Lex Orandi

Islam Class Week 5

2008-07-31T23:44:00.001-05:00

Islam: Week 5
July 30, 2008
Islam in America

I.The First Muslims in America
a.Possibility of Moors leaving Spain for Caribbean islands in 1492.1
b.Many African slaves were Muslim.2
i.Several thousand.
ii.Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Nigeria.
iii.Some highly literate.
iv.Bilali Mahomet
1.Taken into slavery around 1725.
2.Bilali Diary, written in a West African Arabic script.
v.Reports of slaves who refused to eat pork and prayed to a god named Allah.
vi.Waves of migration into America in 19th and 20th centuries. 3
vii.1875-1912: “Greater Syria”
1.Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan.
2.Most were Christian; some Muslim.
3.Ratio would reverse.
viii.End of WWI
1.Demise of Ottoman Empire.
2.Relatives of Muslims who had already emigrated came.
3.US Immigration Laws: 1921 and 1924; strict quotas on particular nations, especially on Muslim countries.
ix.1930s: immigration open only to relatives of Muslims in America
x.Fourth wave: 1947-1960.
1.More immigrants.
2.Nationality Act of 1953: Each country got a quota of immigrants.
3.Based on population percentages in U.S.
a.Most still from Europe.
b.Some Muslims – more urbanized, better educated, Westernized.
xi.Final wave: 1960s
1.Immigration Act by President Lyndon Johnson repeals immigration quotas.
2.Immigration from Middle East and Asia increases dramatically.

II.Which nations?
a.Most come from Indian subcontinent: Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis.4
b.Indonesia and Malaysia.
c.Iran – perhaps 1 million.
d.Also many from African nations.

III.Muslim Communities in America5
a.Midwest
i.Michigan City, Indiana – Islamic Center in 1914.
ii.Cedar Rapids, Iowa – “Mother Mosque of America”. Began in 1920.
iii.Chicago, IL
1.Moorish Science Temple
2.Nation of Islam
3.Warith Deen Mohammad
4.Mosque Foundation of Chicago: Bridgeview, IL.
5.Islamic Foundation: Villa Park, IL.
6.American Islamic College
iv.Dearborn, MI
1.Ford Motor Company and growth of Arab community.
2.Lebanese and Palestinian at first.
3.Yemeni community since 1950s.
4.1938: Sunnis built a mosque
5.1940: Shi’i Hashemite Hall
6.Five active mosques/Islamic centers.

b.New York City
i.American Mohammedan Society – 1907.
ii.Islamic Mission of America for the Propagation of Islam and the Defense of Faith and the Faithful – 1930.
iii.Malcolm X:
1.Temple #7 of the NOI in NYC
2.Muslim Mosque, Inc.

c.California
i.Muslims from Indian subcontinent begin arriving in 1895.
ii.Farm laborers and unskilled workers.
iii.Both Muslims and Sikhs
iv.“Hindus”
v.Rise in Muslim population after Indian partition in 1947.
vi.Muslims from most areas of the world.
vii.Refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia.
viii.Islamic Center of Southern California in LA.

IV.Chicago communities in detail
a.Islamic Foundation of Villa Park, IL.6
i.School and mosque.
ii.Predominantly South Asian.
iii.One of the largest Islamic schools in North America.
iv.Also one of the oldest – established in 1986.7
v.650 students.
vi.Mosque is a large, spacious building.
vii.Women in are in a balcony room.
viii.Other observations:
1.We were greeted by Mr. Abd al-Hameed Dogar and observed midday prayers in the mosque, which were attended by about 75-100 worshippers. We observed the prayers from the back of the mosque on the main floor. We removed our shoes and sat behind the worshippers. The women of our group were permitted to remain on the main floor. Prayers took about 20 minutes. We observed men and boys observing the prayer together. Everything was well-ordered – the class remarked on the discipline of the boys in observing the prayers! After the prayers, we went on a tour of the school, a large facility that educates boys and girls, K-12. We spoke with Mr. al-Hameed Dogar at length afterward, treated to coffee, donuts, and Cokes.
2.Mr. al-Hameed Dogar is a former imam, a prayer leader.
3.Emigrated from Pakistan.
4.Spoke at length about the founding of the Islamic Foundation.
5.A great deal of political and judicial wrangling was necessary to build the school.
6.They had to buy the judge’s house in the neighborhood out of his fear of property values.

b.Mosque Foundation of Chicago: Bridgeview, IL.8
i.Formed by Palestinian immigrants in 1954.
ii.Prayer hall built in 1984 in Bridgeview.
iii.Mostly Middle Eastern/Arab, but is diverse in ethnicity.
iv.A few facts about the Mosque Foundation, reproduced from their website.

v.Women worship in the basement, but an addition is currently being built to accommodate more of the “sisters” in the back of the main hall.
vi.Our class met Sheik Mustafa Kifa (pictured above) and heard a presentation on the basics of Islam.
vii.“More similar than you think.”
viii.Friendly, open to questions.
ix.Heard midday prayer service.
x.Sheik Kifa acts a great deal like a Christian pastor, visiting the sick, providing marital and family counseling, and providing other pastoral services.
1.Taking CPE this fall!
xi.Gained notoriety for an article published in the Chicago Tribune in February, 2004.9
1.“Hard-liners won battle for Bridgeview Mosque.”
2.http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0402080265feb08,0,3486861.story
3.Article alleged that conservative Muslims in the Bridgeview mosque were supporting Muslim extremists in the Middle East.
4.There had been an investigation by the U.S. government into the financial and political activity of the Bridgeview leadership, but no charges were filed.
5.Charges were filed against Muhammad Salah, a worshipper at the Bridgeview mosque, who allegedly laundered $1 million to support Hamas.
a.Nothing ever filed against the leadership.
6.Geneive Abdo takes the Tribune to task for what she viewed as sensationalist writing, with a disregard for facts.
a.“The Tribune’s zeal was also motivated by hopes the series would garner a big prize for the paper….A careful, thoughtful explication of Islam worldwide, with all its nuances, or so the thinking went in the executive suites, would not bring the Tribune any glory. Instead, it had to uncover a story that would reaffirm readers’ impressions of the faith after September 11. An exposé on homegrown Muslim extremists in the American heartland would definitely fit the bill.”10

c.American Islamic College11
i.Established in Chicago in 1983.
ii.640 W Irving Park Rd.
iii.Offers the B.A. in Islamic Studies and Arabic Language and Literature.
iv.68 students as of 2007, men and women.
v.Approved by Illinois Board of Higher Education; working on accreditation.
vi.Partnership with LSTC.
1.Second Muslim to be commissioned as member of Military Chaplain Corps was Lt. Monje Malak Abd al-Muta Ali Noel, Jr. of the U.S. Navy
2.Received an M.Div., conferred jointly by LSTC and the AIC.
vii.Our class met with Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi.
viii.Friday midday prayer included a sermon.
ix.Men and women in same hall; women and children behind a screen.
x.We sat in chairs behind the worshippers.
xi.Friendly – everyone shook our hand on the way out!
xii.Friday midday prayer includes a sermon.
1.About the lack of centralized authority in Islam (as compared to Christianity).
2.The need for the umma to be united.
3.The preacher changes every week.
xiii.Treated to a wonderful lunch of Pakistani food!
xiv.Seemed to be a more “liberal” mosque than Islamic Foundation.
1.Our class raised questions about women’s leadership in the mosque.
2.Not forbidden for a woman to lead prayer in a mixed-gender setting, but not in the tradition.

