"There is no true god except Allah, and
that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

The requirements of this Testimony is the submission and declaration that Allah is the true God, and that all other deities are false, and are not capable of neither harming or benefiting, nor do they deserve to be worshipped.

Allah is also the Ruler who has a free hand in the disposal of the affairs of the universe. People must rule by His laws and commands.

It is only the Book of Allah to Whom men should refer their disputes and affairs. Any judicial decision other that Allah's is a decision based on ignorance or pre-Islamic era, which entails injustice and deviation. All legitimate rites of worship must be dedicated to Allah alone.

Among other requirements of the Testimony of Faith is that no one should bow down, or lower his head humbly to anyone, nor supplicate another human asking him to fulfill his needs, for only Allah is capable of fulfilling man's needs.

As for the requirements of the Testimony: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', it entails recognition of Muhammad as the true Messenger of Allah. This Testimony also attests to his veracity, trustworthiness and infallibility in everything that he related about Allah, the Exalted, about the past, the future, and the unseen world. Because everything he related is only revelation from Allah.

It is obligatory to obey his commands and to refrain from his prohibitions because obeying him is in fact obeying Allah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, is the one commissioned by Allah to convey His message, laws, and commands. Therefore, it is not permissible to disobey the Messenger, peace be upon him, for disobeying him means disobeying Allah.

Confessing the testimony of faith must be coupled with fulfilling its conditions:

1- Knowledge: which consists of recognizing Allah as the only true God to whom worship must be dedicated, and denouncing all gods worshipped beside all as false, and that they can neither extend benefit nor cause harm.

2- Certainty; that the belief in Allah must be unblemished with any doubt.

3- Acceptance; that is to accept all its conditions.

4- Submission; that is to fulfill its conditions submissively and willingly being content with Allah as the Rubb, and Muhammad, (Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as His Prophet and Messenger.

5- Truthfulness; that is to fulfill its requirements truthfully.

6- Sincerity; that is to be sincere in worshipping Allah, dedicating all acts of worship to Him alone.

7- The Love Of Allah; the Exalted, and the love of His Messenger, Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the love of Allah’s devotees and the people of His obedience.

As-Salah, or prayer is the second pillar of Islam. It begins with the purification of the body and ends with the purification of the soul. It is performed five times in the day and the night. Prayer may be considered as an energizing charge man needs whenever he tends to be heedless of the remembrance of his Rubb. In order to renew the contact with his Rubb, the first thing man starts off his day with, is prayer. The time of the first prayer of the day begins with the dawn and ends with the sunset. Having spent the first half of the day working, heedlessness is apt to befall man; by then the mid-day salah or prayer becomes due for which the Muslim renews purification, and his contact with his Rubb asking His help, mercy, and success throughout this life, and forgiveness in the Hereafter to efface his sins and errors. Thus man moves from one prayer to another until he meets with his Rubb. The Messenger, peace be upon him, said:

"Consider a river running by your door in which you wash yourself five times a day. Would that spare any soiled spot on your body? (His listeners) said: "Certainly not" He said: So do the five daily prayers with which Allah effaces the sins."

Performing prayer in the masjid helps Muslims maintain strong relation with one another in a brotherly atmosphere, and promotes among them love and mercy. Prayer deters reprehensible and evil deeds. It also helps the slave in all his affairs.

Allah says:

"And seek help through patience and prayer"

The Format of Salah (prayer):

Salah is an act of worship consisting of series of movements, and Qur'anic recitations. The performance of the five prescribed daily prayers is obligatory  beginning at the age of reason, which is deemed to be ten years. Each unit of salah is called rak'ah (pl. rak'at), Some prayers are performed silently in whole or in part; that is to say, the Fatihah, or the opening surah of the Qur'an and the chosen passage of the Qur'an are not recited in audible voice. Prayer is clearly the most important pillar after shahadah . Each unit of salah, called rak'ah (pl. rak'at). It is a daily act of worship. The performance of salah at five prescribed times daily is obligatory. The five prayers may be performed either individually or in congregation, but if in congregation, they are led by an imam who directs the ritual. At these five times a day there is an adthan , or a call to announce the time for prayer, and to summon Muslims to the masjid for prayer.

