As part of my survey, I was lucky to investigate one specific group that although famous across the globe, I had no definite clue on its religious operations. I was fortunate to observe the religious practice of Islamic beliefs in Alabama. My research was undertaken on October 11th, 2017 in the evening. I aimed to observe the worship of the Muslim people around the area.
Liturgy:
In essence, liturgy is the customary public worship that is performed by a certain religious group or individuals in a community. Notably, these practices are performed according to the beliefs and customary traditions of a specific religious alignment. Apparently, the Islamic religion is a unique culture that although different from other religious traditions in the social facet, follows a certain line of beliefs in worshiping.
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Organization of liturgy in Islamic group
While many religious aligned have a diverse organization in the liturgy, the Islamic religion is no different. Apparently, the organization of the Islamic liturgy was simple where individuals arranged themselves in lines after lines as they performed the prayers.
Order of worship in Islamic religion
According to the Islamic tradition of worship, Muslims are expected to perform different critical acts of divine worship. Essentially, there are different pillars of worship that are likely to be performed during the liturgy. Apparently, arkan al – ‘ibada is considered to be the main acts that are practiced in Islamic worship. It is true that each pillar of worship in this religious alignment acts as a gateway to a deeper understanding and spiritual strength as one establishes oneself in the faith. Some of the practices or events involved in liturgy are as follows,
Shahada : in Islamic liturgy practices, a person is considered a Muslim out of simple testimony or witness. One has to testify that there are no gods but God. Additionally, individuals have to attest that indeed Muhamad is the Messenger of God. Moreover, a variation of such even is used in various situations.
Salat: While Islamic religion has various forms of prayers, salat is a formal prayer that is undertaken by Muslims while facing the direction of Mecca every day. This prayer consists various reactions and positioning of the body. Apparently, it involves prostration where the forehead of individuals has to touch the ground.
Zakat: Essentially, this is an obligatory charitably even of contribution. Notably, every Muslims are expected to contribute at least 2.5 percent of the property that is likely to produce income as well as liquid assets. Such practice supports the charitable events of the religion and is likely to promote Islam
Saum: Apparently, this is considered as a period of spiritual renewal where Muslim is expected to avoid eating, drinking as well as engaging themselves in sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk.
Hajj: Islamic culture believes that one is supposed to visit Mecca at least in a lifetime if he or she is financially stable. Apparently, this is thought to happen every twelve months of the Muslim calendar. Those that have joined the pilgrimage are called to duplicate the rituals that were practiced by Abraham as well as circling the shrine known as the Ka’ba. There were then expected to stand at the plain of ‘Arafat and offered sacrifices.
The people who perform different roles during a liturgy
It is not coincident that the Islamic religious culture concentrated on specific people to lead the prayers similar to other religion such as Christianity. Apparently, in Islamic culture, the Imams were considered as there leaders in the places of worship where they could lead the prayer sessions and other rituals during the liturgy.
Distinction between leaders and followers
While many religious practices such as Christianity indicated the difference between the follower and the leader in the church, it is hard to differentiate leaders and mere followers in Islamic religious culture. However, there are leaders such as the sheiks and clerics who were taken to be the leaders in the worship places. Nonetheless, they had no different distinctions from the followers although they were respected and believed to be the ones taking care of the places of worship. Imams are said to perform and guide people in prayer sessions.
Central events involved in Islamic liturgy
According to Muslims, one is expected to perform certain events before the session of a prayer. Apparently, they perform a sort of purification which Arabs term it as Wudu. In this practice, one washes his or her face, feet’s, and hands by the use of water. Since they were supposed to pray at least five times a day, they were considered to maintain a high level of hygiene.
Rituals involved
Apparently, the most famous rituals performed in this religious alignment are the tawaf. This is where the pilgrimage is expected to go round the Kaaba about seven times. This is normally done at the beginning of the Hajj and the end of the event. While it is not specifically clear why people make seven rounds, it is believed that it conforms to the movement of celestial bodies. Additionally, the number seven is also associated divinely with Christianity and Judaism culture.
Other rituals that are performed during the prayer include a certain ceremony where the pilgrims are expected to put little pebbles at three stone which are large and referred to as Jamarat. Notably, this was used symbolically to express the stoning of the devil that was believed to have tempted Abraham to defy God. The slaughtering of the animal was to honor God.
The level of involvement of the participants
During the liturgy, Muslims are expected to pay close attention to the proceedings of the prayers while they follow closely the requirement of the worship. While may be different from other religious practices, Islamic expects an individual to join in the prayers while performing the expected actions.
Islamic Organization
It is perhaps clear that Islamic religion does not recognize any authoritative doctrines and positions like Pope. In essence, this means that the religious practice, therefore, lacks the general hierarchal alignment and structure like what Catholic has. Since Islamic religion believes in the direct communication with God, there is no clergy like other religions such as Christianity.
While there is no hierarchy formation in the Islamic culture, it therefore clear that Muslims lack people who are professions in matters that deal with worship. However, there are people known as the imams who although not considered as professions, they undertake various practices such as teaching the young ones into the religious beliefs.
While clerics are considered as the body of people such as ministers, priest, and rabbis who are said to have trained and being ordained for religious services, laities are taken as the followers who are not ordained.
Just like other regions, Muslims are known to support the members of the community through giving donations to the disadvantaged people especially during special events in the religion. Members are said to give offerings regarding liquid property or even those goods that were likely to raise incomes. Moreover, they give offerings to support the continuity of various activities in the places of worship. In the Islamic culture and groupings, there are no specific leaders apart from imams. This is because Muslims believe that one should pray directly to God.
Culture and Theology:
While it is difficult to align Islam with few cultural values and believes, it has some simplified alignment that it is identified with. Some of the core values of Islamic religion include,
Believing in one God
One of the main core values of Islamic culture believes in one God. It is therefore clear that worshiping other Gods becomes the greatest sin in the Islamic religion.
Believing In the Prophet of God
According to Muslim, God communicates to people through His many prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Jesus, and Muhamad. The main message that is passed by these prophets is that there is only one true God who should be worshiped.
What Islamic religion says about Supernatural
Essentially, Islamic religion does not have much to explain about supernatural powers. However, the Quran informs that after the death of an individual, there is a clear curtain that separates the world and the dead. This means that there is a broken connection between the dead and the world. It is therefore clear that this religion aligns its belief in supernatural powers to the life after death. Moreover, this religion speaks of salvation and that it can be achieved through jihad which many believe to be the holy war.
Tension:
While the contemporary society is full of different cultural practices that are likely to affect various religious cultures, the Islamic religion is one distinctive denomination that strictly conforms to its values. This religion does not believe in many of the contemporary cultures of the society, and therefore it has not been largely influenced.
While every religion conforms to a single God though driven by different cultures, the Islamic religion is slightly hostile to other religions especially Christianity and Judaism. Most Muslims are said to consider other religions as inferior while they take Islamic culture to be the true religion of God. Additionally, the religion requires a lot of its members as it expects that member s of the religion is to conform strictly to the Islamic culture. To me, this religion is like a church like culture since many of the teachings are found in other religious practice such as Christianity.
Recruitment and Retention:
Apparently, for one to become a Muslim, he or she has to undergo a simple testimonial ritual where one has to acknowledge that there is only one God. One had to believe that Islamic religion is the only trusted religion and therefore he or she was accepted in the culture. Moreover, there was no clear system of retention of its members apart from insisting that the members should conform strictly to the cultures and beliefs of Islam.
