslims during this month with the following exceptions:  young, sick, travelers on a journey and menstruating women.  Foster mothers and  pregnant women are also exempt from fasting if it will harm them or  their babies.   However all missed fasts should be made up.  

Through fasting you will gain enormous spiritual benefits.  The worship of Allah that consisted only of prayer and meditation now expands into the physical realm.  Your whole body is now united with your soul in the worshipping of our Creator and Sustainer, Allah.  But fasting also confers many physical benefits.  It cleanses our body of toxic compounds, rejuvenates our system, eradicates bad habits (like smoking), teaches self discipline. Fasting for thirty days may seem difficult, but gradually, insha Allah, you'll endure it with ease and patience with the help and company of your Muslim brothers and sisters and with the enormous rewards promised by Allah. 

Fasting begins at dawn and ends at sunset.  During this period, intake of liquid or solid food, smoking, and sex  is prohibited. A predawn meal (suhur) is usually taken before the fast begins and is highly recommended. The fast is broken as soon as the sunset prayer time comes in (maughrib) with healthy food and liquid (traditionally it is broken with dates, as the Prophet did) and should be done without any delay whatsoever. Precise timing for the start and finish of each fasting day can be obtained from the prayer timetables from the Mosques in your area.

4) ZAKAT (OBLIGATORY CHARITY)

Allah ordained every Muslim who possesses a certain amount of property  to pay the ‘Zakat’ (obligatory charity) annually out of their possessions. It is a purification of our wealth, immensely rewarded by Allah and brings economic balance in the society. It is usually 2.5 % of  our stored wealth.  Zakat is given usually during the month of Ramadan and is collected by many Mosques which then distribute it to the needy.  For precise calculation of  Zakat, contact  the Mosque nearest you to obtain a Zakat calculation Sheets.

5) PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)

The pilgrimage to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) is an obligation upon every Muslim and must be performed at least once in a life-time if physically and financially able.  This event takes place during the eleventh month of the Islamic Calendar and Muslims of all racial, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds congregate in one place,  as one big family, worshiping One Lord, praying one way, wearing One kind of garments.   Hajj is symbolic of the oneness of mankind in the eyes of our Creator,  Allah.  

If you are planning to go for Hajj, check the dates from the Islamic calendar.  Muslims in many Mosques undertake Hajj in groups.  Each group  is lead by an experienced Muslim who knows the various requirements and  procedures during Hajj.  It is advisable for a first timer or a new Muslim   to join one of these groups for guidance and support.  Advantage could  also be taken from various airlines and Mosques which provide complete  hajj packages which usually includes transportation, hotel accommodation  and guide.  Plan 4-6 months in advance before your Hajj trip.

Umrah, referred to as the minor pilgrimage, can be performed during any of other months of the year and is not obligatory