; Whereas Islam teaches that Allah has 99 names, with each one representing His characteristics, such as The Merciful or The Provider; Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convictions that promotes peace, equality, and social justice; Whereas Islam charges that governments should always be focused on equity, justice, and compassion; Whereas Islam teaches and upholds the equality of all people, regardless of race or social status, abolishing systems that are against it, including the caste system; Whereas the Quran speaks about tolerance between Muslims and non-Muslims; Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam; Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (prayer 5 times daily), zakat (give 2.5 percent of all earnings to charity), sawm (fasting in the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia); Whereas the 5 daily prayers are designed to remove any barriers between believers praying in congregations and help one refrain from committing sins; Whereas the obligatory charity is designed to purify a person from selfishness and encourages empathy to the poor; Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide; Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing followers of diverse backgrounds together in religious celebration; Whereas Islam explicitly teaches that there is no compulsion in religion, and one is free to practice or reject any religion; Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life; Whereas the major holidays that Muslims observe are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and on the 10th day of the final month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, respectively; Whereas Muslims follow the Islamic Lunar calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, wherein a new month is said to begin each time a new moon is sighted