Five pillars of Islam To follow the right path in the Islamic religion, its followers, Muslims, are required to practice its five pillars, or duties. Each of these duties is mentioned in the Quran; however, scholars have found a more detailed explanation in the Hadith. The five pillars are saying the Shahada, prayer, zakat, participating in fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca. The first of the five duties is to pronounce the Shahada, a phrase that declares the follower's faith. The phrase is: “There is no god but God and Muhammad is His messenger.” This phrase is used in the daily lives of followers of Islam, because it illustrates the central beliefs in the Islamic faith. The second ritual duty is prayer. Muslims are obliged to pray five times a day. Prayer meetings must take place at pre-established times of the day and following appropriate procedures. These designated times are sunrise, noon, afternoon, evening, and sunset. Before prayer begins, followers of Islam must purify themselves both physically and mentally to achieve the purity necessary to engage in prayer. Prayer must also follow a cycle. Takbir is the first step of the cycle. This passage is the opening sutra, meaning the follower says "Allahu akbar", which means "God is great". At this point the worshiper will perform four postures, standing, bowing, postulating and sitting...