Many religions have rules about what foods should be eaten, and what foods should not be. In Islam, everything in life is connected to faith, including the foods you choose to put into your body.

Muslims should never eat to excess, and only eat when they are hungry. Any animal that is slaughtered should be slaughtered under the name of Allah, in a prayerful manner. Always remember those who are hungry, and feed them if you can. This includes not only humans, but animals as well.

Pray to Allah before eating, and give thanks afterward. Put only food in your body that have been approved by the scriptures. Chicken, fish, olive oil, healthy meats, and honey are especially recommended. Any fruits or vegetables that have been grown in the natural way and are unprocessed are also highly recommended.

What should Muslims avoid? Any meat that has been slaughtered in a way not consist with Islamic practice should be avoided. Never eat anything that comes from a pig, including lard. Gelatine, commonly used to make Jello, should be avoided if the gelatine came from an animal that was not considered clean. If an animal died before slaughter, the meat cannot be prepared for human consumption. Also, carnivorous animals or birds of prey should never be eaten.

Any form of blood, such as that found in a very rare steak, is not to be eaten. Any form of alcohol, even those used in cooking, should be avoided as well. In fact, Muslims are encouraged to avoid establishments that sell alcohol, and should not sit at a table where alcohol is being served.

Keep in mind that some additives are not approved as well. Usually, those additives that begin with an “E” on the label are from animals that have not been slaughtered in the approved way.

If you are not of the Islamic religion, it is important to follow the guidelines concerning Islam and food when you are with Muslim guests. Be careful to prepare only foods you know are alright for them to eat, and if you are in doubt, always ask!

When Muslims pray, they do so with the intent of focusing only on Allah. A very important part of prayer is cleanliness — one must be clean, both of spirit and of body, when they approach the prayer. Cleaning with the purpose of prayer is known as making Wud’u.

There is a definite way to do this. Only a small bowl of water and a small towel are required, as to avoid waste of any kind. To begin, pay homage to Allah before you cleanse. “In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.”

Wash your hands three times, making certain to wash the backs of your hands and your thumbs as well. Then bring a handful of water to your mouth and wash it thoroughly, again, three times.

Using your right hand to bring up a handful of water, sniff it into your nose to cleanse it. Expel it with your left hand. Do this three times to clear the sinuses. This part does not feel all that natural until you’ve done it for a while, so it might take some practice!

Wash your entire face three times. Then, starting with the right, wash your arms up to the elbows on each side. Do this three times as well.

Your hands will be wet. Slide them over your head, from front to back, and then from back to front. Using your wet fingers, wipe around the inside and the outside of your ears.

Now turn your attention to your feet. Wash them, up to the ankles, three times each. That’s the final step before drying off with the small towel you prepared at the beginning.

When you are done, make an appeal to Allah, showing that your care in bathing was for Him alone. “I witness that none shall be worshipped except Allah, and that Mohammed is His slave and His messenger.”

Tradition Muslim prayer is based on the movement of the sun. There are five times to pray throughout the day: before dawn, noon, in the afternoon, at sunset, and in the evening. Since the times of the day change in relation to the earth’s rotation, daylight savings time, and the like, the timing of the prayers can change so far as the clock is concerned. The point is to keep the prayer time accurate with the movement of the sun.

Islamic prayer rugs are placed on the area where the person intends to pray, thus ensuring the area is clean. The person must also come to prayer clean of body, washing beforehand if necessary. The rug should be placed with the top facing in the direction of Mecca, and the worshiper should face this way during prayer.

One of the most important parts of prayer is intention. Muslims do everything with clear intent. Clearing the mind and preparing to give thanks is one of the first and most important points of every prayer ritual.

Though prayer at any time is encouraged, the formal prayers are performed during those five set times every day. Each of them has a clear purpose:

Fajr. Performed right before sunrise, this prayer is meant to show remembrance of God, or Allah. It is meant to help start the day out on a clean slate and in the right mindset.

Dhuhr. At noon, this prayer is meant to offer a break from work during which thanks is given for the work, and remembrance of God is held strong.

Asr. This is the time to give thanks in prayer for the important parts of our lives, such as work, family, children, community, and all the other good parts that make up who we are.

Maghrib. As the day comes to a close, a time of remembrance is observed, again keeping God close to the heart.

Isha. The evening prayer is to give thanks for making it through another day, and to recognize God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Every religion has an outward visual that makes it different from other religions. For instance, if you see a woman praying the rosary, you might assume she is Catholic. If you see a man wearing a cross around his neck, you might assume he is a Christian, though you might not know exactly which branch of Christianity he follows.

The same is true of the Hijab, a traditional clothing worn by Muslim women. The Hijab often covers everything about the body except for the eyes and the hands. Depending upon the culture, the hijab might allow for the face to be seen as well. Some cultures might require the clothing to be of a darker color, but in other areas, vivid colors of the hijab are accepted and encouraged as a mark of individuality.

