Pillars

Audio transcript:

>>STEVE ST. GEORGE: Hello. I'm Steve St. George. And this is your crash course in Islam. Today, the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of the entire faith. Without the pillars, there is no Islam. The pillars include the profession of faith. There is no god but God. And Mohammed is his messenger. It is considered by many scholars the most important of the five. Prayer is also considered a pillar. It is intended to focus a Muslims mind on Allah and is practiced five times a day, the giving of alms, Zakat, is another important pillar. Although only those who have the means to give must. Observing the month of Ramadan in which Muslims fast from sunup to sundown is the fourth pillar. And the fifth is the Hajj, the once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca Muslims are expected to make if they can afford it. These five are the most widely observed and recognized pillars of Islam. There are some who think a sixth, jihad, should be added. And there are other groups who think that there should be as many as seven. But the majority of Muslims live their lives within the framework of the five pillars.

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