Renewal part of this faith, too

More than a decade ago I wrote my first series on non-majority religions in the U.S., which somehow continues to elicit reader feedback and requests. Religion is in the heart of the beholder, so interpretations and practice vary as much as do cultures and individuals. Official tenets can get lost in all of that, easily muddled, misunderstood, stereotyped and warred over. Yet, variations notwithstanding, most remain curious about the spiritual foundations of others, and often find surprising commonalities.

So I began again in January, but put Islam on hold. Since the Holy Month of Ramadan (Islam’s biggest religious holiday) began Friday, and the president’s first foreign trip included the Middle East, this reprise has become timely.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, when holy scripture was revealed to the prophet Mohammed. Healthy adult Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk (children, the elderly and ill exempted), breaking that fast in a big evening meal. The devout strive to spiritually purify themselves by abstaining from harmful or unkind speech and action, and by reading the Qur’an. A spiritual renewal.

Basic tenets of Islam are:

- One god whose will is supreme

- Divine scriptures, including the Bible, Torah, and Qur’an (dictated by the archangel Gabriel)

- Enlightened prophets (including Jesus, David, and Moses); Mohammed the greatest

- A final judgment to heaven or hell, based on earthly deeds; sincere repentance cleanses sin

- Rejection of racism

- Alcohol, drugs, gambling, violence, and eating pork should be avoided. Suicide is unforgivable. Compassion, mercy, fidelity, peace and good deeds lead to heaven.

A Muslim’s duties are called the five pillars of Islam; one is fasting during Ramadan. The other four are recitation of the Shahada (“there is no god but God and Mohammed is his prophet”); five daily prayers; charitable donations; and, if affordable, a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The grossly misunderstood word “jihad” simply means “struggle,” and is often erroneously considered by westerners to be merely a synonym of holy war — a call to fight in defense of Islam. Infamous use by extremists are to blame, but the world’s millions of mainstream Muslims use and understand this term very differently. For them “jihad” refers to personal struggles against impure thoughts or selfish actions, to achieve higher spirituality. With that interpretation, all humans face daily jihads against our own weaknesses and temptations, such as gossip, lying, negativity, grudges, prejudices, self-centeredness, and so on.

Like other religions, denominations and cultural interpretations vary, so sensational generalizations prevent an accurate picture. Polygamy, for example, is permitted by a few groups in certain countries, but frowned upon by most Muslims. Scholars describe the Prophet Mohammad’s marriage to a young girl as not the same as we would now define it; cultural practices in context, marriages could not be consummated until a certain age, and were used to protect vulnerable women and children from rival clans or violent invaders. Life was very different centuries ago, when such religious texts were drafted. For his time, Mohammad was considered unusually progressive; his first wife (a much older woman, considered his true love) actively ran a business with a great deal of independence, and made major financial decisions.

The primary sectarian divisions of Islam are Sunni (the majority of Muslims) and Shia (minority), begun by disagreement over who should lead Islam after Mohammad’s death. Sunnis and Shias, further delineated by culture and nation, can have quite different religious practices and beliefs. Another school of Islam is Sufism, based on a higher degree of meditation, mysticism and ritual.

Linguistically the word “Islam” derives from “salaam” (also a greeting), which means “peace.” Thus most Muslims — including those I’ve talked with in Kootenai County — consider the phrase “Islamic terrorist” an awful oxymoron, the way mainstream Christians often view extremist claims of Biblical justification for racism or torture as the opposite of its intent. History’s terrorists have been associated with nearly all religions and ethnicities. As the saying goes, all poodles may be dogs, but all dogs are not poodles.

While only 1 percent of the U.S. population is Muslim, Pew Research ranks Islam as the fastest growing religion worldwide: 24 percent of the world’s population (Christians represent one-third), based on simple demographics and birth rates. Along with Judaism, these three Abrahamic religions (all born in Asia, all sharing a chunk of the Old Testament) represent more than half the world’s population.

Ramadan Mubarak — may we all share blessings.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network whose childhood was split between Iran and the U.S., finding the essence of people to be the same. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.