Monday, March 29, 2010
Arrrgh!!!
When Doing An Elo make sure that one of your main sources of information is not naturalistic observation!!! haha thats what i did and like an idiot i did not take many notes, though i do remember everything its still a pain! :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
To Do or Not To Do!
i am trying to decide weather or not to do a documentary for my final presentation! i dontt know anything about editing video and whatnot. also it really is hard because i have done so much observing of the culture and religion of these people already that i feel like i should have already taped a bunch of stuff. thats why i think im just going to do a power point or something but i am still going to make it extremely epic!!! >}
Monday, March 8, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Smack in the Center!!
One thing that muslims do is that in north america when they pray is that they always pray to the east. now many wonder why they do this and some know simply that they are facing mecca (makkah) but what few people know but may have seen on tv or on documentaries is that they are not only facing the holy city but that they are also facing the Ka'bah. The Ka'bah is beleived to be the first building in which man may honor god or Allah [swt, glory be to Him] built by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael. This structure has been said to have been rebuilt due to aging and damage about 12 times. the prophet muhammed was able to praticipate in one of these reconstructions. There is also a black stone on the Ka'bah that is said to have fallen from heaven and at the time it was white as snow but the sins of mankind turned the stone black. this stone is in a silver casting on the eastern facing wall of the Ka'bah.
During the Hajj millions of Muslims face this small structure and pray. One thing i would like to stress is that these muslims are not worshiping the building while praying but they are simply using the Ka'bah as a sort of shrine to god or center focal point to which they pray, it is not the structure its self they are worshiping or praying to. it is also said in the Quaran that at the end of days all muslims should come to this place and that all the world will be in panic except for the people in this place. During the Hajj many muslims pray at Muhammed's Mosque that surrounds the Ka'bah and while they all do their 5 times daily prayers the people right around the Ka'bah walk in circles around the small building. there are a few different reasons why they do this but it is very symbolic as to the rotation of the earth.
You are an ELO rock star!
Dylan, You are doing a tremendous job with your research, both via publications and naturalistic observation. I am so excited that you are really sinking your entire being into this project. Your enthusiasm and dedication to the topic is going to make your presentation really interesting. Keep up the great work!
Have a great weekend! Ms. Gebro
Have a great weekend! Ms. Gebro
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Change of plans!! :)
i was gonna just explain one of the five pillars each day this week but this site i found explains them all amazingly. i dont waana mess around with it or try to describe them myself because if i say something different or change a wrd it might change the meaningss and what not and i dont wanna deal with that so im just gonna copy it from this site. it is very informative and explains them very well!!
Islam is built on five pillars. These acts are obligatory on every Muslim adult. Some are done daily, monthly, anually, while one is only required once in a lifetime.
Witnessing-Shahadah
To do this one must simply state publicly "Ashadu alla ilaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammed ar-rasool Allah".
This means, "I bear witness that there is no God other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammed is His messanger."
It should be a genuine belief from one's heart. The witnessing of the Oneness of Allah is the rejection of any form of deity other than Allah, and the witnessing that Muhammad is His Messenger is the acceptance of him being chosen by Allah to convey His message of Islam to all humanity and to deliver it from the darkness of ignorance into the light of belief in, and knowledge of, the Creator.
Prayer-Salat
In prayer, every muscle and bone of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of Allah(swt).
Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim who is sane, mature and in the case of women free from menstruation and confinement due to child birth. some requirements must be met in oreder for the prayer to be valid. These include but are not limited to:
Performing wudu - ritually cleaning the body clothes and ground used for prayer.
Clothing - one must be covered in the manner according to his gender.
Facing the Ka'ba (refered to as the Qibla)
Intention - merely saying in your mind that you are attempting to pray and gain the benifits from it.
Prayers are required at least five times a day. Other obligatory prayer include the Friday congregational prayer, Eid prayers and the funeral prayer. Times of the five daily obligatory prayers:
1.Fajr-Before sunrise.
2.Zuhr-After the sun begins to decline from its zenith.
3.Asr-Mid-afternoon.
4.Magrib-Just after sunset.
5.Isha-night.
In addition one is also encouraged but not required to perform prayers during the day and night. Prayer should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse. Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up. In addition to the prescribed prayer, a Muslim expresses gratitude to Godand appreciation of His favours and asks for His mercy all the time. Especially at times of, childbirth, marriage, going to or rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home, starting a journey or entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and sickness.
Charity-Zakah
Obligatory charity giving is an act of worship and spiritual investment. Zakah does not only purify the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead good-will and warm wishes for the contributors. It also frees society from welfare, distrust and coruption. Zakah is paid on the net balance after paying personal expenses, family expenses, due credits, taxes, etc. Taxes paid to government do not substitute for this religious duty. The contributor should not seek pride or fame but if disclosing his name and his contribution is likely to encourage others, it is acceptable to do so.
The recipients of Zakah are:
- the poor, the needy,
- the new Muslim converts,
- the Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them),
- Muslims in debt,
- employees appointed to collect Zakah,
- Muslims in service of research or study or propagation of Islam,
- wayfarers who are foreigners in need of help.
