Section One: Statement about Beliefs (Islam)
Historical Dimension
The name Islam literally means refers to the believer’s acceptance of the existence of God as well as his/her submission to the will of God. The religion’s history can be traced to the 7th century as the prophet Mohammad, who was born in Mecca in 572, introduced the faith as it was given him through the visitation of an angel. The holy book, the Qur’an, was dictated by this prophet at the inception of this religion. Islam originated after the prophet Mohammad was driven from Mecca because of opposition to his popularity, which came about because his teachings were a source of inspiration to many. He was driven to a place called Yathrib, and that period marked the beginning of the religion. The death of the prophet Mohammad was followed swiftly by the division of the religion into two groups: the Shia and the Sunni, and these groups are still existent today. The groups were divided over who should succeed Mohammed. On the one hand, the Shia believed that a descendant of Mohammed should rightfully succeed him, while the Sunnis were of the belief that he should be succeeded by the First Caliph. The disagreement led to the succession and assassination of persons to the caliphate and eventually led to a civil war within the Nation of Islam. Later, Muslims who were concerned with the morality of living within the bounds of societal norms formed the Sufi group. During this time, the prosperity of the Muslims (who were mainly Arab in origin) led to a Golden Age, in which the disintegration of the Arab states left Islam as the unifying force among the Arabs. Later, crusades by Mongol armies led to a temporary replacement of Islam by Buddhism throughout large areas of the Arab world, but the soon Muslims saw retaliation as many Mongolese began to convert to Islam. This brought Islam back as the region’s official religion.
Personal Dimension
The most important religious experience I have had was a pilgrimage made to Mecca (Makkah), the holy city and the place of Mohammed’s birth. On the 8th day of the 12th month of the Muslim calendar, I began my journey and the trip was for me more than a duty. It was an opportunity that allowed me to experience many Islamic foundational rituals. I experienced the preparation ritual of Ihram—the holy state—and got to know the feeling of holiness and humility that comes from attaining that state. The feeling of stepping into the holy place at Mecca, right foot first, was a humbling one, as I knew I would have to recite the prayer requesting blessings and forgiveness, and that Allah would actually be attending to me at that very moment. Performing the Sa’i was also humbling, and it reminded me of my own privileges compared to the ancient people who had to search endlessly for food and water to survive.
Ritual Dimension
The rituals of Islam include the Pillars, which consist of witnessing to and welcoming non-Muslims (Shahada), worship (Salat), the giving of alms (Zakat), fasting (Sawm) and Pilgrimage (Hajj). Within these pillars one finds other rituals, such as the washing and cleansing before any prayer, the entrance into a holy state before a pilgrimage (Ihram) and Sa’i. The Jihad is also an important Muslim practice which is a means of spreading Islam and vanquishing the enemies of Allah.
Conceptual Dimension
a. The God of Islam is Allah, and it is the belief of Muslims that he is the one and only God of the Universe, who created it, sustains it and represents all that is good in it. The messenger of God is the prophet Muhammad, to whom the holy words of Allah were given directly when he was visited by the angel of Allah. The comprehension of God is impossible as he transcends human thought, but humans should believe in his existence and accept his rule unquestioningly.
b. Allah created men and women with natures of good and evil but illuminated the path to overcome evil through the writing of his holy book, the Qur’an. Life exists for humans to choose the good and to serve Allah. He gave the man and women different statuses and differing responsibilities. The soul of humans was placed within them by Allah, and after death the soul lives on. The soul is immaterial; it is spiritual and cannot be seen. After the death of the individual, there exists a time of reckoning known as The Judgment. During lifetime, study and practice of the Holy Qur’an leads the individual on the path of righteousness which leads through death to resurrection of the body and to life in Paradise and to the Acceptance of Allah—which is a greater joy. Since Allah knows fully what will occur in the future, some persons are predestined for Paradise and Acceptance while others are predestined for hell. However, free will also exists and each individual is responsible for his or her actions while on earth. Psycholanalytic viewpoints hold that the individual is formed by society and is therefore a social construct, while Skinner’s operant behavioral theory invokes rewards as reinforcement of behaviors. While the rewards of Paradise and Acceptance should reinforce adherence to the Qur’an, no Muslim should respond to the “rewards” available on earth (riches, physical pleasure, etc.) in a way that compromises their faith. They should use their free will to become masters of themselves and not allow society (or such ideas as the unconscious life of the human by Gurdjieff or the need for self-actualization as propounded by Maslow) to coerce them or give them an excuse to go against the Qur’an’s teachings.
c. The Islam belief is that the universe was created in six days by the words spoken by Allah. However the Arabic word Youm, which is translated as “day” may also mean “stage” or “period.” Earth and all the planets were created within two stages of time. The Qur’an declares that the heavens and the earth were one formation at one point before it was torn asunder by Allah in one of the stages. The sky became a cloud of smoke and when Allah spoke to the earth and heavens and told them to coalesce into their current state, they obeyed. The Qur’an reports that Allah created the sun and planet to remain on their own course, which might be considered now an orbit. Finally he created the animals, plants and humans to inhabit the earth.