d.The Nation of Islam12
i.Begun in Detroit by Wallace D. Fard.
ii.Appeared in 1930; claimed to come from Mecca.
iii.Message to blacks of America.
iv.Elijah Poole (later Elijah Muhammad) was one of Fard’s first followers.
v.Poole believed that Fard was the promised mahdi, the one who was to appear before the Day of Judgment.
vi.Fard believed to be divine – a break from orthodox Islam.
vii.Identity of Fard subject to debate.
1.Not African-American.
2.Actually Caucasian and/or Polynesian

3.Arrested several times, accused of inciting violence.
viii.Disappeared mysteriously in 1934.
ix.Elijah Poole took on leadership of the group.
x.Moved to Chicago in 1932, established Temple Number Two.
xi.Main HQ of NOI.
xii.One applied for membership with Chief Minister.
xiii.When accepted, one dropped the last name (the slave name) and took an “X”, signifying unknown African ancestry.
xiv.Elijah Muhammad took status as a prophet.
1.Another break with orthodox Islam.
2.Shahada : “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.”
xv.Black nationalism
1.Whites are descended from the devil.
2.An engineered race.
3.Lightest in color is the most inferior, and therefore the most evil.
4.Again, a contradiction of orthodox Islam.
5.However, a response to the virulent racism of 20th century America.
xvi.Malcolm X one of the most prominent ministers of the NOI.
1.Undertook the hajj in 1964.
2.Repudiated racist teachings of NOI.
3.Read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
4.Break with Elijah Muhammad.
5.Assassinated in 1965.
6.There’s much more to say, but not enough time in this study!
xvii.Elijah Muhammad died in 1975.
xviii.Wallace D. Muhammad (Warith Deen Mohammed) took over the leadership; began to systematically dismantle the Nation’s ideology and security force.
xix.Moved into mainstream Sunni Islam.
xx.Louis Farrakhan could not accept the changes in the organization.
xxi.Began to rebuild the NOI in 1978.
xxii.Based in Chicago.
xxiii.Black-power movement dedicated to establishment of separate nation.
xxiv.Relations between W.D. Mohammed and Farrakhan are controlled – little interaction between the two.
xxv.Show of reconciliation in 2000 – not much else since then.

Questions for discussion:
1.Do you personally know any Muslims in your community? How do you relate to them? How do they feel about living in America at this time?
2.How can Christians better understand their Muslim neighbors in Chicago?
3.What have you learned in this class?

Daily Office 7.27-8.2

2008-07-26T17:48:00.001-05:00

Daily Office Readings		Eucharistic Readings
Sunday: AM Psalm 24, 29; PM Psalm 8, 84 Joshua 24:1-15; Acts 28:23-31; Mark 2:23-28
Monday: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65 Joshua 24:16-33; Rom. 16:1-16; Matt. 27:24-31		Jeremiah 13:1-11; Psalm 95; Matt. 13:31-35
Tuesday: AM Psalm 61, 62; PM Psalm 68:1-20(21-23)24-36 Judges 2:1-5,11-23; Rom. 16:17-27; Matt. 27:32-44 Mary and Martha of Bethany Psalm 36:5-10 or 33:1-5,20-21 Romans 12:9-13; Luke 10:38-42		Jeremiah 14:17-22; Psalm 79:9-13; Matt. 13:36-43
Wednesday: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96 Judges 3:12-30; Acts 1:1-14; Matt. 27:45-54 William Wilberforce: Psalm 146:4-9 or 112:1-9 Galatians 3:23-29; Matthew 25:31-40		Jeremiah 15:10, 15-21; Psalm 59:1-4, 18-20; Matt. 13:44-46
Thursday: AM Psalm [70], 71; PM Psalm 74 Judges 4:4-23; Acts 1:15-26; Matt. 27:55-66 Ignatius of Loyola Psalm 34:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:31 - 11:1; Luke 9:57-62		Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 146:1-5; Matt. 13:47-53
Friday: AM Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73 Judges 5:1-18; Acts 2:1-21; Matt. 28:1-10 Joseph of Arimathaea Psalm 16:5-11 or 112:1-9 Proverbs 4:10-18; Luke 23:50-56		Jeremiah 26:1-9; Psalm 70; Matt. 13:54-58
Saturday: AM Psalm 75, 76; PM Psalm 23, 27 Judges 5:19-31; Acts 2:22-36; Matt. 28:11-20		Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24; Psalm 140:1-5; Matt. 14:1-12

Islam Class Week 4

2008-07-26T17:39:00.002-05:00

Islam: Week 4
7.23.2008
The Role of Women in Islam

Pre-class discussion:
What are some of the images we have of women in Islam?
What are some of the ideas we have about what the Qur’an says about women in Islam?

I.What the Qur’an says about women
a.Sura 4 – “Women”
b.Sura 24 – “Light”
c.Sura 65 – “Divorce”
i.Sura 2:226-229
d.Marriage laws
e.Inheritance laws
f.Modesty laws

II.Marriage laws
a.Q. 4:1-4, 22-27, 34-35, 128-131
b.Men are permitted to marry up to four women.
i.Key word is PERMITTED.
ii.Provided he can treat and provide for each equally.
iii.“If you fear that you cannot be equitable to them, then marry only one or your slave, that is more likely to make you avoid bias.”
iv.Jane Smith writes,
“Many modern commentators on the Qur’an have interpreted that requirement to mean that God really does not want a man to marry more than once or he would not have levied such a difficult stipulation on multiple marriages. Others point out at the time when the Qur’an was being revealed, women were losing their husbands in the many battles and skirmishes occurring in the young Muslim umma. The injunction to take up four wives, they argue, was out of charity to these husbandless women. In any case, few Muslim men anywhere in the world can afford to marry more than one woman at a time, although in some poorer countries an additional wife may actually serve to ease the financial burden by adding to income earned outside the home.”1
v.Men are expected to provide financially for their wife or wives.
vi.A dowry paid to the bride is required.
1.Can be a simple as a new Qur’an or a number of things the bride wants.2
c.Nikah – aimed to be permanent.
i.The couple inherit from each other.
ii.Can be terminated by divorce.
1.Permitted, not encouraged.
iii.Marriage contract signed.
iv.Not a “sacrament”, but a legal agreement.
d.Nikah Mut’ah – aimed to be a temporary contract.
i.Forbidden in Sunni Islam.
ii.Permitted in Shi’a Islam
iii.4:24
e.Divorce in Islam
i.Talaq
ii.Q. 65
iii.Three-month waiting period stipulated.
1.Gives chance for couple to reconcile.
2.Make sure the wife isn’t pregnant
iv.Triple talaq is legal in Sunni Islam, but only barely.3
v.“American Muslims are quick to point out that Prophet Muhammad deemed divorce in any case to be the worst of solutions, to be avoided at almost any cost.”4
vi.Men initiate talaq, but women can seek a divorce as well.
f.Are men permitted to beat their wives?
i.4:34-35
ii.“It must be said that although ‘beating’ seems to be allowable in the last part of this Qur’anic passage, no reputable Muslim interpreters would suggest that it should involve anything more than the lightest of taps as a reminder to the wife of her conjugal responsibilities. Never can this legitimately be cited as justification for wife-beating, although Muslim men, like Christian and other men, have on occasion resorted to such measures.”5
g.Adultery
i.Q. 4:15
ii.Q. 24:1-9

