If someone, to whom the recommendations of Muhammad (saw) is offered, chooses to accept and confirm Islam, they must be able to accept the following, after understanding the system that I have been explaining thus far.

“There are no gods on earth or in the heavens, there is only Allah, who created the universe from nothing and gave form to every unit of existence, and equipped them with countless qualities, and through them He manifests the meanings He wills.”

This acceptance brings us to the “Word of Unity” which is basically accepting and confirming Islam as explained above via a solid claim.

The person says:

 “Ash hadu an la ilaha illallah” i.e. “I witness that there is no god, only Allah”

How does one “witness?”

Not with my eyes but with my insight, comprehension, discernment I witness and see, observe and understand that…. in every iota of existence there is only One Absolute Power that is administrating, only One existence, who is Allah, and none besides Allah exists!

“Wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan Abduhu wa RasuluHU” i.e. As a result of this observation, I witness and confirm that Muhammad is the servant and the Rasul of Allah. 

He is the servant and fulfills his servitude by manifesting the meanings Allah wishes to disclose through him…

Additionally, in this claim there is an implicit pointing to Muhammad’s (saw) claim, “I take pride in my poverty!” through which he admits his “nothingness” in the sight of Allah!

The word “poverty” (faqr) here has nothing to do with material poverty. Absolute conscious servitude can only be fulfilled though “FAQR”!

He is the Rasul; he delivers to us the truths of the System and the Ruling of Allah and enables us to acquire the knowledge that Allah wills for us to have access to. I witness this!

This is the first primary pillar and condition of Islam.

If the word of unity is the first pillar of Islam, what are the other four pillars?

This brings us to another important point!

We have been inadvertently and unconsciously conditioned to believe there are 5 pillars.

The truth is the pillars of Islam are not five! After the Word of Unity, there are 54 conditions (fards; obligatory acts) …

NOWHERE IN THE QURAN DOES IT STATE THAT THE PILLARS OF ISLAM ARE FIVE!

The Quran talks about 54 extremely important obligations that are mandatory upon the believers, obligations which, if we don’t adhere to we will end up in great loss, and the first four of these are salat, fasting, pilgrimage and almsgiving!

Beyond these, there are many other obligatory acts such as not engaging in gossip, not consuming alcohol, not gambling, not committing adultery, not stealing, not taking the share of an orphan, etc.… All 54 of these are among the pillars and conditions of Islam. 

Having clarified this, let us now move on to the topic of salat…