4. Representative Muslim Institutions & Their Dynamics

Frederick M. Denny, Islam and the Muslim Community(Prospect Heights, Ill.: Waveland Press, 1987), 77–106.

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

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Turkish children on a break during“vacation Qur’an school”

Learning the Qur’an• Muslims strive to master

Arabic For worship For meditation For reading and reciting the

Qur’an Once memorized, it must be

kept in memory through continuous practice

Quasi-musical (chanting) At least initially, essentially a

mimicking process Schools for learning the

Qur’an are called pesantren (medrese in Turkish)

Many residential pesantren Taught by a kiai (“master”) Focus on the text of the

Qur’an, read and recited Contests for students to

show their mastery of the recitation

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

304/21/23

Qur’anic Piety Recitation is tilawa, from the word “to

follow” Includes obeying the Divine message A true Muslim is one grounded in the

Qur’an

To Muslims, the Qur’an is active & powerful

Like a living reality Power to inspire

The Qur’an provides the central source of meaning, values, and spiritual power for Muslims everywhere, throughout changing times

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

404/21/23

Muslim Veneration of Saints Muslims recognize the

importance of sacred persons

Venerate Seek guidance, boons,

and intercession with God

The Qur’an never speaks of the holiness of persons—God alone is holy.

The Arabic term walî, usually translated “saint,” means “friend” (as in “friend of God”)

A Hajji (someone who has made the Hajj) can be a kind of living saintly presence

Pilgrims visiting the tomb of the Mevlana,

Sufi mystic and Saint,Jalal al-Din Rumi

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

504/21/23

Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi Greatest Egyptian Muslim Saint

Remembered through a mawlid (birthday festival)

Brought the Sufi Order to Egypt Lived when Sufi brotherhoods, tariqas,

were being established throughout the Umma

Muslims must be careful not to deify saints

Little if any Qur’anic basis for intercession of saints

People still seek such intercession in many ways, and do not consider it idolatrous

View it as asking friendly help of a holy person

Saint veneration has been outlawed in some parts of the Muslim world

Al-Badawi Mosque in Tanta i Nedre, Egypt, built over the grave of 12th century Sufi saint, Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi

(Photo © Richard J. Natvig)

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

604/21/23

The “Nine Saints” of Java

Entrance to the tomb of Sunan Ampel, Surabaya, JAVA

The graveyard at NgampelThe Sunan is buried within the fenced enclosure (right rear of photo).

According to legend, Java was Islamized by nine holy men who brought the teaching of the Qur’an to that island in the 15th-16th centuries.

They are known collectively as the walî songo or “nine saints.”Sunan Ampel is one of these walî

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

704/21/23

Shi’ite Saint Veneration Shi’a Muslims

celebrate holy personages

Unlike Sunni Islam, Shi’a tradition accords a central place to visiting the burial places of its sacred heroes

If they cannot make the Hajj to Mecca, Shi’ite Muslims will make a substitute pilgrimage to the tomb of a Muslim “saint” or walî

The tomb of the Mevlana, Sufi mystic and Walî,

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

804/21/23

Key Rituals of Muslim Life No formal rite of initiation

To join the Umma, one need only utter the Shahada with a sincere heart in the presence of another Muslim

Once a Muslim, all the duties and privileges of membership in the Umma are immediately in force

An adult male convert must be circumcised, if he is not already

Most converts take an Islamic name (e.g., Cassius Clay took the name Muhammad Ali)

Ablution fountain inside the Ulu Cami Mosque

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

904/21/23

Rites of Passage

Puberty Rites Vary from region to region For young women, taking

the hijab (head covering) For young men,

circumcision (usu. associated with 1st public recitation of the Qur’an)

Birth Rites & Early Education Devout parents utter Basmala

before marital relations (“In the Name of God the Merciful the Compassionate”)

First act after a child is born is to whisper the Call to Prayer into the newborn ear

Qur’anic training begins ASAP

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

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04/21/23

Marriage One of greatest

transitions in life Expected (“only half a

man” before marrying) Simple marriage

ceremony Signing of contract Festivities

Courtship is chaperoned: Laws of mahram prohibit any female associating with a non-mahram male unless one of her blood relatives is present

Polygamy is permitted, although no longer common The Qur’an permits a man to have up to four wives

concurrently, provided all are treated equally

Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies

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Death & Funerary Rites Final transition in

human life The dying person

looks toward Mecca and recites the beginning of the Shahada: “There is no god but God.”

After death, the deceased’s body receives final ablution

Funeral Salat Reciting Qur’an is

best way to show respect and grief