III.Inheritance laws
a.Q. 4:7-14, 19-21
b.Insure Muslim women were provided for.
c.Context of pre-Islamic Arabia: Women often inherited as property rather than inheritors.
d.Smith: “Muslims generally defend the few verses in the Qur’an that non-Muslims (especially, perhaps, Western feminists) say indicate the inferior status of women as needing to be seen in context. Women inherit only half of what men inherit, for example, and the testimony of two women is required to equal that of one man. These injunctions are interpreted as viable because of the Muslim man’s responsibility to take care of and provide for the woman. Many Muslim men and women argue that equity is probably a better term than equality in comparing expectations for men and women and that the distinctions between men’s and women’s roles and the resulting differences in their responsibilities do not mean that one is better or more privileged than the other. Some more progressive voices can be heard saying that some of these passages…must be reinterpreted in the light of new contexts and new roles for women.”6

IV.Modesty laws
a.Q. 24:30-31
b.Q. 33.53
c.Laws are about modesty, not about a specific garment.
d.Unclear about how much of the body is to be covered.
e.Apply to both men and women.
f.Men
i.Generally, one covers from the knees up, and to the elbow.
g.Women
i.More conservatively, everything is covered but the hands and face.
ii.More conservative clothing widely worn after 1967 (Arab-Israeli War) to show allegiance to Islam.7
iii.Some choose to wear hijab (head covering).
iv.After 9/11, some women chose to cover in more “Western” ways, such as baseball caps.
v.Generally first worn at onset of puberty.
vi.Muslim women in the West generally have a choice to wear or not wear the hijab, though the choice seems to center on when, not whether to wear it.8

V.Women in the mosque
a.Men are the prayer leaders in the mosque.
b.Women can lead other women in prayer, but they cannot lead other men.
c.Generally related to the posture for prayer.
d.The imam leads from the front of the mosque.
e.Another reason relates to menstruation, which renders her “impure and thus unfit to lead the prayer.”9
i.Compare to Levitical laws on purity.
ii.Also laws on men’s purity in Islam.
f.Women generally do not participate in religious activities: worship in the mosque, fasting, etc., during menstruation.10
g.Not forbidden for a woman to lead prayer in the mosque, but not in any of the sharia traditions.
h.Experiments with women leading prayer.11
i.Amina Wadud, professor of Islamic studies, led Friday prayers in mixed congregation in 2005.
ii.Denounced worldwide.
iii.Not widespread.
i.Mosque congregations are segregated by gender.12
i.In Middle East, women generally pray behind the men in the same room.
ii.In India and Pakistan, women pray in a separate room. Also rare for a woman to pray in a mosque.
iii.In America, women are often in a separate room, upstairs, or in the basement.
1.Influence of ideology of Mawlana Mawdudi, who advocated the strict separation of women from men in the mosque.
iv.Some problems with women hearing the sermon and participating fully in worship life.
1.Work of Ingrid Mattson on women’s right’s in the mosque.
2.Work with Islamic texts (Qur’an and hadith) to support women’s rights.

VI.Feminism and Islam
a.Wadud experiment similar to way American feminist might approach the problem.
i.African-American Muslim who was active in civil rights movement.
b.“Tactics of an activist.”13
c.Some Muslim women believe feminism a “Western” thing, not an “Islamic” thing.
d.What is the role of past sources and scholarly opinions in Islam?
e.Women shayks.
f.Difference between Wadud and Mattson.
i.Wadud: Qur’anic texts revealed in specific circumstance and can be reinterpreted according to changed circumstance. Circumstances justify.
ii.Mattson: Past rulings and texts are authoritative; not as relative to the circumstance. Texts justify.

Questions for discussion:
1.What are your reactions to marriage and inheritance laws?
2.How do you view the Qur’anic laws on modesty compared with Western practice?
3.Is there a comparison between female leadership in the mosque and female leadership in the church?

Who Speaks for Islam?

2008-07-22T13:47:00.003-05:00

If you are in my class (and even if you aren't) I encourage you to watch this video called "Who Speaks for Islam?"

Daily Office 7.20-7.26

2008-07-21T10:01:00.001-05:00

Daily Office Readings		Eucharistic Readings
Sunday: AM Psalm 63:1-8(9-11), 98; PM Psalm 103 Joshua 6:15-27; Acts 22:30-23:11; Mark 2:1-12
Monday: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44 Joshua 7:1-13; Rom. 13:8-14; Matt. 26:36-46		Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 14; Matt. 12:38-42
Tuesday: AM Psalm 45; PM Psalm 47, 48 Joshua 8:1-22; Rom. 14:1-12; Matt. 26:47-56 St. Mary Magdalene AM Psalm 116; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Mark 15:14-20 PM Psalm 30, 149; Exodus 15:19-21; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7		Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Psalm 85:1-7; Matt. 12:46-50
Wednesday: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53] Joshua 8:30-35; Rom. 14:13-23; Matt. 26:57-68		Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10; Psalm 7:1-6, 15-17; Matt. 13:1-9
Thursday: AM Psalm 50; PM Psalm [59, 60] or 66, 67 Joshua 9:3-21; Rom. 15:1-13; Matt. 26:69-75 Thomas a Kempis Psalm 34:1-8 or 33:1-5,20-21 Philippians 4:4-9; Luke 6:17-23		Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-13; Psalm 36:5-10; Matt. 13:10-17
Friday: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51 Joshua 9:22-10:15; Rom. 15:14-24; Matt. 27:1-10 St. James the Apostle AM Psalm 34; Jeremiah 16:14-21; Mark 1:14-20 PM Psalm 33; Jeremiah 26:1-15; Matthew 10:16-32		Jeremiah 3:14-18; Psalm 121; Matt. 13:18-23
Saturday: AM Psalm 55; PM Psalm 138,139:1-17(18-23) Joshua 23:1-16; Rom. 15:25-33; Matt. 27:11-23 Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Psalm 132:11-19 or 85:8-13 Genesis 17:1-8; Luke 1:26-33		Jeremiah 7:1-11; Psalm 84; Matt. 13:24-30

