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 Islam
is the name of the religion Muslims follow. Maybe you have a good friend
who is Muslim, or a neighbor or family member and you know a lot about
it. Maybe you've never thought about these words. Our thoughts are made
up of the facts we know about something combined with our feelings about
it. One feeling we often get when we don't know very much about something
is fear. I bet you can think of lots of examples of this-like little
kids who are afraid of friendly clowns until they learn that a clown
is a person dressed in a costume. The more we know about something the
less afraid we are. Another thing that can happen when we don't know
very much about something is that we make assumptions, which is a big
word for guessing and believing without really knowing.
This is a hard time to be a Muslim in America because many people don't
know very much about Islam. Read the FAQs (frequently asked questions)
below. The more we learn about people who are different from us, the
more respect we will have for them and the less afraid we will be of
them. Respect and care for people who are different from us are important
to Unitarian Universalist people.
Q. What do Muslims believe?
A. Muslims believe in one God, whom they call Allah. They
believe that one man, Muhammad, was chosen by Allah in A.D. 610 to be
the last prophet, the last person to bring God's message to the people
of earth. They believe that other prophets came before Muhammad, including
the Jewish prophets (like Moses) and the Christian prophets (like Jesus).
They believe that all the prophets were human beings put on earth to
teach people how to live peacefully and how to worship one God. Muslim
people believe that Muhammad was the last prophet and so his words are
the final and most important words to live by today. Like Judaism and
Christianity that came before it, Islam is a religion of peace, kindness,
and forgiveness.
Q. What is the Koran?
A. The Koran, or Qur'an, is the Muslim holy book. Muslims
believe it is the record of exact words God said to the Prophet Muhammad.
It is written in Arabic, so all Muslims learn Arabic.
Q. What are the 'Five Pillars' of Islam?
A. Muslims believe that after death people will go to Paradise
or to Hell depending on how well they have lived their lives as Muslims,
how well they have followed Islamic laws and fulfilled their duties
to God. Every Muslim has 5 duties, called the Five Pillars of Islam.
They are:
First Pillar: Make a statement of belief that there is no God
but Allah and that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.
Second Pillar: Pray five times a day: at dawn, noon, afternoon,
evening and nightfall. The prayer, called Salat, takes about 15 minutes
and is done facing toward Mecca (the holiest place in Islam, in Saudi
Arabia).
Third Pillar: Muslims must give part of their money or possessions
to charity.
Fourth Pillar: Muslims must fast (not eat or drink) in the daytime
during the month of Ramadan (The exact dates of Ramadan vary from year
to year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. See pages
5 and 6 of the booklet, Cycle of Seasons* for more information about
lunar calendars.)
Fifth Pillar: Muslims must try to make a pilgrimage (travel)
to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes.
 Q.
Where do Muslims live today?
A. Muslims live all over the world. Many live in countries
where people speak Arabic, like Saudi Arabia where Islam started. But
millions of others, in fact most Muslims live in non-Arabic speaking
countries. About 7 million Muslims live in the United States. Islam
is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world.
Q. Why do some Muslim women wear scarves on their heads and veils over
their faces?
 A.Islam
teaches both men and women to be modest, to wear clothes that cover
their bodies loosely. In some Islamic countries, women are required
to cover their bodies so only their faces and hands show. Muslims
believe this protects women from being stared at and that helps
people to give them respect. The scarf many Muslim women wear is
called a "hijab." In only a few, very strict Islamic countries
are Muslim women required to cover their faces.
Q.What is jihad? What does Islam say about terrorism?
A.In the Arabic language the word "jihad"
means "struggle," to try your best and put out a great
effort. In Islam, it means to struggle to be a good Muslim-sometimes
to struggle within yourself to live by Islamic rules and to be the
best Muslim you can be. Islam does not support terrorism! Muslims
who commit terrorist acts are not following Islam. They are wrongly
using the name of Islam to get more power.
Q.Can Jews or Christians live
in Islamic countries?
A.Yes. Islamic law allows people to practice any
religion they want. In general, Muslims are very tolerant of religious
differences.
*If you are a member of CLF, your family got a copy of The Cycle
of Seasons booklet when you joined. If you can't find it, look lunar
calendar up in the encyclopedia.
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