'Five pillars' are foundation of Islam
For many centuries now the internecine conflicts that plague the history of Islam and the West have ingrained misperceptions in Western minds. The question of what Muslims really believe and how they practice their faith has never been an important one to most people. However, after recent events, this attitude seems to be changing. The American conscience has awakened to the reality of the Muslim presence in America. To that end, I will attempt to outline the \five pillars"" of the Islamic faith, considered by most to be the major foundations of the Islamic identity.