Islam Class Week 3

2008-07-21T09:55:00.004-05:00

Islam: Week 3

7.16.2008

Relationships between Islam and other faith traditions

Jesus and Mary under a palm tree. Q. 19:23-26

I.How do Muslims view Christians and Jews?
a.Muslims believe that God has sent messengers (rasul) and prophets (nabi) over time to all people.
i.Q. 10:47, 16:38
b.Those named in the Qur’an, and their correspondents in the Bible.1
Qur’an Bible
Adam Adam
Idris Enoch
Nuh Noah
Hud
Salih
Ibrahim Abraham
Isma’il Ishmael
Ishaq Isaac
Lut Lot
Ya’qub Jacob
Yusuf Joseph
Shu’ayb
Ayyub Job
Musa Moses
Harun Aaron
Dhu ‘l-Kifl Ezekiel
Dawud David
Sulayman Solomon
Ilyas Elijah
Alyasa’ Elisha
Yunus Jonah
Zakariyya Zachariah
Yahya John the Baptist
‘Isa Jesus
Muhammad
c.Not an exhaustive list – just those prophets named in the Qur’an.
d.Those in bold are rasul, or Messengers.
e.They receive a Book from God.
f.Essentially the same message.
i.Q. 4:163-165, 6:42
g.The Torah and Gospel are regarded as divine Scripture.
h.The Kalam Allah.2
i.The Speech of God in the transcendent world of God.
ii.The Torah, Gospel, and Qur’an are all earthly deposits of the Kalam Allah.
iii.For Muslims, the Qur’an is the uncorrupted earthly deposit of the Speech of God.
i.One must believe in ALL prophets of God to be a true Muslim: Q. 4:150.
j.John Kaltner, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, relates this conversation after presenting a lecture on Islam:
i.“After the session a man came up to me and inquired, “Is it true that Muslims hate Jesus?” When I finished my explanation of why this is not the case, several Muslim men who had overheard the conversation stepped forward and offered their own perspectives. One of them made a statement that undoubtedly surprised the man who asked the question. He said, “It is impossible to be a Muslim and hate Jesus. In fact, a Muslim who does not love Jesus is not a true Muslim.”3
k.Muslims regard Jews and Christians as Ahl al-Kitab, or “People of the Book”
i.Q.3:3, 5:65-66
ii.They worship the One True God.
iii.As such, they are to be permitted freedom of religion.
iv.Q. 29:46 – “[Believers], argue only in the best way with the People of the Book, except with those of them who act unjustly. Say, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you; our God and your God are one [and the same]; we are devoted to Him.’”4
v.“There is no compulsion in religion.” Q.2:256.
vi.But Muslims do not view Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as equal paths to God.
vii.Muslims view Islam as “the superhighway and therefore the best path for people to follow. The Islamic message corrects errors in the communities of the earlier revelations (Q. 4:46-47, 5:15-19). Jews and Christians are called to become Muslims (Q. 57:28).”5
l.The Qur’an pronounces Christians to be the closest of all religious communities to the Muslims.6
i.Q. 5:82-85
ii.Christians are commended for having hearts full of tenderness and compassion: Q. 57:27.
iii.However, Christians are rebuked for taking priests as lords rather than God: Q. 9:31.
iv.Khadija’s cousin, Waraqa, was a Christian who saw the mark of prophecy on Muhammad.
v.Before first revelation of Qur’an, Muhammad and his uncle Abu Talib were met by Christian monk named Bahira, who told his uncle that “the sign of Prophecy was on him.”
m.In any case, the People of the Book who do good deeds and follow their revelation are truly muslim (that is, they submit to God alone).
i.Q. 5:68-69
ii.Q. 3:84-85.

II.How did Muslims treat Christians and Jews that came under their rule?7
a.Conversion usually not forced.
b.Given dhimmi status – “the protected people”
c.Could use existing places of worship, but couldn’t build new ones.
d.Forbidden to proselytize.
e.Show respect to Muslims; sometimes they had to wear special clothing to mark as Jew or Christian.
f.Exempted from military service.
g.Paid a special tax, called the jizya.
i.Exempted from zakat.
h.Not allowed to have a say in the governance of the Empire.
i.BUT…only true after the Muslim governments are better established.
1.Umayyad (661-750 CE)
2.Abbasid (750-1258 CE)
ii.As historian Richard Fletcher points out:
1.“There was an overriding practical reason for the Islamic leadership to remain on friendly terms with the Christian populations of the lands they conquered. Not only did the conquered peoples vastly outnumber their conquerors; in addition, only Christians commanded the necessary administrative expertise to make government possible….The Muslim conquerors made no attempt to displace what they had found....They had neither the manpower nor the skills; and they needed revenue. The conquered provinces, accordingly, ran in the same old way. Only the masters had changed.”8
i.Subjects of the Christian Byzantine Empire were treated much differently.
i.No toleration.
ii.Christian heresies, such as Monophysitism and Nestorianism, were persecuted under the orthodox imperial government.9

III.How do Muslims view Jesus?10
a.A revered Prophet (nabi) and Messenger (rasul).
b.Born of the Virgin Mary; Sura 19.
i.Often referred to as “Son of Mary”.
c.Defends Mary’s virtue: Jesus speaks as an infant
i.Q. 19:16-33
d.Two epithets applied: “Word” and “Spirit” from God. Q.4:171
e.Also referred to as “Messiah”. Q. 5:72.
i.Sense of “chosen by God.”
ii.Israelite kings were “messiah-ed” by God.
f.But these epithets do not mean he is divine, nor does the Virgin Birth prove this. Q. 5:72
i.Simply evidence of Jesus’ prophetic mission.
ii.Sinless birth.
g.Only prophet in Qur’an who deliberately distances himself from the doctrines his community holds of him.
h.“Cleansing”: Q. 3:55
i.No Trinity. Q.4:171, 5:73, 5:116.
j.Crucifixion of Jesus denied. Q. 4.157-159
i.“They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him – God raised him up to Himself. God is almighty and wise. There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in [Jesus] before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.”
ii.Jesus raised up to God.
iii.Different scholarly views on what this means.11
1.Jesus not put on cross; someone else substituted for him.
2.Put on cross but not crucified to death, instead taken down in a faint and raised up to God.
3.Rejection of the idea that the Jews killed Jesus.
4.Death of Jesus as an act of God; “God taking him up” is a euphemism.
iv.Islamic idea of prophethood – God does not allow God’s prophets to suffer such a humiliating death.
v.The Qur’an emphasizes Jesus’ miraculous birth and ascension, and denies his passion and crucifixion.
k.Stories about Jesus in the Qur’an can be divided into four groups:
i.Birth and infancy stories.
ii.Miracles.
iii.Conversations between Jesus and God or between Jesus and the Israelites.
iv.Divine pronouncements on his humanity, servanthood, and place in the prophetic line – “fanatical” opinions about him must be abandoned.
l.Ascension important – Jesus may have an appointed role at the end of time
i.Q. 43:61-68.
m.The Qur’an says that Jesus foretold the coming of Muhammad.12
i.Q. 61:6; Ahmad.
ii.Christian Gospels: John 14:26, 15:26, 16:8, 13-15
1.Paracletos
2.Periclytos – the “praised” or “trustworthy one”.
n.Also a great deal of extra-Qur’anic “sayings” of Jesus.
i.Emphasize his humanity.
ii.Emphasize asceticism.
iii.Some have parallels with Gospel literature, both inter and extra-canonical.

