Don't Know Much

 Islam

It’s a religion.  An abrahamic religion, along with Judaism and Christianity.   The second largest religion in the world, behind xianity.  The three are called “people of the book”.   Presumably, that means they all worship the same God.  Islam means submission (to God, who in arabic is called Allah).  There is no god but God.  Bismillah al rahman, al rahim.  In the name of God, the beneficent, the merciful.   Mohammed is his prophet.   The Quran is recited, sung.   Quran means “recitation”, so it is oral.  The muezzin calls the faithful to prayer, 5x daily (from the minaret of a mosque).  They face Mecca when they pray.  Asalaam aleikum, my brother (peace be upon you).  Hajj.  Trip to Mecca, once per lifetime, if possible.  Sufis, mystical islam.   Whirling dervishes.  Shiites in Iran.  Sunni, Saudi Arabia.  Ruled by Salafists.   Sharia law.  Al Qaeda (the base) terrorists behind 9-11.  Beatiful architecture, like the Taj Mahal.  Sayings of the prophet, besides the Koran, are also a source of guidance.  Jesus is considered a prophet.  Some think he wasn’t crucified.  And Christopher Hitchens really, really disliked Islam.  The Iranian leader (ayatollah) pronounced a fatwa against Salman Rushdie.   Struggle, or  jihad, gets a lot of attention.  5 pillars: oath/creed (shahada), daily prayer, trip to Mecca, almsgiving, and fasting during Ramadan (9th month, islamic calendar, which is lunar, so it’s 11 days earlier, every year).  Sinead O’Connor changed her name to Shahada.  Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali.  Cat Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam.  Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. became Kareem Abdul Jabbar.   And I had a classmate named Koran in college (UC Davis).   Sheikh Yerbouti is an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (which I have).  Funky cold Medina isn’t a reference to the muslim holy site.