And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy.

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What is Islam, our non Muslim friends may ask? I hope this InshaAllah (God willing) clears up any doubts about this wonderful Religion and way of life of 1/4 or one quarter of the world’s population

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Islam is a way of life, try it.
Islam is a gift, accept it.
Islam is a journey, complete it.
Islam is a struggle, fight for it.
Islam is a goal, achieve it.
Islam is an opportunity, take it.
Islam is not for sinners, overcome it.
Islam is not a game, don’t play with it.
Islam is not a mystery, behold it.
Islam is not for cowards, face it.
Islam is not for the dead, live it.
Islam is a promise, fulfill it.
Islam is a duty, perform it.
Islam is a treasure (the Prayer), pray it.
Islam is a beautiful way of life, see it.
Islam has a message for you, hear it.
Islam is love , love it.

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The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: : اركان الدين) are the basis/foundation of Islam they are:

The shahadah, which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam: Ash-Hadu an Laa ilaha il Allah Wa Ash-Hadu ana Muhamadan RasulAllah, which is ‘I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to become muslim are required to recite this creed.

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Salah or prayer, is be performed five times a day. Each salah is done facing towards the Kaaba in Makkah. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. In many Muslim countries, reminders called Adhan
(call to prayer) are broadcast publicly from local mosques at the appropriate times. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Qur’an.

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Zakat, or alms-giving. This is the practice of giving based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion of 2.5% of wealth is spent to help the poor or needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. The zakat is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a “trust from God’s bounty”. The Qur’an and the hadith also suggest a Muslim give even more as an act of voluntary alms-giving (sadaqah).

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Sawm, or fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would constitute an undue burden. For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed fasts must be made up during the year before the next ramadan.

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The Hajj, which is the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is about ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in Ihram clothing, which consists of two white seamless sheets for men. Rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching the Black Stone, running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina. The pilgrim, or the in hajji, is honored in his or her community, although Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God instead of a means to gain social standing.