My Experience in Islam Worship Essay

My offset printing phone to Islam pietism as I rec each happened three years ago through a Moslem friend who invited me to observe their idolization. Prior to my kickoff insure, I often hear through a loud utterer something like an utterance just now also seem like a song coming from a Mosque non so far from where I live. Of course, every organized religion has their own way of expressing their doctrine but I should say Islam is quite unique in a sense that believers endorse deep sense of respect and fear to Allah. Islam was born in the city of Mecca around 570 A. D.through the vaticinator Mohammad. Esposito (2002) noted that in the sixth century, Mecca was emerging as a overbold commercial center with vast untried wealth but also with a growing division between rich and poor, ch all in allenging the traditional system of Arab tribal values and well-disposed security(p. 7). According to Esposito, it was this time and social condition in which prophet Mohammad pr eached the message of Quran which formed the basis for the religion we know as Islam calling all to return to the godliness of the true deity and a socially clean social club (Esposito 2002, p.7).Like Christianity, Islam religion has a inherent claim of its origin from the Bible. Muslims also believe that God sent revelations archetypal to Moses, then to Jesus. Esposito aptly stated that Muhammad is not considered the founder of the new religion of Islam but like the biblical prophets who came before him, he was a phantasmal reformer (p. 7). Mohammad himself according to Esposito claim that he did not bring a new message from a new God but called large number back to the one true God and to a new of liveness they had forgotten or deviated from.Islams claim for biblical origins can be traced from Qurans abundant references to stories in the Old and New Testaments which include Adam and Eve, Abraham and Moses, David and Solomon, Jesus and Mary. Esposito pointed out that Islam and latria of Allahthe Arabic word for God was a return in the midst of a polytheistic society to the forgotten past, to the Abrahams monotheist faith. During my first attendance to Islam worship, one thing that I see was that they bowed down with their face al nigh if not pitiable the ground.As far as I am concern, there is no ghostlike organization doing the same, not even the Jews who had probably the most dusky concept of worship. Though I am quite aw atomic number 18 of this stylus of worship, I was really intrigued how they had developed such way of expressing their faith and disappointment before God. I found that for Islam, the meaning of worship is more than just rendering sincere service, or showing reverence for Allah. Abdul-Rahman (2003) emphasized that worship implies total first appearance and complete obedience to Allahs commandments both in utterances and public actions, whether explicit or implicit and in private or public (p.331).As I observed the way Mus lims conduct themselves in public worship, their manner proves they indeed a deep devotion and submission to Allah. According to the teachings of Quran, bowing down of heads during worship and during appealingness is part of the promissory note of the followers of Mohammad who is the messenger of Allah. The Quran teaches, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those who ar with him are stern against disbeliever, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down flavourless, seeking munificence from Allah and his good pleasure.The mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration. This is their description in the Tawraat (Torah) al-Ahzaab 3340 (As cited by Abdul-Rahman, p. 177). On my visit at a Sunni Muslim Mosque, I noticed that contrary to other non-Sunni Muslims, the manner of supplication and worship of the Sunni Muslims are a little bit different as they would stand, rest, or prostrate when worshipping or praying. However, what was intrigu ing in their manner of worship was that when they prostrate themselves in appealingness and worship, they face in the direction of Mecca.Although the concept of this practice was not new as during Israels Babylonian captivity in 570 BC, Prophet Daniel was thrown into the lions den for praying three time a day facing capital of Israel (Daniel 6 11). For Muslims both Sunni and non Sunni, praying facing Mecca is one way of showing devotion to Islam because Mecca is Muslims holy city. OBrien (2007) noted that Muslims pray five times a day while facing Mecca (p. 135). Even in Muslims five pillars of faith, tour to Mecca is considered as one of the five pillars that a devout Muslim should experience. piece this tradition may be viewed by non Muslims as naive in time apparently, it reflects their devotion and loyalty to their religion. It shows that Muslims are faithful to their beliefs and tradition and to the founder of Moslem religion and Mecca serves as the symbol of their spiri tual unity. When somebody visits a mosque for the first time, what he would likely to see are people chatting quietly or napping on the carpets and are praying and reading the Quran. But what could be more affect perhaps is the main prayer or worship area, which is just a large open space with no pews or benches. around of us are used to see pews and benches and expensive as well as sophisticated church facilities such as organ, drum set, piano and all church equipments adorning the main worship hall once we are at heart the church either Christian or Roman Catholic Church. In Islam, although mosque is the sacred space for individual and congregational worship and it serves as places for prayer, supposition and learning yet unlike most Christian churches, the space is impeccant of any equipment as Muslims simply bow down or kneel when they come to pray or worship.The interior of the mosque is simple and austere. There is no altar and no sanctuary, and there is even no clergy to deliver sermons