1. How does ritual shape daily life?
Rituals are very important to the life of a Muslim. For example, prayer is a daily action in a Muslims life. They pray five times a day and this helps to submit to the will of Allah (Islam). These prayers provide an opportunity for Muslims to glorify and thank God for everything that he has done for them. Praying daily allows you to ask for hope and forgiveness and help to get through your struggles in life (jihad). Prayer can be related to anything in relation to Islam, for example people can pray to Allah to get help in getting a job or having a child or getting married. Because of the required 5 daily prayers, prayer can be considered to be a focal point in their relationship with Allah.
2. How are specific rituals linked to a foundational figure?
Rituals revolving around Muhammad's life are observed because it is a way for Muslims to remember how important Muhammad's life as a prophet was to them. Eid al- Ghadeer is the celebration of the appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib as Muhammad's successor. This celebration also marks the anniversary of Muhammad's sermon about maula. This holiday is typically celebrated by shia Muslims and they usually follow the tradition of a mass oath reasserting the commitment to Islam. This festival observes the message to God as revealed to the Prophet (Risalah).
3. What gender issues might be raised by the way rituals are performed?
The rules in relation to marriage differ by gender in the Islamic religion. A woman's family must pay a certain fee before she can become engaged to her husband. This draws up the concern that women are viewed more as property than as human beings in Muslim culture. This is not true as these assumptions are usually made by people who don;t understand the religion. Also the men must follow strict rules as in they must get married or they will fall into sin. I think that dowries bring up a lot of issues because in poorer parts of countries, many families cannot afford their daughters dowry and as a result she cannot get married. This makes women look inferior to men in society and it makes them look as if they can't do anything on their own. The Qur'an does place one gender before the other, but I think a key factor is how society (especially people who may not understand the background of Islam) may interpret the Qur'an.
4. How are specific doctrines and rituals linked?
The Qur'an has a very big impact on certain rituals especially prayer. Salat is one of the Islamic pillars and it is ritual prayer. People recite the Qur'an during prayer and these people are called hafiz. Muslims typically complete the recitation of the whole Quran during tarawih prayers. In order to extrapolate the meaning of a particular Quranic verse, most Muslims rely on the tafsir. Muslims regard the most reliable Qur'anic commentary as being contained in the Qur'an itself. In other words, the ways in which certain ayat clarify other ayat are regarded as being the most significant form of commentary. A second form of Qur'anic commentary is how the Prophet interpreted the Qur'an. And his comments on the Qur'an (as well as everything he ever said or did) are recorded in the hadith collections. After these two forms of commentary, knowledgeable companions and later generations of pious and learned Muslims expressed their view of the meaning of various ayat. It was on this foundation that the science of Qur'anic commentary was built.
5. What are the purposes of specific rituals?
Almsgiving is a central activity in Islam. The Quran explicitly requires it and often places it alongside prayer when discussing a Muslim's duties. Zakat means purifying your wealth for the will of Allah; to acknowledge that everything we own belongs to Allah and to work towards the betterment of the Muslim Ummah. Zakat is not only a means to purify one’s wealth but it is also a spiritual purification which serves as a means to draw an individual closer to the Creator, Allah.
Question Number 2
ReplyDelete-I believe that the direct correlation between Eid Al-Ghareed and the figure, Muhammad, is beneficial in that it provides evidence of the relationships formed between historical events and the present time.
-Rifts between the Sunni and the Shia are prevalent in the way that each faction performs rituals. However both religious groups have similar beliefs that from the bases of their practices. For instance, the Sunni will also have a holiday like Eid Al-Ghareed that will allow Muslims to pledge their allegiance to Allah, but call it something different.
-Additionally, the relationship between Eid Al-Gahreed with Muhammad is similar to the relationship between Muhammad and Ramadan, in that both praise Muhammad for his revelation on the mountain and the creation of the Islamic religion.
Theme 3:
ReplyDeleteComment: I found it interesting that people may think that women are treated like property in a religion that loathes groupings of people, even beyond just race. I also found it thought-provoking that a fee must be paid before a woman can become engaged.
Expand: Doing further research, I found that although the Qur'an views women and men to be equal, this spiritual equivalence has not been replicated in most Muslim laws. Women do not have equal rights to make autonomous decisions about choice of a spouse, getting a divorce and custody of her children.
Link: In order to become a Muslim and surrender to the existence of God, one must pray every day to show their dedication to God. If this is the overall goal of the religion, what difference does it make whether or not the person is a male or female?
I think the idea of Dowry's in cultures all over the world is extremely interesting and brings up many contraversies, primarily in our culture. However, I believe that it is important to note the deep roots of these traditions in the culture and the lives of the people. This is something that may reiterate the inferiority of women in Islamic culture, but I do not believe it is something that is causing the extreme views.
ReplyDeleteI think this applies to the idea that Allah is neither male nor female, and the equality of the genders in the qu'ran. However, the culture has shaped the religion to be practiced in a way that women are viewed as less than men. You may have even included the use of Dowry's in other cultures and it's impact, or the presence of female oppression in other aspects of Islamic culture.
I think this connects to every aspect of the religion. Adding to Sarah's point above, in practicing the religion it is important to eliminate discrimination as is supported by the Qu'ran itself. For example, a pilgrimage to the Hajj is a required journey and so is the devotion to all five pillars- male or female.
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ReplyDeleteOh, my comment was for theme 3.
ReplyDeleteHow are rituals linked to foundational figures?
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that in the Islamic religion that certain rituals are linked to the events of the life of important people to the religion like Muhammad or Ali ibn Abi Talib because most religions (including Islam) teach that people are not to worship prophets. How does one differentiate worshiping a prophet from honoring what they did? How far is too far? Through my own research I see that this is very similar to the celebration of Muhammad's birthday. On his birthday they honor his achieves but primarily the revelation that he was given and spread.
maybe take a sentence or two to explain the meaning of some of the terms (tasfir). At times more analysis and critical thinking could be exhibited.
ReplyDelete