The Five Pillars of Islam

 Profession of Faith (shahada). The belief that "There is no god but God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam. ...
 Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-
afternoon, sunset, and after dark. ...
 Alms (zakat). ...
 Fasting (sawm). ...
 Pilgrimage (hajj).

Muslims think of themselves as members of one family, called the Ummah. It's a family of all
Muslims, and not just of all Muslims around the world, but of all Muslims who ever existed.

Once a Muslim has accepted Allah as the one and only God, they have to establish a constant
link with God in their everyday lives - prayer is perhaps the best way to do that, and prayer is
the second Pillar of Islam.

If it's possible, a Muslim should pray five times a day, at set times, and facing Mecca. You can
pray almost anywhere.

In mosques men and women pray separately; in some mosques this is done with the men at the
front and the women behind, in other mosques there are separate rooms for men and women.

ramadan

f you're a Muslim it's not enough just to give money for the poor; you're expected to understand
what it feels like to be poor and hungry, and to go without food and drink.

So once a year, for a month called Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sunset;
abstaining from food, drink, sex, and smoking.

This fasting not only helps a Muslim understand the needy, it's a sort of ritual purification of
themselves.

Giving things up
It's not just at Ramadan that Muslims abstain. When you become a Muslim you have to give up
certain things like alcohol - khamr - and, of course, drugs for ever.

And Muslims don't go to places where alcohol is served - so if you want to discuss Islam with a
Muslim friend, the pub is not the place to suggest.
You'll find that Muslims manage to have just as good a time without them as most people do
with them - In fact they have a much better time.

Tobacco isn't banned in the Qur'an, but the Qur'anic principles suggest that smoking is not a
good thing