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Islam

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• The Ka’ba in Mecca is where Abraham and Ishmael built an alter to God. 

• The Ka'ba is actually the cubical structure in the center of the Great Mosque of Mecca.

• It is draped with a black cloth and, in one corner, is an ancient black stone said to be a remnant from the original alter built on this site by Abraham and Ishmael.

• On pilgrimage (the Hajj) to this site Muslims circle the Ka'ba seven times and attempt to get close enough to touch the black stone.

• The stone is believed by scholars to perhaps be a meteorite. If this is the case, it is not surprising that an ancient people believed this to be a sacred stone since it was dropped to earth from the heavens (i.e., from God).

• Medina (originally Yathrib), "the city [of the Prophet]," to which Muhammad and his followers migrated in 622 CE.

• The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (located on the "Temple Mount" of the ruins of the ancient Jewish Temple)  is where, Islam teaches, Abraham almost sacrificed Ishmael (Isaac in Biblical tradition) as an act of faith. This is also the site from which Muhammad made his mystical ascent into the heavens on his "Night Journey"

Halal & Haram: Five kinds of action:

1. Prohibited (haram): no intoxicants, no fornication, no eating of pork (meat is ritually slaughtered and prepared - Halal meat), no Gambling, no usury (no charging of interest on loans, also try to avoid taking loans on which interest would be charged)

2. Frowned upon but not prohibited (e.g. divorce)

3. Neither good nor bad

4. Encouraged but not required (e.g., prayer in the mosque)

5. Required ("halal") (i.e., the Five Pillars)

Dietary regulations:

The term "halal" is used to describe religiously "kosher" meats. Like Judaism, Islam dictates proper kinds, slaughter and preparation of food. "Halal" food markets can be found in many urban areas with significant Muslim populations.

• Eid-al-Fitr - close of the fast of Ramadan, a great community feast and celebration

• Eid-al-Adha - close of the period of the Hajj, celebrated by all Muslims whether they have gone on pilgrimage that year or not. The "Feast of Sacrifice" commemorats Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Ishmael). Muslims typically purchase a lamb or goat for ritual sacrifice and then feast on the meat, sharing what they have with the poor who were not able to purchase their own sacrifice.

Circumcision: boys are religiously circumcised around age 7 or 8 but this is not mandated by Quran and age can vary from culture to culture

Family is very important:

• Duties of husband and wife are clearly defined: husband is to support wife (or wives) and children.

• Paternity issues are of special concern: a man must know which children are his so he knows who to give his paternal responsibility (thus a woman’s seclusion after her husband dies - see below). Paternal responsibility is taken seriously; even after divorce the father must continue to support and provide for his children. Such responsibility includes financial support and passing down of inheritance (to daughters as well as sons)

• The Quran dictates that widows and orphans be protected. Thus it is not uncommon for a male relative or some other man to take a widow as a second wife. In the least, the entire Muslim community is to extend support for those in need.

• Marriage:

• signing of a simple legal document before two witnesses plus secular state requirements (e.g., license).

• A Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man (the man is more likely to influence the woman away from Islam than to be influenced away by a woman). (This is not to say that in non-Muslim lands this does not happen.)

• Divorce:

• A woman is given the right to divorce her husband by simple declaration of intent (revolutionary for 7th century Arabia - or beyond).

• The husband declares his desire to divorce after the woman completes her menstrual cycle but before having relations with her again. They must wait three months (three more cycles) before the divorce is final and remain abstinent during this time. During this time the man can reconsider and reconcile. If they have relations during the waiting time the divorce decree is automatically null and void. All this assures that the woman is not pregnant with the man’s child.

• During the three months, an Imam will help with marital counseling.

Poster: Why Is The Family So Important To Muslims?

Death:

• Body is buried, not cremated

• Special prayer is held for the dead (in addition to the regular five daily prayers)

• A man mourns for one day; a woman mourns for four months, staying at home (this assures if she is or is not pregnant from her husband)

Poster: How Do Muslims View The Elderly, Death, And The Afterlife?