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Pillars of Islam
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Pillars of Islam

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Also known as: Arkān al-Islām, Five Pillars of Islam
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Arabic:
Arkān al-Islām

Pillars of Islam, the five duties incumbent on every Muslim: shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith; ṣalāt, or prayer, performed in a prescribed manner five times each day; zakāt, the alms tax levied to benefit the poor and the needy; ṣawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan; and hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca, if financial and physical conditions permit.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.