A publication of the INTERCOMMUNITY PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER NO. 116 / FALL 2017 Islam “It is important to intensify Understanding Islam dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with A Simple Introduction to a Complex Topic Islam.” –Pope Francis, March 23, 2013 By Sr. Susan Van Baalen, OP Countless obscure denominations We hear a lot about Islam and grounded in geographic and cultural Muslims from news media and ho are the Muslims? What is differences comprise only 3-8% of Mus- politicians these days. As of 2015, Islam all about? To become a lims. Salafism, an 18th century Sunni there were 1.8 billion Muslims in Muslim, one need only sin- fundamentalist movement, arose when the world, roughly 24% of the Wcerely confess the Muslim profession of there was a concern for the purity and global population, according to faith three times in the presence of two integrity of the Muslim tradition. Wah- Pew Research Center. witnesses: “There is no God but Allah, habism is the militant arm of Salafism But how much do non-Muslims and Muhammad is his Messenger.” that justifies violence and militant jihad know about the practice of Islam? Sunni Islam embodies the system to restore the purity of Islam as professed How can we seek to “love our of beliefs and practices for almost 90% by Muhammad and his followers. neighbor” before we understand of the world’s Muslims. Sunnis believe where they’re coming from? In Beliefs this issue of A Matter of Spirit, themselves to be the only authentic Mus- we invite you to step outside of lims and the protectors of the message Notwithstanding religious and tribal your comfort zone to learn about of the Qur’an. Shias, the second largest differences, Muslims share basic beliefs another Abrahamic tradition and denomination, make up approximately and practices. Similarities among Islamic gain new insights from faith ex- 10-13% of global Islam. Differences and Judeo-Christian traditions converge perts and practicing Muslims. between these major groups are more in the sacred myths of Abraham, bind- Sr. Susan Van Baalen, OP shares political than religious. Sunnis main- ing the Abrahamic religions together the basics of Islamic tradition, tain that religious and secular leader- while simultaneously highlighting their Afeefa Syeed offers insight about ship belongs to the person most faith- incongruities. The Qur’an which was re- how Islam shapes her work for ful to the teachings of Muhammad. vealed by God over a twenty-three year social justice, Sr. Cecilia Ranger, Ancient Sunnis recognized Abu Bakr period ending in 632 CE, affirms six SNJM, Ph.D., educates Catholics on our call to interfaith dialogue as the rightful heir to leadership. Shias generally accepted Islamic beliefs, but with Muslims, Marwa Abdelghani declared that the leadership in every age there is no Islamic Creed per se. talks about the intersection of belonged only to direct descendants of Belief in One God is the core of Islam- Islam with race and immigra- Muhammad. They acclaimed Ali, the ic belief. Oneness of God is the only tion in the United States, Tahira cousin and son-in-law of Muham- indisputable truth in Islam. Daily, Zafar offers her personal story mad, as his le- at the outset as a Muslim woman living in the gitimate suc- of each of U.S, and Arsalan Bukhari gives us cessor. the pre- practical ways we can challenge stereotypes about Muslims. We hope that you gain new insights about Islam, and seek to understand a faith tradition that may have many similarities to your own. scribed prayers, and at the beginning divine revelation was sealed with the God’s mouth to Muhammad’s mind. and end of life Muslims acknowledge death of Muhammad. In each case, di- The Qur’an, a mystical teaching writ- God’s Oneness. Oneness is a particular- vine revelation through scripture end- ten down in seventh century Arabic by ly strong attribute that mystically draws ed for believers with the death of their early believers, is treated with the great- the community into God’s Oneness. founder/leader. est respect by even the weakest of be- While all three Abrahamic religions Belief in God’s Revelations, the lievers. profess monotheism, Muslims and Jews Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Belief in a Day of Judgment demys- reject the dogma of the Trinity defined The Sunnah contains a collection of tifies the manner in which Muslims will for Christians at the Council of Con- memories of the Prophet committed be held accountable for their actions. stantinople. to writing after his death by his closest Muslims, like Christians, will be eter- Belief in Angels and Demons is followers. The Sunnah is similar to the nally rewarded in paradise or damned easily grasped by Judeo-Christians