The five pillars of islam

1.List the five pillars of Islam

Shahada (The Testimony of Faith)- The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.”  This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”  The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son.

Salah (Prayer) -Muslims perform five prayers a day.  Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform.  Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God.  There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper. 
Zakat (Support of the Needy) -All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.  The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’  Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ 

Sawm (Fasting the Month of Ramadan) -Every year in the month of Ramadan,all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.

Hajj (The Pilgrimage to Makkah) -The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it.  About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe.

2. From where did the pillars originate?

Muhammad was instructed by Allah, in 620 A.D., to follow the Five Pillars of Islam in the Seventh Paradise.

3. Describe one of the pillars in detail.

Sha'hadah - ( Declaration Of Faith ) - There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa Llah - 'there is no god except God'; ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God - wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa Llah: 'except God', the source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun rasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of God.' 

4. Compare the five pillars with similar activities in other religions.

Faith - other religions have this belief requirement
Fasting - Christianity has Lent and Judaism has Yom kippur fasting
Alms (charity) - I dont know if other religions put a rate but it is encouraged
Prayer - Christians and Jews have prayers to God but only Islam makes it obligatory to pray 5 times a day
Hajj (pilgrimage): Christianity had huge pilgrimage in the 4th century. While pilgrimage is not required for them, it is in Islam

5. How does American culture cause difficulties in fulfilling the pillars?

The five pillars of Islam could be practiced every where irrelevant to any culture or country conditions and whether the country majority people are Muslims or non Muslims

6.Are there peculiar ways different cultures or nationalities practice their faith?

Every culture has its own ways of doing things, yes. But all do the commandments in the Quran.