Islamic Culture - Research Paper Example

Islamic Culture Abstract Islam is among the oldest religions in the world. It is wide spread in virtually all countries of the Middle East, some parts of Africa and Asia. The religion is based on a set of basic practices and beliefs. Muslims believe in an almighty God called Allah and several prophets. Mohammed is the most well-known of these prophets and is the basis of their pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is of great significance in the life of a Muslim. It is a period of important changes in the individual’s life and in his/her interactions with the rest of the world. Introduction Muslims worldwide practice the Hajj because it was a commandment from their prophet Mohammed. It is a time during which Muslims make peace with their God. They have to get themselves clean of the distractions they suffer from in their daily lives. During the Hajj, Muslims embark on a pilgrimage to the heart of Islam; Mecca. Due to their sheer numbers, it is impossible for all the believers to be in this place at the same time. Therefore, according to their teachings, each Muslim should participate in the pilgrimage at least once in his/her lifetime. The pilgrimage is a systematic procedure following several well-laid out steps. Below is a description of the process Performing Hajj According to their teachings, Hajj is among the basic building blocks of their religion. It involves several religious rites carried out over the course of several days. It is performed in the mosque at Mecca and its environs (Porter, 2012). The date of carrying out the rites is set and is advanced by ten days each year. The festivities begin on the first day called the 8thdulHijja where the participants have to darn the ihram. They then state their intents before proceeding. Next, they have to circle the kaaba at least 7 times. The pilgrims have to pray between the kaaba’s door and black stone before proceeding to the station of Ibrahim where they have to say more prayers. Before moving on to the ritual of sa’ee, they have to stop over for a drink from the waters of zamzam. In this ritual, the pilgrims have to walk 7 times between Safa and Marwa hills. This is a commemoration of the actions of how Hajjar searched for food and water before Ismail brought forth water by stamping his foot on a water spring. The second day is called the day of Arafat. The participants in the pilgrimage proceed to Arafat after holding a dawn prayer at Mina. The whole day could pass as the pilgrims stand here. During the entire duration of the Hajj, pilgrims have to recite the talbiya. This ritual is believed to have been first performed by Ibrahim as he was summoning faithful to Mecca. Standing at this location gives the pilgrims an opportunity to reflect on their lives and reevaluate their belief in the religion. On the third day (the sacrifice day) the pilgrims start by saying dawn prayers at muzdalifah. Afterwards, they have to pick pebbles depending on the number of days they intend to stay on that place. For a two-day stay, they have to pick 49 pebbles while for a 3-day stay they have to pick 70. To symbolize Ibrahim’s temptations, 7 pillars were erected at jimrah in Mina. The pilgrims have to throw pebbles at these pillars but this poses the threat of physical injury on the pilgrims. Actually, Saudi authorities replaced the pillars with material that absorbs the force of pebbles hitting it rather than the one that bounces off and comes hurtling at the throwers. After they have performed this ritual, the pilgrims can then proceed to performing the required sacrifice of slaughtering a camel or a ram. As soon as this sacrifice is complete, the participants can now clip their hair. Traditionally, cutting off a lock of hair can suffice for completion of the sacrifice but most people insist on having all their hair shaven. It symbolizes an individual’s rebirth and cleansing of one’s sins. This is the whole point of having a Hajj; one cleanses his/her sins. During this entire time, pilgrims must abstain from any activities that could be considered as soiling themselves. These include any form of sexual activity, disturbing the peace and comfort of most other living things or adorning oneself with ornaments (Morris, 2002). However, after the sacrifice is complete, the individuals are allowed to wear their regular clothes without restrictions as long as they do not soil themselves. During the final days of the pilgrimage, they spend their time at mina and throw their pebbles at the pillars. One can leave mecca after completing the farewell circling of the sa’ee. The Kaaba Allah is the central figure in Islam and every other aspect of the religion is based on this central all-powerful figure. Like every other religion, Muslims have set aside specific sites that hold religious importance in worshiping their God. The Kaabaand Rawda are some of the holiest grounds set aside for worshiping their God. Pilgrims have to pay a visit to these grounds whenever they embark on the holly journey. It is prohibited for non-Muslims to set foot on these grounds. The Kaaba is located in Mecca and resembles a cube. The largest mosque in the world surrounds the Kaaba. It is called the Masjid al-Haram. A prophet called Ibrahim, according to Islamic teachings, built the Kaaba. It then became a commandment that all Muslims have to pray facing the location of this Kaaba. All mosques also have to be built facing the Kaaba. The Rawda is a mosque located in Medina city. It ranks as the second holiest place, second to the Kaaba. Some people refer to it as the prophet’s mosque. According to Islamic teachings, Muhammad promised absolution from the fire of hell for anyone who prayed to him from this mosque. However, the prayers have to be said forty consecutive times for this to be fulfilled. However, one has to pray honestly without any hypocrisy. Bases for Islam faith For one to be a complete Muslim, he/she has to believe in five pillars of Muslim faith. The first is the statement that the only true God is Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger. The second pillar is prayer. Muslims are required to pray five times a day using specific terms (Arabic), facing the Kaaba’s direction and using specific gestures. Fasting is the third pillar of Islam. All Muslims are required to observe a month long fast during which they do not eat or drink during the day. Usually, the fast is observed during the 9th month of their calendar (Penney, 2000). The fourth pillar of Islam is giving to the poor. The well off in this religion are expected to give at least 2.5% of their savings annually to help the poor and the needy. The pilgrimage to Mecca is the 5th pillar of their faith. It is required that every Muslim should observe this pilgrimage at least once in his/her lifetime. The above pillars of Islam are the obligations that each Muslim has to bear. Failure to perform any of these is sin and leads to punishment of the individual. Praying five times a day facing the direction of the Kaaba earns a believer positive points called thawab. Failure to do their religious duties leads to accumulation of negative points called ithim. Participating in communal prayer is one way for a Muslim to increase his/her positive points and improve chances of going to heaven. An imam leads the prayer proceedings in a mosque and the rest have to follow his lead (Penney, 2000). Praying at home while alone earns individuals some points but praying in the company of other believers earns them more points. Muslims also believe in existence of two major angels namely Katibin and Kiraman. They sit on an individual’s left and right shoulders and record all the bad and evil deeds they do. Believers often salute these two angels when saying their prayers. These records will be brought forward during the judgment day according to the Islamic teachings. When the records in the two books are weighted against each other, individuals will be judged accordingly and either rewarded or punished for the way they live their lives. The reward is entrance into heaven while the punishment is burning eternally in the fire of hell. Most people desire the reward. Conclusion Islam is highly dependent on the five pillars. All Muslims are expected to uphold the values of these pillars and participate in various activities to reinforce their faith. The hajj festival is one of the most important occasions of this religion. It enables the believers to exercise their faith and observe all the commandments of their prophets. The values of Islam are taught to the children of all the believers since childhood. They grow with these values and when they start their own families, the entrench these teachings in their own children. This is how the religion has spread across so many countries in the world today. References Abd, -A. H. (1998).Islam in focus.Beltsville, Md: Amana. Campo, J. E. (2009).Encyclopedia of Islam. New York: Facts On File. Glassé, C., &Glassé, C. (2001).The new encyclopedia of Islam. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Morris, N. (2002). Islam.Columbus, Ohio: Peter Bedrick Books. Penney, S. (2000). Islam. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library. Porter, V., Abdel, H. M. A., & British Museum. (2012). Hajj: Journey to the heart of Islam. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Read More