Our host at the Islamic Center, Zeinab Schwen, presented the Muslim community as a very diverse set of people who all share one common trait – their religion. All members of the Muslim community practice the religion Islam. The word Islam means peace, and those who practice Islam are striving to attain peace within. This religious quest and the love of God is the unifying characteristic of all Muslims. From our trip to the Islamic Center and our talk with Mrs. Schwen, I discovered that the Muslim community is actually a large and diverse population. There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world; this is equivalent to one-fifth of the world’s population. Indonesia holds the largest Muslim population. However, Muslims originate from all over Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and now North America. Because the Qur’an – the Islamic religious book – is written in Arabic, most people (myself included) assume that the majority of Muslims are Arabic. However, only 13% of Muslims are Arab (Zeinab Schwen). I found this fact very interesting and informative. Because Muslims come from so many cultures and backgrounds, the Muslim community is extremely diverse. Our host made this apparent by showing us pictures of Muslim weddings. The weddings featured various styles of traditional clothing and various cultural ceremonies. I was surprised to see the variety of wedding dresses; some women wore ornate dresses decorated with colorful traditional Asian and Middle Eastern themes while others wore the traditional European-style white wedding dress.
Mrs. Schwen also discussed the basics of the religion of Islam, which is the youngest of the monotheistic religions. Muslims refer to God as Allah. Muslims believe in the prophet Mohammad, who was God’s messenger who brought Islam to the word. In addition, they believe in all prophets prior to Mohammad. Islam is founded on Five Pillars: declaration of faith, five daily prayers, alms giving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to makkah (Zeinab Schwen). In preparation of the visit to the Islamic Center, I conducted research the Islamic Center’s website. I found an informative brochure for the Islamic Center that contains information on the history of the center as well as basic information of Islam. The brochure briefly mentioned the five daily prayers. I found Mrs. Schwen’s more detailed description of this pillar of faith very interesting. When Muslims engage in their five daily prayers, they must orient themselves to face in the direction of makkah. Prior to our visit, I was aware of this fact; however, I was unsure of the reason as to why. Mrs. Schwen explained that this is not meant as an idol worship of the Kaaba in makkah; rather, it is meant as a way to unify all Muslims (Zeinab Schwen).
During our tour of the mosque, Zeinab Schwen discussed the process of prayer. I found it interesting that the women pray on the balcony of the mosque while the men pray on the main floor. At first, this seemed an unfair and unnecessary segregation of the genders. However, Mrs. Schwen explained that, because the Islamic prayer is such a physical process, this separation is meant to discourage people from becoming distracting by the opposite gender. Also, allowing the genders to socialize away from their families encourages a greater sense of community among the congregation. Men are able to discuss business and held each other find jobs. Women are able to support each other and offer advice to each other (Zeinab Schwen). I think that this method of socialization is very beneficial. From my own experience, I know that most people simply come to church with their family, sit with their family, and then leave with their family. This does not encourage people to branch out and meet new members of their community.
Mrs. Schwen also discussed the basics of the religion of Islam, which is the youngest of the monotheistic religions. Muslims refer to God as Allah. Muslims believe in the prophet Mohammad, who was God’s messenger who brought Islam to the word. In addition, they believe in all prophets prior to Mohammad. Islam is founded on Five Pillars: declaration of faith, five daily prayers, alms giving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to makkah (Zeinab Schwen). In preparation of the visit to the Islamic Center, I conducted research the Islamic Center’s website. I found an informative brochure for the Islamic Center that contains information on the history of the center as well as basic information of Islam. The brochure briefly mentioned the five daily prayers. I found Mrs. Schwen’s more detailed description of this pillar of faith very interesting. When Muslims engage in their five daily prayers, they must orient themselves to face in the direction of makkah. Prior to our visit, I was aware of this fact; however, I was unsure of the reason as to why. Mrs. Schwen explained that this is not meant as an idol worship of the Kaaba in makkah; rather, it is meant as a way to unify all Muslims (Zeinab Schwen).
During our tour of the mosque, Zeinab Schwen discussed the process of prayer. I found it interesting that the women pray on the balcony of the mosque while the men pray on the main floor. At first, this seemed an unfair and unnecessary segregation of the genders. However, Mrs. Schwen explained that, because the Islamic prayer is such a physical process, this separation is meant to discourage people from becoming distracting by the opposite gender. Also, allowing the genders to socialize away from their families encourages a greater sense of community among the congregation. Men are able to discuss business and held each other find jobs. Women are able to support each other and offer advice to each other (Zeinab Schwen). I think that this method of socialization is very beneficial. From my own experience, I know that most people simply come to church with their family, sit with their family, and then leave with their family. This does not encourage people to branch out and meet new members of their community.