nor are there any seats. Visitors to Sunni mosque can observe believers may stand, bow, kneel, or prostrate themselves, but they do not sit in the House of God. The keen behind all this, according to Bernard Lewis and Buntzie Ellis Churchill (2008) is that the act of worship includes prostrations, to the point where the worshippers forehead touches the ground (p. 40).Lewis & Churchill (2008) described their observation of the Muslim prayer and worship in mosque as follows To participate in the ritual prayers, Muslims essential be ritually pure. This is accomplished by means of ablutions, the manner and order of which are specifically regulated. To preserve the purity of the floor on which the worshipper prostrates himself, it is forbidden to enter the mosque wearing shoes or boots. These must be left at the entrance, and the worshipperor, fro the matter, visitormust enter unshoed or with special slippers provided at the entrance.The need to for purity precludes the participation or even the presence, during the prayers, of non-Muslims (p. 41). Aside from empty space, first time visitor to Mosque could also observed that there were no liturgies, but all prayers and recitations of verses from Quran. However, conversing with any develop Muslim, one could learn that Muslims perform worship five times daily. sermon of worship, Browen (993) observed, The rituals begin with ablutions, after which the worshipper, either alone or in congregation, performs 2, three, or four raka or worship cycles in the direction of Mecca. apiece the worshipper executes a fix sequence of movements (Standing, Prostrating, kneeling, sitting), each accompanied by a fix Arabic recitation (p. 291). The recitations according to Browen include praises of God, affirmations of his oneness, a general request for divine guidance, and, at the beginning of each cycle, two or more verses from Quran. I could affirm this observation because during my own visit to Sunni Muslim wo rship, I personally witness how they demonstrate their devotion to Allah.In comparison to worship perform in most Christian churches I could say that Muslim worship is deeply grounded on loyalty, devotion and reverence to God. In Christian churches, we could not deny that most of us are looking for comfort and even for entertainment once inside the church. We cannot simulate long hours of worship service particularly on listening to the sermon of the word of God. Most of us we enjoy the singing of joyful Christian music but felt board during most of the service hours. In Muslim worship, one can observe that everyone sincerely performs worship to Allah.Browen pointed out, Worshippers may also add petitionary prayers to the recitations. Worship should be performed five times daily at first light, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night (p. 291). The Friday noon worship consists of a sermon and two worship cycles, and should be performed in congregation. It also has a prayer leader an d a sermon giver. But one of the most notable things for the first timer in mosque worship is that one ordain find that worshippers are either all men or all women. This is perhaps common in all mosque worship. The reasons for this were quite obvious.Not very much about their customs but about the physical nature of the prayer in which worshippers stand shoulder to shoulder, foot to foot, and which require the position of prostration. Haddad, metalworker & Moore (2006) noted the arguments on the separation of men and women during worship in Mosque. Citing statements from Muslim women, Haddad, Smith & Moore wrote, Very few Muslim women say that they want to worship side by side with men (p. 63). I dont want men to look at me like that and be distract from their attention to God, nor do I wish to look directly at the rear parts of men during prayers goes the arguments.In some sense, this separation of sexes is a little different from other religions that also practiced separation o f sexes during worship. Most religions practicing the separation of sexes are concern merely about the setting arrangements and not entirely excluding women in the same area, whereas worship in mosque gives preference on men at the main worship area, thereby promoting mens supremacy over women. Haddad, Smith, and Moore stated, When space is severely limited, women may find themselves worshipping in less desirable areas such as hallways or basements (p.64).My visit in Sunni Muslim worship, although there might only be very elegant if none at all, differences between Sunni and non-Sunni Muslims, greatly impressed me because I realized how zealous are the Muslims in their faith in God. I realized that their motives of worshipping God are plain and simple but the manner they worship demonstrates how deep their devotion to Allah is. Their effort to focus their attention to God is admirable as they cannot be perhaps equaled by todays worship both by Catholics or Christian worship.Many will find Muslim womens clothing for example as weird and burdensome, but most Muslim women prefer wearing their hijab in order to invalidate seducing men by their physical form. For most Muslim women, styles of clothing make exactly what they are expected to be a model for her sexuality and her faith. To sum up my observation, the worship I had seen was full of unfamiliar religious observance yet they all reflect profound expression of faith in God which is diminishing in many Christian worship today.Abdul-Rahman, M. (2003) Islam U. K. MSA Publicatin Bowen, R. J. (1993) Muslims Through Discourse USA Princeton University advertize Haddad, Y. , Smith, J. I. & Moore, K. M. (2006) Muslim Women in the States USA Oxford University Press Esposito, J. L. (2002) What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam New York Oxford University Press Lewis, B. & Churchill, B. E. (2008) Islam USA Wharton School Publishing OBrien, M. E. (2007) Spirituality in nurse USA Jones & Barlett Publishers