Ethnography of a religious event - Research Paper Example

Ethnography of a Religious Event Ethnography of a Religious Event Introduction Religion is one of the main tenantsof any society. For as long as mankind has been around, people have desired to believe in something beyond the temporal. While humans have evolved in their thinking through the centuries, religious faith has remained. People worship together and privately. Religion impacts many people and determines their very thought process and their ethical and moral behavior. For this reason, no matter if a person considers themselves to be religious or not, religion plays a critical part in the bond that keep societies unified and functioning in a forward moving manner. As a way to better understand religious beliefs and the impact of such beliefs on the daily lives of its followers, it is often beneficial to complete an ethnographical study. This student desired to learn about the Muslim faith, specifically the methods by which females observe religious doctrine with the belief system. As such, she located a mosque in her local community and made plans to observe a Friday noon prayer service. Such an experience would surely give the student a perspective on the faith that simply studying research on the religion could not. It proved most enlightening to witness the Friday prayer service and this student now has a more informed understand of the Islamic faith and its influence on it followers. What follows is an in-depth analysis of the experience, coupled with an understanding of the Islamic faith itself. Participant Observation Attendance at the Friday Muslim Prayer Service This student contacted a local Islamic Center and inquired about the possibility of a non-believer observing their Friday prayer service. She was welcomed and given some instructions to prepare herself. Since women and men are not permitted to worship together, she was instructed as to the entrance she was to go through upon arriving to the service, in addition to the location she would be relegated to. As an observer, the Islamic Center allowed her to enter the service and to stand reverently in the back to observe. This is a common practice for all non-Muslim and this student certainly felt comfortable under the circumstances. Attendance at this event consisted of a majority male population, with a scattering of females present. During this particular Friday service, the attendance likely consisted of 80% males and 20% females. There were no young children present, and only a few teenagers. It was difficult to make out the different ethnicities present at the service, but this student observed no Caucasians or African Americans. The majority of the congregants had darker skin, indicating either a Middle-Eastern or Asian background. Judging from the vehicles in the parking lot, the majority of the attendees were middle to upper-middle class. Special Movements/Gestures/Language Prior to the service beginning, this student observed the males taking off their shoes and making sure that there face and hands were washed. Females did the same and ensured that their hair, arms, and legs were covered. While the women and men were separated, their movements were the same. They all began by standing behind their own piece of little carpet, known as a prayer mat. In unison, they would follow a set pattern of movements where the would get on their knees, then go prostrate on the floor with their heads touching the floor, and then return to an upright position. While upright, their hands would be palms up out in front on them. In between movements, they would all utter the same phrase in what is assumed to be Arabic. It was discovered later that they were all reciting certain pillars of the Islamic faith, such as Allah is Great and their no other prophet besides Muhammad. After what seemed to be about 15 minutes, the prayer part of the service ended, and the speaking part began. Actions of the Religious Leader During the Islamic prayer service there was certainly one man that was in charge. This man is referred to at the Imam and he directed the flow of the service. The service actually began immediately upon his interest as he led everything through the ritualistic motions of prayer previously described. There was nothing special about his dress when compared to everyone else. He was barefoot and had a small hat covering his head. At the conclusion of the actual prayer portion of the service, the Imam spoke to everyone. While he spoke, it was observed that he appeared to only be talking to the men, not even acknowledging the females. This was just an observation, however, and the women did appear just as interested in what the Imam was saying as the men did. The Imam spoke with conviction and power in his voice. This would be similar to a priest speaking in a Catholic church, or the pastor giving a sermon in the Protestant church. It should also be noted that while the Imam spoke, everyone in the mosque remained still, quiet, and seated on the floor. At the conclusion of this, the service was over and most people quickly left the mosque. The entire service lasted about 45 minutes, which is the longer service of the week as it was Friday. The Imam remained to speak to a few people, and then he did meet with this student and two other observers from that day to answer any questions about the Islamic Center. He was a genuinely down to earth leader and seemed interested in helping others to understand the role of the mosque not only in the lives of the Muslims who worshipped there, but in the community as a whole as well. Group Participation In general, the people inside the mosque worshipped collectively and in