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Introduction to Islam Introduction Islam is the world’s 2nd largest as well as the fastest growing religion. “Over 1 billion, or nearly one-fifth of the world’s population adhere to the faith of Islam, the youngest of the world’s great religions” (MPMF, p. 377.) It is important to note that Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham, as do the Jews and Christians. When Abraham’s wife Sarah could not have children he had a son by Hagar, his wife’s maid, named Ishmael. Arabs trace their ancestry back to Ishmael just as Jews trace their ancestry back to Abraham’s son through Sarah (who eventually conceived) named Isaac. Some people would trace the Jews and the Arab’s problems all the way back to these two half brothers! Islam is a monotheistic faith that believes surrendering to the will of God is the greatest human task. “The very heart of Islam is submission to the total will of Allah, or God. (Allah is not the name of a god, but simply means “The God” – the one and only God.) God’s will for humanity, Muslims believe, was most fully given in the Qur’an, the book revealed through the prophet Muhammad. The word Islam means “submission,” and the name tells us that the central idea of this faith is simply full and complete submission to the will of God. An adherent of the faith is called a Muslim, one who has made the submission” (MPMF, pp. 377378.) It is important to note right away that Islam is about God and his teaching, not Muhammad the Prophet of God. Muhammad is not worshipped or considered divine as Jesus is in Christianity. These messages were revealed to Muhammad by an angel. They were revealed over many years as an oral tradition for as long as Muhammad lived and led his people. These teachings and 1 revelations “were recorded by scribes after the Prophet’s death [and then] were compiled into the Qur’an, the book believed by Muslims to be the last and greatest Divine revelation to humanity, just as Muhammad is seen as the last and greatest in a line of prophets sent to restore the simple, primal religion of justice and pure monotheism” (MPMF, p. 430.) The Five Pillars There are a few religious duties that all Muslims agree to abide by as being standard. “The practice of Islam centers on what are commonly called its Five Pillars: reciting the creed that states that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet; praying five times daily; giving alms; keeping a fast during the month of Ramadan; and once in one’s life, if possible, making the pilgrimage to Mecca” (MPMF, p. 430.) Reciting the creed is what makes one officially a Muslim. There is not a formal baptism ceremony as in Christianity. By agreeing to submit one’s will to God, called Allah by Muhammad, one becomes a Muslim. The confession of faith is much like the Creed in Christianity. It is a simple statement of faith. It is a way of stating “this I hold to be true.” “The first of the five pillars is to say, “There is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the rasul (Prophet or messenger) of God.” (MPMF, p. 386.) While short and succinct it nevertheless has the power of implying “and therefore what God and the prophet of God require I will believe and do.” It is also a community statement. Like the Pledge of Allegiance before public events in the United States, it is a statement declaring one’s union with, and commitment to, the community. Praying five times a day is a way of consecrating all of our days to Allah. The prayers are not lengthy. It is not that you are supposed to spend hours in prayer and neglect your other duties, but it is a way to try and remember what is most important in one’s life. In a 2 traditional Islamic culture, everyone stops to worship. This makes it easier to pray at the five times a day that are required. In some countries the call to prayer is quite public. “On the streets of a Muslim country, the pervasive influence of the religion is felt, too. Five times a day – sunrise, noon, afternoon, just after sunset, at dark – a crier, called the muezzin (nowadays often replaced by a recording and a loud-speaker system), summons the faithful to prayer from the minaret, the tower attached to every mosque. His plaintive cry replaces the bells of Christendom. Then believers prostrate themselves in prayer in shops and homes, wherever they are, as well as in mosques” (MPMF, p. 377.) Muslims in America find ways to make this practice possible by praying during breaks at work and school, but it is much simpler to live in a society where everyone stops for the few minutes necessary for prayer. One takes time in prayer to renew the effort to submit one’s life to the will of Allah, which means recognizing God’s greatness in all of one’s affairs and in the community’s affairs as well. One does this joyfully because one wants to please Allah who has given life and all its blessings. “That is the central motif of Islam – the greatness of God alone. Because Allah is great and sovereign, the entire world and all the affairs of humankind belong only to him. For this reason, Islam does not lavishly embellish the religious sphere with rites and symbols and priesthood; if Allah is truly great, Islam says, he can be worshipped anywhere by anyone in the simple forms prescribed by the Qur’an and tradition. If God is truly sovereign, what he has commanded for all of society – law, ethics, government – is just as important as the religious commandments and inseparable from them. For this reason, Islam is experienced as a total and indivisible way of life (MPMF, p. 379.) Giving alms is a way of making sure that all people have their basic needs met. But spiritually it is a way of affirming the importance