These form the basic framework of a Muslim’s life;

Shahaadah: The testimony that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah.

Salah: Prayer five times a day.

Zakah: Annual alms-giving to support the needy.

Sawm: Fasting from dawn to sunset daily during the month of Ramadan, annually.

Hajj: the pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a lifetime, if one is physically able and can afford it financially.

TO BECOME A MUSLIM – you verbally declare and believe firmly in the heart, the shahaadah, the words of which translate into English as, “I testify that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

When a person becomes a Muslim, his/her previous sins are wiped out, and the new Muslim starts at the point of the shahaadah, with a fresh, clean slate. Islam is for everyone, regardless of nationality, race, or any other factor.