Note that Zakah is obligatory. Muslims can also go above and beyond what they pay as Zakah, in which case the offering is strictly voluntary (blessing will come to those who wish for his brother what he wishes for himself).
Fasting-Sawm
Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, and intimate sexual contacts from the break of dawn till sunset. It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love to God, creative sense of hope, devotion,patience, unselfishness, discipline, etc. Obligatory fasting is done once a year for the period of the month of Ramadan. Fasting during this time is obligatory on every muslim adult if he is mentally and physically fit and not on a journey. Women are allowed to skip a fasting day due to menstruation, and while nursing a baby.
Pilgrimage-Hajj
It is obligatory to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime. Muslims from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe assemble in Mecca in response to the call of Allah. It is to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the house of Allah on earth: the Ka'bah. It is also to remember the great assembly of the Day of Judgement when people will stand equal before Allah. Muslims go to Mecca to glorify Allah, not to worship a man. The visit to the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Madena is highly recommended but not essential in making the Hajj valid and complete.
Islam is built on five pillars. These acts are obligatory on every Muslim adult. Some are done daily, monthly, anually, while one is only required once in a lifetime.
Witnessing-Shahadah
To do this one must simply state publicly "Ashadu alla ilaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammed ar-rasool Allah".
This means, "I bear witness that there is no God other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammed is His messanger."
It should be a genuine belief from one's heart. The witnessing of the Oneness of Allah is the rejection of any form of deity other than Allah, and the witnessing that Muhammad is His Messenger is the acceptance of him being chosen by Allah to convey His message of Islam to all humanity and to deliver it from the darkness of ignorance into the light of belief in, and knowledge of, the Creator.
Prayer-Salat
In prayer, every muscle and bone of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of Allah(swt).
Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim who is sane, mature and in the case of women free from menstruation and confinement due to child birth. some requirements must be met in oreder for the prayer to be valid. These include but are not limited to:
Performing wudu - ritually cleaning the body clothes and ground used for prayer.
Clothing - one must be covered in the manner according to his gender.
Facing the Ka'ba (refered to as the Qibla)
Intention - merely saying in your mind that you are attempting to pray and gain the benifits from it.
Prayers are required at least five times a day. Other obligatory prayer include the Friday congregational prayer, Eid prayers and the funeral prayer. Times of the five daily obligatory prayers:
1.Fajr-Before sunrise.
2.Zuhr-After the sun begins to decline from its zenith.
3.Asr-Mid-afternoon.
4.Magrib-Just after sunset.
5.Isha-night.
In addition one is also encouraged but not required to perform prayers during the day and night. Prayer should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse. Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up. In addition to the prescribed prayer, a Muslim expresses gratitude to Godand appreciation of His favours and asks for His mercy all the time. Especially at times of, childbirth, marriage, going to or rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home, starting a journey or entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and sickness.
Charity-Zakah
Obligatory charity giving is an act of worship and spiritual investment. Zakah does not only purify the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead good-will and warm wishes for the contributors. It also frees society from welfare, distrust and coruption. Zakah is paid on the net balance after paying personal expenses, family expenses, due credits, taxes, etc. Taxes paid to government do not substitute for this religious duty. The contributor should not seek pride or fame but if disclosing his name and his contribution is likely to encourage others, it is acceptable to do so.
The recipients of Zakah are:
- the poor, the needy,
- the new Muslim converts,
- the Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them),
- Muslims in debt,
- employees appointed to collect Zakah,
- Muslims in service of research or study or propagation of Islam,
- wayfarers who are foreigners in need of help.
Note that Zakah is obligatory. Muslims can also go above and beyond what they pay as Zakah, in which case the offering is strictly voluntary (blessing will come to those who wish for his brother what he wishes for himself).
Fasting-Sawm
Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, and intimate sexual contacts from the break of dawn till sunset. It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love to God, creative sense of hope, devotion,patience, unselfishness, discipline, etc. Obligatory fasting is done once a year for the period of the month of Ramadan. Fasting during this time is obligatory on every muslim adult if he is mentally and physically fit and not on a journey. Women are allowed to skip a fasting day due to menstruation, and while nursing a baby.
Pilgrimage-Hajj
It is obligatory to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime. Muslims from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe assemble in Mecca in response to the call of Allah. It is to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the house of Allah on earth: the Ka'bah. It is also to remember the great assembly of the Day of Judgement when people will stand equal before Allah. Muslims go to Mecca to glorify Allah, not to worship a man. The visit to the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Madena is highly recommended but not essential in making the Hajj valid and complete.
Monday, March 1, 2010
5 Guys, Pillars, and Fries
Life has started to get in the way of everything but i took february vacation to myself and unexpectedly found out many thing about my islamic friends, each day this week im going to focus on one of the things having to do with the 5 pillars of islam. today im going to do the five pillars. the five pillars are the five basic duties of every muslim.
