Worship and Prayer Practices of Islam and Zoroastrianism - Essay Example

Worship and Prayer Practices of Islam and Zoroastrianism Islam and Zoroastrianism are both ancient religions that are strongly followed worldwide. Both of these religions have multitudes of followers which have adhered to the teachings of their founders solidly. Although both Islam and Zoroastrianism originated in the Middle East, these two religions have very distinct characteristics in terms of their beliefs, traditions and method of worship etc. Unlike other religions that exist today, Islam and Zoroastrianism have been found to stick with their traditional methods of worship and prayer ever since they were established. A comparison of the method of worship and prayer between these two religions proves to be worthy of a curious discussion, as their Middle Eastern origins provides an excellent point of interest. The question of how these two religions, despite having almost the same origins, these two are very similar yet very distinct from each other. Examples of their similarities are that both religions are monotheistic by nature, that is their followers believe in one and only one God, Allah for the Muslims and Ahura Mazda for the Zoroastrians. Also both religions hold that Allah and Ahura Mazda had only one prophet sent to preach their teachings, namely: Muhammad for Allah and Zoroaster for Ahura Mazda. Another thing that connects both religions to one another and to any other religion is the belief in a place of salvation (heaven, in Christian terms) and a place of damnation (hell, in Christian terms). This paper discusses the worship and prayer practices of the two religions and how they similar and different in many aspects. A Brief Discussion on Islam Islam is the world's second largest religion, next to Christianity. Though it origins is Middle Eastern, its practice is not only limited in there but also other parts of the world such as Asia and Europe. According to 2005 estimates and census, there are about 900 million to 1.4 billion Muslims today. It is a monotheistic religion which believes that the one and only true God is Allah and Muhammad is his sole prophet. The "Islam" is derived form an Arabic term which means "to be subservient" or "to be obedient". This explains the humble nature of Muslims when it comes to their worship practices ("Islam"). Islam is a religion that is mainly divided into two: Sunni and Shia Islam. Sunni Islam is often referred to as orthodox Islam while Shia is a more contemporary form. The difference between these two factions is mostly based on political issues although lately there has been other deeper reason involved. Sunni Muslims comprise about 85% of the Muslim population while Shia is about 15%. Each division has 4 schools dedicated to the teaching of theology ("Afghanistan."). Some notable Muslims are: Ibn Sina known in the West as Aviccena "the doctor of doctors". He contributed many scientific and theological concepts in his time and was especially known for his works in chemistry and medicine. Another noble Muslim is El Zharawi or Albucasis, the "Father of Surgery". He was known to have written a 30-volume encyclopedia known as At-Tasrif, containing extensive discussions about medical and surgical procedures. Contemporary Muslims and converts to Islam include: Mike Tyson (Heavyweight boxer), Ice Cube (American rapper) and Malcolm X/Malcolm Little, an Afro-American Civil rights leader known by his Muslim name Malik Shabazz (Almed). Muslims refers to their sacred book as the Qu'ran or Koran in other languages, which is believed to have been handed by Allah himself to his prophet Muhammad. It is from the Qu'ran that the 5 tenets of Islam are derived: First: Shahadah, the belief in one and only one God, Allah and that his sole prophet is Muhamad. The second one is Salah, the recitation of the 5 daily prayers. The third one is Sawn, or fasting in the period of Ramadan. The fourth is Zakat, the giving of alms and the last on is Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's lifetime ("Islam"). The Salat/Salah, the 5 daily obligatory prayers The salat or salah is the Islamic term for prayer. Muslims prayers are categorized into obligatory prayers and non-obligatory prayers. The 5 daily prayers, the wajib, are recited in different times of the day. Prayers are always done facing the direction of Mecca and are often announced and lead by an Imam (priest). Also a prayer can either be done in a mosque (prayer house) or at home inside a prayer room (Maghniyyah). The 5 daily prayers Name Time Period Before Fard (Sunni) Before Fard (Shi'a) Fard After Fard (Sunni) After Fard (Shi'a) Fajr () Dawn to Sunrise 2 Raka'ah1 2 Raka'ah 2 Raka'ah - - Zuhr () After true noon until Asr 4 Raka'ah1 8 Raka'ah 4 Raka'ah2 2 Raka'ah1 - Asr () After Zur 4 Raka'ah 8 Raka'ah 4 Raka'ah - - Maghrib () After sunset until Isha'a - - 3 Raka'ah 2 Raka'ah1 4 Raka'ah Isha'a () Dusk until Fajr 4 Raka'ah - 4 Raka'ah 2 Raka'ah1, 3 Witr 2 Raka'ah Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salah The 5 daily prayers are obligatory for those who are able-bodied have reached the age of puberty. Each prayer has a certain number of raka'ah, a unit of prayer measured in verses. Note that "Fard" refers to the period when the 5 prayers were obligatory. Each prayer must be executed in Arabic whether or not the Muslim doe or does not understand Arabic. The devotee must also know the prayers by heart, although in some cases written aids are allowed. The chart shown on the previous page indicates the chronology of each prayer, the differences in the method of prayer for Sunni and Shia Muslims and the length (in Raka'ah) of each prayer (Maghniyyah; "Salah"). The first prayer are Fajr, said anytime from dawn to sunrise. Fajr is a prayer that was prayed daily by Muhammad, and is Analogous to the Christian "Lord's prayer". 