be- Acts of the Apostles wherein the strug- to punishment. cause the Muslim understanding of the gling community looks back to their Belief in Predestination maintains existence and function of angels and experience of Jesus to give meaning that people are subject to God’s pre- demons closely parallels Judeo-Chris- to their beliefs and practices. Islamic ordained plan for them. Muslim belief tian beliefs. The angel, Jabril (Gabriel), belief in sacred revelation is broader in God’s foreknowledge is similar to the delivered the Divine Revelations from than Christian and Jewish belief, in that Calvinist belief that God determined God to Muhammad (Qur’an 2:96). The Muslims accept the Torah, Psalms and before all creation those who would be same Gabriel delivered the Divine saved by grace, and those who would Revelation of Mary’s virgin birth receive eternal punishment. Predes- (Luke 1:26-28). Mikail (Michael) THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM tination is held by Calvinists, but not manages humanity’s earthly needs, Testifying that there is no god a universal belief among Protestants. SHAHADAH but God and Muhammad inducing rain and safeguarding na- FAITH is the messenger of God. Religious Rituals ture. Nor does Islam forget individu- al guardian angels. Recording angels SALAH Offering prayer and Practices fi ve times a day guard and record an individual hu- PRAYER The Five Pillars of Islam are less man’s acts worthy of reward. “... and complex than the beliefs and may ZAKAT Giving alms or charity He sends guardians (angels guarding CHARITY strike even stronger chords of rec- and writing all of one’s good and bad ognition between your personal re- deeds) over you ...” (Qur’an 6:61). HAJJ Going to pilgrimage to the ligious practices and those of Mus- Demons are evil jinni led by Ib- PILGRIMAGE House of Allah at Mecca lims. Muslims are obligated to live by lis, the jinn who tempted Adam and the Pillars. Similar to other religions, Eve in the garden. Demons are lesser SAWM Fasting in the month the extent and intensity of individual FASTING of Ramadan beings existing somewhere between practices depend on the depth of angels and humans with preternatu- one’s spiritual connection with God. ral powers for either good or evil. Being Gospels as sacred revelation in addition Shahada, the first pillar of Islam, is anthropomorphic, demons sometimes to the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an holds testimony to the one God and to the assume the characteristics of humans the cardinal position in the hierarchy prophethood of Muhammad. Initia- or animals. of Sacred Revelations; still, it is remark- tion into Islam, one’s acceptance of the Belief in God’s Prophets/Messen- able to note that Christian and Jewish call to Islam, is contained in the words gers. The Qur’an offers a subtle distinc- scriptures are revered as sacred, and “There is no God but Allah (God) and tion between prophets and messengers. that Jewish and Christian believers are Muhammad is His Messenger.” Mus- Messengers receive divine revelations called “the people of the book (5:68).” lims chant or hear the Shahada five of the law directly from God through The Judeo-Christian scriptures are sa- times daily during the call to prayer. It a mystical experience and are called to cred revelations, Islam teaches, but is said to be the first sound heard by a transmit the law to others. Prophets are through countless oral retellings and newborn and the last words heard or called to receive the revelation and to errors in translation the texts were un- proclaimed by the dying. The practice live by it. Islam’s prophets include all intentionally corrupted, making it nec- is so imperative that grieving fam- of the major Judeo-Christian prophets essary for God to re-reveal, once and ily members painstakingly whisper the and the Prophet, Muhammad. Just as for all in the Qur’an, the sacred truths Shahada into one’s ear at the very mo- Christianity asserts that Biblical revela- with accuracy. The Qur’an, on the other ment of death. tion was closed following the death and hand, is believed to be inerrant. It only Salat, or prayer, obligates Muslims resurrection of Jesus, Muslims aver that exists in the careful transmission from to pray daily at prescribed times. Min- 2 NO. 116 / FALL 2017 utes before the five prescribed times, the chanting of the adhan in Arabic re- minds all within hearing of the Muslim obligation to pray. The Muezzin chants the Shahada two times, after beginning with the phrase “God is greater (allahu akbar).” Salat can be recited anywhere. It is always prayed in Arabic, even if the person praying does not read or under- stand the language. This is so because of the description of the Qur’an provided above.