unison, yet there was something individualistic about it. While they each stood and went to the floor in concert with one another, their facial expressions revealed that they were reflecting inwardly. All actions, however, were done together and there was a ritualistic feel to the entire service. Library Research The Islamic religion is perhaps the most misunderstood of the world’s major belief structures. Perhaps the reason is that much of the faith is carried out in Arabic, or because the faith is still relatively new in American culture, but people simply have different notions of what it means to be a Muslim. The Muslim people, as a whole, are much like people of any religion. They go about their daily lives, try to be a better person, and come together to worship corporately at set times (Ronald, 2012, p. 96). As an introduction, the Islamic belief is like Christianity and Judaism in their contention that there is only one God. The Arabic word for this being is Allah, which loosely translated is related to the Hebrew word for God, Elohim. This concept bore fruit during the observed Friday service as everyone prayed openly to Allah and expressed that there is only one God. In essence, this part of the religion is like other beliefs and there is nothing out of the ordinary. In addition, the Islamic faith has prophets. Again, this is similar to Christianity and Judaism. Perhaps a noted difference is that Muslims believe that there Muhammad is the true prophet and that there will be no others. Muhammad is the founder of the Islamic religion and his teachings form the basis for study by all Muslims (Ajrouch, 2008, p. 47). Christianity and Judaism have the Ten Commandments, and Islam have the Five Pillars. These pillars are principles to live by and all Muslims are expected to try and observe them. These five pillars involve reciting the Islamic creed, which means a devotion to the notion that there is only true God and that Muhammad is his prophet. The second pillar involves daily prayers, which mandates that Muslims find time to pray five times daily. This does not always have to be in a mosque, as Muslims can pray anywhere there is room to fall prostrate, as long as they are facing Mecca. The pillars continue by giving alms. Muslims are expected to give to charity and to help people in need and, indeed, it is reported that they are some of the most giving people of any religious faith (Ali, 2010, p. 64). The fourth pillar of Islam that is observed is the idea of fasting during the month of Ramadan. This is a month long period that changes every year based on the moon. All Muslims are expected to fast from sun up to sun down, with the fast being broken each evening. It is quite interesting to read about the community that develops among Muslims during the month of Ramadan. They do truly come together during this time and worship together. This would be similar to other religious meals and festivals observed in the Jewish faith, such as the Passover meal. Finally, if they are physically and financially able, all Muslims are asked to take a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lifetime (Speight, 2004, pp. 410-411). This is considered to the birthplace of Islam, and would be similar to Catholics returning to Israel to walk the steps the Jesus walked to his crucifixion. The actual service that was observed reflected the second pillar of Islam. Research has pointed out the Muslims will try to make it to a mosque for prayer if there is a center near to their home or place of employment. As such, in areas that contain a heavy population of Muslims, mosques will be strategically located in places where the majority of their followers live or work. This makes it easier for the mosque to function as a center of communal life, and not just religious life. The mosque also performs the function of helping Muslims observe the pillar of alms giving. The Islamic Center that this student observed certainly lived up to that, as they had begun many charitable foundations that the people of the center were involved in. While it is not as old as the other major world religions, Islam has been existent in the world since the time of Muhammad in the year 610. This shows us that the faith has stood the test of time, just like Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism. In fact, Islam is the second largest religion in the world today and is considered to be the fastest growing. At this rate, it could quite possibly become the most dominant religion in the world during our lifetime. It is for this reason alone that a study of the Islamic religion is needed in order to better understand the over 1 billion people in the world that adhere to this faith. Observing the Friday prayer service was a step in this direction. Muslims dominate the Middle Eastern landscape, but ironically Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world. In fact, the world’s largest mosque resides in this Southeast Asian country. Islam is now a major religious player in most countries around the world, with the exception possibly being in Latin America (Bailey, 2011, p. 82). In America, Islam is quickly growing, with mosques now present in most major U.S. cities, and many smaller ones as well. Muslims have integrated well into American life, yet they continue to be shunned by larger society. This is perhaps due to a misunderstanding of the religion, when compared to Christianity. Similarities between the two religions, however, are astounding. As already mentioned, both religious faiths claim devotion to one God. In addition, both religions have a strict structure of religious leaders that guide their followers on the path towards better life. In Islam, this