Five Pillars of Islam

1. Five Pillars of Islam • Five acts of worship required by all Muslims. 1. A statement of faith. Muslims must state their faith by saying, “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.” 2. Praying five times a day; before sunrise, midday, late afternoon, right after sunset, and before going to bed. 3. A yearly donation to charity. 4. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. 5. A pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives.

2. ABU BAKR • First Caliph to rule Islam after Muhammad’s death. • Was a political and military leader, not a religious leader. • Directed a series of battles against Arab tribes that did not follow Muhammad’s teachings.

3. ARCHITECTURE • One of the most important Muslim art forms. • Mosques • A building for Muslim prayer. • They are thought to be one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Muslim empires. • Rulers used their wealth to pay for fancy decorated mosques. • Many have a dome and a minaret (narrow tower from which Muslims are called to prayer). • Some have many domes and many minarets, usually in major cities. • Palaces, marketplaces, and libraries. • Many of these structures have complicated domes and arches, colored bricks, and decorated tiles.

4. SPREAD OF ISLAM In the 7th and 8th centuries the religion of Islam spread through conversion and military conquest throughout the Middle East and North Africa. By 733, just 100 years after the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, an ordered Islamic state stretched from India in the east to Spain in the west.