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Unitarian Society of Fairhaven "Understanding Islam" Rev. Ann C. Fox |
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"When will Islam be part of Unitarian Universalism?" she asked me quietly but firmly. I was taken aback by such an unexpected inquiry. I said, "I think it already is in our the third source of inspiration, namely, 'Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life." She asked, "But why isn't it part of the fourth source, 'Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.' Why isn't Islam in there?" "Perhaps it's because Judaism and Christianity are our religious roots. Islam came later," I said. A bit exasperated, she pushed further, "Ann, why are westerners so uncomfortable with Islam?" I had to reply honestly, "I think it is because of the position and treatment of women." Leila smiled sadly as if she knew what I would say. She stood up and said, "When you can tell me that Islam is part of Unitarian Universalism, Ali and I will become members." Ali and Leila had been thoughtful participants in our World Religions class at First and Second Church in Boston. After this meeting, Leila returned only once to give me a document on the topic of "Women in Islam." Ali and Leila are not their real names. In recent weeks, I have thought often of my meeting with Leila, especially since September 11th. This week, I finally read the document on women that she gave me. I believe that many of us are uncomfortable with what we perceive as the Islamic diminishment of women but I believe also that we are both uncomfortable with and puzzled by Islam. Today, I hope you will bear with me while I offer you some concepts to begin to bring Islam into focus. Let us look at the roots of Islam, the life story of Muhammad, its founder, some important Islamic beliefs, and a brief look at the position of women in Islamic society. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are part of the Abrahamic family of religion. You might remember that Abraham had a wife called Sarah (or Sarai in Hebrew). Because Sarah had no children, she gave her Egyptian maid, Hagar, to Abraham. Hagar bore a son called Ishmael. In her old age, Sarah bore a son called Isaac. Sarah was concerned about birthright and persuaded Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away into the desert to safeguard Isaac's birthright. An angel appeared to Hagar, guided her through the desert to safety, and promised that Ishmael, too, would have a birthright. He, too, would found a great nation. Muslim scripture says that Hagar and Ishmael went to Mecca. The Arabs believe they and their prophet, Mohammed are directly descended from Ishmael. Mohammed was born in the holy city of Mecca in the year 570 of the Common Era. Mecca was already a pilgrim center for the many gods of the desert tribes. Mohammed was soon orphaned but grew up with a kindly uncle. He was a gentle boy who, when he wasn't working, was attracted to the religious life of the mystics. Life in Arabia was horrendously brutal. Children killed their own parents, tribes battled for power, unwanted babies were buried in the sand (especially female babies), women were treated worse than slaves, and marriage was rarely practiced. Mohammed worked for a rich widow, Khadija, who had a trading business. He became so well known for his honesty and integrity and Khadija was so taken with him that the two got married in spite of the fact that she was 15 years his senior. It was a very happy marriage and they prospered. Mohammed spent more and more time in a hillside cave in meditation. He was part of a group called the hanif (mystics) who worshipped a God called Al'lah. He began to hear inwardly the words La ilala illa Allah, which means There is no God but Allah. One night, he fell into a trance. The angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him "Proclaim!" Like many prophets in the Bible, including Moses, Muhammad protested three times that he wasn't capable of such a thing. Gabriel gave him three divine hugs to bestow upon him the ability to preach. Muslims call this the Night of Power. When Muhammad returned home, he was full of self-doubt wondering whether it was just a dream. Khadija assured her husband that he was especially chosen and told him that he was indeed a prophet and she immediately became his first convert. We must understand that this relationship between Muhammad and Khadija is held in great affection by Muslims and is an example of the perfect marital relationship. For the next 23 years, Muhammad received messages that were written down by his followers since Muhammad was illiterate and also since he was completely taken over by the power of the messages. He talked of the words as having great physical weight. He began to preach on street corners the messages of one God, moral teachings for personal behavior, and urgings to rectify social injustices. Such teachings were threatening to the dominant tribe of Mecca and they sought to kill Mohammed. He fled to the city of Medina and was welcomed there as someone who would help them organize and govern their city. Mohammed became philosopher, statesman, priest, wise man, and warrior king, all the while receiving special messages from God through the Angel Gabriel. His supporters grew rapidly, inspired by the ideas of One God, a moral life, and equality for all people, including