ISLAM

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK Term for non-Muslims who recognize the God of Abraham their God (e.g. Jews, Christians) Shown tolerance The holy books of Judaism & Christianity are contained within the Qur’an. Muslims believe that the portions of the Qur'an written by Muhammad are essentially the completion of these earlier scriptures & God’s final and eternal message to humanity. Sharia = Islamic divine law

HIJAB Modest dress Clothing can’t be too tight or transparent. Men cover themselves from navel to knee Women cover their heads & wear loose clothing All Muslims cover head to pray & read Qur’an Hijab is both a head covering and the word used for the expectation to dress modestly. Some Muslim men may grow a beard or wear a special head covering like a kufi as signs of their faith. Women’s attire should be loose so that the shape of the body cannot be easily seen. There is debate amongst Muslim scholars about the extent to which women must cover up. In some Islamic countries there are laws requiring Muslim women to cover themselves in public, but what type of dress is expected varies from hijab to burka.

DIETARY RESTRICTIONS May eat halal foods No pork, improperly slaughtered animals, intoxicants and other forbidden foods. Halal: things which are permissible Proper slaughter = killed in name of Allah It is acceptable to eat non-halal food if nothing else is available Other restrictions include not eating carnivorous animals, birds of prey and any food contaminated with any of these products

IMPORTANT HOLY DAYS Ramadan: Eid-ul-fitr: Hadj: Eid-ul-adha: Month-long commemoration of when Qur’an revealed Fast during daylight hours, reflect & seek forgiveness. Eid-ul-fitr: 3 day holiday at end of Ramadan. Feast with loved ones, give alms to the poor & exchange gifts. Hadj: Annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid-ul-adha: 3 day holiday at end of Hadj Commemorates Abraham & his sacrifice. Hadj: Muslims eat same food, wear same clothes Participate in the same rituals including circling the Kaaba (building that serves as direction of prayer) 7 times, prayer vigil on plans of Mt. Arafat, head shaving & sacrifice of an animal (can do it themselves or designate someone to do it). Because of the large crowds, there are often many deaths during the Hadj each year—people are typically trampled to death. Eid-ul-adha is celebrated worldwide though the rituals of Hadj are only performed in Mecca. The 2nd Eid is also the more serious of the two Eids. During the 2nd Eid, Muslims will sacrifice a sheep and divide the meat between the household, friends, family & the poor

IMPORTANT LIFE EVENTS Birth: Aqiqa: Coming of age: Father recites call to prayer in child’s ear Aqiqa: Animal sacrificed in celebration of birth & meat given to poor Male babies circumcised Coming of age: Begin to pray 5 times a day Prayer in ear = first words child hear are words of God Aqiqa: also common to shave child’s head, give silver to poor matching baby’s weight

IMPORTANT LIFE EVENTS Marriage: Death: Special Qur’an verses Bride asked 3 times if marrying of her own free will Death: Buried quickly in a natural state Body bathed & prepared for burial by family Images reflect the fact that Muslims live all over the world and many aspects of the marriage ceremony will reflect the culture of the place where they live This is similar for other religions (e.g. Christianity) Marriage & procreation are two of the most important aspects of Muslim life. Very important for bride & groom to enter marriage willingly Buried in simple shroud with no coffin where the law permits (“dust to dust”) Family members who participate in ablutions must be of the same gender as the deceased