Islam & Muslim Americans

8/3/2019 Islam & Muslim Americans

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IslamMuslimAmericans

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AANM Educ ational Series


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This booklet was produced by the Arab American National Museum the only museum among the 17,500 museums in the United Statesthat ocuses on the history and contributions o Arab Americans with unding rom the Institute o Museum and Library Services.

To learn more about the Arab American National Museum, visitwww.arabamericanmuseum.org. For inormation on the Institute o

Museum and Library Services, visit www.imls.gov.


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Islam and Muslim Americans

What is Islam?

Islam is one o the worlds three monotheistic religions. Monotheismis the belie in one God. The word Islam is aderivative o the Arabicword Salam, which means peace; an alternative denition is

submission. The word describing a ollower o the aith o Islam isMuslim, or one who submits to God.

Islam is the astest-growing religion in the world, with an estimated1.5 billion Muslims spanning the globe. As the second-largestreligion ater Christianity, Muslims comprise 20-22% o the worldspopulation.

One common misconception is that all Muslims are Arabs. Whilethe Arabic language is the mother tongue o Islam, Arabs areactually a minority in the Islamic World. Approximately 80% oMuslims live outside the 22 nations o the Arab World. Countrieswith the largest numbers o Muslims are ound in southeast Asia,including Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many non-

Arab Arican countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and Mali are mostlyMuslim; a sizable percentage o the people o Ghana, Uganda,Kenya and Tanzania are also Muslim. In Europe, Muslims numberabout 53 million. The majority o the populations o Turkey, Bosniaand Albania are Muslim. In act, Muslims are present in nearlyevery nation and ethnic group.

In the United States, Islam is the second-largest religion, withan estimated population o over six million. Comprised o manydierent backgrounds, American Muslims include AricanAmericans, Arab Americans, Asian and Southeast Asian Americans,as well as European Americans. According to a 2002 Zogby


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4 n Islam and Muslim Americans

Man praying at Medina(S.M. Amin/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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AANM Educational Series n 5

International survey, o the estimated 4.2 million Arab Americans,24% are Muslim; 63% are Christians; with the remaining 13%belonging to another aith or not practicing any aith.

Foundations of Islam

Islam is the youngest o the monotheistic aiths, ollowing Judaismand Christianity. Muslims consider their aith to be an extensiono Abrahamic traditions, since Islam recognizes all o the biblicalprophets ound in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Islam, Muhammad isconsidered to be the last prophet.

The Prophet Muhammad was born in the year 570 C.E. in Mecca,in present-day Saudi Arabia. In 610 C.E., at the age o 40, Muslimsbelieve that Muhammad received revelations through the Archangel

Gabriel. These revelations are believed to be the word o God andcomprise the Muslim holy book, the Quran(alternately spelledQuranor Koran), which was revealed to Muhammad over thecourse o 23 years.

In 622 C.E., Muhammad and his ollowers migrated rom Mecca tothe neighboring city o Medina, also in present-day Saudi Arabia,

where the rst Muslim community was ormed. Mecca and Medina,along with Jerusalem (where Muslims believe Muhammad ascendedto heaven), are among the holiest sites in Islam.

The Quran

The name o Islams holy book, the Quran, translates literally asrecitation. Although most Muslims are not o Arab descent,the Quranwas originally revealed to Muhammad in Arabic, andaccordingly, Muslims across the globe memorize and recite parts othe Quranin Arabic during their prayers. The Quranis comprised


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o 114 chapters divided into 30 sections. All but one chapter o theQuranbegin with this verse: In the name o God, the Benecent, theMerciul. In some cultures, the completion o the recitation o theentire Quranis a rite o passage or children and is marked with acelebration.

The Art of Beautiful Writing

In the Arab and Islamic Worlds, the calligrapher was the mostrespected o all artists. Because the angel Gabriel revealed theword o God to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic, it becamethe ocial language or the holy book, the Quran. So, a scribecopying the Quranthus perormed a pious act and his goalwas to make the word o God as beautiul as possible. Dierent

styles o calligraphy developed rom the wish to adorn theQuran. Today, handwritten Quransare extremely valuable andound in museums around the world.

