Religion 101 (14 page)

The final article of faith is known by many names:
destiny
,
divine decree
,
predestination
,
fate
, or in Arabic,
Al-Qadr
. The Arabic word comes from a root word that means “power” and “ability,” implying that God Alone has the power and ability to know the destiny of every creature. Muslims believe that since Allah is the Sustainer of all life, nothing happens except by His Will and with His full knowledge. Everything in the world has a set, predetermined course.

This belief does not contradict the idea that human beings have the free will to choose a course of action. Allah does not force us to do anything; we can choose to obey or disobey Him. However, our choice is known to God before we even do it, because His knowledge is timeless and complete.

PILLARS OF PRACTICE

The Heart of the Muslim World

Muslims observe five formal acts of worship, which they refer to as the five pillars of Islam. Based on the foundation of faith, the pillars of Islam help build and structure a Muslim’s daily life. The five pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.

Declaration of Faith

To emphasize that Islam is based on a strong monotheistic foundation, the first formal pillar of practice is to declare one’s faith in God. A Muslim declares his or her faith by saying, “
La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammad ar-rasulullah
” (“There is no god worthy to be worshiped except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”). All that is necessary for a person to convert to the faith of Islam is to believe in and make this declaration.

Match Faith with Actions

The declaration of faith is more than just a statement; it must be shown with one’s actions.

Daily Prayer

The second pillar of Islam is
salaat
(daily prayer). Muslims perform five formal prayers a day; they rely on these prayers to repeat and refresh their beliefs. The schedule of daily prayer is designed to help Muslims take time out of the busy day to remember Allah and renew the effort to follow His guidance.

Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your faults, and for the men and women who believe. For Allah knows how you move about and how you dwell in your homes.

— Qur’an 47:19

Charitable Giving

In Islam, it is the duty of the wealthy to help those who are poor and destitute.

While charitable giving is always encouraged in Islam, wealthier members of the community are specifically required to pay alms. This practice is known as
zakat
, which comes from an Arabic word for “purify” and “grow,” for you purify your own wealth by sharing with others and allowing their wealth to grow.

In addition to
zakat
, voluntary alms (called
sadaqah
) can be given at any time, in any amount, to anyone. The Qur’an repeatedly encourages Muslims to give to the needy and care for orphans.

The Fast of Ramadan

Once each year, Muslims participate in a period of intense spiritual devotion known as the fast of Ramadan. Muslims are commanded to fast during the daylight hours of an entire month.

Liars Beware!

Muhammad once said, “If one does not abandon falsehood in words and deeds, Allah has no need for his abandoning of food and drink.” It is therefore imperative that the fasting person not only refrains from food and drink, but also from foul speech, lying, arguing, and the like.

Ramadan allows no food, drink, smoking, or intimacy during the daytime hours of the month. From dawn until dusk, Muslims must practice self-control and focus on prayers and devotion. During the fast, Muslims experience hunger and thirst and learn to sympathize with those in the world who have little to eat. They come to appreciate the blessings that Allah grants them.

On a day of fasting, Muslims rise before dawn for an early meal called
suhoor
. This light meal is intended to nourish the body through the rigorous daylong fast. The fast begins with the predawn call to prayer. Muslims continue through their daily lives of work, school, or other commitments, conscious of the limitations of fasting, and striving to be on their best behavior. Muslims continue to observe the daily prayers as usual and often spend part of the day reading chapters of the Qur’an.

As sunset approaches, Muslims often gather together as family or community to break the fast and enjoy a meal together at the end of the day. Muslims break their fast just as the call for the sunset prayer is heard.

Hajj: The Pilgrimage to Mecca

Every Muslim strives to make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the sacred sites in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. This final pillar of Islam is required of every adult Muslim, male or female, if it is physically and financially possible. Many Muslims spend their entire lives saving and planning for this journey.

When undertaking the pilgrimage, Muslims first shed all signs of their wealth and status by donning simple white garments, called
ihram
, a symbol of purity and equality. When wearing the
ihram
, the pilgrims enter a state of devotion and purity.

1. On the first day of the Hajj, the pilgrims travel from Mecca to Mina, a small village east of the city. There they spend the day and night, praying and reading the Qur’an.
   
2. On the second day of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims leave Mina just after dawn to travel to the plain of Arafat for the culminating experience of the Hajj. On what is known as the “Day of Arafat,” the pilgrims spend the entire day standing near the Mount of Mercy, asking Allah for forgiveness and making supplications. After sunset, the pilgrims leave and travel to an open plain called Muzdalifah. There they spend the night praying, and they collect small stone pebbles to be used on the next day.
   
3. On the third day, the pilgrims move before sunrise, this time back to Mina. Here they throw the stone pebbles at pillars that represent the seductions of Satan. After casting the pebbles, most pilgrims slaughter an animal (often a sheep or a goat) and give the meat to the poor — a symbolic act that shows their willingness to part with something that is precious to them, just as the Prophet Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son at God’s command.
   
4. The pilgrims then return to Mecca and perform seven turns around the
   Ka’aba
   , the house of worship built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. In other rites, the pilgrims pray near a place called “the Station of Abraham,” which is reportedly where Abraham stood while constructing the Ka’aba. The pilgrims also walk seven times between two small hills near the Ka’aba, called Safa and Marwa, in remembrance of the plight of Abraham’s wife Hajar, who searched desperately for water for herself and her son before a spring welled up in the desert for her. The pilgrims also drink from this ancient spring, which continues to flow today.
   

