The Prophet ﷺ summarised Islam around five foundational acts: the testimony of faith, Salah, Zakah, fasting Ramadan and Hajj. These are commonly known as the Five Pillars of Islam.
1. Shahadah — testimony of faith
Transliteration: Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūl Allāh.
Meaning: I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The Shahadah expresses Islam’s central belief in worshipping Allah alone and accepting Muhammad ﷺ as His Messenger.
2. Salah — prayer
Muslims perform five obligatory prayers each day: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
“Indeed, prayer should deter one from indecency and wickedness.” (Qur’an 29:45)
The Prophet ﷺ gave a severe warning about abandoning prayer: “Between a person and shirk and kufr is abandoning the prayer.” The detailed legal ruling on a person who abandons Salah has been discussed differently by Sunni jurists, so this site does not turn the hadith into a casual judgement on individuals.
3. Sawm — fasting Ramadan
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from true dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink and marital relations while striving for taqwa and good conduct.
4. Zakah — obligatory charity
Zakah is an obligatory form of charity on qualifying forms of wealth when its conditions are met. A rate of 2.5% applies to many common monetary and trade assets held for a lunar year above the nisab, but not to every possession or every kind of wealth. Zakah rules vary by asset type.
5. Hajj — pilgrimage
Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah required once in a lifetime for a Muslim who is physically and financially able to undertake it. It includes prescribed rites performed during Dhul-Hijjah and expresses worship, remembrance and Muslim unity.
Keep the pillars connected
The Five Pillars are not isolated tasks. The Shahadah establishes faith, Salah structures daily worship, Zakah purifies qualifying wealth, Ramadan fasting develops taqwa, and Hajj gathers the believer into a once-in-a-lifetime act of worship when able.