Basic Beliefs and the Five Pillars of Islam

The word Allahis simply the Arabic word or God. In addition,there are 99 attributes or other titles by which Muslims may addressGod. Among them are The Compassionate, The Merciul, The AllPeaceul, The Creator and The Forgiver.

Central to the belie system o Muslims is the existence o only one

God. Muslims also believe in angels, prophets, books o revelation, aday o judgment and an aterlie.


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Kaba(S.M. Amin/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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There are ve religious requirements that are known as the Pillars oIslam:

1. Declaration of Faith (Shahada): This is the belie in one God andin Muhammad as Gods last messenger. I a person wants to becomea Muslim, he or she has only to believe in and recite the Shahada-There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.

2. Prayer (Salat):Observant Muslims pray ve times a day atvarious hours. Prayers are perormed at dawn, noon, mid-aternoon,sunset and nally, nightall. Beore praying, Muslims perorm aritual ablution or personal cleansing called Wudu. Prayers may beperormed individually or collectively. Muslims can pray at home,at their place o work or at school; they do not need to be in amosque. There is an oral call to prayer known as the Athanthat actsas a public invitation to pray, typically perormed by a member o a

mosque. Every Friday, devout Muslims gather or a congregationalmidday prayer known as Salat-al-Juma.

3. Fasting(Soum): Ramadanis a holy month in the Islamic (lunar)calendar. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad receivedhis rst revelation rom God duringRamadan. During this periodo asting, refection and prayer, Muslims attempt to rectiy their

misdeeds through devotional acts. DuringRamadan, all Muslimadults are expected to ast by abstaining rom eating and drinkingbetween sunrise and sunset. Exceptions are made or pregnant ornursing women, the sick, the elderly, children and travelers. In thesecircumstances, people must make up missed days at a later timeo the year. I this is not possible, as is the case with an elder or achronically ill person, then he or she, i nancially capable, must

eed a single needy person or every missed asting day. Throughasting, Muslims come to understand and empathize with peoplewho are less ortunate, while also experiencing sel-restraint. Theritual o breaking the ast is usually shared with members o theextended amily as well as neighbors and riends. This ritual is


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considered an important communal aspect oRamadan. Duringthe month, many visit the mosque to perorm extra prayers andrecitations o the Quran. The last day oRamadanis known as Waqa,when Muslims prepare or Eid al-Fitrestivities to mark the end othis month.

4. Charity (Zakat): The act o alms-giving in Islam is called Zakat. Itis mandatory or Muslims to give annually to charity. Traditionally,Muslims give their Zakatduring the month oRamadan. Whileall Muslims are supposed to give according to their nancialcapabilities, some Muslim scholars speciy the amount to be 2.5%o an individuals overall wealth, while other interpretations speciygiving 2.5% o ones annual income. I one cannot aord to give,he or she then may ollow the Prophets advice that even a smile ischarity. I someone gives more than the mandatory amount oZakat,it is known as Sadaka.

5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): This pillar o Islam requires Muslims who arephysically and nancially capable, to perorm the Hajjonce in theirlietime. This annual ritual takes place duringThul Hijja, the lastmonth o the Islamic (lunar) calendar. Today, with improvementsin transportation and standards o living, an estimated three millionpilgrims arrive in Mecca each year rom around the world. During

the Hajj, all pilgrims wear simple white garments intended to erasedistinctions o wealth and create a eeling o equality in ront o God.One o the special rituals o the Hajjis the circling o the Kaba, anact known as tawa. Muslims believe that the Kabais the rst houseo worship, built by Adam and later rebuilt by Abraham and his sonIshmael. Whenever they pray, Muslims position themselves acingin the direction o the holy city o Mecca.


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Islam and the Lunar Calendar

Ramadan, the Hajjand all Muslim holidays occur accordingto the lunar calendar, which has 354 days, 11 days ewer thanthe Gregorian calendar used in most o the world. While theGregorian calendar has 12 months and is based on the 365-dayrotation o the earth around the sun, the lunar calendar also has

12 months, each starting with the new moon and having 29 or30 days. Muslim holidays always all on the same date on thelunar calendar, but all 11 days earlier than the previous yearon the Gregorian calendar. For example, iRamadanbegan onAugust 15 in 2009, it will begin on August 4 in 2010. For thatreason, daytime asting takes less time iRamadancomes inwinter and many more hours i it comes in the summer.

