Islam Essay -- essays research papers

Visiting a mosque for the first prison term for any non-Muslim can be quite a daunting and intimidate experience if one doesnt know exactly what to expect. A mosque is the outrank of prayer for Muslims within the Muslim religious belief. It is a house of prayer, one in truth much like that of churches and cathedrals for Christians, Synagogues for Jews, and temples for Hindus and Buddhists, but with its own distinct rules, rituals, and services. Mosques argon non only the center of religious prayer amongst Muslims, but rather in addition serve as the center of any Muslim community and partnership in the area. Muslims, however, dont always have to pray in mosques, otherwise than Friday, the Muslim holy day of the week, much like sunlight in Christianity. The reason why Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims is because the oracle Muhammad was born on a Friday. The Prophet Mohammed taught that prayers are obligatory at least five times a day, and subsequently, can be held anyplace as long as it is sincere to Allah. The word Islam, in Arabic, elbow room submission to the will of Allah. The Islamic Mosque, and or Masjid, as it is referred to in Arabic, is a place where Muslims bow before Allah declaring their obedience to His will. The history of the Islamic Mosque dates spinal column to the time of the Prophet. Mosques usu aloney contain a place for washing and neaten oneself before prayer. This cleansing in Arabic is referred to as Wudu, a tangible and spiritual purification of oneself before submitting themselves to Allah in prayer.I took a charge to a local nearby mosque in Miami two weeks ago with a Muslim friend of mine on Friday. His name was Ali, and he is a Pakistani-American. The mosque was called Masjid AL Noor, and is located in downtown Miami. It was a SunniIslamic mosque. Sunni Muslims name the worldwide majority of Muslim adherents, as opposed to Shiite Muslims, whom comprise the minority of Muslim adherents. However, the Sunn i/Shiite schism within Islam is for the most part more(prenominal) political, rather than that of religious. My friend, whom I came with to the Sunni-Islamic mosque was actually a mainstream Shiite Muslim. He usually goes to this event mosque because its closer to where he lives. According to him, a mosque is a mosque, and Muslims, all Muslims, are brothers in faith, regardless of sect. Friday prayers, also known as Salat e Juma in the Quran, is mandatory fo... ... keep up with their prayers, give alms (charity), pay their dues (zakat), the effect of modesty, as well as the frequent recitation of the Quran. The imam recited ayahs, which are passages from the Quran, and then gave an English translations of it. The mosque was comprised of a very diversified crowd of all backgrounds and ethnicities. One saw some Middle Eastern people, many Indians and other South Asians, people from the Far Pacific and Oriental looking, African Americans, as well as some Anglo Saxons. It felt like a tightly knit diversified community. My experience at the mosque was that of one of an extraordinary one. I didnt feel like an outsider, nor uncomfortable at all, but rather, on the contrary, I felt quite welcomed. I find the Islamic holiness very fascinating and unique. I am always keen and dedicate to learning almost new ideas, belief systems, and faiths. One acquires a great understanding and perspective of others in how they speculate, and how they view the world and this life. Overall, I think that this was a rather rewarding experience because it broadened my horizons on the Islamic faith as a whole, something, which I had very little knowledge about prior to.