The spread of Islam all started sometime around the 4th or 5th century A.D. when Elijah Muhammad (who is known as the last prophet) had a vision. In this time period, centuries ago, the spreading, practicing, or even any affiliation that went against the the religion that was already in place was strongly prohibited and persecuted. Upon breaching the laws of the current leader of his time, Muhammad was executed, not to be forgotten, however. Centuries after his assassination, through the teachings of Muhammad the spread of Islam has rapidly been accelerating and is currently the fastest growing religion today.
             In his teaching he outlined certain beliefs in which he thought were impertinent to one's life. These are known as the Five Pillars of Islam and are still recognized today by Muslims, those who practice the Islamic faith.
             Shahada is the Islamic term for the confession of faith. The shahada states "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." This Pillar introduces Muhammad who is said to be the last prophet. He was given images by Allah and was the man chosen to spread the words of Allah and the religion of Islam. All of what Allah told Muhammad in his visions is written in the Qur'an. The book Sayings of the Prophet are words from the Prophet.
             The next Pillar is prayer. Muslims pray five times daily: at sunrise, mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset, and before they sleep. Prayer time is a way to escape from the busy world and praise Allah. This is a very important practice for Muslims everyday.
             The third pillar is fasting. Muslims can fast when ever they feel it is personally important but one time every year all Muslims around the world fast; this is called Ramadan. Ramadan is a month out of the lunar year that Muslims do not eat, drink, smoke, etc. from sun-up to sun-down. This intense time lets Muslims focus energy on Allah and their beliefs.
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