True Islamic Worship Meets Culture, Society, and Nationalism Islam, in its literal meaning, refers to submission to Allah, and a Muslim is one who submits to Allah. By these broad definitions, well-known Jewish and Christian figures like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus qualify as Muslims; indeed, they are deemed as prophets in Islam. Such understanding […]
What determines that Allah is in favor of one’s worship? To the early caliphs of Islam, from whom arose the authority figures of Sunni Islam, territorial expansion, remarkable constructions, etc., were evidences of Allah’s favor toward them. To the Shi’a Muslims, whose history has been characterized by martyrdom and political defeat, oppression, suffering, and […]
For much of the United States of America’s history, the nation has been characterized by strong Christian sentiments, those bore by the early European settlers of the land. But, with historic immigration of people from other nations, religions other than Christianity made way into the United States and found welcome venues across the nation. […]
Why should any person worship God? Is worship to be a means to escape eternal damnation or a means to satiate one’s own pleasures? According to 8th century Muslim, Rabia al-Adawiyya, worshipping God should be the for the sole purpose of honoring God, not for escaping eternal fire of hell or even meeting one’s […]
The practice of Islam arguably comes down to two things: gratitude-motivated worship of Allah (ie. ibadat) and service works toward fellow humans (ie. mu’amalat). The well-known five pillars can be classified roughly under the two groups with shahadah, salat, sawm, and hajj under ibadat, and zakat under mu’amalat. There remains a debate about the […]
O Muslim, spend not thy day in repose alone, But keep that Ancient Text by thee. Let its words divinely revealed Refresh thy soul all through thy days. O Muslim, read not thy text in leisure, But in standing at thy mosque recite its words. Make no haste its pages to render, Recite at […]
This image explores the central role occupied by the Qur’an in Islamic piety, whether in upbringing of Muslim children or in culturally motivated uses of the supposed holy writ. In Ziauddin Saddar’s reading from the first discussion section, he recalls his early exposure to the text that was revealed to Muhammad for the following of […]
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