Religious Aspects of Social Location - Essay Example

Offering my prayers five times a day made me humble, and disciplined and made me believe in my blessings. It has strengthened my belief in superior power and made me a positive thinker at even the oddest hour. I abstain from bad habits, such as illegal relationships, liquor, fights, backbiting, and conspiring just because Islam taught me so. I am interested in getting myself educated and traveling to America because my religion asked everyone including women, children, and men to get educated even if we have to travel for longer periods.

I offer prayer five times a day in any mosque with other Muslims and Imam. If there is no mosque nearby, I offer it alone on a clean surface. Every year, in the month of Ramadan, I observe a fast for a month which is followed by Eid-ul-fitar. It is followed by another religious practice called the sacrifice of animals on Eid-ul-adha; I practice this tradition with my family. My family gives alms to the poor; it is a certain amount of our money that is given as charity. I have also performed Hajj and Umrah.

My religious preference is Islam despite all the rage about Muslims and Islam in the western world. It is the same religious tradition in which I am raised. However, it has little to do with my birth in a Muslim family. Muslim culture and tradition in not only Saudi society but in other world regions have immensely inspired me to stick with it. I am determined to practice the religion Islam in the future because of my faith in its universality, diversity, humility, logic, and compliance with the modern and scientific world in a balanced way.  

On an honest note, I am not fully learned about Islam. I want to explore it in depth because it inspires me at every point I come across. Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet of God and he is the most ideal human being I have ever known. I am inspired by the way he spent his life, be it his love for a human, his relationship with enemies, everyday life, or war time.

Knowing my religious background and its acceptance as preferred religion in the future makes me aware of the sense of superiority felt by people belonging to nearly every religion. Particularly, I am concerned about media prejudice against Islam and Muslims. I may not have felt it if I were not Muslim. Denoting Islam or Muslims as terrorists or relating them to such destructive activities without investigating the fact is dominating prejudice in global media. Despite the presence of such widespread media and the internet, it is common practice to attribute a single human or group activity to the religion they belong which is illogical and unjust. No religion is crime prone, but the people who commit it are. It is just like saying America is a criminal nation if few American commit crimes. I feel my religion shaped my personality which asks me to stand for injustice done to any human on earth irrespective of their religion, race, color, or ethnic background and punish those who commit wrong irrespective of their identity.

Muslim men are considered bearded, narrow-minded, violent with women, illiterate, and drug or weapon dealers, on the other hand, Muslim women are always considered to be covered from head to toe and are unaware of anything in the world. I feel these are just stereotypes established by the media. These perceived and unrealistic images are biased and against the spirit of Islamic tradition, values, and Muslim culture.

I feel the law should be above all, criminals should be considered criminals without labeling them Muslim, Jew, or Hindu. This exercise helped me in exploring the ways which can convey the real image and culture of Muslim society. On a personal level, I am determined to be an exemplary Muslim because my wrongdoing can be attributed to my religion quickly.

Basically, all religions are good and humane. There is just a need to practice them in their true spirit. Tolerance is strongly emphasized by Islam. I feel it’s the highest time to practice it and be more open to understanding other religions, people practicing it, and their expectations of us. Understanding the whole scenario, I will be more patient and kind towards my family and especially women. I may have looked down upon some people around me because of their wrong habits; I’ll be more open and understanding of them. The exercise made me realize that people follow their own set of beliefs and I should respect them the way they are. Living in a multicultural environment, I will be more open to other religions and ideologies because mutual understanding is the only thing that can ensure a peaceful coexistence.