of the community. We are not separate and fully 3 independent. People need each other and as we will see, Islam places a great deal of emphasis on community. To give charity is fundamental to most of the religions of the world. “The third pillar is almsgiving. The fundamental obligation is to give a relatively small percentage of one’s wealth to the needy within the Muslim community on a regular basis; expanded, it covers good works and comradely attitudes in general, a helping hand and friendly smile for one’s neighbor. This pillar reaffirms the social and ethical dimensions of Islam” (MPMF, p. 386.) The idea behind charity is solidarity and a celebration of unity and oneness. The next pillar also has to do with community solidarity and selfcontrol. “The fourth pillar of Islam is the fast of Ramadan. Ramadan is a lunar month of about twenty-eight days in the Muslim calendar; during this period the faithful are neither to eat nor drink between daybreak and dark, but to give attention to prayer and religion” (MPMF, p. 387.) The fasting is an act of community because everyone is doing it together. You are all hungry and thirsty together, but then after the sun sets in the evening families join together for a meal. The month ends with a big celebration and feast, much like the American Thanksgiving, that is also a time of gathering together and joy. The fast during the month of Ramadan is a fairly difficult feat. One does not go without food or drink for all of that time, but food and drink (and sex and smoking for example) is very restricted so that one goes many hours without sustenance. The idea is to practice self-discipline and place the good things of life in their proper perspective and it is also a way of practicing solidarity with those who have less. Pilgrimage is the expectation that you will try to go to Mecca at least once in your life. If you are too poor or disabled or something like that there can be an exception when you don’t have to go. But in general you try to make this trip at least once. This trip is important for a number of reasons we will look at, but 4 it is also an event that creates and supports community, especially now that Islam attracts people to Mecca from all over the world. Finally there is the trip every Muslim is asked to make at least once in their life to Mecca. “The fifth pillar is one known to almost everyone who has heard anything about Islam: the pilgrimage to Mecca called the hajj” (MPMF, p. 387.) On an external level, the trip to Mecca is focused around a visit to the Ka’ba, which is connected to Abraham. “Abraham under God’s instructions built the cubical shrine at Mecca – the Ka’ba – with the help of Ishmael” (MPMF, p. 388.) It is believed to be the first structure dedicated to the Oneness of God, or in other words, monotheism. It is also a great community act as most pilgrims go at a time when more than a million fellow pilgrims join them. Everyone wears the same outfit and therefore there is a loss of rank, wealth and privilege. You might be standing next to a poor person or a princess. There are a bunch of ritual acts everyone performs together such as the circling around the Ka’ba a number of times and the visits you can make to other important holy sites and places involved with the early history of Islam. If you are familiar with the life story of Malcolm X or have read his autobiography you will realize how important an event it is to go on pilgrimage. Malcolm X was involved with the Black Muslims in the United States and really hated white folks for the most part. But he had an enlightening experience in Mecca where he saw white people, brown people, black people, etc. all worshipping Allah together in peace and harmony. This changed him and his ideas about how to change racism. Unfortunately he was killed shortly after his return to the United States. Islam quickly became not only a religion but also an empire. This happened much faster than it did in Christianity. Muslims ruled the Middle East, North Africa, parts of Europe (Spain), and their empire went all the way to India as well. During this time leaders 5 known as Caliphs ruled Islamic civilization. “During the Golden Age of the Caliphate, science, philosophy, and theology were extensively cultivated. Learned men not only preserved the best of classical thought but made important advances, which were finally transmitted to Europe” (MPMF, pp. 430-431.) It was contacts with Muslims, especially in Spain, that helped jump start European and Christian civilization once again. The knowledge of Aristotle, for example, had been lost in Europe until the Muslims brought their translations to Spain. Muslim “Schools” Shortly after the death of Muhammad there was confusion and argument about who was to succeed Muhammad as leader of Islam. This caused the first major division in Islam, although the division is much more political than theological. “Islam is divided into two main groups. Sunni Islam emphasizes the traditional path of Islamic life as interpreted by the consensus of scholars and the community. Shi’a Islam, while following the traditional path, also puts its faith in the authority of Imams who are Muhammad’s hereditary successors” (MPMF, p. 431.) For the most part, both types of Muslims believe and practice in the same way. For example, they share the same Five Pillars and join together on pilgrimage to Mecca. There is also another movement, but it consists of both Sunnis and Shi’as and concerns the way of the mystic. “Islamic mysticism, called Sufism in the West, focuses on the presence of the Divine oneness everywhere and offers paths to the attainment of union with God” (MPMF, p. 431.) Sufis sometimes, as with most mystical