Islam Religion
I come from a Muslim family, and I have to be honest, being a Muslim is pretty cool, easy, and interesting. We often say that “Islam is a straight path” towards salvation or paradise. This is because our guidelines are easy, straight forward, and pretty simple to follow. To be a Muslim means believing in Allah, the Mosque is our place of worship, and the Qur’an is our holy book. It is about knowing Allah’s will for oneself and others, which then guides how we live on our day to day lives. This means that we have to honor Allah’s responsibilities (Haquq Allah) and responsibilities to creatures such as fellow human beings (Haquq al-‘ibad).
As Muslims, we are guided by different principles. First, it is the prayer or salah. We often pray five times a day: noon, mid-afternoon, evening, and after sunset. While praying, we face Mecca because this city has the most sacred place, Ka’abah. We have the option of praying alone or at the mosque under the guidance of Imam. We pray while standing on a special prayer mat or rug that we step on for cleanliness as we pray barefoot. Also, we wash our feet, hands, head, and face before praying. This is a form of ablution which ensures outward purity before approaching the holy presence of Allah. As we wash before prayer, we reflect on the sins that we may have committed. By sins, we mean the thoughts, utterances, and actions that we believe go against Allah’s will and pleasures. The frequent praying keeps us connected with Allah and also reminds us of the provisions of Allah. However, it is crucial to understand that during busy moments such as during exams, travel, and serious moments such as undergoing surgery, we are allowed to combine or shorten our salah.
Second is the profession of faith or shahada. As Muslims, we believe that there is only one God, Allah, and Mohammad is God’s prophet. One becomes a Muslim by reciting the phrase “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” with strong belief. The third is Alms or zakat. This is the offering part whereby, as Muslims, we donate a certain percentage of our incomes to the community, for the sake of the members in need. This donation goes a long way in building amenities such as schools, hospitals, and mosques. Fourth is pilgrimage or hajj. This is the requirement by religion to the financially able Muslims to make at least one trip to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the city that is home to Ka’abah, the holy site built by prophet Ibrahim for Allah, found at the center of the Haram Mosque. Twice a year, Muslims from all around the world visit Mecca.
Lastly, we have the fasting or Sawm. During Ramadan’s ninth month of the Islamic calendar, we fast in the daylight hours. During this period, all healthy and adult Muslims avoid taking food and drinks. This is meant to remind us of the sufferings of the less fortunate and our duty to help, hence renew our gratitude to Allah for the continued providence. Also, we observe abstinence from caffeine, smoking, sex, and gossip. This is a way of ensuring purity, spiritually, and physically.
I find it interesting how, during sawm, we share the meals at the end of the day. Practically, we start our day with suhoor, which is the meal before dawn. Then, we fast all day until sunset, during which we break the fast using water and dates as Prophet Muhammad did. After the evening prayers, we gather at home or mosques or halls, with family and friends as well as fellow Islam faithful(s), for a feast known as iftar. The same happens during the Eid al-Fitr. I find it interesting how the feasts are all-inclusive, without discrimination based on social status, age, and gender. I find this fulfilling because we get to fulfill our rights to Allah and rights towards fellow humans.
I think that religion is a matter of choice. Despite coming from a Muslim background, I still feel that everyone has an option to follow the beliefs of any religion they deem fit. Therefore, I am excited to participate in this course because I will get an opportunity to learn from everyone about their religious backgrounds. I also look forward to exploring different religious themes, commitments, language, symbolism, and criticism.