Islam Ritual and Worship

In a traditional Muslim society, how would you see ritual and worship lived?

It should not be strange that the values cherished by all the three major religions are the same, since they originate from a common source. For example, Islam, the predominant religion in the Middle East, accepts as an integral part of its religious teachings both the Old and the New Testaments. If this commonality of moral traditions among the world's major religions does not say something about the universality of religion, it does say something about the universality of mankind. . .

(King Hussein, 1935 - 1999) Islam is an intriguing and strong member of the monotheistic trinity, comprised of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Due to Islam’s strong ties with the other two major religions, Islam has similar founding beliefs, such as love, sin and the afterlife. The way Islam conducts ritual and worship however, differs in many ways; through different countries, cultures and interpretations. Ritual and worship takes a strong role in the everyday life of a traditional Muslim. Ritual and worship is the way Muslims live their lives in relation to their Islamic beliefs. An integral part of Ritual and worship are the Rights of Passage.

The Rights of Passage for Muslims encompasses their lives from birth, through life, into death. They include subjects such as birth rites, naming rites and marriage ceremonies. At birth, a new born baby is welcomed into the Muslim community. The father of the child whispers the Adhan (call to prayer) into the baby's right ear. Allah is the first word heard by the new born child.

Seven days after birth, a feast and naming ceremony called an Aqiqah is traditionally conducted. Several traditions are observed including the child’s head being shaved, with the hair being weighed and same weight in gold or silver given to poor and a sacrificing of animals in honour of the birth. The child is given a name, often relating to Islam, a character in the Qur’an. Mohammed is the most common first name in the world. When a name is selected in Turkey, it is given by an imam or an elder person in the family by holding the child in the direction of Mecca and reading from the Qur'an into his left ear and repeating his name three times into his right ear.

When the child reaches puberty, he or she is eligible for marriage (Nikah). The marriage ceremony involves a sacred contract (Mithaq) between bride and groom. The marriage gift (Mahr) is a gift of wealth from the husband to the wife. It is both a token of commitment and a promise of security. Upon divorce, the widow is given the Mahr as a payment to support her. Rites of Passage continue throughout the life of a Muslim.

Death and consequential mourning ceremonies play a significant role in a Muslim’s Rites of Passage. When a Muslim approaches death, he/she asks for forgiveness from family, friends and Allah. The dying one then repeats the Shahada and life has come full circle; the first and last words heard are Allah. The Rites of Passage have been completed, from birth to death. Followers of Islam are always buried, never cremated. Preparation for burial involves the body being washed three times, by close family members or the Imam. The body is then anointed with spice, wrapped in sheets of white cloth and then buried with the face turned toward Mecca. Mourners form rows facing the direction of Mecca, with the prayer leader and the body in front. Prayers are said for the deceased concluded with, “peace be to you” and appropriate readings from Qur'an take place. The grave is raised to prevent disturbance to the burial site. Mourning should last no more than three days and grief should not last too long as this is seen to be a lack of faith in Muslim society. During the life of a practising Muslim, several practises and rituals referred to as the Pillars of Islam make up the Rites of Devotion.

The Rites of Devotion for Muslims are comprised of several aspects; three of these are Submission, Shahada and Salat. Submission to Allah from an Islamic perspective is to accept that Allah is all powerful and the one true god.

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