IV.So, what is all this talk of jihad we hear from the Muslim world, if Muslims have a tradition which preaches tolerance of People of the Book?13
a.Jihad’s primary meaning is “struggle” or “striving”, not “holy war”.
b.Two types of jihad.
i.Lesser jihad – striving against an enemy, in self-defense. Q. 2:190-192.
ii.Greater jihad – striving with oneself to submit to God. Q. 22:77-78.
c.Lesser jihad is to be limited in scope and duration.
d.Greater jihad is to be taken up daily by every Muslim.
i.In a hadith (saying) of Muhammad after a military campaign: “We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.
ii.Jihad of the heart or of the tongue.
iii.Struggle against temptation to do evil and submit to God.
e.Islamic extremism began to flourish in the wake of the division of the Dar al-Islam.
i.Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
ii.Sayyid Qutb; wrote Milestones in 1964.
iii.Critical of the Egyptian government and the West. Jahiliyyah (ignorance).
iv.Called for revolution to topple jahili systems and replace with truly Islamic ones.
f.Bin Laden’s jihad.
i.Fought against Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
ii.Saudi government rejected his help to provide help against Iraq in 1991.
iii.After he criticized the Saudi monarchy over the admission of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, his citizenship was revoked.
iv.Bitter that Saudis allowed the U.S. military into the Dar al-Islam. (Land of Islam).
v.Interpretation as a betrayal of the Saudi regime.
vi.Issued a fatwa (religious opinion) in 1998.
1.“Jihad against Jews and Crusaders.”
2.Remove U.S. from Dar al-Islam.
3.Vast majority of Muslims believe bin Laden’s fatwa has no merit.
4.Criteria for self-defense not met.
5.Also, bin Laden not a trained legal scholar – a fatwa cannot be issued by just anyone.
vii.Events of 9/11 were murder, not lesser jihad.

Questions for discussion:
1.What is your reaction to the Islamic view of Jesus?
2.What is your reaction to the denial of the crucifixion? What does this say about the differences in the conception of “prophethood” by Christians and Muslims? What does this say about God?
3.What is your reaction to the notion of jihad in Islam?
4.Was there anything about Muslim treatment of Christians and Jews that was surprising?

Daily Office 7.13-7.19

2008-07-12T23:08:00.001-05:00

Daily Office Readings		Eucharistic Readings
Sunday: AM Psalm 148, 149, 150; PM Psalm 114, 115 Joshua 1:1-18; Acts 21:3-15; Mark 1:21-27
Monday: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15 Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12; Matt. 25:1-13		Isaiah 1:10-17; Psalm 50:7-15 Matthew 10:34-11:1
Tuesday: AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39 Joshua 2:15-24; Rom. 11:13-24; Matt. 25:14-30		Isaiah 7:1-9; Psalm 48; Matthew 11:20-24
Wednesday: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48 Joshua 3:1-13; Rom. 11:25-36; Matt. 25:31-46		Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16; Psalm 95:5-15; Matthew 11:25-27
Thursday: AM Psalm 37:1-18; PM Psalm 37:19-42 Joshua 3:14-4:7; Rom. 12:1-8; Matt. 26:1-16 William White Psalm 92:1-4,11-14 or 84:7-12 Jeremiah 1:4-10; John 21:15-17		Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Psalm 102:12-22; Matthew 11:28-30
Friday: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35 Joshua 4:19-5:1,10-15; Rom. 12:9-21; Matt. 26:17-25		Isaiah 38:1-6, 21; Psalm 6; Matthew 12:1-8
Saturday: AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43 Joshua 6:1-14; Rom. 13:1-7; Matt. 26:26-35 Macrina: Psalm 119:97-104 Ecclesiasticus 51:13-22; Matthew 11:27-30

Warren Thyer: 1924-2008

2008-07-10T12:48:00.003-05:00

One of our beloved long-time members, Warren Thyer, passed away yesterday afternoon at Lutheran General Hospital. He was 84.

The passing was peaceful. I was there for his last moments. We commended him to God, and sang Amazing Grace as he passed from this world. I would like to think that the heavenly choruses were singing at the same time we were.

His memorial service will be this Saturday at LMC. There will be a viewing at 10 AM and the service will begin at 11 AM.

Please keep Warren's family and friends, especially his wife Kathy, in your prayers.

Islam Class Syllabus

2008-07-10T10:17:00.002-05:00

Syllabus: Adult Education class on Islam
Every Wednesday in July; 7:15-8:45 PM
Vicar David of LMC

1. 7.2: What does it mean to be a Muslim?
a. Discussion of terms islam and muslim
b. Biography of Muhammad; “Seal of the Prophets”
c. The Five Pillars and The Five Elements of Faith
i. Orthopraxy vs. orthodoxy

2. 7.9: The Qur’an and the Islamic community
a. Development of the Qur’an and its meaning for Muslims.
b. The “Rightly-Guided” Caliphs; Sunni-Shi’i differences.
i. Bloodline of the Prophet through Ali’
c. Who speaks for Islam?
i. Lack of centralized authorities: sheiks and fatwas.

3. 7.16: Relationships of Muslims with other faith traditions.
a. Muslim views of Jesus and the OT prophets
b. “People of the Book”
c. Jihad: greater and lesser.

4. 7.23: The Role of Women within Islam
a. Modesty laws of the Qur’an.
b. Hijab: liberative or oppressive?
c. Feminism and Islam

5. 7.30: Muslims in America
a. Communities in Chicago: Villa Park, Bridgeview, American Islamic College, The Nation of Islam
b. Relationships with worldwide Muslim community.

Bibliography:

Abdo, Genevive. Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America after 9/11. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Esack, Farid. On Being a Muslim: Finding a Religious Path in the World Today. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. 1999.

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1998.

Fletcher, Richard. The Cross and the Crescent: Christianity and Islam from Muhammad to the Reformation. London: Penguin Books. 2003.

Qur’an. A translation by M.A.S. Adbel Haleem. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Hewer, C.T.R. Understanding Islam. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2006

Kaltner, John. Islam: What Non-Muslims Should Know. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2003.

Khalidi, Tarif. The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 2001.

Patel, Eboo. Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation. Boston: Beacon Press. 2007.

Qutb, Sayyid. Milestones. Islamic Book Service. 2006.

Rushdie, Salman. The Satanic Verses. Random House Trade Paperbacks, reprint ed. 2008.

Smith, Jane I. Islam in America. New York: Columbia University Press. 1999.