Why Are Only Muslims Allowed into Mecca and Madinah?

These are cities of great importance in Islamic tradition, centers of pilgrimage and prayer, sacred places where Muslims are free from the distractions of daily life. The ban, mentioned in the Qur’an, is intended to provide a place of peace and refuge for Muslim believers.

The Lesser Pilgrimage or Umrah

Hajj is required of every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey, and it must be performed during a specific period of time in the Islamic calendar. However, there is another type of pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the
umrah
(lesser pilgrimage), which may be performed any time during the year.

JIHAD: THE HOLY STRUGGLE

The True Meaning of a Misunderstood Word

Perhaps one of the most controversial and misunderstood aspects of Islam is the concept of jihad. Some groups of Muslims misinterpret the idea of jihad, limiting its sense to an armed struggle against outsiders. However, the original Islamic meaning of this term referred to a complex internal and external struggle to practice faith in the midst of oppression.

What’s It Mean?

The word
jihad
comes from the Arabic root
J-H-D
, which carries the meaning “struggle” or “strive.” Other words derived from this root include “effort,” “fatigue,” and “labor.” The essential meaning is this: Jihad is a struggle to practice one’s faith in the face of obstacles. The translation of
jihad
as “holy war” is incorrect. In Arabic, you would translate “holy war” as
harbun muqaddasatu
, a phrase that is not found in the Qur’an or in any other form of Islamic literature.

The word
jihad
appears in the Qur’an several times, where it is used to describe the efforts of the believers to resist pressure from others to give up their faith and to defend themselves against oppressors.

Jihad in Practice

During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslim community was in a struggle for its very survival. Faced with the persecution and cruelty of the people of Mecca, the Muslims sought alternative means of defense. They immigrated to Abyssinia and then to Madinah, enforced economic blockades, and formed peace treaties and alliances.

There were times when the Muslims engaged in battle. In these cases, verses of the Qur’an were revealed, advising them to fight strong and hard. Without exception, the early Muslims fought in battles only to defend themselves against unprovoked attack or the betrayal of false allies.

The Qur’an repeatedly stresses the value of forgiveness, even toward one’s enemies. While Islam generally holds to the ancient teaching of “an eye for an eye,” there is an emphasis on the blessings of forgiveness.

No Forced Conversions

Although in Islam
jihad
refers first to the spiritual struggle of a believer rather than the physical, violent struggles of war, jihad today is most often understood only as the latter. According to Islamic doctrine, however, if faith does not emerge from deep personal conviction, it is neither truthful nor acceptable to God. Faith is a matter of the heart, between one’s self and God.

The Qur’an often describes defensive jihad as a system of checks and balances, a way that Allah set up to “check one set of people by means of another” (Qur’an 2:251 and other verses). Muslims are called upon to respond to aggression and persecution, and take it as their duty to stop anyone who transgresses justice.

Even during the times when Muslims are engaged in battles of a military nature, they must follow certain codes of ethics and rules of engagement laid down in the Qur’an and exemplified by the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It is human nature to become agitated and seek revenge when one is wronged, so Islam lays out very strict rules to ensure the legitimate and proper conduct of Muslim soldiers.

Some of the rules include the following:

• Give diplomacy a chance before battle starts; respect all treaties.
  
• Do not harm those who are not physically involved in fighting.
  
• Do not destroy property, including real estate, infrastructure, trees, farms, animals, and orchards.
  
• Protect all places of worship.
  
• Treat well all prisoners of war.
  
• Allow the bodies of soldiers slain in battle to be buried in dignity.
  
• Stop fighting when the enemy ceases hostilities and negotiate for peace.
  

It is particularly sinful to deliberately kill one’s self. Suicide is usually an act of desperation by a person who has no sense of the value of his or her own life. Allah advises Muslims to be patient, hopeful, and confident of the mercy of Allah, and not to despair or lose hope.

Consequences of Suicide

According to Islamic tradition, people who commit suicide will spend their time in Hell torturing themselves with their chosen method or weapon. A person who jumps off a cliff, for example, will spend eternity jumping off cliffs and feeling the agony of death over and over again.

Islam teaches that sacrifice, bravery, and sincere effort will be rewarded by Allah in the Hereafter. The Arabic word for martyr is
shaheed
, which means “witness.” A true martyr witnesses the truth and gives up his or her life for it, dying under brave or heroic circumstances.

Muhammad once said that there are people who kill in the name of Islam but still go to Hellfire. When asked why, he answered, “Because they were not truly fighting for the sake of God.” To be considered a martyr, one must be acting within the bounds of Islamic law and have pure intentions.

The Middle Path

The words
fundamentalist
and
extremist
are often used interchangeably in today’s world. Muslims prefer to draw a distinction between those who follow the basic principles (fundamentals) of their faith and those who join the extreme, fanatic fringe.

In the Qur’an, Muslims are instructed to be moderate in all affairs of life, especially on issues concerning religion.

Muhammad advised his followers to practice kindness and bring people together. In one tradition, he told the people to “make things easy and convenient, and do not make them hard or difficult. Give cheers and glad tidings, and do not create tension or hatred, nor repel others.”

Returning to the Fundamentals

In Islam, being a fundamentalist does not mean that one is an extremist. For Muslims, fundamentalism means strictly following one’s religious text. In this sense, all Muslims are fundamentalist by nature because they strive to adhere to the basic principles of their faith as described in the Qur’an. There are many Muslims today who follow the fundamental teachings of Islam but are unfairly labeled as radical extremists.