To perform prayer, the person must be in the sate of ritual purity conferred by the wudu’, or ablution. A prayer must be performed in a clean place, facing the qiblah, the direction of Makkah, a direction which is indicated in a masjid by a mihrab, or a notch in one of the masjid walls. The daily prayers are the following:

a) Salatul-Fajr, or dawn prayer, consisting of two supererogatory rak'aat followed by two obligatory rak'aat during which the Qur'anic passages are recited loudly. Its time is from dawn to sunrise.

b) Salat adth-Dhuhr, the noonday prayer; two rak'aat followed by another two supererogatory. Then four obligatory with quiet recitation, and then two more supererogatory rak'aat. It is performed after the moment the sun passes its zenith until the time of Asr.

c) Salat al-Asr, the late afternoon prayer, consists of only four obligatory rak'aat. with quiet recitation. It is performed when the shadow of a vertical stick becomes equal to the length of the stick until just before sunset.

d) Salat al-Maghrib prayer, consists of three obligatory rak'aat , the first two of which are recited in audible voice, while the third is recited quietly. The three obligatory rak'aat are followed by two supererogatory ones. This prayer may be performed as soon as the sun sinks below the horizon until the red glow disappears, but is best performed immediately after sunset.

e) Salat al-Isha', or night prayer. Its four rak'aat, the first two are recited in audible voice and the last two quietly. They are followed by two supererogatory rak'aat.  It is performed after the onset of night until the dawn, but are preferably performed before midnight. An additional two rak’aat followed by odd one, called witr may be prayed before going to sleep.

Besides the five prescribed daily prayer, there are also certain special congregational prayers that are in common observance. The most important of them is the Jum'ah, Friday congregational prayer performed in place of the normal noon prayer. It can only be performed in congregation following a khutbah, or preaching delivered by the imam. There are also special prayers for time of lunar or solar eclipse. Another prayer called Salatul-Istisqaa' time of drought, a two rak'at prayer supplicating Allah for rain. It is to be performed by the community in the open. Janazah, funeral prayer, is performed for the recently dead by the mourners and by anyone present in the masjid at the time. Salatul-Khawf, (prayer of fear), is performed in place of normal prayer in the battlefield. A-Eedain prayers, for the two annual festivals, the first al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Fasting month of Ramadhan and the al-Adh-ha, the sacrificial festival which marks the end of the Pilgrimage.

There are some fundamental requirements that must be observed in order that the prayer be accepted:

(1) Intention (An-niyyah), i.e., stating in mind what prayer service one proposes to perform.

(2) Sanctification (Takbiratul-al-ihram), i.e., pronouncing takbeer  [saying. “Allahu akbar”, whereby the worshipper cuts himself off from profane things for the period of prayer]

(3) Standing (Al-qiyam), i.e., taking up one’s position standing, facing the qiblah and ready for prayer.

(4) Recitation (Al-qira’ah), i.e., the recitation of the Fatihah (Surah 1) and some other portion from the Qur’an.

(5) Bowing (Ar-ruku’), i.e., bending the body so that the palms grab the knees.

(6) Prostration of obeisance (As-sujud), i.e., going down on hands and knees so that the forehead touches the praying place.

(7) Salutation (At-tasleem), which ends the formal prayer.

(8) Arrangement (At-tarteeb), i.e., performing all the above in proper sequence.

Prayer is one of the greatest pillars of Islam. It is the first act of worship about which man shall be questioned about on the Day of Reckoning. If Prayer of a Muslim is accepted by Allah, then the rest of man's good deeds are accepted too.

