Islam Muslim Practices

Essentials of Islam

• Islam means “surrender” or “submission” – Indicating

wholehearted surrender to God

• Muslim means “one who submits” to God (Allah)– Expressed during

worship-prostration of the entire body during prayer indicates a belief in divine power and the believer’s submission to it

Theology • Islam worship the same God Jews and Christians worship• Muslims refer to God as Allah• The word is a contraction of al (“the”) and ilah (“God”)• Muslims explain that the word Allah is not the name of God- it simply

means “God”• It is said that God has 99 names

– Merciful, just, compassionate • Even though God is referred as a male, God has no gender

VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

• Essentially good• People “forget” and

that’s why they sin– Came from the fall

in the Garden of Eden

– Therefore pray 5 x daily in order to remember

• Human destiny is dependent on the struggle (jihad) for goodness– Reward for

goodness – Heaven

– Punishment for forgetfulness – Hell

Umma • Umma = Islamic community

– The Umma bases its laws and lifestyle on the teachings from the Koran

• Sufism: Religious movement– Aka Sufis

• Sufism derives from the Arabic word suf= wool– Because early Sufis wore a simple robe

made of common wool• Sufi belief:

– Believe that the highest experience a person can have is a direct experience of God

– An individual can experience God face to face on earth

– Sufis have spoken about the sense of loss of self that occurs in mystical experience through dance or meditation

– This sense of loss of self is called fana or al-fana meaning extinction

Sufis cont. • Sufi practice:

– Deep regular breathing during meditation

– Repetition of the 99 names of Allah

• Sometimes counted on a rosary, to enable a constant remembrance of God

– Dancing • Wear a special dress code

• Sufi Shaykh– A teacher– Leads his disciples through a

variety of spiritual disciplines to help them achieve union with God

• Sufism video clip: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo5

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Mosque • Mosque refers to a space for prostration• Its design is simple• Has one formal entry to the compound

– where shoes are to be taken off and left outside

• There is at least one fountain for purification

• There is a high pulpit indoors or outdoors for sermons

• worshipers stand and prostrate themselves in rows

• Mihrab- is a special arched niche that indicates the direction of Mecca- Muslims pray facing Mecca

• The floor is usually covered with rugs or mats

Mosque cont.

• Outdoors there is usually a minaret– a tall tower or two towers at the

corners of the mosque where prayer is called

• a muezzin– calls out from the top of a tower

for prayer– The muezzin’s call to prayer

begins with Allahu akbar (“God is supreme”)

– Nowadays, recordings of the call to prayer are often played over loudspeakers

Marriage • Marriage

– Arranged by parents and formalized by a written contract

– The bridegroom’s family makes an offer of money or property to the family of the bride as a part of the contract

– The marriage ceremony is held at home

• It consists of signing the contract

• A passage from the Qur’an might be read

• There is usually a feast following the signing of the contract

MARRIAGE, CONT.

– Multiple wives (polygamy) – no more than 4 permitted• Must be treated equally

• Not allowed in western countries with monogamous marriage laws

Female roles

• In some societies, a woman must be veiled when she goes out of the house

• She allows only her husband and relatives to see her face

– In most places it is a choice, not in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran

• Women are expected to socialize only with female friends and relatives

• Women may work as nurses, doctors, and teachers

Female dress code: veiled options

1. Burqa- covers the entire body, with mesh over the eyes

2. Niqab- covers the entire body, with a thin slit for the eyes

3. Chador- covers the body and leaves the face bare

4. Hijab- covers the hair and neck

Male dress code• Kufi cap- skull cap

– Usually worn during prayer

– Humility before God

• Men’s Jeleba

Circumcision

• Male circumcision is required • Is the sign of the Covenant between God and Abraham• Ishmael and Isaac were circumcised

– Boy are circumcised at the age of 7 or 8 years old– Muhammad was circumcised

Prohibition: image making• The prohibition against the

making of images has been observed in Islam, but there are at a few exceptions:

• One: Muhammad’s Night Journey. However, Muhammad’s face often appears as a ghostly blank space.

• Another exception: Pilgrims who return successfully from Mecca make a picture of their pilgrimage and place it outside the house, near the front door, where it cannot be missed.

Death rituals • Prayers from the Qur’an are

recited for the dying person• After death, the body is

buried in a plain white shroud– If the deceased is a male who

has made the pilgrimage, he will wear the robe he wore in Mecca

• The face of the decease is turned toward Mecca at the burial

• The headstone is usually an undecorated stone marker- signifies equality of all people in death