person is referred to as the Imam. This person is an elder in the mosque who has extensively studied the Islamic faith. If possible, this person knows Arabic and has studied at a mosque in the Middle East. The Imam is highly respected in the community and even settles disputes between the followers in their mosque. They lead the prayer services, work as a liaison to the community, and provide religious instruction to each member of the mosque, in addition to performing many other duties. Without the Imam, much like the priest or the pastor, the local mosque would not likely survive. Religion needs structure, and this is what the Imam provides (Ronald, 2012, pp. 101-102). Much has been mentioned in recent years about women and their role in Islam. While it is true that women face a difficult time in many countries, such as Afghanistan, research reveals that much of this is culturally, rather than religiously based. True, women are expected to cover themselves up in the mosque (and in public in some countries), and they are not permitted to worship collectively with men. They also cannot be the head of a mosque, yet this is similar to the Catholic Church as well. In recent years, however, women have gained leadership positions in the Mosque and are performing many of the daily functions needed to keep the mosque in a thriving position. Similar to the Christian church, some Islamic Center’s are more progressive than others, with some allowing women to perform many duties, while others do not (Hanley, 2011, p. 63). Muslims do also believe in an afterlife. They believe that can find a home in paradise if they follow the pillars of Islam. This student does not see that as very different from other religions. During the prayer service, for example, it was obvious that the followers took their prayers seriously and saw it as their devotion to the religion and its beliefs. By submitting themselves to prayer, they are signifying to Allah that they believe and would welcome a place in paradise with him one day. In a similar fashion, Christians aspire to a better life in this world so that they can one day reside in heaven with God as well. The methods and means required to get to the afterlife might be different, but the end result and goal is the same. A final element of the Islamic faith that is noteworthy is their strong sense of community. While other religions have this component as well, it is particularly strong in Islam. The Mosque is truly an extension of a Muslim’s life. It is their second home, if you will. There is a reason why the mosque this student observed is labeled an ‘Islamic Center’. By becoming a center of community life, Muslims build a strong bond with one another. This is perhaps the reason why, in the face of such skepticism throughout the world in recent years, Muslims remain a strong and unified force. They eat together, worship together, go to school together, and travel together. Families are not wrapped up only in their own lives, but their households become connected with others in the Muslim community. In this way, they seem to motivate and inspire one another to live by the five pillars and strive be positive contributors to society (Speight, 2011, p. 411). Conclusion In conclusion, this ethnography has proven to be most enlightening. As a woman, it was important to really observe and study the Islamic faith in order to get a better picture of its role in society. Going into this observation and study, it was feared that females would be disregarded as meaningless in the context of religious faith and that the religion would be portrayed in a negative light. This was certainly not the case. Islam is not that radically different than the other major religious faiths of the world. Muslims are taught to live a better life and to worship God. Are not Christians taught the same virtues? Muslims are also taught to help one another in a time of need and to be pillars of the community. This is strikingly similar to other religious faiths as well. Naturally, there are some differences and there will always be disagreements about what truly constitutes the religion of Islam, but that is not a discussion well suited to this particular paper. For now, it should simply be noted that Islam is a religion worth studying and that it will continue to be around for centuries to come. As such, it would be beneficial for all members of society to observe a service at the local mosque, speak to the Imam, and understand for themselves just what the function of an Islamic Center is. This is not an attempt at converting anyone to another religion, but is imply an exercise in learning to better understand one another. References Ajrouch, K. (2008). Muslim faith communities: Links with the past, bridges to the future. Generations, 32(2), 47. Ali, I. (2010). Faith in cooperation: Evangelicals and Muslims. Washington Report of Middle East Affairs, 29(7), 64. Bailey, L. (2011). Visibly Muslim: Fashion, politics, faith. Ethnicity and Race in a Changing World, 2(2), p. 82. Gale, R. (2011). Muslim youth, faith-based activism and social capital. Ethnicities, 11(3), 398-402. Hanley, D. (2011). African-American Muslim women discuss their journeys of faith. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, 30(4), 63. Lobe, J. (2011). U.S. Muslims more tolerant, opposed to violence than other faiths. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, 30(7), 46. Ronald, A. (2012). Expressing religiosity in a secular society: The relativisation of faith in Muslim communities in Sweden. European Review, 20(1), 95-113. Speight, R. (2004). Muslim faith and values: What every Christian should know. The Muslim World, 94(3), 410-411. Read More