What are the purposes of specific rituals?
Theme: Evaluate the spiritual importance that each has for the believer.
Muslims must surrender to the existence of God, and a follower of the Islamic faith must pray everyday to show dedication to God, a ritual known as Salet. Prayer is performed at particular times during the day and has many personal meanings for each person. This practice demonstrates their acknowledgement of the one true Allah, or God. A common form of prayer is asking for guidance or help from God in their life, and this brings the follower closer to God.
Followers can also grow in their faith by completing a pilgrimage to Mecca, known as following one of the 5 pillars. This pilgrimage is also called the Hajj, usually performed between the eight and twelfth days during Dhu al- Hijja-. The act of completing, or even attempting, a pilgrimage shows how they have faith in Iman, God, and as well as participation in the Muslim community knows as Umma.
http://www.whyislam.org/
Theme: How does prayer shape the daily life of Muslims?
Prayer
Muslims are required to pray at least 5 times a day towards Mecca, signifying reverence towards Mohammad, but many will often pray more than 5 to deepen their spiritual connection with Allah. The time of the required prayers are at dawn, noon, mid afternoon, sunset, and night. Islam followers pray to ask Allah for guidance in the hardships or predicaments that they face in life, named jihad, as well as to reiterate their belief in the one true God, Allah. Rites of passage and prayer relate to each other because are often made when a Muslim asks for a child to be born and to bless a marriage with strength. Prayer is a major aspect of the Islamic faith to keep a strong relationship with Allah.
http://www.islamicity.com
Theme: What aspects of prayer are aimed at Allah and what aspects are aimed at Muhammad?
Mawlid al-Nabi
This ritual began as the writing of poems to honor Muhammad, beginning with the Arabs, who were known for their linguistic skills. The date that this ritual is performed is the Islam’s date of Muhammad’s birth. Although the actual date is unknown, this is similar to the Christian holiday Christmas. While his birthday is celebrated, this holiday also focuses on the revealing of the message of Allah to Muhammad, known as risalah. This ritual celebrates his life as a whole and the accomplishments and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
http://www.islamicity.com
How determines if a practice is a religious holiday or simply a community-specific way to worship?
Theme: Determine the difference among Sunni, Shi'a and Sufi rituals that are driven by both similar and differing doctrines.
Islam has two main denominations, the Shia and Sunni, that both base their faith on the Quran. However, these religions differ in the prayers that they recite and the rituals that they perform for worship. The prayer styles of these religions are different in that the Sunni are very strict in their prayer, adhering to the 5 times a day rule and are encouraged to pray more. The Shia do not follow this rule strictly, and believe that prayer should be on your own time and self-motivated in order to gain further strength in one’s personal relationship with Allah.
http://www.islamicity.com
How does a community form/change around rituals?
Theme: How are specific rituals linked to a foundational figure?
Ramadan
The ritual of Ramadan is celebrated each year in the religion of Islam for approximately one month between June and July. During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day, also known as sawm, from sunrise to sunset. This mimics the story in the Quran that Muhammad would take his family into the countryside to meditate and fast during Ramadan. Now, the ritual is meant to serve as a way to become closer to Allah through sacrifice of earthly needs and desires in honor of Allah and Muhammad.
Are rituals based on the foundational figures or are they based on the higher power of a religion?
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