movements, have sometimes been a source of controversy and contention within the Muslim world. Islam is not meant to be a religion separate from a culture and society. Islam does not believe in the separation of church and state 6 (which is one source of conflict between Islam and the modern Western world.) A Muslim’s life is to be submitted entirely to God and this is best done in a culture that is geared toward this submission. Because everything is sacred and all of life is to be brought into harmony with this sacredness, secular government is seen as problematic. “It is deeply consistent with the basic premise of the faith – the absolute sovereignty of God over all situations and over every atom of the universe – that whenever feasible Muslims not only establish Muslim worship but create Muslim societies under Muslim rulers based on Qur’anic law. Modern conditions have often mandated reinterpretations of this ideal. But the Qur’an remains the fountainhead of the true law and true culture and a summons to submission in every area of life, the “secular” – political, economic, and family life – as well as such conventionally religious matters, as how one says prayers” (MPMF, p. 379.) Anyone familiar with psychology knows that great ideas like the oneness of God can lead people to believe that they have a special or unique relationship with God. This is the legitimate danger of prophets. That prophets may be real can be accepted on faith, but we also all know that there are serious problems with “false prophets” taking advantage of people. To avoid these problems of “spiritual materialism” Islam has instituted a series of rules that function much like the Jewish Torah. It becomes a way of life, a way of living out the unity that is spoken of in the Qur’an. “But the tradition has tried hard to combat the human proclivity to mix piety and egotism through the shari’a, or law. Islam makes the Qur’an not only a book of God’s self-revelation but also a source of practical regulations covering such matters as marriage, almsgiving, relations with non-Muslims, and punishment of criminals” (MPMF, p. 384.) To study the Qur’an is to realize that all of life falls under religious law and is one of the reasons that many Muslims prefer to live in a Muslim ruled state. 7 The Law has been added to over the years in much the way the Talmud was formed in Judaism. It allows people to find ways to apply God’s law in new situations and contexts. “Shari’a is the Qur’an as it is explicated and expanded by recognized jurists who depend in this process upon hadith, traditions based on extraQur’anic sayings and examples in the life of Muhammad” (MPMF, p. 384.) The Qur’an is the only scripture in Islam. But because Muhammad is so respected people pay a lot of attention to the way he lived his life and the things he said. These traditions are known as the hadith and it provides the first commentary upon the Qur’an. If the Qur’an is the direct words of Allah, then hadith is the direct words and stories about Muhammad. Muhammad While it is true that Muhammad is not seen as divine and he is not worshipped, it is also true to say that without Mohammad there would be no Islam. “At the core of Islam lies the experience and faith of Muhammad (570-632) himself”(MPMF, p. 379.) Who was this man who lived in Mecca (located in modern Saudi Arabia) so long ago? Muhammad was born into a merchant family and became a camel driver concerned with trade and the caravans across the deserts. The people of Mecca were polytheistic and had many different gods and goddesses. Mecca was a city that had a central holy spot that was considered a place of peace where people had to put aside their differences. It was a place where there were many altars to the many divinities, but it was also a rich area because this place of pilgrimage and worship brought much wealth to the city and its merchants. With this wealth came the usual corruption. Muhammad married Khadijah, a wealthy widow who was fifteen years older than himself, when he was twenty-five. They had a daughter named Fatima. Muhammad had a contemplative and 8 solitary nature and he used to spend free time in a cave in the hills above Mecca praying and meditating. It is interesting to know that before anything happened to Muhammad he was seeking for the truth. “About the 611, Muhammad began to have a remarkable series of experiences in these solitary meditations in mountain caves. A mysterious darkness would come over him, and then the luminous figure of the archangel Gabriel would appear and recite words to him, which he could remember clearly. These words were first of all about the unity of God – that there is but one single God, “Lord of the worlds” who abominates idolatry and will judge the earth on a day of fire and anxiety; and God calls upon all humanity to accept his sovereignty” (MPMF, p. 379.) Muhammad spent about ten years trying to convince others of the truthfulness of these revelations about the oneness of Allah and the need to submit to Allah’s will and laws. But he had little success and in fact was seen as a threat to the people of Mecca who made their wealth from having a multitude of gods for people to come and worship. “In 622 he accepted an invitation from the city of Yathrib (now Medina) to teach there. His journey to Yathrib is called the Hijra. The date of the Hijra is the date from which the Muslim calendar starts; it marks the beginning of Muhammad’s public and organizational work on a large scale” (MPMF, p. 380.) So when you see a Muslim calendar you will notice that Islam is nearly 1400 years old. Muhammad lived another 10 years and during this time was able to lead a great movement that swept through Arabia and onto many other parts of the world. “Using Medina as a base, he brought all Arabia, including Mecca, under his control. He became at once the religious leader of the Arabs, their political ruler, and military commander. Right up to the end of his life, which occurred just after his return from his triumphal progress to Mecca in 632, the Divine revelations continued. Together they make up the text of the Qur’an, the Holy Scripture of Islam” (MPMF, p. 380.) 