It is often forgotten that there are sizeable Christian minorities (historically much bigger than today) in most Middle-Eastern countries as well as local indigenous and Shaman practices as referenced throughout this book. However Ben spends most of his time within an Islamic environment. Islam is not just a religion but a way of life and below are some of the basics that may enhance your enjoyment of this book.
The Five Pillars
of Faith.
As part of their Islam religion Muslims have 5 duties they must perform,
called the Five Pillars of Faith:
1.Shahada (affirmation)
The duty to recite the creed:
"There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his messenger".
In Arabic "La ilah ha il Allah, Muhammadan Rasul-Allah"2.Salat (prayer)
The duty to worship the One God in prayer five times each day. Male/Female segregation (women mostly at home). Not necessary to pray at Mosque though midday Friday prayers are special! SALAT: (Payer) Performing daily prayers is an act of communication between humans and God. Five daily prayers are considered a duty for all Muslims,and on these occasions preparations in ritual purity are required. The prayers are Fajr (early morning before the sun rise), Zuhr (afternoon), Asr (later afternoon), Maghrib (after sunset) and Isha (evening). The prayers must be said while facing in the direction of Mecca. The congregational prayer of Friday is compulsory and must be said in a Mosque, Muslim's place of worship. There is a sermon and then the prayers in uniform rows.
3.Zakat (almsgiving) (1/40th of annual wealth/animals etc)
The duty to distribute alms and help the needy. ZAKAT: (Alms) The Zakat is a form of giving to those who are less fortunate. It is obligatory upon all Muslims to give 2.5 % of wealth and assets each year to the poor. This is done before the beginning of the month of Muharram, the first of the new year. Giving the Zakat is considered an act of worship because it is a form of offering thanks to God for the means of material well-being one has acquired.
4.Siyam (fasting)
The duty to keep the Fast of Ramadan. Another form of offering thanks to God is fasting. It is the duty of all Muslims to fast during the ninth month of Islamic calendar, Ramadan. During this month, Muslims refrain from food, drink during daylight. Excepts are those ill health, pregnant women & travellers. One is to make up lost days of fasting at a later time. The time of fasting is from just before sunrise to just after sunset. The breaking of fast is joyous occasion. Fasting during Ramadan or any time is recognized as physically demanding but spiritually rewarding.
5.Hajj (pilgrimage)
The duty to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. The pilgrimage season begins in the tenth month, the month following Ramadan, and lasts through the middle of twelfth month, Dhu al-Hijja. This fifth pillar requires all Muslims who are physically and financially capable to make Hajj to Mecca once during their lives. The actual rites and prayers take place at the sacred Ka'ba in Mecca and at nearby locations. Muslims associate the origin of the Hajj and the founding of the Ka'ba with the prophet Abraham. Nearly two million Muslims perform Hajj each year
Mecca
JIHAD
(Striving) Although it is not a pillar of Islam but is a duty in one form or another. The most common media misconception is of calling Jihad a 'Holy War.' The general meaning of the term is "striving for moral and religious perfection." The broader meaning of this term encompasses one's life and community. The constant struggle of striving to remain on the path of Islam by observing the above five pillars of Islam is Jihad. One who strives is Mujahid.
Being a Mujahid, a striver for moral and religious perfection, involves numerous forms of public and private devotion that charaterises the 'practice' of islam. This includes respecting the dietary laws against eating pork and drinking alcohol, respecting parents and elders, helping to provide for close relatives and kins, giving to the poor and disadvantaged. On the other side, theft, murder, fornication, adultery, lying, cheating, wrongly accusing or testifying are strictly forbidden by Shari'a (Islamic Law).
SUNNI
The recorded practice and teachings of Prophet Mohammad were early regarded as his Sunnah, meaning 'path' or 'way.' These traditions became powerful symbols for the Islamic religion, models of right belief and practice. The collection of Prophet Mohammad's sayings are called "Hadith" comprising Sunnah or "authoritative examples." These required further interpretations and application to a variety of situations of everyday life.
The majority of Muslims following the Sunnah of Prophet Mohammad are termed "Sunnis." Islam developed four schools of jurisprudence whose functions were to decide upon the proper application of Holy Quran and Sunnah to virtually all aspects of life of the community. Each of the four schools takes its name from early jurist to whom later followers trace many of the school's distinctive opinions. The four schools are:
1. Hanifi's (after Abu Hanifa, d.767)
2. Maliki's (after Malik ibn Anas, d.795)
3. Shafi'is (after Muhammad al-Shafi'i d.819)
4. Hanbali's (after Ahmad ibn Hanbal d.855)
Acceptable differences of interpretation exist among the four schools,
and a Sunni may seek to conform his or her pratice of Islam to any one
of them. Matters pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and proper
government come under the jurisdiction of Islamic Law.
SHI'IA
A significant minority
of Muslims, 10-15 %, differ on certain religious and political matters
almost since the beginning of Islam. They are known as Shi'ia 's. The
historical and religious differences do not obscure the broad lines of
agreement between Shi'ias and Sunnis.
Shi'ias differ little from Sunnis in belief and practice. Their differences
lie mainly in the modes of leadership and piety. Although Islam united
the Arabs of North and South under the same banner but the cultural and
traditional differences remained strong and surfaced at the time of choosing
the successors of Prophet Muhammad after His death. The majority believed
in choosing from the closest companions of Prophet Muhammad while others
sought guidance in political and religous matters from Hazart Ali, Prophet
Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Hazart Ali was chosen as the fourth
Caliph (leader of Islamic community) but was assassinated in 661. The
civil strife that resulted left and indelible mark upon Islamic Umma (community).
Shi'ias believe Prophet Muhammad passed on a significant part of his teachings directly to Hazart Ali, and hence to subsequent Imams (sprititual leaders). Although the twelfth and last Imam disappeared late in the ninth century, expected to return before the Judgement Day. The Shia Ulema carry on the distinctive teachings and interpretations they trace back through the Imams to Prophet Muhammad. The teachings of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq (d.765) became the basis of Jafari schools among Sunnis.
The emotional intensity that characterizes Shi'ia beliefs culminates on the tenth day of Muharram (the first month of Islamic calendar). On this date in Karbala, Iraq, in 680, Hazart Husayn, son of Hazart Ali and grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was brutally murdered by troops of Ummayyad Caliph,Yazid. For nine days, Yazid's troops besieged the camps and deprived Hazart Husayn and his followers (72 of them) of any water. Remembering the tragedy of Hazart Husayn on every year on 10th of Muharram is done by Sunnis as well as Shi'ias.
Ulema
The learned scholars of law are called 'Ulema'. They are highly respected for their learning in the religious sciences. Islam has no clergy or priesthood as such. The basic principles of Islamic Law are established by the following:
i) The Holy Quran
ii) The Prophet's Sunnah
iii) The learned consensus of Ulema
iv) Reasoning by analogy from accepted interpretations of i) & ii) to new problems not directly addressed therein.
Sharia
Of the four above form a concept of revelation of God's will to the community of Islam. This concept is called, Shari'a, it is more than scripture, it implies a composite source of teaching and practice involving the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and authoritative human interpretation and application.
Hadith and Sunna
In Islam, the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (saas), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, the first being the Qur'an. Both sources are indispensable; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them. The Arabic word hadith (pl. ahadith) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical. A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet (saas) or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned.