Prayer and Islam Flashcards
What is the definition of ‘prayer’?
An act that seeks to deliberately create a conversation with a deity.
What are the four kinds of prayer? Define them.
— Adoration (showering deity/object with love and affection)
— Confession (of sins — God is always willing to forgive)
— Thanksgiving (for the good things the deity has given)
— Supplication (asking)
— Petition (asking for personal needs)
— Intercession (asking for others’ needs)
What are the pillars of Islam? how many are there?
There are five pillars:
— Salat: Islamic prayer;
— Zakat: charity, by giving a percentage of earnings to the poor;
— Sawm: obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan unless exempt (e.g. pregnant, ill, young, menstruating, etc.);
— Hajj: obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must try to make at least once; and
— Shahadah: the profession of faith (‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah’).
What is Islamic prayer? how do Muslims pray? what is their name for Islamic prayer?
Islamic prayer is called ‘salat’.
Their ritual washing is called ‘wudu’ and is performed beforehand.
It must be performed in a clean space (which is why they wash), so many use a non-compulsory prayer mat.
They must face Mecca, which is known as ‘qibla’.
They must follow certain actions: standing, then kneeling.
Men and women usually pray separately.
What is ‘wudu’ or ‘ablutions’? what is its significance in Islam? where must Muslims wash?
Ablutions is the general term for religious washing of oneself, one’s clothes or one’s religious items before praying.
Islamic ablutions are called ‘wudu’.
In order to pray, Muslims must be clean and pure, so they wash to ritually cleanse.
They must wash hands, face and feet.
Analyse the Lord’s Prayer.
‘Our Father that art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.’
‘Hallowed’ means holy — adoration.
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‘Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.’
God’s desires should be followed and Earth should be like heaven — adoration and supplication.
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‘Give us this day our daily bread.’
Bread is symbolic of physical needs, so we should remember the poor who will have a weaker physique and also that health and strength are from God — petition.
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‘And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.’
‘Trespasses’ are sins — confession and supplication.
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‘And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.’
Sinning in itself is not wrong but giving in is — supplication.
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‘For thine is the kingdom,
The power and the glory, forever and ever.’
Heaven is eternal — adoration (a cyclical structure — ends on the same note).
What are some reasons for praying?
For: — Health issues — Worship issues — Thankfulness — Soothing/calming/relaxing — Feeling part of a community — Enriches spirituality — Habit/tradition — Empowering: can bring about change
What is your personal opinion on Islamic prayer? diversity in NI?
Personal positives of Islamic prayer:
— Encourages structure in life
— Encourages cleanliness in order to be good for God
— Overall, a positive framework
Personal negatives of Islamic prayer:
— Difficult to get up early
— Reinforces the notion that males and females should be separated
Diversity in NI:
— not very diverse
— enough of some other religions to justify a synagogue, mosque, gurdwara and mandir
— many still grow up without knowing anyone who is not Christian/irreligious
— Other are often scapegoated due to lack of understanding — people cannot critically discern fact from fiction — continue to perpetuate stereotypes — vicious cycle
— contrary to media, diversity can actually encourage a better community — more viewpoints — greater empathy and understanding
How many times a day must Muslims pray? What are these times called?
Five.
They must pray in general ‘windows’ of time that vary depending on the place and time of year: Fajr (dawn/sunrise), Zuhr (midday/early afternoon), Asr (late afternoon), Maghrib (sunset) and Isha (night).
What is the Muslim holy book?
The Koran.
What are Muslim temples called? List some features of them.
Mosques or masjids.
No shoes are worn there.
Men and women are separated into different spaces. Women sometimes simply pray at home.
Weekly congregational prayers are often held on Fridays.
The call to prayer is issued from a ‘minaret’, which is a tall tower for such a thing.
They will have a wudu room.
Most cover up: women must cover everything except hands, face and feet (some still cover these), thus they often wear hijab, burqa or niqab; men usually wear long shirts and trousers and a taqiyah (skull cap).
They will have a qibla niche.
What are some reasons against praying?
Against:
— Disbelief
— Hurt at something bad that a deity could have prevented
— Shock/injury occurred
— Anger
— Bullying/discrimination/prejudice about religion/spirituality
