Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 5 - June 7,1973
The Islam
Religion
BY WILLIAM J. WHALEN
More than 450 million people, mostly Asians and Africans,
consider an Arab religious genius called Mohammed to be God’s
last and greatest prophet. They consider the book he dedicated,
the Koran, to be his final revelation to mankind. They follow
the religion of Islam which is an Arabic word which means “to
submit” to the will of God (Allah).
In 7th century Arabia the founder of this religion, an
unschooled camel driver, challenged the barbarism and
polytheism of society by proclaiming that there is only one God
(Allah) and that he is his prophet. Mohammed reported that the
Archangel Gabriel had appeared to him and revealed the first
part of the Koran; such visions would continue over a period of
23 years.
Familiar with Judaism and Christianity, Mohammed
acknowledged that Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were also
prophets sent by Allah but he denied the Christian belief in the
Incarnation and the Trinity. Moslems honor Mohammed as the
Seal of the Prophets but not as God.
Mohammed won few cohverts in his hometown of Mecca and
in fact annoyed the local merchants who profited by the visits
of pilgrims to the town’s 360 pagan shrines. Opposition
stiffened and in AD 622 Mohammed fled to the city of Yathrib
(renamed Medina) about 200 miles to the north. Here he was
welcomed and accepted by most of the inhabitants as a spiritual
and political leader. Eight years after his flight to Medina he led
his forces in triumph back to Mecca. By the time of his death in
632 most of Arabia had embraced the religion of Islam.
Within 100 years the Moslems had conquered Persia, Egypt,
Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Spain. The flourishing Christian
communities of North Africa and the Middle East were
practically wiped out. Victorious Moslem armies crossed the
Pyrenees into France but were defeated by Charles Martel at the
battle of Tours in 732. Had the battle gone otherwise all of
Europe and the West might be Moslem today.
The religious structure of this religion rests on the Five Pillars
of Islam: creed, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. The
creed consists of a single sentence: “There is no God but Allah,
and Mohammed is his prophet.”
Moslems are expected to pray five times a day -- upon arising
at noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and retiring. They also gather at
noon Friday for prayers and reading of the Koran at a mosque.
Islam has no sacraments, priests, images or requried ritual.
The fortunate must help the less fortunate. Mohammed
prescribed that each follower distribute to the poor 2Vfe percent
of his income and property each year.
During the 30 days of the month of Ramadan every Moslem
must fast from sunrise to sunset. During these daylight hours no
food or drink may pass his lips.
Finally, the devout Moslem will arrange to make a pilgrimage
to Mecca once during his lifetime. Islam also asks that adherents
abstain from gambling, alcohol, and pork but not all Moslems
observe these last two prohibitions. Those who persevere in the
way of Islam are promised an afterlife of delights while the
wicked will suffer in a hell of heat, scalding water, and burning
desert winds.
Against the sexual promiscuity and unrestrained polygamy of
his day Mohammed taught a moral code which limited a man to
no more than four wives at one time. Traditionally Moslem
women have lived in seclusion and heavily veiled. Such customs
are still observed in countries such as Pakistan but ignored in
others such as Turkey.
Youngest of the major world religions, Islam has become the
dominant religion of the Arab nations, Pakistan, Indonesia, and
dozens of other African and Asian countries. Some 20 million
are Soviet citizens. Islam uncomplicated theology, easy
initiation, acceptance of local customs such as polygamy, and
freedom from the colonial stigma have given this religion an
edge over Christian missionaries in many pagan areas.
Islam accepts Jesus as a messenger of Allah but not the
Messiah or the Son of God. The Koran mentions Mary as the
Mother of Jesus 34 times and teaches that only she and her
mother Anne have escaped the touch of Satan.
Historically, relations between Moslems and Christians have
been strained by such events as the Holy Wars against the
Christians of North Africa and the Crusades which sought to
free the Holy Lands from Moslem occupiers. Yet the Fathers of
the Second Vatican Council affirmed that the Catholic Church
views the Moslems with esteem.
The Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to
Non-Christian Religions states that Moslems “adore one God,
living and enduring, merciful and all-powerful” and that they
“strive to submit wholeheartedly even to his inscrrtable decrees,
just as did Abraham . . .” The Fathers of the Council urged both
Christians and Moslems to “forget the past and to strive
sincerely for mutual understanding.”
(NC Staff Photo)
“GRACEFULLY THEY FOLLOWED A precise
discipline -- standing, kneeling, bowing down until
their heads touched the carpet.” Dr. Mohammed Rauf,
director of the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C.,
prays in its mosque.
