The Muslim Experience
The Call To Prayer
The history of adhan (call to prayer) began with a vision in a dream by one of Prophet Muhammad’s followers and a formerly enslaved African serving as the first muezzin. Adhan calls Muslims around the world to pray five times a day. It can be broadcasted...
Salat: Daily Prayers
Daily prayer (salat) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Salat begins with ritual ablution (wudhu) as preparation for prayer. Muslims pray facing the qiblah (direction of Mecca), often indicated in mosques by a mihrab (niche in the wall). Fridays and...
Jum’ah: The Friday Prayer
Jum’ah , refers to when Muslims gather for congregational worship during Friday midday prayer time. Prayer is followed by a sermon (khutbah ) from an imam. Friday prayer is required only for men, but women may attend. In the U.S., Friday prayer brings...
Mosque, Minaret and Mihrab
Masjid (plural: masajid ) means mosque in Arabic. The interior of a masjid often includes a mihrab (prayer niche in the wall facing Mecca) and a minbar (leading staircase and pulpit for the imam to deliver his sermon, the khutbah ). Exteriors often...
Calligraphy and Islamic Design
Islamic religious arts refrain from depicting symbols, images, and physical representations of God, prophets, and created beings. Islamic calligraphy, which goes back to the artistry of ‘Ali b. Ali Talib, grows with elaborate Arabic scripts and...
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, those who fast also restrain themselves from evil thoughts, speeches, and actions. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan and is one...
Pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha
Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The Hajj occurs in the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah and symbolizes the unity of the Muslim ummah . During the time of the pilgrimage, Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of...
Shi’i Remembrance of Husayn
For the first ten days in the month of Muharram, Shi’i Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Husayn (the grandson of Prophet Muhammad) and the other marytrs of Karbala. In places like Dearborn, Michigan, Shi’i Muslims recite or enact the martyrdom story (taziya)...
Becoming a Muslim
To mark their commitment to embrace Islam, a new Muslim performs the cleansing of their entire body. They then recite the statements of shahadah in front of two witnesses, proclaiming that “there is no god but God and Muhammad is God’s Messenger.” Da'wah...
Qur’an and Qur’anic Recitation
Muslims treat their holy book, the Qur’an, with respect. To handle the Qur’an, Muslims must perform a ritual ablution, and they cannot put the Qur’an on the floor. Recitation of the Qur’an is encouraged, beginning in early childhood, through memorization...
Remembrance of God: The Sufi Circle
Sufism emphasizes the inner life of Islam and the practice of remembrance (dhikr) under the guidance of a spiritual master (shaykh or pir ). Different Sufi orders have varying relationships to other Muslims, and the flexibility and accessibility of Sufism...
Birthday of the Prophet: Mawlid al-Nabi
Across the globe, including in the United States, Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, is celebrated on the twelfth day of the month Rabi’ al-Awwal. Celebrations include festivals, prayer services, recitations of poetry and litanies, as...
Birth To Death
Islamic faith expressions and rules guide a Muslim throughout the life cycle: from birth, daily life and activities, to death and burial. Download (PDF) The ceremony that follows the birth of a child takes numerous forms in Muslim cultures around the...
Muslim Media
Technological advances have affected Muslims no less than the rest of the world. There are now Muslim talk radio shows, television shows that tell specifically Islamic stories, and online editions of the Qur’an and Hadith. Download (PDF) Communication is...
Halal Food
Halal ("permitted" in Arabic) refers to Islamic dietary restrictions. Along with proscribing what not to eat (haram or “forbidden” in Arabic), halal requires minimal suffering and the pronouncement of the name of God during the slaughter of an animal...
