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Being a Good Muslim by Hussein Ali
Islam
is one of the major world religions. It has grown to occupy every single
continent and includes millions of people as its followers. It all began
hundreds of years ago in the Middle East when Prophet Muhammad (swt)
received
messages from God. These revelations received by the Prophet through Angel
Gabriel over a period of 23 years were recorded by scribes, under the direct
supervision of the Prophet. That is what came to be known as Qur’an, the last
revealed Message of God for the guidance of human beings.
From
the teachings of the Qur’an and from the family of the prophet, who were his
successors, we derive what is known as the roots and branches of religion. The
roots are the core beliefs whereas the branches are the core practices of a
Muslim. There are several branches of religion, but I want to highlight some of
the signifi cant practices.
One
of the major branches of Islam is prayer. It states that all Muslims must pray
five times a day at pecific times. One of the prayers is to be read before
sunrise, two during the daytime, and two of them after sunset. All fi ve prayers
consist of similar content and vary length. During each prayer, we complete a
rigorous exercise routine because of the number of times we bend and kneel
throughout the prayer. The physical act of standing, kneeling, sitting down and
getting up again numerous times is probably what discourages some people from
completing this important part of Islam. Prayer reminds people, whether they be
CEO’s, janitors, clergymen, etc. that, despite their busy schedule they are
required to stop what they’re doing and remember God.
A
second branch of Islam is charity. It states that at the end of the year, a
percentage of one’s savings must be donated to a good cause. This donation is
usually for a religious cause, but can also be given to the needy or some other
type of charity.
A
third branch, and one of the most well known to non-Muslims, is fasting during
the month of Ramadaan. All Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset
for thirty days consecutively. We are required to fast in order to empathize
with what the millions of starving people experience daily in the world today.
Another aspect of fasting is curbing one’s desires; it helps to control
one’s desires, passions and hor-mones,
and disciplines one physically and spiritually.
The
last branch of Islam that I would like to discuss is the pilgrimage to the city
of Mecca, which is considered the holiest city in the eyes of Muslims and it is
the direction Muslims face while praying. The Ka’ba is the most sacred building for all
Muslims and it is the site of millions of pilgrims every year. It was built by
Prophet Abraham, and also serves a place where Muslims all over the world gather
to meet each other together in worship and harmony.
These
branches of Islam that are highlighted above are some of the most signifcant
ones, and serve as a reminder to mankind that we have responsibilities to God. Our
responsibilities include helping others as well as
ourselves on a day to day basis since we are all connected as creation (makhlooq)
of One God. was terrifying. I would prefer to follow in