(NC Photo Courtesy Claretian Publications)
“MOSLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY ~ upon rising and prayers and reading of the Koran at a mosque.” Moslems bow down in prayer at a
at noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and retiring. They also gather at noon Friday for square outside an unidentified mosque.
[Know Your Faith)
Holy Land and Israelites Are Inseparable
BY STEVE LANDREGAN
Last week we considered the panorama of lands of the Bible
that extend from the Persian Gulf to the Roman Forum. We
discovered that many lands provided a portion of the
background against which the living drama of the Old and New
Testament developed.
Nevertheless that part of the Middle East we call the Holy
Land was chosen by God for a special role in his intervention in
Catechetics-A
BY FATHER JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN
One winter day during my freshman year in college, I took a
New Haven commuter train to New York. There I went to the
old Madison Square Garden and watched the incomparable Bob
Cousy do wonders with a basketball.
This star was playing for Holy Cross in a national collegiate
tournament and his loyal supporters had fashioned a huge
banner to the balcony which read: “Cousy is so great.” He had
an off-game that night, but fans know there weren’t many of
those in his college and professional career.
Early this Spring, I sat in the Worcester gym which Cousy
made famous and listened to another person equally “so great.”
She is Christiane Brusselmans, professor of religious education
at Fordham in New York and at Louvain in Belgium. She was
delivering a keynote address at the Diocesan Religious
Education Congress held at that New England college.
Dr. Brusselmans (she has two MAs, and a PHD in religious
education) spoke on “Catechetics - A Family Affair” in a
profound but practical way. The message struck a responsive
chord within me and a standing ovation indicated the large
audience likewise approved of her presentation.
A person’s Christ-centered growth in faith, hope and love is,
for this well-known catechetical expert, the objective of any
religious education program. She sees parents and the family as
absolutely central in the task of communicating these
fundamental values to the young and of achieving the desired
goal.
Miss Brusselmans cited the baptismal ritual past and present
to illustrate both how far we had in previous years wandered
from these principles and how well the Church now stresses in
that sacramental rite the role of parents as Christian educators.
the history of man. It was to this “promised land” that
Abraham first was called, and to which he returned after famine
drove him to seek refuge in Egypt. (Gen. 12)
This was the land of Isaac and Jacob, with whom God
renewed his promise made to Abraham. This was the land from
which the sons of Israel fled to Egypt; this was the land to
which Moses led their descendants after God delivered them
from the hands of the Egyptians.
Family Affair
One of her ralatives was baptized a decade or so ago with the
ceremony performed, rather typically, in near isolation-no
parents present and only a few relatives on hand. A second
child, later, received Baptism around Vatican II time, but before
the restored ritual had been published. On this occasion all the
relatives attended, but the parents had little part in the
ceremony.
Finally, in recent weeks, a third infant was plunged into the
holy waters, now according to the new rite with mother holding
the child and father in attendance. This ceremony involved
mom and dad throughout, an effort on the liturgy’s part to
emphasize the importance of their efforts in nourishing this
faith seed planted within the child at Baptism.
The speaker noted a very pragmatic conclusion which flows
from that family oriented approach to catechetics: those in
charge must develop an extremely flexible, adaptable attitude in
planning programs.
Don’t, she remarked, convene a meeting of parents and
immediately hand them a pre-determined schedule of classes
and discussion sessions for Communion, Confession or
Confirmation preparation. First gather the parents, learn from
them and their obligations the most convenient times, then
arrange hours and dates for the future.
Dr. Brusselmans, had a final, interesting point. In her view,
religious education begins by the cradle and ends at the grave.
Consequently, even senior citizens need catechesis and the
European expert testified that at her parish such activities for
the elderly are the most successful programs in operation. It
would seem we can reach parents through grandparents.
Next week this column will treat, quite appropriately,
“Sunday Liturgy - A Family Affair.”
Muslim Moral Courage
BY FATHER CARL J. PFEIFER, S.J.
I recently visited the beautiful Mosque here in Washington
with my parents. We removed our shoes and stepped onto the
rich carpets covering the entire floor. As we admired the
intricate geometric designs and painted tiles, we were all struck
by the atmosphere of peaceful reverence we experienced.
A Muslim guide invited us to sit on the carpeted floor as
he explained to us various aspects of Islamic religious practices.
While he was talking two young Muslim men walked directly to
the center of the Mosque. They stood facing the niche in the
wall that indicates the direction of Mecca. Precisely at noon one
of the men called all followers of Mohammed to prayer,
melodiously chanting the customary call in Arabic.