Important Muslim Celebrations andCommemorations

Throughout the year, there are many religious holidays that areimportant to Muslims worldwide. The most celebrated holidays

are related to the two pillars o Islam Soumor asting and the Hajjor pilgrimage. Eid al-Fitrmarks the end o the asting month oRamadan, and Eid al-Adhamarks the end o the Hajj. These twoholidays are as important to Muslims as Christmas and Easter areto Christians. Other important religious dates are the birth anddeath o the Prophet Muhammad and Ashura the memorial o theProphets grandson Hussein, who was killed in the city o Karbala,

Iraq which is remembered by many ShiaMuslims during the rst10 days o the Islamic month oMuharam.


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Medina, Saudi Arabia(S.M. Amin/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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Eid al-Fitrdenotes the end oRamadanand the end o asting orMuslims. Eid al-Fitr(ftrmeans breaking the ast) is a three-daycelebration. This holiday is also called Eid Al Sageeror the smallholiday. Many Muslims attend Eidprayers at the mosque and greeteach other by sayingEid Mabrook(blessed holiday) or Kul sana wainta salem(may you be sae this year and every year.) The ways inwhich people celebrate these holidays vary according to culture andtradition. However, most celebrations include git-giving and amilyvisits or other communal activities.

Eid al-Adhaor Eid Al kebber(the big holiday) is celebrated or ourdays starting on the tenth o the Islamic month oThul Hijja, tocommemorate the conclusion o the Hajj. Eid al-Adhameans estivalo sacrice and reers to the willingness o Abraham to sacrice hisson, Ishmael, because God willed it. Upon Abrahams acceptanceo Gods command, God replaced Ishmael with an animal to

be sacriced instead. Muslims celebrate this holiday in a varietyo ways. Many start by attendingEidprayers at a mosque, thengathering aterward to celebrate.

The events oAshuraoccur on the rst ten days o the Islamic monthoMuharram. Many Muslims consider this to be a mournul timeas they commemorate the death o Hussein (the grandson o the

Prophet) and his companions. Ashurais derived rom the Arabicword Ashra, which means ten. Many ShiaMuslims go during thesedays to the mosque to recount the events oAshurain honor o thetragedy.

Muslim Sects

Islam has two main branches or sects: Sunniand Shia(pronouncedSHE-ah). Roughly 85% o the worlds Muslims are Sunniand 15%are Shia. The schism between these two groups developed shortlyater the death o the Prophet Muhammad in the late 7th century,


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ollowing disagreements over the religious and political leadership othe Muslim community.

Upon the death o Muhammad, one group o Muslims (who becameknown as the Sunni) selected Abu Bakr the Prophets close riendand one o the rst Muslims as Muhammads successor, andmade him the rst Muslim caliph(leader). This caused confict withMuslims who believed that Ali ibn Abi Talib the Prophets cousinand son-in-law should have been selected as the new leader.In act, ShiaMuslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad hadspecically appointed Ali to lead the aithul ater his death.

The majority oShiacan be ound in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.Although they have their own mosques and ceremonial traditions,Sunniand Shiaboth adhere to the Five Pillars o Islam and have armore commonalities than dierences.

In addition to these two major divisions, there are many smallerMuslim sects, oten refecting specic local cultures. One o the leastunderstood branches o Islam is the Druze. The Druzetrace theirorigins back to Cairo, Egypt, where they began as an Islamic reormmovement in the 11th century. Along with the Quran, or Muslimholy book, the Druzehave a collection o about 30 other manuscripts

that outline specic Druzecommandments and moral obligations.Today there are over one million members o the Druzecommunity,the majority o them in Lebanon, Syria and Israel.

Susm is a smaller but signicant set o traditions within the Islamicaith. Not strictly a denomination, Susm is a mystical-ascetic ormo Islam. By ocusing on the more spiritual aspects o religion, Sus

strive to obtain direct experience o God by making use o intuitiveand emotional aculties that one must be trained to use.