Islam Class Week 2

2008-07-10T10:01:00.001-05:00

Islam: Week 2
7.9.2008
The Development of the Qur’an and Muslim leadership/authority

Al-Fatiha (“The Opening”): The First Sura of the Qur’an

I.What is the Qur’an?1
a.“The Recitation” (Q. 2:129)
b.From the Arabic word iqra, which means “read” or “recite”.
c.Muslims believe it to be the “literal, verbal revelation from God…it is of divine authorship and so is literally the Word of God.”
d.Non-chronological
e.Organization: surahs and ayats (chapters and verses)
i.Suras are arranged from longest to shortest, excepting the first sura, the Fatiha.
ii.Suras are also divided into those revealed to the Prophet in Mecca and those revealed in Medina (see attached map).
iii.114 suras. Shortest suras have three verses, the longest has 286 verses.
iv.The first sura, al-Fatiha, is prayed by Muslims 17 times each day.
f.Muslims believe that the Qur’an was revealed by God through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) to Muhammad.

II.How do Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad?
a.610 C.E. – Muhammad was 40 years old.
b.Muhammad would spend time in meditation in a cave on Mount Hira outside Mecca.
c.At the end of the month of Ramadan, on an odd-numbered night with no moonlight, Muhammad received his first revelation.
d.A light appeared on the horizon and drew closer to Muhammad (Q. 53:1-18).
e.The Angel Jibril commanded Muhammad to “recite” (iqra).
f.Muhammad said he did not know what he was supposed to recite, as he was ummi (that is, illiterate).
i.Muslims believe that the revelation had to come from God; Muhammad could not have made it up.
ii.The Qur’an addresses this accusation (Q. 10:37-38, 17:88, 52:33-34).
g.Jibril came up to Muhammad, squeezed him strongly, repeated iqra twice, and then recited to him the first two lines of the Qur’an2
h.Tradition has it that Muhammad was purified of sin in receiving the revelation of the Qur’an.
i.The first revelation is recorded in Q. 96:1-5.
j.Muhammad went home, frightened, to his wife Khadija.
k.Sent for her cousin Waraqa, a Christian.
i.Waraqa believed that Muhammad had been called by God to deliver a message to the world.
ii.Khadija became Muhammad’s first follower.
l.Known as the “Night of Power”
m.Q. 97:3 – This night is “better than a thousand months.”
n.Qur’an revealed over a period of 23 years.
o.Arabic is part of the revelation.

III.How was the Qur’an compiled in its written form?
a.Revealed in a culture of oral transmission.
b.Christian Gospels and much of the Hebrew Bible originally in oral form.
c.Qur’an recited by Muhammad to immediate group of followers, who memorized it.
d.Zayd ibn Tabit (d. 634) compiled a group of scribes to write down the verses of the Qur’an.
i.Two deposits: one written, the other oral.
e.Eventually, Zayd copied the Qur’an on a parchment of manuscript length, cross-checked with memorizers.
f.Scholars differ as to completion
i.Some say during lifetime of Muhammad.
ii.Competed shortly after Zayd’s death under Caliph Umar (634-644).
iii.Arabic without vowels.
g.Caliph Uthman is said to have been responsible for revising and standardizing the text of Qur’an (d. 656).
h.Earliest existing manuscripts date from the early 8th century C.E.
i.Manuscript criticism, so important for NT scholarship, is almost non-existent in the Qur’an.
j.Qur’an itself says that God will preserve it without error for all time (Q. 15:9).

IV.How does the Qur’an relate to our Bible?
a.The Qur’an is considered to be literally the Word of God.
b.The Qur’an itself states that it was sent down upon the heart of Muhammad (Q. 2:97)
c.The Word of God “inlibrate”.
d.For Christians, the Bible is NOT the Word of God in the same sense that the Qur’an is for Muslims.
e.Jesus is the Word of God incarnate.
i.For Christians, The Word of God is always a person before a book.
f.The analogy is:
i.Jesus: Christians; Qur’an: Muslims.
g.Muslims believe the Bible to contain earlier revelation from God.
h.Corrupted over time.
i.Messengers with Books mentioned in the Qur’an:
i.Abraham: Suhuf (“leaves” or “sheaves”).
ii.Moses: Taurat (Torah).
iii.David: Zabur (Psalms).
iv.Jesus: Injil (Gospel).
v.Muhammad: Qur’an.

V.Early Islamic community and succession3
a.After Muhammad’s death, division arose over who should lead the community.
b.Basis of Sunni/Shi’a split.
c.Sunni (“tradition of Muhammad”)
i.Muhammad did not designate a successor.
ii.The umma (community) had to choose a leader.
iii.Abu Bakr, one of the first converts to Islam, was chosen as Caliph (leader) by consensus of the community.
iv.Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs
1.Abu Bakr (r. 632-634).
2.Umar (r. 634-644).
3.Uthman (r. 644-656).
4.Ali (r. 656-661).
a.Son-in-law of the Prophet.
v.This tradition represents 90% of Muslims worldwide.
d.Shi’a (“Party of Ali”)
i.Believe that Muhammad designated his son-in-law Ali as his successor.
ii.Leadership should continue through the bloodline of the Prophet.
iii.These leaders were called Imams, and had the authority to interpret the Qur’an infallibly.
iv.Ran afoul of the Ummayed Dynasty (661-750).
vi.Massacred the Prophet’s grandson Husayn (the third Imam) and his family at the Battle of Karbala in 680.
vii.Currently a number of splits within Shi’a Islam – some believe that there are current Imams descended from the prophets.
viii.Shi’a Islam as practiced in Iran does not believe this: Ayatollahs act in the name of the Imam.

VI.With the Qur’an as the Word of God, who speaks for Islam?4
a.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEUUtHAaTto
i.Video on this very subject: please watch!
ii.Type in: “Who speaks for Islam” in the YouTube search.
b.No centralized authority in Sunni Islam
c.There are a number of scholars, or shayks, that interpret the Qur’an and Islamic Law (sharia).
d.They can issue religious opinions (fatwas).
e.But fatwas are just that: opinions.
f.No ordained clergy.
g.When Osama bin Laden issued his fatwa against the United States, he was doing that as one not versed in Islamic Law.
i.As Professor Aasi at the American Islamic College in Chicag said: “This is like me, (an Islamic scholar), issuing an opinion on heart surgery.”

Discussion:
1.How do you feel about the differences between authority in Islam and authority in Christianity (especially Lutheran Christianity?)
2.How do Christians relate with Muslims over our different beliefs about the Word of God?
3.Are there challenges to Christians in the way Muslims view authority and divine revelation?

Sermon: Pentecost 8, 7.8.2008

2008-07-06T23:57:00.001-05:00

My last sermon at LMC...

Vicar David
Sermon: Eighth Sunday of Pentecost; July 8, 2008
Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

George came home and collapsed on the couch. Another 12-hour day at work. His wife, Becky, was already asleep, as were his twin little girls. His head was spinning from the stress of the day...the stress of his family...the stress of his life.

George works downtown at the Chicago Board of Trade. It's been a stressful time for him, the way the markets have been. Despite that, George makes a decent living. Becky does too, running her own business out of the home. They have a nice house in a nice neighborhood in Chicago. They have two new cars and a summer cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They also have a fair amount of money in the bank, since Becky came into a rather large inheritance from her Aunt Gertrude. Plus they have beautiful twin girls, born a couple years ago, and two beautiful pet dogs. Life seemed to be good.