9 Muhammad was not known to be a miracle worker as was Jesus for instance. But the Qur’an is considered his “miracle” and the validation for all that he taught. As a result, it is important for us to take a closer look at it remembering that while Muhammad is not central to Islam, the Qur’an certainly is. The Qur’an Many people make the obvious analogy that the Qur’an is to Muslims like the Bible is to Jews and Christians. But this is only superficially true and not very accurate. It would be more accurate to say that the Qur’an is to Muslims what Jesus (not the Bible) is to Christians. “Unlike the Judeo-Christian Bible, the Qur’an is not a collection of diverse material from over a thousand year. It was all delivered in a period of no more than twenty-two years to one man in the form of communications from God through his angel” (MPMF, p. 381.) The Qur’an is the manifestation of God’s concern and love for the Muslims in this world. Many Muslims have memorized the whole Qur’an, which is about the size of the Christian New Testament. Non-Arabic speaking Muslims are highly encouraged to learn Arabic so that they can study it in its original language. While it is possible to buy copies of the Qur’an in translation, this is not encouraged because the Arab language is filled with certain sounds and rhythms that are not translatable, and, therefore, other languages are inadequate for study. To be a serious Muslim one must try to assimilate this language. “To Muslims, the Qur’an is a miracle – the most convincing miracle of all as validation of their faith. It is said to be untranslatable, but to be in the original Arabic of exquisite, incomparable beauty of rhythm and expression. That one man, and he illiterate according to tradition, could be the merely human author of “the Glorious Qur’an, that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy,” seems to Muslims incredible (MPMF, p. 381.) I have 10 seen the Qur’an’s Arabic compared to Shakespeare’s English. It is the standard by which all other Arabic is compared and found wanting. Another big difference between the Bible and the Qur’an is the way the words come across. While many Christians strongly believe that the Bible is the Word of God, they also recognize that the form of the Bible is partially stories about God in the third voice. The Qur’an is written in the first voice. Muslims believe it is God speaking directly. It is not about God’s words and thoughts. It is God speaking: a direct transmission. “The Holy Qur’an, they deeply believe, is the full and complete message of the infinite Divine Mind to humanity. Thus, it is not only studied, but also chanted, memorized, and recited on all sorts of occasions, venerated both as words and as a book. Even its way of speaking is Divine; it represents the personal style of Allah and so transmits something of God’s essence. Its very choice of rhythm, metaphor, and rhetorical method, in other words, reveals something of how God thinks and feels, just as do its contents” (MPMF, p. 381.) This is one of the reasons why the physical book containing the words should also be respected. To profane the Qur’an would be like a Catholic having to see Holy Communion misused and abused. Philosophically the question that interests me is why each major religion that believes in revelation, (that is in the idea that God reveals himself to humanity), also believe that they have the only legitimate revelation or as with Muslims, Muhammad is the last prophet. I always wonder why does someone have to be the last prophet? Why can’t prophecy and revelation go on and on? From a religious point you can accept it on faith and I suppose that is what most believers do. 11 Summary Muslims believe that Islam is a correction to earlier monotheistic faiths partially because Islam simplifies things and brings worship of the one God back to its original purity. “Muslims believe that Islam is the ultimate religion, the complete religion. It is the religion of Abraham, the primal monotheism of the beginning, come back in finalized form. It is the ultimate form of religion because it is in fact the simplest and clearest. It is just the essence of religion, plain and perfect submission to the absolute God in all areas of life” (MPMF, p. 382.) It is true that much of religion can be reduced to a believer seeking a personal relationship with the divine. To be in a right relationship with God is to follow the path he has laid out for humans. Muslims believe that this path to a relationship with Allah was laid out in the Qur’an. That path is summed up in the five pillars, which we will look at shortly. Can the message of Islam be summarized easily? Yes. “All the way through, then, the central message of Islam is oneness: the unity of the line of true prophets, the oneness of final prophet and book, the oneness of the People of God, the one submission to be made, and finally the supreme oneness of God” (MPMF, p. 384.) This focus on the oneness of God and of all life is what allows Islam to remain fundamentally simple. It is also the key to the Sufi’s understanding of reality. Their whole practice takes off with unity and oneness as the starting point. After all, if we are all one with God then the separation we experience must be an illusion. 12