'The second prayer, called Zuhr, is said at noon and is usually immediately followed by the 3rd prayer called Asr. For most Imams, the period of Asr is indicated when the shadow of an object is equal to the actual length of the object. But according to Imam Abu Hanifa (a well-known Islamic scholar), ASR starts when the shadow of the object is twice its length. Asr actually end at sundown. The fourth obligatory prayer, called Maghrib is said after sunset until the fifth prayer. The fifth is called Isha'a and is said anytime from dusk to Fajr. The whole cycle of 5 obligatory prayers is said again the next day ("Salah"). The procedure of praying is as follows: first, one must purify and ready the body for prayer. This step is called wudu, and varies between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. Sunni Muslims wash their body three times in this order: from hands, teeth, faces, noses, arms, hair, ears and then finally their feet. For Shi'a Muslims the order is: face, then arms, and then they wet their heads and feet with the remaining water from their hand. If there is no water available, sand may be substituted. Washing with water though is thought to cleanse sin more than sand, which is thought of as a "temporary" sin cleanser. The worshipper initiates the prayer in a standing procedure and alternates between standing and bowing in between raka'ah. As a raka'ah is recited, the worshipper starts the raka'ah by saying"Allahu akbar" which translates to "God is greatest" (Maghniyyah). Worship and prayer is often done in groups (called jama'ah) in a mosque or in the prayer room of a private residence. An imam (a scholar or prayer leader) is up front the congregation, followed by a row of males, then children and then females at the rear. Another alternative is men and women are placed side by side with the children and a curtain between them. The imam presiding over the salat is usually an Islamic scholar, but anyone who has quite a bit of knowledge of the Qu'ran or the teaching of Islam is eligible for the role of Imam. The imam must always be a male, until recently, more women are selected as imams in the absence of scholars or men themselves and is usually practiced in Western countries more then Middle Eastern countries. This practice of selecting women imams is generally frowned upon by the Islamic community and is actively debated upon by Islamic religious leaders (Maghniyyah; "Salah"). The Optional Prayers In addition to the obligatory prayers said by Muslims daily, they also have optional prayers that are said at particular occasions. Theses optional prayers are entirely non-compulsory, but may invoke a sense of heightened spiritualism to the Muslim performing that particular prayer. An example of this are Sunnah, these are prayers said to invoke extra blessings from Allah. This practice was from accounts in the Qu'ran twhere Muhammad would usually offer more prayers to Allah daily. Sunnah prayers usually consist of extra Raka'ah and are usually said at anytime of the day before, after or in between the 5 obligatory payers. The Muslims seems to have a prayer for every time of day and occasion. An awabeen is the offering of six to twenty raka'ah after Maghrib. It is said to be equivalent to 12 years of prayers and worship in real life. A Tahiyatul Masjid, also known as Masjidus Salaam, consists of two rakaat and is done upon entering a mosque and is usually taken as a sign of greeting the mosque itself. Two raka'ah offered before one leaves the home is known as a "Journey prayer", as is usually followed by another set of raka'ah upon arrival. There is also a prayer known as the "Guidance Prayer" in which the worshipper invokes the favors of Allah to guide him in a new enterprise or other endeavor. There is much other optional prayer that Muslims offer; the ones mentioned above are the most common (Maghniyyah; "Salah"). A brief discussion of Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism has a lot of similarities to Islam, but it also has several unique aspects that separate it from Islam. The faith has Persian/Middle Eastern origins and was founded by its prophet, Zoroaster sometime in 1200 B.C. In Zoroastrianism, the Supreme Being is known as Ahura Mazda, the creator and benefactor of all. According to Mary Boyce in one of her statements published in Avesta ("Avesta Zoroastrian archives."), Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest and most influential religions in the world. Like any other old religions, it is still practiced worldwide and has a strong following. On the writings of Jona Lendering (2006), the name ":Ahura Mazda" means "wise lord" in Persian. The whole faith is anchored in the statement: "Good Thoughts, Good words, Good Deeds". One of the central dogmas of the Zoroastrian faith is the belief that the Earth is in constant war between the forces of Good and Evil. The forces of good called ahuras is lead by Spenta Mainyu the embodiment of Good while the evil forces called daevas are lead by Angra Mainyu the embodiment of evil. Like the Christian faith, Zoroastrians believe in a form of Hell and Heaven, a sort of Final Judgment and of course, prophecy ("Avesta Zoroastrian archives"). Still according to Jona Lendering (2006), Zoroatrianism unlike other faiths that believe in predestination, Zarathustranism (another name for Zoroastrianismm) teaches that humans have the free will to follow either the Spenta Mainyu or Angra Mainyu. In other words, humans are solely responsible for their actions in the mortal world. The spiritual world has no influence on the mortal world and all of the good and bad things