But serious problems had arisen in the course of their five-year marriage. George began drinking more to unwind at night. The stress of the trading floor was getting to him. George was emotionally distant, uncommunicative. Becky was frustrated much of the time, left to care for their children and run her business at the same time. She felt overwhelmed and underappreciated by her husband. When they weren't arguing, the home was filled with stony, cold silence.

Becky and George were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. After a particularly rough week, Becky decided to call Pr. Jane. “Pastor, George and I are going through a rough time. He doesn't talk to me, he barely talks to our daughters. I feel cut off from him – completely isolated. Can we come in sometime to talk?”

Pr. Jane agreed, though marital counseling was low on her list of things she liked to do. She would much rather be preparing a sermon, or preparing her mid-week class, or even bedside with someone about to die than meet with an unhappily married couple. Nevertheless, Pr. Jane readied herself, and scheduled a meeting with Becky and George one afternoon after church.

Becky and George came into Pr. Jane's office. During their meeting, it was clear that George felt he had to work all the time. It was his responsibility, he said, to their family to work for what they had. He felt that he needed to work 12-hour days so that he could pay his fair share for what they had. George had come from pretty humble beginnings. When his own parents were divorced, he had to be a caretaker to his siblings – even to one of his parents. Meanwhile, Becky had come from better means because of Aunt Gertrude, but she felt stifled by having to care for the twins and work out of the home. She had a masters degree in music that she never used. George and Becky rarely talked to each other anymore. To compensate for their feelings of mutual unhappiness, she and George bought their new cars. They bought that summer home in Michigan. They kept getting stuff, while feeling trapped in their marriage, in a nasty circle of co-dependence and unreasonable responsibility.

Dependence. We celebrated Independence Day this weekend, not just a time of shooting off fireworks and barbeques, but also a time to remember the principles this nation was founded on. Independence from tyrannical rule. Independence to live our own lives. Independence to, as Thomas Jefferson wrote, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But we find ourselves more dependent than ever in our rush to accumulate what should make us happy. We accumulate stuff in our lives, like Becky and George do. We get married, hoping that our partner will provide the care we cannot provide ourselves. As we pursue happiness, we find that it is ever elusive. We busy ourselves, rushing around from one thing to the next. The thing we think will make us happy, the thing that will provide the comfort we so desperately seek turns out to be an illusion. It's nothing more than a smokescreen to cover up the gnawing emptiness we feel.

Today's Gospel contains one of the most beloved verses of Scripture. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Take my yoke upon you? Jesus is saying that rest – and independence from our heavy burdens – comes precisely in taking something on. This is a city church, but I'm sure most of you know what a yoke is. It's what you put on the farm animals to keep them together, working in step. For Jesus, rest lies in doing God's work for the kingdom. The burden of doing God's work, “yoked together”, is lighter than the burdens that we prefer to carry.

But how can doing God's work be restful? How can God's work be light? Jesus has told us that we have to take up our crosses and follow him, after all. Crosses aren't so light! Is Jesus suggesting that the way of the cross is somehow lighter – or easier – than not following the way of the cross?

In the Greek, the word “easy” is chrestos, one letter away from being the word for Christ, christos. The word doesn't mean “not hard”, but “being superior for a particular purpose or use”, or “being benevolent”, or “being kind”, or “being pleasant with the implication of suitability.” Perhaps Jesus is saying that his yoke is suitable for us. The work of the kingdom of God, in step together, suits us much better than the work we prefer to do ourselves. This work fills the holes in our lives and frees us from the frantic pursuits of empty happiness that we subject ourselves to. In this way, the burden of Jesus' yoke – and the burden of the cross – brings meaning, peace, and yes, even happiness – that nothing in this sad, sinful world can give.

Jesus also calls on us to learn from him. We learn the way of working in God's kingdom, not only by Jesus' words, but also in Jesus' actions. The redemption that Jesus accomplished once and for all on the cross is to be reflected in our lives. The good news that Jesus preached to the poor, the presence that Jesus had among the suffering is also to be reflected in our lives. Jesus' yoke is not a cakewalk, but taking it on – taking on this Holy Dependence – is what makes us truly independent. Jesus' yoke makes us truly free.

The apostle Paul writes today about the “law of sin” that rules in the flesh. The yoke that Jesus offers – the work that Jesus gives – counters the law of sin at work in us. You can almost hear Paul shouting in anguish. “Wretched man that I am, who will rescue me from this body of death?” Christ is the one who rescues us, and liberates us from our short-sighted pursuits – dependencies – and slavery to sin.

Pr. Jane had all this in mind during her meeting with George and Becky. She took out her Bible and read them this passage, and suggested that a nice reflective retreat together would do them some good. There was a way, she said, out of the unhappy mire their lives had become. It would always be a struggle. But, she said, Jesus would always be there for them as their guide and teacher in the way of life and peace.

Jesus is our guide and teacher, who points at us, chooses us, and offers the yoke suited for us. We pray to follow in his way – the way that leads to true freedom, true rest, true peace. Let us pray.

“Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.” (BCP)

Daily Office 7.6-7.12

2008-07-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

Benedict of Nursia
Psalm 1 or 34:1-8
Proverbs 2:1-9; Luke 14:27-33

Saturday:

AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117
Deut. 34:1-12; Rom. 10:14-21; Matt. 24:32-51

Islam Class Week 1

2008-07-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to our first class on Wednesday! Here's the handout. Just like the Lutheranism class, I will make books for everyone to take home at the end of class.

Islam
Week 1: 7.2.2008

Why study Islam?

We study other faiths, such as Islam, to have a better understanding of our neighbors. Before Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), he was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered, in the parable, that our neighbors are often the ones we perceive to be different from us (as Samaritans were to Jews). We study Islam in order to have greater understanding of those in this faith tradition and to work for a more peaceful world.

Eboo Patel, director of the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago, writes, “I believe that the twenty-first century will be shaped by the question of the faith line. On one side of the faith line are the religious totalitarians. Their conviction is that only one interpretation of one religion is a legitimate way of being, believing and belonging on earth. Everyone else needs to be cowed, or converted, or condemned, or killed. On the other side of the faith line are the religious pluralists, who hold that people believing in different creeds and belonging to different communities need to learn to live together. Religious pluralism is neither mere coexistence nor forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identity of the constituent communities while emphasizing that the well-being of each and all depends on the health of the whole. It is the belief that that the common good is best served when each community has a chance to make its unique contribution.”1

What does “Islam” and “Muslim” mean?

The word islam in Arabic means “to submit.” A muslim is one who submits to God. John Esposito writes, “If God is the Lord, then the Muslim is His servant before whom submission (islam) or obedience is the most natural and appropriate response. The term ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who submits’ or surrenders to God; it includes everyone who follows His guidance and performs His will.”2 The message of the prophet Muhammad was one of uncompromising monotheism: there is One True God, and the proper response of humanity is to submit to and obey God.

Who was Muhammad?