All Muslim adults must wear the hijab as is appropriate for their sex. It was ordered by Allah and the instruction can be found in the Quran, or the holy book of the Islamic religion. Though many in the Western world see this covering of the body as oppressive, Muslim women tend to see it as a dignified way of living. By being covered, they cannot be treated as sex objects, and thus hold their rightful place as equals to men, or as the cherished head of their families. The covering demands respect.

Though the hijab is often considered one of the most beautiful garments and is treated as such, this is not an absolute requirement. The body must be covered; however, the instructions in the Quran are not specific as to how. Therefore, there are a few rules. The clothing must be loose enough to hide the shape of the body, and the fabric must be thick enough to do the same. The color of the skin should not be clear through the fabric. The clothing should be dignified and clean, not ragged or torn.

The hijab is not simply about clothing and covering up the body. The hijab is also a reflection of actions, words, and deeds. The women who wear the hijab are expected to speak softly and kindly, to behave in a way that is kind toward others, and to have a manner of grace about them. Their actions should embrace their womanhood and femininity, and should be clear to everyone they come into contact with. Women who wear the hijab are following the requirements of Allah, and thus, they immediately earn the respect of men and other women in the Muslim world.

The Koran is the holy book of the Muslim people. In Arabic the word means “the recitation.” It is believed to be the final revelation of God as revealed to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel, revealed over a period of 23 years. The Koran is believed to be the final message in a long series, one that began with Adam, who was believed to be the first prophet.

Many Muslims believe the Koran is the word of God, word for word, much like many believe the Bible is the absolute word of God. They contend that no mere human could have written the perfection that is the religious text of the Koran. By it’s very nature, the Koran is seen to be miraculous, and those who believe this can cite scientific reasons and true prophecies to support their claim.

The Koran references many events and people from the Bible, including Abraham, Lot, Job, Solomon, Elijah, and Jesus. They are all considered prophets, of which Mohammed was the last. Muslims believe the text of the Bible and other Christian books was corrupted over time, and thus the Koran was sent to Mohammed to be the only true and unadulterated text for study.

The text of the Koran consists of 114 chapters. These chapters are of various lengths, and do not focus much on the narrative of what happened in the sections, but in the moral teachings a person should take away from each. The text seems to have no clear beginning, middle, or end, and lacking order to continuity.

However, the Koran lends itself very well to sectioning, which makes it easy to read, study, and memorize. The Koran is meant to be recited aloud in a quiet, rhythmic tone, and the short sections help in this endeavor. There are several different schools of recitation, and many of them have different pronunciations of the same text.

The Koran has been translated into every language. There are expensive, elaborate versions and small, inexpensive ones. The Koran is easy to read and is often seen as an interesting and enlightening text, regardless of religion and belief.

Back to Sunday School

Did you know that over half of Americans today don’t understand the religion of Islam? In fact, a recent study by Business Standard found that over 55 percent of people surveyed didn’t know anything about Islam, and didn’t know anyone who was Muslim. Another startling discovery was that the majority of those surveyed believed Islam was a “bad” religion.

The truth about Islam is that it is one of the most peaceful religions on the planet. The says of Prophet Mohammed revolve around two words: Emaan, meaning Faith, and Amaal, meaning Acts. One cannot have Faith without Acts, and one cannot have Acts without Faith. The Quran is the book of faith in the Muslim religion, and though the book is revered, it is also believed that over time, it has become corrupted and doesn’t hold the exact word of God.

Muslims believe in the Six Articles of Faith. Those are:

God. Allah is the term for God, or the Supreme Being. He is the creator of all things.

Angels. Each angel has a different purpose. There are those who count rights and wrongs, those who accompany a person through death, and those who delivered the divine messages to Prophet Mohammed.

Scriptures. Belief in the four books is essential. These are the Torah (Moses), the Psalms (David), the Gospel (Jesus), and the Quran (Mohammed).

Prophets. Islamic followers believe that prophets do exist, and they receive divine messages to pass on to followers. All the prophets, from Adam to Mohammed, are believed to be equal.

Resurrection. Muslims believe that when the Day of Judgment comes, all the dead will rise again, and they will be judged on their actions during their lifetime. Each individual will then go to either Heaven or Hell.

Divine Creed. Muslims believe that God sees everything, and knows every decision a person will make long before it is made. Though the person does have free will, God knows before they are even born what their decisions will be. This divine creed makes it clear that everything – the past, the present, and the future – is under God’s hand.

To demonstrate faith, the Muslim must perform the Five Pillars of Faith. These are as follows:

• Testimony, or pronouncing that Allah is the Supreme Being.
• Prayer, five times per day, facing toward Mecca.
• Almsgiving, or giving part of their income to charity.
• Fasting, or denial of physical sustenance and pleasures, during the month of Ramadan.
• Pilgrimage, or the trek to Mecca, which must be done at least once during a Muslim’s lifetime.

Despite those extremists who have done terrible things in the name of Islam and spread terror around the world, the truth about Islam is clear: The religion is peaceful, and means only to enrich the lives of those who follow it.

Back to Sunday School