They are:
Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
Establishment of the daily prayers;
Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
Self-purification through fasting; and
The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
or otherwise put:
beleif in one god and the prophet muhammed (Iman)
prayer 5 times daily (Salah)
helping others financially (Zakah)
Fasting to teach self control (Sawm)
travel to makkah at least once in your lifetime (Hajj)
these five things are basically a muslims life rolled up into one list. if you follow these "pillars" of being a good muslim then you will be closer to god and a much better person.
They are:
Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
Establishment of the daily prayers;
Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
Self-purification through fasting; and
The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
or otherwise put:
beleif in one god and the prophet muhammed (Iman)
prayer 5 times daily (Salah)
helping others financially (Zakah)
Fasting to teach self control (Sawm)
travel to makkah at least once in your lifetime (Hajj)
these five things are basically a muslims life rolled up into one list. if you follow these "pillars" of being a good muslim then you will be closer to god and a much better person.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Muslim Market... Good Excuse for Boston or New York Feild Trip?
i am planning to take a trip this weekend to visit a muslim market and mabey buy some cool stuff. also i might be attending a service at a mosque in new york, i may go to boston though. hoping to find alot of information on muslin communities and culture. wish me luck! also i finished the book and will be doing a summary essay about it, hopefully i will post that on monday...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Your research so far...
Dylan, Wow! I have to tell you that I am incredibly impressed and inspired by the dedication that you have for your ELO subject. You have done a tremendous job so far researching and critically thinking about the information that you are learning. This project has the potential to be amazing and I am sure that you will create such a project. Keep on keepin' on!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Meeting Islam: A Christians Guide to Muslims
i have found a book (named above) and i will be reading it through this week. it is explaining alot of islams rituals and holidays as well as reasoning for why they believe what they do. its an amazing book so far and i should finish before friday.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Imam...Preist... Questions anyone?
today i came in late but im gonna try to get as much done as possible. i usually do my posts after my research but im doing it before this time. so basically all i know is that an imam is a muslim religious leader and a preist is a christian leader. thats the extent of my current knowledge haha
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Anyone Got a Muslim?
Today im trying to find people to interview. i have been doing alot of research but i have to have someone to verify it all with. i have decided that in order to get a good prespective of each religion that it would be good to interview someone. Suhayb has a muslim religous leader that i can talk to but i am trying to get a preist and someone age 15, and 25-35 that is muslim. i am chipping away at it though. tomorrow i am going to do differences in sacred texts hopefully.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Foods- Halal and Hiram
so today i am looking at foods. christians have no foods that are forbidden. the only thing about being a christian is that alchahol is usually seen as bad if you see it as a way to get drunk but, drinking with dinner and casually is not deemed as forbidden. Now muslims have two different catagories that all food can fall into depending on what they are made of. these two catagories are Halal and Hiram. Hilal translates to "legal" or "allowed". These are food that are permitted, where as Hiram translates to "unlawful" or "Prohibited". Hiram food is absolutely forbidden and is never to be eaten by muslims because Allah* forbids it. The following is a list of hiram foods i found online.
-Pig/Swine/Pork and its by-products.
-Blood and and blood by-products.
-Carnivorous animals.
-Reptiles and insects.
-Halal animals which are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Law.
-Animals killed in the name of anyone other than God.
-The bodies of dead animals or dead before slaughtering.
-Alcohol and intoxicants such as Wine, Ethyl Alcohol, and Spirits etc.
If a muslim is not sure which catagorie to put any given food in then it is considered "Mushbooh" which is an arabic word meaning "doubtful". if any foods or drinks are doubtful then they try to avoid them. i also found a list of some examples of mushbooh.
-Gelatin.
-Enzymes.
-Emulsifiers.
-Lard.
-Glycerol/glycerin etc.
*Allah: Arabic word meaning God
-Pig/Swine/Pork and its by-products.
-Blood and and blood by-products.
-Carnivorous animals.
-Reptiles and insects.
-Halal animals which are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Law.
-Animals killed in the name of anyone other than God.
-The bodies of dead animals or dead before slaughtering.
-Alcohol and intoxicants such as Wine, Ethyl Alcohol, and Spirits etc.
If a muslim is not sure which catagorie to put any given food in then it is considered "Mushbooh" which is an arabic word meaning "doubtful". if any foods or drinks are doubtful then they try to avoid them. i also found a list of some examples of mushbooh.
-Gelatin.
-Enzymes.
-Emulsifiers.
-Lard.
-Glycerol/glycerin etc.
*Allah: Arabic word meaning God
Monday, January 25, 2010
Just Starting Out
Today I made my blog and set it up. Today we had a 2 hour delay and my research is most likely not going to go too far. Im still trying to figure out exactly what i want to do for my final project. I want it to be really good but im torn between what i want to do. I am also trying to figure out who excactly i want to interview from either side. I have decided that i am going to interview three people from either side. i will interview someone around the ages of 15, 25-35, and then hopefully a religous leader from each religion. im very posative that I will make alot of progress within the next week or two.
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