After our meal, the Imam gave a presentation. An imam is a person who leads prayers in a mosque. Here are some of the things that I learned about Islam.
- Islam is a monotheistic religion. Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews.
- The definition of "Allah" is "the one who is to be worshiped."There are five pillars, which describe the main beliefs of Islam. These pillars are:
- faith (iman): There is one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. In a mosque, there are designs written on the wall in calligraphy. In each of the designs is written a quality of God. The creator is everything. Nothing can exist without the creator.
- prayer (salat): When people pray, the are placing God at the center of their lives. Muslims pray five times a day. They face Mecca when they pray. These prayers are compulsory for all Muslims. The times of the prayers are: a. before dawn (at about 6:15 in the winter and at about 5 a.m. in the summer), b. mid-day, c. when your shadow becomes your size, d. sunset, and e. nighttime. During the prayers, an excerpt of Quran is read. The Quran is the holy book of the Muslims. Even though translations are available, during prayer, the Quran is always read in Arabic.
- Almsgiving/charity (zakat): Giving money to the poor is required and is not optional, the Imam explained. He said, "If you are well fed and your neighbor sleeps hungry, you are not a complete believer." In addition, hospitality and reaching out to people are important features of the Muslim faith.
- Fasting (sawm): During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. There are a few exceptions granted to pregnant women, elderly people, small children, and people who are in poor health. If you are healthy, you do not eat, drink, or have relations with your spouse during daylight hours. Fasting is a discipline and a way to learn fortitude and patience. It brings you closer to the creator.
- Pilgrimage (hajj): The pilgrimage for Muslims to travel to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The reason for Mecca is that is where the Prophet Muhammad was born. People are encourage to travel to Mecca once in their lifetimes, if they can afford the trip and if they are healthy enough to walk long distances. There are no cars in Mecca. Some people, who have the money but not the health, will finance others to take a pilgrimage that, otherwise, they would not have been able to afford. The Imam said, "I had the privilege to go for the first time last year."
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