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Al-Aqsa Mosque(William Tracy/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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Sacred Geography

For Muslims, Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are sacred cities, centralto the origins o the aith. The Prophet Muhammad was born inMecca and died in Medina. Jerusalem is home to the Dome o theRock, built in the 7th century. It is located on the site where Muslimsbelieve that Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. BeoreMuslims began praying in the direction o Mecca, where the Kaba

is located, they prayed acing Jerusalem. Jerusalem is also the homeo the Al-AqsaMosque. Both the Dome o the Rock and Al-AqsaMosque are located on large grounds known as Haram as-Share,considered by some Muslims as the third holiest site ater Meccaand Medina. For many ShiaMuslims, the shrine o the Prophetsgrandson Hussein in Karbala, Iraq is considered sacred. ManyMuslims make it a point to travel to all o these locations because otheir historical and religious signicance.

Practicing Islam

Like Christians and people o other aiths, some Muslims are moredevout than others. Some strictly ollow the Five Pillars o Islam andpractice their religion on a daily basis. Others might practice oneor two components o the aith but not all. They might celebratethe holidays but orego asting; ast and not pray; or pray only onFridays or on major holidays. For some, Islam is more o a culturalidentity. There are many secular Muslims who might limit theirreligious participation to major holidays.

This diversity in practice can be ound within each Muslim ethnicgroup, within individual amilies or even within a single household.For example, it is not unusual to nd a husband who asts duringRamadanwhile his wie does not, or a pair o sisters, only one owhom wears the modest style o Islamic dress and head coveringcalled the hijab.


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Islamic Arts

When speaking about Islamic art, it is important to consider thatthe term does not necessary reer to art based on religion, but ratherbased on culture. For example, Islamic art not only includes mosquedecorations, but also objects o everyday lie such as garments,ceramics, glass and metalwork, which could be ound in mosques,palaces, homes and urban centers. Islamic art also reers to Islamic

architecture, considered one o the most beautiul styles in history.Among the most amous Islamic monuments are the Dome o theRock in Jerusalem, which dates rom the 7th century; the AlhambraPalace in Cordoba, Spain rom the 14th century; and the Taj Mahalin Agra, India, built in the17th century. Islam orbids the creation oimages containing people, especially prophets and leaders, in orderto discourage the worship or idealization o human beings, sinceonly God can be worshipped. Because o this limitation, other ormso Islamic art fourished, such as calligraphy, geometric designs andtile painting. However, rescoes and sculptures including guralrepresentations are oten ound decorating the palaces o Islamicrulers.

There is hardly a reputable museum in the world that does nothave Islamic arts collection includingQuranmanuscripts. Thesecollections, assembled rom around the world, refect the deepdiversity o Islamic art. Included in these museum collections arelarge rooms with their mosaic foors, carved wooden walls andcentral ountains imported intact. U.S. museums that have largeIslamic arts collections include:

Art Institute o ChicagoAsian Art Museum San FranciscoBrooklyn Museum o ArtCleveland Museum o ArtDetroit Institute o Arts


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Freer Gallery o Art/Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Washington, D.C.Honolulu Academy o ArtsIndianapolis Museum o ArtLos Angeles County Museum o ArtMuseum o Fine Arts BostonMetropolitan Museum o Art New YorkNelson-Atkins Museum o Art Kansas CitySan Diego Museum o ArtWalters Art Museum Baltimore

Muslim Americans

We are a nation o Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus,and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language andculture, drawn rom every end o this Earth...

- excerpt rom President Barack Obamas 2009 inaugural address

Muslim Americans are estimated to number more than six million

and are one o the astest-growing religious groups in the U.S.They have been a part o American society since its inception.While Muslim Americans share the same aith, they are asdiverse as America itsel. This diversity is refected in their timeo immigration, country o origin, ethnicity, cultural heritage andtheological perspective and practice.

While we do not know the exact date when the rst Muslim arrivedin the United States, it is believed that Zammouri, a slave romMorocco also known as Estebanico, landed in the Gul o Mexicoaround 1528 C.E. The many others who ollowed also cameas slaves rom various Arican countries, including some o the


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Muslim African woman in hijab(Ilene Perlman/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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northern Arican Arabic-speaking countries. Some Muslims came tothe U.S. to participate in the Worlds Fairs o the 19 th and early 20thcenturies and ended up staying on, while others came during theGreat Migration o 1880-1924. Some Muslim Americans, however,are more recent immigrants. They arrived starting in the early 1970sdue to the liting o some restrictions in American immigration law.Like all immigrants, they came to the U.S. seeking better lives orthemselves and their amilies.