Our guide politely excused himself, promising to return as
soon as he had completed his prayers. As we watched in silent
admiration, the three carried out the prescribed ritual gestures
as they recited verses from the Koran. Gracefully they followed
a precise discipline-standing, kneeling, bowing down until their
heads touched the carpet. After about five minutes of
unembarrassed public prayer our guide rejoined us.
My parents and I were deeply impressed as we witnessed the
Muslim’s public expression of faith in God. Their example
brought to life what I had read in books, and doubled my
admiration for the courage that seems so central to the faith of
Islam. To be a faithful Muslim required the courage of one’s
convictions, the public witness to one’s faith.
Mohammed himself exemplified such moral courage. He
spoke out publically against the intrigue and injustice in wealthy
Mecca. In spite of ridicule and threats, he condemned idolatry
and proclaimed that there is only one true God, Allah. Excaping
an attempted assassination, he struggled against opposition for
more than eight years before winning a foothold in Mecca for
his faith.
Like Mohammed, faithful Muslims today as in the past give
public expression to their faith. Five times a day they
perform public acts of prayer such as we witnessed in the
Mosque. Significantly, the central formulation of Muslim belief
is called, not a creed, but a witness: “I bear witness that there is
no god but Allah, and that Mohammed is his prophet.” Faithful
Muslims are called to courageously witness to that faith even if
it involves the risk of death.
Islam is to me a powerful reminder of the importance of
moral courage, the willingness to take a public stand for one’s
convictions and principles. Public commitment to God and
moral principles is needed in a world of shifting values and rapid
change. Faith demands witness. Believers need to show by moral
courage in witnessing to their faith that there is Someone
greater than man in this world-Someone whose power is
equalled only by his love.
As I watched the Muslims pray publically in the Mosque, I
was reminded of Jesus’ words to his followers-words which
might cause each of us to reflect on his own life: “You will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then
you are to be my witnesses .. .even to the ends of the earth”
(Acts 1:8). How real is our witness? Do we have the courage of
our convictions?
Indeed, the “promised land” is virtually inseparable from the
Israelites whose whole history is concerned with conquering it,
holding it, being driven out of it, or longing to return to it.
Its “holiness” extends beyond Judaism to Christianity and
Islam. Palestine, to the Christian, is the land made sacred by
Christ’s life, death and Resurrection. For the Moslem, Jerusalem
is the site from which Mohammed was transported to heaven.
The Holy Land, like the peoples who have inhabited it, is full
of contrasts. It is a mosaic of more than 4,000 years of history.
At the time of Abraham’s migration the Holy Land was
known as the Land of Canaan. Some scholars suggest that the
name Canaan may mean land of the purple wool. Information
uncovered by archeologists at the ancient city of Nuzi tend to
confirm this theory.
The Canaanites extracted purple dye from a shellfish native
to the eastern Mediterranean coast. The dye was particularly
good and was much sought after. The demand far exceeded the
supply and only the wealthy could afford it. As a result the
color purple came to be associated with the wealthy and a
purple robe marked one of high rank or even royalty, a custom
still with us today.
Interestingly enough the Phoenicians, also a Canaanite
people, were identified by the Greeks with the purple dye their
ships provided. Their name is derived from the Greek word
“phoenike” which means purple. To the Greeks, the
Phoenicians were the purple people and their land was the
purple land.
The limits of the promised land are difficult to identify.
Traditionally the Israelites spoke of their lands extending from
“Dan to Beersheba” (Jgs. 20:1; Sm. 3:20; 2 Sm. 24:15; 1 Kgs.
5:5, and others). The distance from Dan in the north to
Beersheba in the south is only 150 miles. From the
Mediterranean coast to the Jordan River Valley is a distance of
30 miles in the north and 50 miles in the south.
By these measurements the “promised land” would have an
area of between 6,000 and 7,000 square miles. That’s
approximately the same size as the state of Massachusetts, small
indeed by space age standards.
But this small parcal of land, set aside by God, was destined
to be the setting for events that were to shape the history of the
world and mankind for all time.
* MT. HERMON
Smf of Galilee
*
THE NEGEB
(NC Map courtesy The Texas Catholic.)
“THE LIMITS OF THE PROMISED LAND are
difficult to identify . . . The distance from Dan in the
north to Beersheba in the south is only 150 miles.
From the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan River
Valley is a distance of 30 miles in the north and 50
miles in the south.” A map shows the promised land.