Islam can be said to be based on the Five Pillars of Islam. They are:

and they are:

Shahada - The Muslim declaration of faith

The first and most important part of a Muslim's faith is the declaration: 'There is only one God and Muhammad is his Prophet'. These are the first words a newborn Muslim baby will hear and the last a Muslim will speak (if he is able) before he dies. If a dying Muslim is unable to say the words, someone else present will do so for them. The declaration is also part of the call to prayer which the Muezzin sings from the top of the Minaret of a Mosque.

Salah - Prayer five times a day

Muslims must pray five times each day, no matter where they are or (with some exceptions) what they are doing. In exceptional circumstances, prayers can be missed but they must be made up afterwards. When neccesary, prayers can be said anywhere, although preferably in a clean place and ideally in a Mosque. Prayers are said in the early morning, midday, mid-afternoon, dusk and before retiring to sleep. A Muslim must prepare for prayer. This includes being spiritually ready and 'Wudu' - ritual washing.

The obligatory daily prayers consist of two or more Rakah 's. A Rakah is a set pattern of positions (e.g. standing, kneeling, prostrating). In each position, specified words are said, including portions of the Qur'an. At a certain point in each Rakah, a Muslim can say his own private supplications - these are called Du'a.

Zakah - Almsgiving: Giving money to charity

Muslims give a proportion of their income to help needy Muslims. Every year, after deducting the cost of essentials such as food and clothing, 2½ per cent of a Muslim's remaining income, property and possessions should be given to charity. The rules for working it out exactly are complicated!

In some Islamic countries, the government collects and distributes Zakah whilst on others it is regarded as a private rather than state matter. Muslims believe that not giving alms is cheating Allah - who will know about it. Zakah is regarded as an offering to Allah - an act of worship in itself. Some Muslims give more to charity than is required and this is called Sadaqah .

Muslims prefer the term 'poor due' rather than 'charity' as this emphasises that it is a duty to give it. The poor have a right to receive it and should not refuse it when offered - this would be a display of pride and at odds with Islams concept of humility. Zakah is distributed to poor families, Muslim students and some Islamic organisations in need of funds.

The word Zakah means 'purification and Islam teaches that giving some your wealth away in this manner helps to purify one of greed and selfishness. It also aims to purify society by reducing the divisions between rich and poor.

Saum - Fasting from dawn to dusk during the Islamic month of Ramadan

From sunrise to sunset during the Muslim month of Ramadan, a Muslim may not eat or drink.

Fasting is a sign that a Muslim has submitted to Allah. It also signifies that Islam is the most important thing in a Muslim's life - more important than eating and drinking. During Ramadan, a Muslim will try especially hard to live a good life according to Islam. Muslims believe that experiencing this hardship teaches them patience and that, just because things are difficult, one should not give up. The period of fasting finishes when the new moon is observed at the end of Ramadan.

Hajj - The pilgrimage to the Holy City of Makkah

To make the Hajj is the dream of most Muslims. Many will save for a long time in order to collect the money to make the pilgrimage. Up to two million Muslims make the pilgrimage every year. It occurs between the 8th and 13th days of the month of Dhu'l Hijjah, the last of the Islamic calendar.

All male pilgrims wear the same clothes - two sheets of white cotton. Women wear a extra piece of cloth over their everyday clothes and head although their faces and hands must be uncovered. This makes all pilgrims look alike and is a sign that everybody is equal before Allah.

The Hajj celebrates three things:

The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam. The word itself is of Syraic origin from the word qeryaanaa - scriptural reading. It is written in Arabic and is believed to be unchanged since it was first written down about 1400 years ago.

It is divided into 114 chapters ('Surahs' in Arabic).