About Faith ... 
Faith, or belief, includes all that of which we have to believe in. In Islam, believing that "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His Messenger," describes, in short, the true meaning of the faith within the religion. For this reason, Islam requires the observation and belief in this meaning. 

About Islam ... 
The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said that Islam is built based upon five pillars: They are (1) the shahada (Islamic creed), (2) daily prayers (salah), (3) almsgiving (zakat), (4) fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime.

About coming closer to Allah ... 
Though physical aspects of the religion are required in Islam (i.e praying, fasting, going to Hajj), this does not exclude the fact that spiritual practices are just as important in attaining the love of Allah and His Prophet (pbuh), if not more. 

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