d. The worldview adopted by Muslims adheres to the principles of Islam as handed down by God through the prophet Mohammed and to his people. The authority of the caliphate is acknowledged, as is the authority of the leader of each household, who is also its priest. Revelations may also come through the performance of rituals, such as pilgrimages and the rites that accompany this. Priests or Imams and mufti are also very important in interpreting and handing down the doctrinal and legal aspects of the religion.
e. Morally, Muslims are a peace-seeking group. They abstain from such practices as theft, usury, lies, murder and idolatry. They also abstain from drinking, drugs, extra-marital sex and foul or unsavory language.
The Sociological Dimension
a. Islam worshipers congregate in a Mosque and may either refer to a large and public building for the collective meeting of worshipers, or smaller and more private buildings dedicated to worship for smaller groups. The mosque is primarily a venue for prayer to Allah, but it may also serve as a place for studying together texts from the Qur’an. The mosque contains no artwork on the walls, as no representation of Allah is allowed in Islam. Everyone sits on the floor to denote equality, but women are seated apart from men. When praying in the Mosque worshipers are required to touch their foreheads to the floor and perform other ritual motions.
b. It is my belief that the state ought to control religion and be a part of it, as the morality codes need to be enforced within the law. Also, the laws of any nation that has Islam as its religion should reflect the moral codes of the Qur’an and ensure that this does not change.
c. Because of the supremacy of Islam and the fact that no god is God except Allah, I do not consider members of other religions to have the privilege to attain Paradise or Acceptance of Allah.
d. Love and sex have their place, which is in marriage, but sex between two persons of the same sex is not accepted by Allah. Homosexuality does not allow humans to multiply as Allah would like them to; therefore, it is against human and moral code.
e. The role of men in the family is clearly that of provider and the privilege a man enjoys is directly correlative to his level of responsibility. Islamic law clearly states that a man is able to have more than one wife only if he is able to support them. The idea of women performing in the role of caregiver and homemaker seems natural and I consider motherhood a blessing and an exalted role. Women are to submit to men, who are the head and breadwinners, and are secluded and veiled for their protection; however, they are not to be treated as commodities and should be honored for their importance in the family setting.
Section Two: Summary and Reaction to Pema Chodron’s The Places that Scare You
The book The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron is an inspirational text that assures readers that they are in possession of choices even in situations that seem overwhelming and challenging. The author makes the point that people can create positive situations out of negative ones in their lives. The Buddhist practice of bodhichitta is one that allows people who practice it to be able to face their current situations despite the horrifying nature of its events. This practice and state of bodhichitta is achieved through strict adherence to a discipline that becomes a part of one’s thoughts as well as one’s actions. Several types of bodhichitta exist, and each has a specific purpose. Bodhichitta practices exist for the promotion of kindness, love, happiness, compassion and more. The determination to achieve the states awarded by these practices makes each practitioner a warrior who is determined to experience all the aspects of life. Chodron’s assertion is that the person who is true and tenacious in their practice of bodhichitta does not seek to avoid the fear and uncertainty of difficult situations, but is keen to learn the methods that allow them to react positively to these situations. This form meditative living is able to remove prejudices and aid the person in living a more relaxed life. It also advocates non-aggressive reactions to difficult or oppressive situations, and cites such persons as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa as examples of those who performed actions that are supported within bodhichitta. These non-aggressive practices in which anger is properly managed lead to the enlightenment of the subject or at least to peace for the non-Buddhist.
My reaction to this book is ambivalent. On the one hand, I believe in the idea that one’s choices are more important than the situation in which one finds him-/herself. This is informed by the Islamic view that humans possess free will and are responsible for their actions. However, I am reluctant to accept the idea that true and complete peace can be found through this method. According to the tenets of Islam, Allah is the source of all peace, and true peace cannot therefore be found outside of Him. Plus, the pillars of Islam teach pilgrimage as one of the main sources of the blessing and peace of Allah. While this form of meditative practice (bodhichitta) can be of some benefit, it cannot provide all the benefits of Islam. The idea of anger management and peaceful (non-aggressive) war does have an appearance of good, but there is a point at which war (holy war or jihad) is necessary when one is being deliberately oppressed and especially where the teachings of Allah are being threatened. So, while the bodhichitta may have some applications for personal problems, it does not cater to national or broader issues. Furthermore, the path to Enlightenment (as Islam teaches) is through Allah and the submission to Islam, not through bodhichitta.
Reference
Chodron, Pema. (2001). The places that scare you: A guide to fearlessness in difficult times. Boston: Shambhala.
