A Changed Lifestyle As a new convert to the Islam religion, my life has changed drastically due to the new standards and rules of Islam. The basis of the Islamic religion is the Five Pillars of Islam. These pillars are: the shahada, a profession that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet; the salat, prayer five times each day; zakat, almsgiving to the poor; sawn, fasting during the month of Ramadan; and hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Some of these pillars do not conflict with my daily routine as a college student, but others make interesting and sometimes difficult new additions to my schedule.
The first pillar, the shahada, is one that I have already completed. This pillar signifies the profession that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet. To become a part of the Islamic faith, I had to announce this belief publicly, in front of other Muslims.
English: A green version of http://commons.wikimed...
Stitched panorama of the Great Mosque of Kairouan ...
English: A picture of people performing (circumamb...The shahada was a very rewarding experience for me because I was able to profess my belief in front of others, and I came to realize that my conversion was the right choice. This was only the beginning of my newfound religion, and I continue to profess the shahada in each of my daily prayers. I feel that this is the most important part of the five pillars, because it illustrates the dedication and belief in the religion.
The second pillar of Islam is the salat, which has greatly conflicted with my daily schedule in a beneficial way. Although I believe that the salat is a very important part of the Islamic faith, it is very hard to incorporate it into my life. The salat is praying at specific times during the day- sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and early evening.