5 (number)

:This article discusses the number five. For the year 5 AD, see 5. For other uses of 5, see 5 (disambiguation)

In various cultures

• There are five basic "pillars" of Islam.
• Muslims pray to Allah five times a day (Muhammad was said to have bargained it down with Allah from fifty).
• According to the Maya mythology, we are now living in the Fifth World.
• In East Asian tradition, there are five elements (water, fire, earth, wood and metal). The Japanese names for the days of the week Tuesday through Saturday come from these elements via the identification of the elements with the five planets visible with the naked eye.
• In some cultures there are five cardinal directions, including the center.
• In Cantonese, five sounds like the word "not" (symbol 唔). So when five appears in front of a lucky number, e.g. 58, the result is considered unlucky.
• According to eastern mysticism human beings are made of five elements water, earth, air, fire and aether (also called "ether"). These five elements are also referred to as "Pancha Tatva".