that happen in their lives are their doing (Lendering). Zoroastrians believe that Ahura Mazda chose a man name Zoroaster as his sole prophet, much like Allah's selection of Muhammad as his chosen prophet. It was said that Zoroaster was especially gifted, as he was very intelligent and wise even when he was very young. When he was a young adult, he left his parent's home to live out as a hermit. Living alone in a cave situated on top of a mountain, he reflected on life and other philosophies. It was at that time when it is believed that Ahura Mazda touched him and instructed him to follow his path. From then on, Zoroaster went around teaching the word of Ahura Mazda to the populace. At first his teachings about Ahura Mazda were not that well accepted by the masse and worse his own family slowly disowned him. Zoroaster's enemies grew and they plotted sinister plots against him. But with this and Zoroaster's determination, he eventually succeeded in gathering converts and follower, the first of which is his own nephew. A story told that while on his way teaching the words of Ahura Mazda, he was imprisoned because of the king of Persia, King Vishtaspa though of him as a threat. But after he escaped imprisonment and healed the king's horse, the king was convinced that he really is a prophet of Ahura Mazda and eventually became one of his converts. The vizier of the king, another one of his converts, gave Zoroaster his daughter Jamaspa's hand in marriage. Upon Zoroaster's Death, Jamaspa took on his footsteps ("Zoroastrianism."). Just like Islam, the Zoroastrians have tenets that they follow very closely. First, all must be treated equally regard less or race, color, creed or whatever. Second is compassion and empathy towards all living organisms, Zoroastrians do not require animal sacrifices in their rituals and they abhor cruelty done to their fellow men. Third is the preservation of the environment, as Zoroastrians believe that nature is sacred. Fourth is hard work and charity are looked upon as invoking the kindness of Ahura Mazda within oneself. Finally, absolute loyalty to one's affiliations is it family, community or nation is required ("Zoroastrianism."). The Zoroastrian's scriptures are known as Zend Avesta, which is actually two books in one. The Avesta contains the original teaching of Zoroaster while the Zend provides a commentary on the writings in the Avesta. Contained in the Avesta are Gathas or "hymns"written by Zoroaster. Originally the Avesta is composed of 21 books known as Nasks but due to the persecution of Alexander the Great against Zoroastrians, all but one of the Nasks survived. This Nask is known as the Vendidad, which like most of the Nasks contain not only Zoroastrian teachings but also writings on other topics such as Astronomy, Medicine and other sciences ("Avesta Zoroastrian archives"). Prayer involves wearing a shirt or sudreh or shirt and kusti or cord around the waist before praying. Like the Muslim, Zoroastrians perform a cleansing or ablution ritual before praying. There are no obligatory daily prayers for the Zoroastrians though prayers are mostly said in the original Avestan language. Another ritual done before prayer is Nirang-i kusti, which involves the removal and retying the cord around the body as a sign of cleansing. In performing Nirang-i kusti, the hands are first washed and the cord or kusti is first wrapped around the body three times. The kusti is then taken off as the person stand in front of a light source usually the sun by day and a lamp or moon in the night. The kusti is then doubled and tied around the waist again. This ritual is done throughout the ceremony, but in some cases the performance of Nirang-i kusti is lax or may be performed in an incomplete manner. Also, though no pilgrimage to a certain religious place is required, Zoroastrians are required to attend to annual festivals called Gahambars held at certain times of the year ("Avesta Zoroastrian archives"). Conclusion It appears that Islam has more elaborate prayer rituals than Zoroastrianism. As discussed earlier, Muslims undergo 5 daily obligatory prayers in the practice of their faith. Muslims also have specific prayers for about each occasion and event in their lives. Also the pilgrimage to Mecca, though required, seems daunting for non-Muslims. On the other hand, Zoroastrianism rituals and prayers are also detailed, though not as elaborate as that of Muslims. It is interesting to note that both these Middle Eastern, monotheistic religions share this common characteristic although it seems that Muslims are more ritualistic than their Zoroastrian counterparts. Other monotheistic religions pale in comparison when placed side-by-side to Islam and Zoroastrianism in terms of rituals and prayer practices. In comparison to polytheistic (religions that believe in multiple divine beings) religions, Islam and Zoroastrianism rituals may equal the elaborateness of polytheistic rituals such as for the Hindus that have rituals for each of their many Gods shown in their mythos and may be seen as a little too much compared to other religions. Works Cited "Afghanistan." 2005. Country Studies US. Library of Congress. 13 April, 2006 "Avesta Zoroastrian archives." 2006. Avesta.org. 13 April, 2006 Ahmed, Monzur, 2006. Ibn Sina. Dr Monzur. 13 April, 2006 Ahmed, Monzur, 2006. El Zharawi. Dr Monzur. 13 April, 2006 "Islam." 2006. Wikipedia. 13 April, 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam Lendering, Jona. 2006. Livius. 13 April, 2006 < www.livius.org> Maghniyyah, Allamah Muhammad Jawad. 2006. Prayer (Salat) Islamic World Journal. The International Muslim Students Union, 13 April 2006 "Salah." 2006. Wikipedia. 13 April, 2006 "Zoroastrianism." Wikipedia. 13 April, 2006 Read More