Muslim African Americans

According to some estimates, between the 1600s and the mid-1800s, 30% o Arican American slaves were Muslim and manyspoke Arabic. While the majority o them adopted Christianity,they continued to integrate their Islamic Arican religious

traditions into their lives including styles o dress and musicalorms.

Education and Socio-economic Status

Like Christian Americans, Muslim Americans are also a diversegroup o people in terms o their education, range o proessionsand levels o economic success. Muslims Americans are ound inevery stratum o American society, rom unskilled laborers to highlytrained proessionals. Many recent immigrants who come romvarious Arab, Arican and Asian countries are doctors, engineers,scientists and educators. Some own and work in amily businesses

such as hotels, restaurants or grocery stores while others are actoryworkers or migrant armers in the valleys o Caliornia. SomeMuslim women are working mothers while others stay home andcare or their amilies. Muslim women whether recent immigrantsor third- and ourth-generation Americans are ound on every


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university campus in America, as both students and educators. Inaddition, Muslim women are ound in most every proession business administration, teaching, law, medicine and engineering.Muslim women have even worked on U.S. auto assembly linesdating back to the 1940s.

Cultural Diversity

Religion is one element o an individuals identity. A personsculture embodies a much more complex set o norms andtraditions involving community relationships, ood, dress, workethic, dance, music and more. Because Muslim Americans comerom various ethnic and national backgrounds, they have a varietyo cultures. For example, a Muslim Chinese American will likelyhave much more in common with a Christian Chinese American

than he might have with a Muslim rom Iran. The same appliesor Christians a Christian Arab American might have muchmore in common with a Muslim Arab American that he mighthave with a Christian rom China. Otentimes, being a citizen oa country, working in a proession, or residing in a certain cityor a neighborhood is an important element o personal identity.For example, a Muslim woman doctor who lives in a Los Angeles

suburb will have much more in common with her Christian orJewish colleagues who live in the same neighborhood and send theirkids to the same school than she might with an uneducated Muslimwoman living in a small town.

Organizations and Mosques

When Muslims rst began arriving in America, practicing theirreligion was rather dicult. They did not have places o worship;or the most part, they practiced their religion in the privacy o theirhomes. The rst mosque in America was built in 1915 by Albanian


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Muslims in Maine. Another mosque was built by Arab Americans,mostly Lebanese, in 1923 in Highland Park, Michigan and in 1926,a Polish-language mosque was built by Tatars in Brooklyn, NewYork. In 1952, the Federation o Islamic Associations in America wasounded by 25 mosques. Some o these mosques were also calledIslamic centers; they unctioned as a community center, with onepart or prayers and the other or gatherings and celebrations. Manymore mosques were built as time progressed. Today, it is estimatedthat there are more than 1,200 mosques in the U.S. Mosques canbe ound in each o the 50 states; most large American cities haveseveral. Historically, Muslim holidays were rarely mentioned by themedia or noticed by the general public, which is not the case today.However, many Muslim Americans still have to go school and workon their most important holidays.

Muslim Arab Americans

Zammouri may have been the rst slave to come to America roman Arab country, but he was not the last. Arabs rom North Aricawere among the 12 to 15 million slaves who came over the next400 years, many o whom ended up in Georgia and the Carolinas.Today, there are many Americans who have Arab slaves as their

ancestors. Because slaves were usually given new names uponarriving in America, those Arab Americans are unable to trace theirlineage to their original amilies or hometowns.

Although it is hard to estimate the number o slaves who came romcurrent Arab countries such as Algeria or Morocco, some recordsreer to the arrival o Arabic-speaking Muslim slaves who would not

eat pork in 1717. Ben Ali is among the ew well-documented slaves.He was a prisoner on a French vessel who jumped ship in America.Later, he was a scout or the amous General Thomas Sumterduring the Revolutionary War. Ben Ali changed his amily name toBenenhaly. His sons later ought with the Conederate Army.


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Hajj pilgrim(S.M. Amin/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA)


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Omar Ibn Said was another Arabic-speaking slave. He had beentrained in QuranicArabic in his native land. John Owen, an earlygovernor o North Carolina, decided to ree Said on account o hisapparent education. Said was later buried in the Owen amily plot.