Muslims consider Muhammad to be the “seal of the Prophets” – the last in a long line of Messengers of God, which include Jesus, David, and Moses. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the recipient of God’s final revelation to humanity in the Qur’an (which means “recitation”). A member of the Quraysh tribe, a powerful political force in Mecca, Muhammad was in conflict with members of his own tribe over his message of radical monotheism. He was a successful merchant (which attracted Khadijah, his first wife), a judge in the city of Medina, and soldier.

Timeline of Muhammad3:

570: Birth of Muhammad in Mecca (his father having died a few months earlier).

576: Death of his mother Aminah.

595: Marriage to Khadijah (Khadijah was a wealthy merchant, a widow, 15 years older than Muhammad. Muslim tradition has her proposing to him herself!)

610: Beginning of Call

615: Flight of his followers to Ethiopia.

619: Death of Khadijah.

620: Muhammad’s reputed “Night Journey” from Mecca to Jerusalem, and thence to the Seventh Heaven.

622: The Hijra (Flight or Migration) of Muhammad and his followers to Medina, and beginning of the Muslim era. (In other words, this marks Year 0 on the Muslim calendar).

624: Battle of Badr: the Quraysh defeated by the Muslims.

625: Battle of Uhud: the Muslims defeated.

626: The Jewish tribe of al-Nadir crushed and expelled.

627: “The War of the Ditch” – the Meccans’ expedition against the Muslims in Medina. Attackers driven off.

627: The Jewish tribe of Qurayzah raided by Muhammad.

628: The Treaty of Hudaybiyya; truce with the Quraysh, who recognize Muhammad’s right to proselytize without hindrance.

629: Battle of Khaybar against a Jewish tribe; Muslim victory. Muhammad sends letters and messengers to the Kings of Persia, Yemen, and Ethiopia and the Emperor Heraclius, inviting them to accept Islam.

630: Truce broken by the Quraysh. Mecca taken by Muhammad. Muhammad does not exact revenge against the population; rather, they all convert to Islam. The Ka’bah established as the religious center of Islam.

631: The Year of Embassies – Islam accepted by the Arabian tribes.

632: Muhammad’s farewell pilgrimage to Mecca.

632, June 8: Death of Muhammad, three months after his return to Medina.

What do Muslims believe?

We will cover the Five Pillars and the Five Elements of Belief.4

The Five Pillars:

1.The shahadah (“witness”). To become a Muslim, one must say, “I believe there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet.” In other words, one believes that there is no God but the One God: Allah is simply the proper name for God in Arabic.
2.Salat (Performance of ritual prayer). Muslims pray five times per day at fixed hours: dawn, midday, late afternoon, sunset, and night. There is freedom in the times depending on one’s personal situation; one can, for example, pray the dawn prayer anytime before the scheduled time and the time for midday prayer.5 It is also acceptable if one is sick or on a journey to combine the noon and afternoon prayers, or the sunset and night prayers.
3.Zakat (Almsgiving): Muslims are to give 2.5% of their net worth each year to support the poor and needy. This money does not go to fund mosques or religious programs; it is paid directly to those in need. This is to provide support for the Islamic state and to give thanks to God for God’s blessings.
4.Fasting during the month of Ramadan: Adult Muslims in good health are expected to fast during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan. Fasting entails abstaining from all food, drink, and sexual activity. The fast is broken after nightfall with a meal. Those who are sick, on a journey, or pregnant are not expected to fast: they can make it up at another time. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, Ramadan moves back approximately 11 days each year on the Gregorian calendar.
5.The hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). All Muslims in good health and with the financial means are expected to go to Mecca for a pilgrimage once in their lifetime. When Muhammad returned to Mecca, he cleansed the Ka’bah of its impurity from having housed idols. Muslims regard the Ka’bah as a symbol of victory of the Islamic community and the central sanctuary of the One True God. The hajj is undertaken during the month named Dhu al-Hijja, the last month in the lunar calendar. A pilgrimage at any other time of the year is the “lesser pilgrimage”, known as ‘umra.

The Five Elements of Belief:

1.Faith in God. Muslims emphasize the difference between the divine and the human. This recognition of God as God is known as tawhid, meaning God’s unity and human acknowledgment of that unity. To associate anything with God is the greatest sin one can commit, and is known as shirk (participation, association).
2.Faith in the reality of angels. For example, the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
3.Faith in God’s Messengers. Muslims believe that God has sent his revelation to many prophets and messengers over the history of humankind. Prophets are intended to reach a specific community. Messengers have universal significance. All messengers are prophets, but not vice versa. On this short list of messengers are: Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, David, and Abraham. Muhammad is believed to be the last Messenger of God until the Day of Judgment.
4.Faith in the Holy Books. Muslims believe that the Jews and Christians were recipients of divine revelation in the Torah and Gospel, but that their words were distorted. The Qur’an is said to be God’s final revelation to humanity, which contains the message of the Gospel and Torah within. Jews and Christians, however, have a special relationship with God as recipients of his books. Muslims refer to them as ahl al-kitab, or People of the Book.
5.Faith in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment. At the end of time, God will judge all people for their actions on earth. As an imam at the Villa Park mosque told me, the judgment “will be very thorough and very fair. There will not be any atonement for anyone.” The angel Israfil will blow the trumpet to signal the beginning of the Day.

Muslims tend to emphasize practice over belief. This is known as a religion of orthopraxy (right action), rather than orthodoxy (right belief).6 The main orthodoxy in Islam is the belief that God is one, and that nothing is to be associated with him. Other than this fervent belief, the emphasis is on one’s actions, such as prayer, almsgiving, and taking personal responsibility for oneself. In other words, Muslims contradict Augustine. It is possible not to sin!

Daily Office 6.29-7.5

2008-06-29T15:42:00.001-05:00

Sunday:

AM Psalm 118; PM Psalm 145
Num. 21:4-9,21-35; Acts 17:(12-21)22-34; Luke 13:10-17

Monday:

AM Psalm 106:1-18; PM Psalm 106:19-48
Num. 22:1-21; Rom. 6:12-23; Matt. 21:12-22

St. Peter & St. Paul (transferred from 6/29):
AM Psalm 66; Ezekiel 2:1-7; Acts 11:1-18
PM Psalm 97, 138; Isaiah 49:1-6; Galatians 2:1-9

Tuesday:

AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127]
Num. 22:21-38; Rom. 7:1-12; Matt. 21:23-32

Wednesday:

AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130
Num. 22:41-23:12; Rom. 7:13-25; Matt. 21:33-46

Thursday:

AM Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 134, 135
Num. 23:11-26; Rom. 8:1-11; Matt. 22:1-14

Friday:

AM Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)
Num. 24:1-13; Rom. 8:12-17; Matt. 22:15-22

Independence Day:
AM Psalm 33; Ecclesiasticus 10:1-8,12-18; James 5:7-10
PM Psalm 107:1-32; Micah 4:1-5; Revelation 21:1-7

Saturday:

AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104
Num. 24:12-25; Rom. 8:18-25; Matt. 22:23-40