Tri-State Islamic Center - Dubuque, IA

On Friday, our class traveled to the small Islamic mosque here in Dubuque. Through this visit and our guest speaker, Dr. Kassas, I have come to a much better understanding of the Islamic religion. Before this, I basically knew that people who were of the Islamic faith were called Muslims and that they worshiped at a mosque. I also knew that Muhammad was an important figure and that their holy scripture was called the Qua’ran. I also knew that there were a lot of stereotypes associated with the Islamic faith, but I didn’t know why or how they came to be. I now know much more about the Islamic faith and would like to work toward sharing my knowledge with others. Muslims believe that "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger (or prophet)." This is not only the underlying “theme” of Islam, but it is also a prayer that is repeated often.

One thing that I noticed right away when we walked into the mosque was that it was very simple. There were a few decorations/pictures on the walls, but nothing too extravagant. The floor was covered in a cream colored carpet with tape lines across it. The walls were white and the blinds covering the windows were white. It reminded me of a combination of the chapel/worship space at New Melleray Abbey and the synagogue at the Beth Israel Center. Even though it was very simple, there was still a beauty to it. I made a connection between the simpleness of the worship space and the movements during prayers to the "theme" of Islam - "There is no god, but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." It is such a simple message, yet it still conveys so much. Muslims believe that there is just one god and that he had prophets come to earth to share his good news and teach the people. Not only does this message sound similar to Christianity and Judaism, but I also learned that Muslims believe they are worshiping the same God as Christians and Jews. They also believe that Qua’ran is God’s word just as Christians believe that the Bible contains God’s word and Jews believe that the Tanakh is God’s word. Muslims, however, believe that God is speaking directly to the people through the Qua’ran. I also found it interesting how they sometimes referred to Allah as god during prayers. I thought that they always referred to him as Allah. I learned that Muslims are more similar to Jews and Christians that I first thought. It was eye-opening to find out how close our beliefs really are. I wish more people would realize this same thing instead of believing all of the stereotypes that our society has placed on the Islam faith.

I'm still wondering whether or not the number five has significance to Muslims. In the Islamic faith, there are "5 pillars" or basic practices, which is another thing I learned about. Those five "pillars" are to recite shahada ("There is no god, but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger") with full commitment, pray five times daily, keep the fast during the month of Ramadan, visit Mecca once during your life if possible (make a Hajj), and give alms. One of those pillars is to pray five times a day. One of the stories in the Islamic religion is about how one of the prophets was told to pray fifty times a day, but then thought it was too much, so he went back and asked for less until it ended up at five times a day. Muslims pray at pre-dawn (fajr), noon (dhuhr), afternoon ('asr), sunset (maghrib), and evening ('isha). The specific times of these prayers varies depending on the time of the year because they are determined by the sun. Another thing that varies is the month of Ramadan. Islam follows a lunar calendar and Ramadan moves throughout the year. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Muslims are also encouraged to make a Hajj at least once during their lifetime. A Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in which many Muslims come together to pray. The last pillar is to give alms. Alms could be given in terms of time and/or money. When giving alms, the most important idea is that one is being generous and giving of themselves.

One of the biggest stereotypes associated with the Islamic faith is the idea of jihad. The word jihad is often mistranslated as “holy war” which fuels the idea that Muslims are violent people. I learned from our reading as well as from Dr. Kassas that jihad actually means “striving” and that there are many different levels to jihad. There can be jihad within a person which means overcoming temptation and similar situations. There can also be fighting for the sake of God, but there are very specific parameters which constitute actual fighting. The biggest idea associated with a jihad is putting forth effort and in order to do that, one must specify the goal.

For me, learning about the Islamic faith from Dr. Kassas has made me think about my own faith in a new way. He talked a lot about how action is a part of Islam – not only during prayer time, but in one’s life. He explained to us that everything should be done in the most beautiful way possible. The example he used was giving money to the mosque or even a charity. He said that one should think about why he or she is giving the money. Is it because he or she is obligated or is it because he or she truly wants to make a difference. This idea of doing things in the most beautiful way is something I need to think more about in not only my faith life, but my life in general. To go along with this idea, Dr. Kassas explained that God will lead us to where He wants us to go, which is something I’m working on trying to remember during the beginning of my college career. I was a little bothered when Dr. Kassas said that God will make things easy and make us happy if we are on the right path and he will make things difficult for those who aren’t on the right path. I wasn’t really sure how to take that. I know that it is a different religion and that I don’t have to believe it, but it was still hard to hear. I became even more confused when he said that God gives us hardships for a reason – because there is something we must learn. In a way it makes sense, but then again, it seems to contradict his earlier point about being on the right path. I did, however like his point about how we can choose, but God ultimately determines the results. It made me think about how even though I think I have a say in what goes on in my life, it is really God that determines how things happen. It was almost reassuring to hear that from someone who has a different faith background and practices a different faith than I do. Overall, I learned a lot from our readings, talk with Dr. Kassas, and visit to the mosque and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so.



Here are a couple of pictures from our visit. Photos courtesy of Kay Paul. :) Thanks Kay!