During the late 1700s, the South Carolina House o Representativesruled that Moroccan Arabs living in the state should be treatedaccording to the laws governing whites. This acknowledgemento Moroccan Arabs in legal documents attests not only to thenumber o Moroccan Arabs in the South at the time, but also to thediscriminatory nature o the laws, which granted privileges to thoseclassied as white.

The rst signicant number o Muslim Arabs came to the U.S.during the Great Migration o 1880-1924. Their numbers wererelatively small, estimated at just 5-10% o the number o Christian

Arab immigrants. The majority o these Muslim immigrants camerom rural areas in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine with limited ormaleducation. Like many other immigrants, most o them were singlemen hoping to make some money and return to their country oorigin. Making money was not as easy as they had hoped; manyend up settling in the U.S. Some went to their country o origin, gotmarried and came back with their wives; other members o their

amilies ollowed.

The ew Muslim Arab immigrants who arrived in the UnitedStates during the Great Migration were Sunni, Shiaand Druze.They worked in a variety o trades as peddlers and assemblyline workers; in the lumber, mining and shipping industries; andin transportation, building both roads and railroads. Some even

homesteaded in South Dakota. The largest Muslim Arab communityin the early 1900s was ound in Chicago.


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Because o their small number and scattered locations aroundthe country, it was very dicult or Muslim Arab immigrants toestablish their places o worship. This was not the case or ChristianArab Americans, who were larger in number and were abletemporarily attend established churches o other ethnic groups untilthey could build their own. Muslim Arab Americans oten practicedtheir religion at home or at the home o an elder who lead the Fridayand holiday prayers. The Arab mosque opened in 1923 in HighlandPark, Michigan survived or only our years as the communitymoved to Dearborn, Michigan or well-paying jobs ollowing theopening o Ford Motor Companys new Rouge Plant. In 1925, anArab mosque was built in Michigan City, Indiana that is still in usetoday. Another Arab mosque and community center was establishedin 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; this one was rebuilt in 1971. Today,there are hundreds o Arab mosques in the U.S.; they are ound inalmost every major U.S. city.

Between World War I (1914-1917) and World War II (1939-1945),restrictive immigration laws allowed only a ew Arab immigrants,Muslim or Christian, into the U.S. That situation changedimmediately ater World War II, when the U.S. was aggressivelyrecruiting highly educated people such as physicians, engineersand scientists regardless o their religion or national background

in order to enhance its status as an emerging technologicalsuperpower. The U.S. also opened the door or a larger number ooreign university students; many o them came with the intentiono returning to their home countries ater graduation, but endedup staying or employment opportunities. This wave o Arabimmigration, which extended into the 1960s, was dierent rom theGreat Migration o 1880-1924 because it included a larger number o

Muslims rom various countries. In addition to Syria, Lebanon andPalestine, they also came rom urban middle-class backgrounds inEgypt, Iraq and Jordan. This highly educated and proessional groupo Christian and Muslim Arabs built their new lives in suburbanAmerica.


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The most recent wave o Arab immigrants, who began arrivinghere in the early 1970s, included a larger number o Muslimswho came mostly rom war-devastated countries like Palestine,Lebanon and Iraq. This wave o immigrants also included smallnumbers o Muslims rom the Arican/Arab countries o Morocco,Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan and Somalia. Today, largest Muslim Arabcommunities are ound in major metropolitan areas includingDetroit, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicagoand Houston.


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Conclusion

Islam is one o the three Abrahamic religions, and shares manyvalues and belies with Christianity and Judaism. Its history datesback to 610 C.E., when the Prophet Muhammad started to receiverevelations rom God (Allahin Arabic). Muslims believe in manyprophets including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The holybook o Muslims is the Quran, which is similar to the other holy

books, the Torah and the Bible. Muslims everywhere consider thecities o Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem to be sacred sites.

The worlds Muslim population is an estimated 1.5 billion who livein almost every nation; and they comprise the majority population omore than 50 nations. In the U.S., the number o Muslim Americansexceeds six million and they are the second-largest religious groupater Christianity. Both worldwide and in the U.S., Muslims are alsoamong the astest-growing populations.

