These metaphorical “pillars” are upon which Muslims base their decisions and actions in life. To clearly understand Islam's fundamental philosophy of life, one must first know what these five pillars entail. The first pillar is called Shahada, which is the Muslim's declaration of faith and belief. The statement is a short phrase, which translates from Arabic to English as: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.” Then the second pillar is Salat, which is the pillar of worship. In Islam, daily prayers are very important. A Muslim is required by his religion to pray five times a day; at dawn, at noon, mid-afternoon, at sunset and finally in the evening. Devout Muslims also wash their hands and feet as a religious practice to symbolically purify themselves before prayers. (University of Calgary,