respectful treatment of women. In twenty-two short years and by the time of Mohammed's death in 632, all of Arabia was united for the first time and under Muslim control. One hundred years later, Mohammed's supporters had conquered Armenia, Persia, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, North Africa, and Spain and made their way across the Pyrenees into France, stopped only by the fierce French chieftain Charles Martel or the whole world would have been Muslim today. We must understand that Mohammed was and is held in the highest regard and affection as something of a modest Renaissance man, one of the most kind, generous and wise men that has ever lived. Whenever a Muslim says the Prophet Mohammed's name, he or she will not fail to follow it with "Blessing and peace be upon him." Though Islam might seem a rather dour religion without humor, it has its famous mullah Nasruddin. A Khutbah is a Muslim sermon. One day, the people of a City invited Mullah Nasruddin to deliver a khutbah. When he got on the pulpit, he found the audience was not very enthusiastic, so he asked, "Do you know what I am going to say? The audience shouted, "NO!" So he announced, "I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about," and he left. The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time, when he asked the same question, the people replied, "YES." So Mullah Nasruddin said, "Well, since you already know what I'm going to say, I won't waste any more of your time," and he left. The people tried one more time and invited Nasruddin back the following week. Once again, he asked the same question: "Do you know what I am going to say?" Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered, "YES," while the other half replied, "NO." So Mullah Nasruddin said, "The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half," and he left. Islam means surrender (to God). Allah means the God or God. Allah is not a person. Muslims do not like to talk of the children of God as this relegates Allah to personhood. Allah is mysterious and the most powerful and benevolent force in the Universe. The messages Mohammed received are collected into their holy document called the Koran. It is four-fifths the length of the New Testament. Koran means recitation. It is the most recited and memorized book in the world. Muslims believe that reciting the Koran in Arabic has a beneficial effect on the person who recites. They believe that the Koran has its counterpart in God. The Koran given to Mohammed is the exact and infallible word of God. The Koran continues the revelations began in the Old and New Testaments, extending them and correcting the distortions and inaccuracies. It may mention a few historical, biblical facts, but doesn't bother much with myths or epic stories. Now the Koran is not very impressive in translation. But in Arabic, its exquisite language has the ability to inspire millions. It basically proclaims the greatness, unity, and omniscience of God, master of all humankind. The rest makes known the laws of human behavior in direct pronouncements. Its maximums are intended to be meditated upon and in doing so, one's understanding deepens endlessly. The Koran is accompanied by the hadith---teachings based on what Mohammed did or said. The Koran accepts Jesus' virgin birth and honors him as a prophet and his mother, Mary, as a blessed woman, but it does not regard Jesus as God's son, and forbids belief in a trinity. Allah urges us to use our short life well and tells us that he and we judge ourselves at the end of life. You have probably heard of the Five Pillars of Islam. The First Pillar is that of the Knowledge of God revealed by the beginning of the Koran. Every Muslim says daily, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is His Prophet." The Second Pillar is the practice of daily prayer to keep Allah at the center of one's life. One verse, or Surah is repeated in all prayers. It is: In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate: Praise be to Allah, creator of the worlds, The Mericful, the Compassionate, Ruler of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thee do we ask for aid. Guide us in the straight path, The path of those on whom Thou has poured forth Thy grace... Muslims pray five times a day: at sunrise, noontime, mid-afternoon, sunset, and before sleep. The prayers are always of praise, gratitude, and supplication. The Third Pillar is charity. middle- and upper-income Muslims should annually give one-fortieth of their gross worth or 2-1/2% of their income to those less fortunate. Mohammed used the metaphor of the body's circulatory system for economic health---as long as blood flows, the system is well. When clots appear, ill-health occurs. Moneymaking is encouraged but so is distribution. The Fourth Pillar is the observance of Ramadan, the holy month. Each person in good health is required to fast for one month from Sunrise to sunset to contemplate Allah. The Fifth Pillar is pilgrimage. At least once in a person's lifetime, if possible, he or she should spend Ramadan in the holy city of Mecca to heighten the pilgrim's devotion. Upon reaching Mecca, all pilgrims remove their normal attire and wear two simple sheet-like garments so that rich and poor are the same before God. Besides the Pillars, Muslims should live a simple and pious life with dignity and courtesy and generosity and hospitality