10.

Islam

by Angela Ann Macrito

Religion is as natural to man as social intercourse. The aim common to the religions of the world is that they undertake to bestow upon mankind the highest blessings, and the special way in which they seek to accomplish this is by establishing friendly relations with a Power which is stronger than the ordinary course of nature. Every religion which has counted for anything has had ready answers to three questions: What does it promise to do for the good of man? What is the nature of the higher Power on whose succor it relies? And, what is required of man as the condition of receiving the expected benefits? A further working test of its value is what it makes of morality.

For Christianity, the appropriate question is "What do Christians believe?" In contrast, for Islam, the correct question is "What do Muslims do?" Whereas in Christianity, theology was the "queen of sciences," in Islam, law enjoyed pride of place, for "to accept or conform to the laws of god is Islam, which means to surrender to God's law."

Because Islam means surrender or submission to the will of God, Muslims have tended to place primary emphasis on obeying or following God's will as set forth in Islamic law. For this reason, many commentators have distinguished between Christianity's emphasis on orthodoxy, or correct doctrine or belief, and Islam's insistence on orthopraxy, or correct action. However, the emphasis on practice has not precluded the importance of faith or belief. Faith and right action or practice are intertwined.

As the confession of faith or basic creed ("There is no god but God and Mohammed is the messenger of God") illustrates, faith in God and the Prophet is the basis of Muslim belief and practice. As the primary source of God's revelation and law, the Quran is the sourcebook of Islamic principles and values. Although the Quran declares, "Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear God," it does not constitute a comprehensive code of laws. While it does contain legal prescriptions, the bulk of the Quran consists of broad and general moral directives- what Muslims ought to do. It replaced, modified, or supplemented earlier tribal laws. Practices such as female infanticide, exploitation of the poor, usury, murder, false contracts, fornication, adultery, and theft were condemned. In other cases, Arab customs were gradually replaced by Islamic standards. Quranic prescriptions governing alcohol and gambling illustrate this process. At first, the use of alcohol and gambling had not been expressly prohibited. However, over a period of years, a series of revelations progressively discouraged their use. The first prescription against the old custom is given in the form of advice: "They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: in them is great sin and some use for man; but the sin is greater than the usefulness." Then, Muslims were prohibited from praying under the influence of alcohol: "Approach not prayer with a mind befogged until you can understand all that you say." Finally, liquor and gambling were prohibited: "Satan's plan is to incite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of God and from prayer: Will you not then abstain?"

Much of the Quran's reforms consist of regulations or moral guidance that limit or redefine rather than prohibit or replace existing practices. Slavery and women's status are just two examples. Although slavery was not abolished, slave owners were encouraged to release their slaves, to permit them to earn their freedom, and to "give them some of God's wealth which He has given you." Forcing female slaves into prostitution was condemned. Women and the family were subjects of more wide-ranging reforms affecting marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Marriage was a contract, with women entitled to their dower. Unlimited polygamy was restricted, and men were commanded to treat their wives fairly and equally. Women were given inheritance rights in a patriarchal society that had previously restricted inheritance to male relatives.

Therefore, the Quran established a set of basic beliefs that are the foundation of its world view and the criterion for belief versus unbelief: belief in God and His Prophet, previous prophets and revealed Scripture, angels, and the Day of Judgment. Acceptance of these beliefs renders one a believer; to reject them is to be an non-believer. Faith places the Muslim on the straight path; acts demonstrate commitment and faithfulness. In Islam, the purpose of life is not simply to affirm but to actualize; not simply to process belief in God but to realize God's will- to spread the message and law of Islam. Faith without works is empty, without merit; indeed, it is the Book of Deeds that will be the basis for divine judgment. Thus, the primary law over theology is the Islamic tradition.

Law in Islam is both universal and egalitarian. The Sharia is believed to be God's law for the entire Islamic community, indeed for all humankind. In the final analysis, God is the sovereign ruler of the world, head of the human community, and is the sole legislator. As a result, Islamic law is as much a system of ethics as it is law, for it is concerned with what a Muslim ought to do or ought not to do. All acts are ethically categorized as: (1) obligatory; (2) recommended; (3) indifferent or permissible; (4) reprehensible but not forbidden; and (5) forbidden. To break the law is a crime against both society and God; the guilty are subject to punishment in this life and the next. The belief that Islamic law was a comprehensive social blueprint was reflected in the organization and content of law. Legal rights and duties are divided into two major categories: (1) duties to God, such as prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, and (2) duties to others, which include penal, commercial , and family laws. The heart of the former is the so-called Five Pillars of Islam; that of the latter is family law.

Despite the rich diversity in Islamic practice, the Five Pillars of Islam remain the core and common denominator- the five essential and obligatory practices all Muslims accept and follow. The first pillar is The Profession of Faith; a Muslim is one who simply proclaims: "There is no god but the God and Mohammed is the messenger of God." This affirms Islam's absolute monotheism- an uncompromising faith in oneness or unity of God. The second pillar is Prayer. This is done five times a day facing Mecca, the holy city and center of Islam. The times at which to pray are daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Ritually, prayer is preceded by ablutions that cleanse the body and spirit and bestow the ritual purity necessary for divine worship. The third pillar is Almsgiving. As all Muslims share equally in their obligation to worship God, so they are duty-bound to attend to the social welfare of their community by redressing economic inequalities through payment of an alms tax or poor tithe. It is an act both of worship and thanksgiving to God and of service to the community. All adult Muslims who are able to do so are obliged to pay a wealth tax annually. It is a percentage of their accumulated wealth and assets, not just their income. This is not regarded as charity, since it is not really voluntary but instead owed, by those who have received their wealth as a trust from God's bounty, to the poor. The fourth pillar is The Fast of Ramadan. Once each year, Islam prescribes a rigorous, month-long fast during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. From sunrise to sunset, all adult Muslims whose health permits are to completely abstain from food, drink, and sexual activity. Ramadan is a time for reflection and spiritual discipline, for expressing gratitude for God's guidance and atoning for past sins, for awareness of human frailty and dependence on God, as well as remembering and responding to the needs of the poor and hungry. The fifth pillar is Pilgrimage: the Hajj. Ramadan is followed by the beginning of the pilgrimage season. Every adult Muslim physically and financially able is expected to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrimage proper takes place during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. The pilgrimage requires ritual purification, which is symbolized by the wearing of white garments. Men shave their heads and wear white sheets. Women may wear simple, national dresses and a head covering. Neither jewelry nor perfume is permitted; sexual activity and hunting are also prohibited. The pilgrims make their way to Mecca and perform many ritual activities. The five pillars are the core of a Muslim's duty to worship God.

While the Five Pillars and the Sharia remain the common basis of faith and practice for all Muslims, at the same time, Islam has incorporated a variety of beliefs and activities that grew out of religious and historical experience and the needs of specific Muslim communities.