Thinking about Islam

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June 2006

Thinking about Islam

We need to be aware of our own faith and values before we can understand a different faith. Andrew Lake offers some suggestions.

Whenever we seek to understand a different way of looking at life and God, then we need to be aware of our preconceptions, our own view of life and God and our tendency to project our values and assumptions on others. Nowhere is this more pointed than with Christians looking at Islam and Australians looking at Asia and the Middle East.

Take for instance the Koran. Western Christians like ourselves tend to assume that the Muslim approaches the Koran much as the Christian approaches the Bible.

What makes the Bible sacred is that it is about Jesus Christ.

We value the Old Testament because Jesus valued it. It provides stories and poetry that are fulfilled in Jesus. The Koran is in ancient Arabic verse and the medium is the message, to the extent that the words have power even when not understood. The Koran cannot exist in translation. The aim of most Muslims in Indonesia is to be able to recite the Koran, regardless of whether they can understand it. The Koran is organised into chapters but these are arranged in a way that amazes Christians: longest to shortest.

Arabic culture has a definitive effect on Islam, e.g food, architecture, family relationships. Indonesian Muslims like to eat dates to break their fast during Ramadan.

Javanese Muslims are different from Saudi Muslims or Turkish Muslims. They live in Indonesia which is neither a secular state like Turkey, where Islamic dress is banned, nor an Islamic state like Saudi Arabia, where other religions are banned.

Indonesia is a pluralist state where Islam is just one, albeit the biggest, of a number of religions which citizens are expected to adhere to. So it is a misnomer to describe Indonesia as the world’s biggest Muslim nation. It has more Muslims than any other country, but it is actually a pluralist democracy, not an Islamic state.

Customs and religious holidays are a good entry point for understanding another religion or culture. In Indonesia the national holidays featuring Muslim celebrations are:

• The Day of Sacrifice or Id ul Adha. There is no concept of atoning sacrifice in Islam. There is no idea of original sin. Rather the sacrifices express solidarity with the pilgrims who concurrently make sacrifices of animals near Mecca, in commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice of the ram that Allah provided in place of his son Ishmael.

• The Great Day, or Id ul Fitri, which is the culmination of the month-long fast of Ramadan. The fasting and other spiritual exertions of the month are supposed to earn Allah’s forgiveness. At Id ul Fitri Muslims visit work colleagues, neighbours and others and ask forgiveness for any offence they may have caused in the previous year.

• The Ascent of the Prophet, an experience in Muhammad’s life when he was transported by the horse Buraq to heaven, from the site of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is now occupied by the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam.

• The Prophet’s birthday, Muhammad being the last and greatest of the Muslim prophets.

A Muslim is someone who submits to God. So Noah was a Muslim, Moses was a Muslim, Jesus was a Muslim. Muhammad’s view of Christianity and Judaism was affected by his own cultural background. He purged the Ka’aba shrine in Mecca, of which his tribe were the hereditary guardians. The gods of the Arabs often had family relationships e.g. a father god, a mother god and a child god. It is possible that Muhammad was critical of the doctrine of the Trinity because he linked it with Christian pictures of the Holy Family.

Of the world’s great religions Islam has a unique angle on Christianity, because Muhammad lived five centuries after Jesus and had contact with Christians. Muhammad’s changing attitudes to Jews and Christians is reflected in the Koran.

• Islamic New Year (AH) The Islamic calendar dates from the Hijra or flight of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, which marked the turn of his fortunes and the unstoppable rise of Islam.

	The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search
	a healthy church...transformingLIFE
	Home About Contact us News Issues Parishes Prayer Calendar Youth Resources

				June 2006

		Thinking about Islam We need to be aware of our own faith and values before we can understand a different faith. Andrew Lake offers some suggestions. Whenever we seek to understand a different way of looking at life and God, then we need to be aware of our preconceptions, our own view of life and God and our tendency to project our values and assumptions on others. Nowhere is this more pointed than with Christians looking at Islam and Australians looking at Asia and the Middle East. Take for instance the Koran. Western Christians like ourselves tend to assume that the Muslim approaches the Koran much as the Christian approaches the Bible. What makes the Bible sacred is that it is about Jesus Christ. We value the Old Testament because Jesus valued it. It provides stories and poetry that are fulfilled in Jesus. The Koran is in ancient Arabic verse and the medium is the message, to the extent that the words have power even when not understood. The Koran cannot exist in translation. The aim of most Muslims in Indonesia is to be able to recite the Koran, regardless of whether they can understand it. The Koran is organised into chapters but these are arranged in a way that amazes Christians: longest to shortest. Arabic culture has a definitive effect on Islam, e.g food, architecture, family relationships. Indonesian Muslims like to eat dates to break their fast during Ramadan. Javanese Muslims are different from Saudi Muslims or Turkish Muslims. They live in Indonesia which is neither a secular state like Turkey, where Islamic dress is banned, nor an Islamic state like Saudi Arabia, where other religions are banned. Indonesia is a pluralist state where Islam is just one, albeit the biggest, of a number of religions which citizens are expected to adhere to. So it is a misnomer to describe Indonesia as the world’s biggest Muslim nation. It has more Muslims than any other country, but it is actually a pluralist democracy, not an Islamic state. Customs and religious holidays are a good entry point for understanding another religion or culture. In Indonesia the national holidays featuring Muslim celebrations are: • The Day of Sacrifice or Id ul Adha. There is no concept of atoning sacrifice in Islam. There is no idea of original sin. Rather the sacrifices express solidarity with the pilgrims who concurrently make sacrifices of animals near Mecca, in commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice of the ram that Allah provided in place of his son Ishmael. • The Great Day, or Id ul Fitri, which is the culmination of the month-long fast of Ramadan. The fasting and other spiritual exertions of the month are supposed to earn Allah’s forgiveness. At Id ul Fitri Muslims visit work colleagues, neighbours and others and ask forgiveness for any offence they may have caused in the previous year. • The Ascent of the Prophet, an experience in Muhammad’s life when he was transported by the horse Buraq to heaven, from the site of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is now occupied by the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam. • The Prophet’s birthday, Muhammad being the last and greatest of the Muslim prophets. A Muslim is someone who submits to God. So Noah was a Muslim, Moses was a Muslim, Jesus was a Muslim. Muhammad’s view of Christianity and Judaism was affected by his own cultural background. He purged the Ka’aba shrine in Mecca, of which his tribe were the hereditary guardians. The gods of the Arabs often had family relationships e.g. a father god, a mother god and a child god. It is possible that Muhammad was critical of the doctrine of the Trinity because he linked it with Christian pictures of the Holy Family. Of the world’s great religions Islam has a unique angle on Christianity, because Muhammad lived five centuries after Jesus and had contact with Christians. Muhammad’s changing attitudes to Jews and Christians is reflected in the Koran. • Islamic New Year (AH) The Islamic calendar dates from the Hijra or flight of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, which marked the turn of his fortunes and the unstoppable rise of Islam.