Zakah is the third pillar of Islam, means "purification". It is a financial act of worship, which is due on the wealth kept in possession for one year. A certain percentage is taken from every kind of property to be given out to the poor to enable them meet their needs. Zakah is levied annually on certain types of food, grain, cattle, and cash retained for one lunar calendar year to be given out to the poor, the needy, and other specified classes of people. The amount due varies according to different kinds of properties.

The Zakat fulfills the poor's needs, and purifies the donors from selfishness, a natural tendency in men.

Allah says:

"And you love wealth with exceeding love"

The Zakat augments the wealth. The Prophet, peace be upon him said: "Never will charity diminish the wealth, rather it augments it."

Thus the Zakat is a means of augmenting the wealth, and purifying the souls from miserliness, stinginess and selfishness. It is a manifestation of social mutual responsibility among the Muslims, that the wealthy among them may sympathize with the poor and the poor among them may love the wealthy.

After all, the zakat is an act of worship dedicated to Allah and a positive response to His command and a means of gaining His pleasure.

Fasting the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar) is the fourth pillar of Islam. All Muslims in normal health abstain from food, drink, and sexual enjoyment from dawn to sunset. Through fasting (Sawm) all aspects of worship become integrated, and the sense of obedience, and the will to observe is strengthened. Fasting is an act of worship, and a means of bringing man closer to Allah, refining the manners, self-restraint and setting the behavior aright. It is also a means of maintaining the fear of Allah.

Allah says:

"0, you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may attain piety."

Fasting is a beneficial act of worship that helps one who observes it to attain piety and humbleness and to share the feelings of the bereft and hungry in the community so as to be more benevolent and charitable.

Fasting was prescribed to previous nations too as a means of purification and help against life's inconveniences, because fasting requires patience, and patience is one of the strongest means for acquiring the happiness in the Hereafter.

Allah says:

"And seek Allah's help through perseverance and prayer"

Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the sacred sites in certain areas, each with its own special rites and ceremonies is an elaborate series of symbolic acts requiring several days for their accomplishment. It is performed at a particular period of the Islamic year at the, the Sacred Masjid (al-Masjid al-Haram) in Makkah, and in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, which are the places directly adjacent to Makkah. It is obligatory for those whose health and means permit it once in a lifetime. The Hajj rites take place during the Islamic or lunar months of Shawwal, Dthul-Qi'dah, and the first ten days of Dthu-Hijjah only.

This pillar has the same objectives like those of the other pillars of Islam. The Hajj trains self-restraint, endurance, resisting hunger, enduring patiently the hardship of the journey, leaving the family behind, and other desirous things. The Hajj like the Zakat, has a financial aspect. It also shares with the prayer many physical aspects such as Tawaf, Sa‘ee, and moving from one ritual site to another. It includes as well, the talbiyah, the dthikr and the like. Hence, the Hajj is an act of worship involving financial and physical aspects as well as those aspects related to prayer. Like congregational prayer, Hajj also is an occasion for congregating the Muslims in one place at one time, with one more distinction, that is, all Muslims then wear the same outfit regardless of their heterogeneity, home lands, tongues, or classes. The Hajj, in its general manifestation is a convention that comprises all groups of Muslims who come from different countries and from different descents to attend and participate in this great beneficial function. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, made his speech in Arafat conveying to the Muslims the message from his Rubb (God), calling on Allah to be his witness that he has indeed conveyed the Message. The Muslims have the best example in the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. The Hajj is performed in compliance to Allah's commands. When Ibraheem, peace be upon him, had completed erecting the Ka'bah, Allah commanded him to declare to the people: Allah has enjoined Hajj on you. Therefore perform it. Allah says: "And proclaim to mankind the Pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel coming by every distant track."

A Muslim who fulfills the five pillars of lslam believing that Allah is his Rubb (God), and Islam is his faith, and Muhammad is his Prophet and Messenger, and dies while upholding this belief, will eventually gain the pleasure of his Rubb, and admittance to Jannah. But if a person has fulfilled the pillars of Islam without faith, it would not benefit him nor would it deliver him from the punishment promised by his Rubb even though he appears to be a Muslim.