Although Muslims have been part o our nation since its inceptionand there is hardly a reputable museum in our nation that doesnot have an Islamic arts collection, the general public knows verylittle about Islam or Muslim Americans. Ater the tragic events oSeptember 11, 2001, many Muslims Americans were treated withsuspicion and their civil rights were violated. In the meantime, therehas been an increased interest in learning about this important andvibrant segment o American society.


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Questions About Islam

1. What is Islam?

Islam is the youngest o the three Abrahamic religions, whichinclude Christianity and Judaism. Its ollowers are calledMuslims. It estimated that there are 1.5 billion Muslimsworldwide, with representation in nearly every country on the

globe.

2. What does Allahmean?

Allahis simply the Arabic word or God. Muslims worship thesame One God as do Jews and Christians.

3. What does Muslim mean?

Muslim means one who submits. In Islam, it means the personwho submits to God. It is the name given to the ollowers o theaith o Islam.

4. Does Islam have dietary restrictions?

Yes. Islam prohibits the consumption o alcohol, pork, blood andany animal that has been ound dead. In addition, animals mustbe slaughtered in a quick merciul way known as halal, which issimilar to the Jewish concept o kosher.


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5. Do Muslims believe in Jesus?

Yes. Muslims believe that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, thathe is a prophet and messenger and perormed miracles. Jesustitle in Islam is Rooh Allah, which means the Spirit o God.

6. What isJihad?

Jihadis the Arabic world or struggle. It means to struggleor strive to be a better person. It oten reers to the internalstruggles and challenges humans endure in acing theirlimitations as they pursue Gods intended way o lie on Earth.The struggle or justice is part oJihad.

7. How does Islam view Judaism and Christianity?

Islam acknowledges both Judaism and Christianity in the Quran.Islam gives the title People o the Book to both Jews andChristians. Jesus is mentioned 25 times in the Quran; Moses ismentioned 136 times. Chapter 2, verse 62 in the Quranstates:Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the

Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in God and theLast day and does good, they shall have their reward rom theirLord, and there is no ear or them nor shall they grieve.

8. Is Islam mostly an Arab religion?

No, it is quite the contrary. Although the majority o Arabs areMuslim, the majority o Muslims are not Arab. Only about20-22% o the Muslim population worldwide is Arab. Thereare more Muslims in Indonesia, or example, than in all theArab countries combined. Large populations o Muslims reside


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in Iran, India and other parts o southeastern Asia, and in sub-Saharan Arica. In the United States, Islam is the astest-growingreligion. Also, Islam is the second-largest religion in the world,with over 1.5 billion ollowers.

9. Do women have rights in Islam?

Yes. Muslim women have the right to earn their own incomeand keep their own money. They have the right to a marriagecontract (similar to a prenuptial agreement), a dowry anddivorce. They have the right to own property and to maintaintheir maiden name. In addition, Muslim women have the rightto obtain an education. The status o Muslim women, as is thecase o Christian women, varies rom one country to anotherand the gap is very wide. Some Muslim countries have elected

emale presidents and legislators, while in other countriesMuslim women are denied the most basic rights. This is mostlydue to culture rather than religion, as well as conservativeinterpretation o the Quran.

10. Why do some Muslim women wear head scarves while

others do not?

Wearing the head scar is a religious practice observed by someMuslim women. Both Muslim men and women are expectedto dress modestly. For many Muslim women Hijabreers tocovering their hair and allowing only the ace and hands toshow. Wearing the Hijabis not universal among Muslim women;

it varies rom one culture to another, among people in the sameneighborhood or even within a single amily. Some Muslimsbelieve that women are required to wear the Hijab, while othersdo not. This is the result o dierent interpretation o the Quran.


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11. What does Islam have in common with Christianity?

Both Muslims and Christians believe in the miraculous birth oJesus and his administration o miracles. The Virgin Mary is theonly woman with a chapter named ater her in the Quranand ismentioned several times: O Mary! Surely Allahhas chosen youand puried you and chosen you above the women o the world[3:41]. Muslims also acknowledge the same biblical prophets:Say: We believe in Allahand what has been revealed to us, andwhat was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacoband the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and tothe prophets rom their Lord; we do not make any distinctionbetween any o them, and to Him do we submit. [3.84].