to all people. The laws of the Koran set forth rules for every aspect of life so that all people are clothed, sheltered, and fed and treated with kindness. If they misbehave, there are suggestions for helping a person improve. Physical punishment is recommended but it is meant only as corrective and should never be harsh. Regarding the status of women, the Koran sets forth laws to protect women. Modest clothing is recommended for both men and women. To protect them, women are advised to cover their hair, face, and bosom when they go out. Women cannot be forced into marriage and there are laws to govern divorce. Women are not the property of men. A man is required to support the family. If a woman chooses to work and contribute her income, she can. If her husband divorces her, she is allowed to keep her dowry and any wealth she brought into the marriage. These laws were in place during all the centuries that western women were considered the property of their husbands and had no inheritance rights. The Koran does not teach that women were created for men or that they are evil or that either is in the likeness of God. However, the laws governing sexuality are strict: men and women are not to have sex outside of marriage. Having said all this: we must say that Islamic scholars and sociologists say that the Islamic world varies substantially and there is a wide difference between what the Koran recommends and what we see in cultural practices. The Koran prescribes the best behavior for a just society, including racial and socio-economic equality. If the people were educated in and thoughtful of what Islam offers, there would not be the abuse and restriction of women. All the world's religions prescribe good behavior and justice but people simply do not follow their religion. Let us end with a short look at the concept of jihad or Holy War. This is a central, if not THE CENTRAL, concept in Islam. Terrorists interpret this sacred practice in only one way: war against certain others. However, the spirit of jihad primarily refers first to the battle of the individual with his or her own passions, then the battle the person needs to engage in to bring about social justice, and finally the taking up of arms to fight for justice. We have seen great anger and hatred of our country for its ARROGANCE, perceived injustice in aiding Israel to deprive the Palestinian people of their homes and their country. In the wake of the September 11th attack, perhaps it is time to look closely at why we are so hated by Muslims. Perhaps the time has come for us to scrutinize the history of how the state of Israel was created and how hundreds of thousands of people were cleared off, PUSHED OFF, land that was used to create a new state. And we should look at what justice we supported then and now. A ninth century Islamic joke reads: A certain man claimed to be a prophet and was brought before the Sultan, who said to him, "I bear witness that you are a stupid prophet!" The man replied, "That is why I have only been sent to people like you." Let us not be like the Sultan. Fighting the good fight is what jihad is about. Perhaps we, too, need to fight the good fight, but peacefully. References Cleary, Thomas. The Essential Koran, Castle Books: New Jersey, 1998. Lipton, Thomas, W. Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World, A Mentor Book by Penguin, New York, 1990. Smith, Huston. The World's Religions, Harper Books: San Francisco, 1991. Article: Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, "Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth and the Reality" a Friday khutbah (sermon), February 10, 1995. (An article on the Internet, retrieved Sunday, March 22, 1998.) Reading from The Essential Koran Note: God is referred to as God and We Here are some excerpts from the Koran, the holy book of Islam that was dictated by the Prophet Mohammed: "God sent to you the Book with the truth confirming the truth of what preceded it. And God sent the Torah and the Gospel before, as guidance to humankind; and God sent the Criterion. (p. 19, Surah 2-7) Say, "We believe in God and what God revealed to us, and what God revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes and what was given to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. (p. 24, Surah 84) We have inspired you, as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him; for We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes and Jesus and Job and Jonas and Aaron and Solomon; and We gave David the Book of Psalms. And there were messengers of whom We told you before, and messengers of whom we have not told you….People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and do not say of God anything but truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only an Envoy of God and a Word of God bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit from God. So believe in God and the envoys of God, and do not speak of a trinity, for it would be better for you to stop. God alone is the One worthy of worship: glory to God, exalted beyond having a son. (p. 42, Surrahs 171-175) For every one of you We have established a norm and an open way. And if God willed, you would have been made a single people; but God is testing you in what you have been given. So race to virtues; God is your destination, all…(p. 44, Surrahs 46-50)" |
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