I do not pray 5 times a day, but I do revere the Qu'ran. Since I was young, I visited an Ustaani, or teacher of the Qu'ran, as these girls are doing.
Many Qu'ranic heroes amaze me with their genuine integrity, and I hope I can live my life with even a quarter of the discipline they lived theirs in. The Prophet Mohammad(pbuh) "forgave enemies who had committed unspeakable atrocities against him and his brethren"(Unknown, 320), and I completely admire the fact that he at no point desired revenge or harbored hatred. Unlike other leaders, like Allah(ws), the Prophet displayed many compassionate characteristics. The Prophet was also a leader, a father, a warrior, and yet he remained just and kind. I was surprised at the meaning of "Rahmin" in "the first Sura of the Koran, the Fatiha... God is called Al Rahmin"(Unknown, 320). I know the first Sura (amongst many others) by heart and have recited it countless times in my life, but I never payed attention to the exact meaning.
Surah Al-Fatiha is depicted to the left. The Surahs are often very ornamented. This one is very similar to the book I have at home which I memorized Surahs out of.
There is a large framed poster in my living room that depicts ninety-nine names for Allah and their meanings. "Al Rahmin" is one of them. It's very interesting that it is derived from the word "womb", but now that I think of it, Allah is very much depicted as having some feminine traits.
The ninety-nine names of Allah are very commonly found in Muslim homes.
As a child, I always found these characteristics very comforting and I felt closest to Allah when I slept next to my mother. Perhaps this is one of the reasons many Muslims are so strongly devoted and truly love Allah. Faith is a very powerful thing to see. During the holy month of Moharram at my mosc, it is not uncommon at all to see women "falling silent, starting into the distance, lost in thought, stepping back, weeping"(Ramadan, 316). In fact, many women weep after each sermon. Those moments are moments I wish I could share and explain to my American friends. They are usually followed by Maatam, which is where all the women make a circle and lightly tap on their chests to keep a beat while chanting songs about Qu'ranic figures.
Men doing Maatam in the streets. The beat of hands on chests is breathtaking.
Unfortunately, it is shown in negative light. Extremists often do Maatam with knives. There are no videos recording true Maatam because it is not allowed. There's nothing like this in the world, and every time I experience it, I feel humbled and ashamed at my lifestyle. I'm ashamed because it is possible for me to be a better person. All the traits I admire in the Prophet and his family are achieved by clarity of mind and discipline, two things the Qu'ran promotes very strongly. "Surely it is not their eyes that are blind; what is blind are the hearts that are in their breasts"(Qu'ran, 22:46), the Qu'ran reads, and I know that I am blind-hearted. This simply means that I have not been able to train myself against temptation and laziness. I indulge myself, procrastinate, and concern myself with myself. I see that these things are wrong and fixable, for I am not blind. At the same time, my heart is weak and I don't have the drive to carry through. I want very badly to change my ways, and I think Islam definitely helps, which is perhaps why it attracts so many people. The only thing that shies me away is my fear of hypocrisy. I've sinned and I do believe to a certain extent that I should live my life to the fullest. "On people's hearts is the stain of that which they do"(Qu'ran, 83:14), and although I know I can remove this stain, I don't know if I can remain unstained while I'm still experiencing the world in the transitional stage that is adolescence. I'm basically in a state of confusion. Regardless of my convictions, I revere the Qu'ran for its practical applicability. Whether or not you believe in god, you cannot deny the moral value of the characteristics Qu'ranic figures promote. Additionally, even practices such as abstaining from eating pork are not without reason. Pork is the fastest spoiling meat and causes the most medical complications every year by a landslide.
Pork in unsanitary conditions is a great health concern in Cuba.
The practicality of these characteristics and their effectiveness are displayed throughout Muslim history. "Early muslim leaders were sophisticated townsmen and highly competent commanders"(Rodenbeck, 324), as the Qu'ran very strongly emphasizes that Muslims should be competent leaders and simultaneously just. However, there are accounts of obvious discrimination in areas conquered by the Muslim empire. In Spain, "non-muslims were not allowed to ride on horseback without a permit, or to bear arms"(Ormsby, 326), but it is important to understand that these were measures initially taken to ensure control. Identification cannot be compared to Nazi reign in Germany during the Holocaust, because Muslims were controlling, but not hostile. They did not force their religion down anyones throats, nor did they enslave people. Additionally, there were many exceptions and permits were allowed.
Identification in Muslim Spain and Nazi Germany are not equivalent.
This is not to say that all Muslim empires ever created were angelic and perfect- obviously, corruption exists in all planes of time and space. However, today's views of Islam are construed. I strongly disagree with the statement that the reason for "the current hostility"(Goodwin, 330) is "Insecurity, of course, [which] is widespread in the Muslim world"(Goodwin, 330). Insecurity is widespread all over the world. I would argue that the current hostility finds its roots in cultural isolation and general ignorance. Most educated Western Muslims are not at all hostile. Rather, in very isolated areas with homozygous cultural ideas, hate breeds. There are several other misconceptions where culture and religion are confused. For instance, lack of women's rights are definitely not advocated by the Qu'ran. The Qu'ran encourages a couple to "dwell in tranquility... creating loving affection and merciful compassion between you"(Qu'ran, 30:21).
Domestic violence is a concern in third-world countries more than Muslim countries.
Reverence for each other, and most important compassion are of utmost importance.
All in all, I find the Qu'ran to be a very inspiring text guiding "the heart that makes the intense effort necessary to liberate itself"(Ramadan, 316). I know that I am not currently making that intense effort, but one day when I'm ready, I know I'll find my way.
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