12. Is Islam a violent religion?

The word Islam translates as peace. The Quranstates: For hewho takes a lie, it is like killing all o humanity, and or he whosaves a lie, it is like saving all o humanity [5:32]. Otentimes inhistory, people commit violent acts in the name o religion. Thishappens with all religions; Islam is no exception in this regard.


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Hajj pilgrims(S.M. Amin/Saudi Aramco World/SAWDIA


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Key Terms

Athan oral call to prayer

Allahthe word meaning God in Arabic.

Druze a small branch o Islam that developed in the 11th century.The largestDruzecommunity in the Arab World can be ound inLebanon.

Hadith the sayings and acts o the prophet Muhammad.Hajj the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace o the

prophet Muhammad; is also one o the Pillars o Islam, but onlyto those who are physically and nancially capable.

Imam a Muslim religious leader. Imams lead the congregationalprayers at noon on Fridays.

Quran the holy book or Muslims. Its original language is Arabic.Ramadan the ninth lunar month o asting rom sunrise to sunset.

This holiday is one o the Five Pillars o Islam.

Salat al-Juma Friday congressional prayer.

Salah/Salat is the Arabic word or prayer. Pious Muslims pray vetimes a day.

Shahada this is the basic declaration o aith or Muslims whichsays, There is no God but God, and Muhammad is hismessenger. This is one o the Five Pillars o Islam.

Sharia the code o Islamic law, which derives rom scholarsinterpretations o the Quranand Hadith.

Shia a branch o Islam. The Shiahave a signicant ollowing in

Lebanon and southern Iraq. In the Middle Eastern (but non-Arab) country o Iran, they are the majority.

Sunni a branch o Islam. The majority o Muslims worldwide areSunni.

Wudu a ritual washing Muslims perorm beore prayer.


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Timeline Muslims in America

1619-1800s Roughly 10 million Aricans were brought as slaves toNorth America, 30% o whom are Muslim.

1775 Peter Salem, a ormer slave, ghts during the AmericanRevolution and the Battle o Bunker Hill.

1807 An Arican slave, Yarrow Mamout, is set ree. Hebecomes one o the rst shareholders o the secondchartered bank in America, the Columbia Bank.

1828 The ormer prince o Timbuktu-turned-slaveAbdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori is reed by the order oU.S. Secretary o State Henry Clay and President JohnQuincy Adams.

1856 The United States Cavalry brings rom Syria a MuslimArab by the name o Hajji Ali to raise camels inArizona or military service.

1915 Albanian Muslims open the rst-ever U.S. mosque, inMaine.

1923 The rst Arab American mosque is ounded, inHighland Park, Michigan.

1926 In Brooklyn, New York, a Polish-language mosque isestablished by Tatars.

1934 In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the rst purpose-built mosqueis constructed. It is known as the Mother Mosque oNorth America and is still in existence today.


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1963 The Muslim Students Association (MSA) is established.Today, MSAs can be ound on almost every Americanuniversity campus.

1991 Charles Bilal o Kountze, Texas becomes the rstMuslim mayor in America.

1993 Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad is appointed the U.S.

Armys rst Muslim chaplain.

1996 The rst White House celebration oEid al-Fitrisobserved.

1999 U.S. State Department hosted its rstitar(breaking othe ast) dinner duringRamadan.

2001 A 34-centEidstamp is issued by the U.S. PostalService.

2006 Keith Ellison becomes the rst Muslim elected tothe U.S. Congress as a member o the House oRepresentatives rom Minnesota.


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Sources for Further Study

What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, by John Esposito, OxordUniversity Press, 2002

Women and Gender in Islam, by Leila Ahmed, Yale University Press,1993

Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogueby Shireen Hunter and Huma Malik, editors; Center or Strategicand International Studies, 2005

Internet Resources

Oxord Islamic Studies Online: The Essential Reerence or IslamicStudies: www.oxordislamicstudies.com

The Center or Muslim-Christian Understanding:http://cmcu.georgetown.edu/

Institute or Social Policy and Understanding: http://ispu.org/

One Nation: http://www.onenationorall.org/

Public Broadcasting Service programs:Islam: Empire o Faith: http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/eduk12plan.htmlandMuhammad: Legacy o a Prophet: http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/


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