What are the five pillars of Islam?

Islam basics Quran · 1 Hadith · 2

Short answer

The five pillars are the main acts of worship that every Muslim does: the declaration of faith (shahada), the five daily prayers (salah), giving charity (zakat), fasting in Ramadan (sawm) and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) once in a lifetime for those who are able.

The fuller answer

The shahada is to say, and believe, that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His messenger. Prayer is performed five times a day at set times. Zakat is a yearly charity of 2.5% of savings above a minimum, given to those in need. Fasting means no food, drink or marital relations from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan.

Hajj is the pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca, required once if a person has the health and the money for it. The Prophet ﷺ compared Islam to a building resting on these five pillars. They are the framework of a Muslim's practice, and good character and good deeds fill the rest of the building.

From the Quran

۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ﴿١٧٧﴾

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.

From the Sunnah

The authentic hadith behind this answer, from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and the Sunan with the grade of the scholars of hadith. Open a reference to read it in the hadith library of this site.

1 Sahih al-Bukhari 8 Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

2 Sahih Muslim 16a Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، - يَعْنِي سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ حَيَّانَ الأَحْمَرَ - عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسَةٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُوَحَّدَ اللَّهُ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَصِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ وَالْحَجِّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ الْحَجِّ وَصِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ لاَ ‏.‏ صِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ وَالْحَجِّ ‏.‏ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.