Database: Pillars of Islam
Today, Islam is widely understood to be based on five pillars—core beliefs and practices that are shared to some degree by every Muslim.
The first is monotheism and the assertion of it by the shahada, a declaration that "there is no God but God" and that "Muhammad is His Prophet". To become a Muslim, one simply has to recite this statement with conviction.
The second pillar is prayer, performed five times a day at set times. The prayer starts with ritual ablutions of the hands, faces and feet. Then, at the call of a muezzin (caller), Muslims turn towards Mecca and recite verses of the Quran either out loud or silently, while adopting a series of set positions. They can pray anywhere but should attend, if they can, a public prayer every Friday in a mosque to experience a feeling of fellowship.
The third is almsgiving of a set amount of one's wealth in order to support less fortunate members of the community. The fourth is fasting from the first to the last light of the day during the holy month of Ramadan. It is considered a period of introspection on one's real needs and of openness to and compassion for the less fortunate.
Finally, every Muslim who can should make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life, dressing in the same humble white clothes as their fellow pilgrims to emphasize everyone's equality.
The "Five Pillares" are alluded to in the Quran and in anecdotes about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. However, the details of their application have evolved over time, giving way to small differences in the practice of Islam between various Muslim groups.