The Five Pillars of Islam

PRAYER - Muslims pray five times a day. In an area with many Muslims, an official caller (the muezzin) calls people to prayer from a minaret of the mosque. Inside the mosque, Muslims perform a ritual cleansing before they begin to pray. Although it is preferable to pray in a mosque, prayers can be said anywhere. However, the person must pray facing the direction of Mecca. There are specific times each day that Muslims pray:

FASTING - Every year during Ramadan (the ninth month in the Muslim calendar), Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. This means that they do not eat or drink during that time period. Fasting is seen as a way to purify oneself. Fasting allows Muslims to concentrate more on their religious practices during this time. Children do not begin to fast until they are teenagers. Soldiers during battle, pregnant women, and the sick are not required to fast. The last day of Ramadan is celebrated by feasting.

PILGRIMAGE - The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is called the hajj. It occurs in the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. Muslims are expected to perform this pilgrimage at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are in good health. During the five-day-long hajj, certain rituals are performed. These include wearing special clothes that symbolize unity and walking together around the Kaaba. Pilgrims also go to the plain of Arafat, where they stand and are “alone with God.”