What an Average Muslims Do in their Daily Life?

Question from Deanna Fedukovich (DFedukovic@aol.com)

My name is Deanna Fedukovich and I'm am doing a project on Islam in my world History class. I would like to say that I find your Religion very interesting so far. But I am having a little trouble finding a Web Page that describes what the average Muslim does in their daily lives, like what kinds of prayers/and how many times there practiced daily. If there is any information you could give me like an address of a Web Page or describe the daily life of a Muslim yourself, I would very grateful and thankful. If you could respond as soon as possible I would be very gracious once again.

Sincerlely,
Deanna Fedukovich

Answer from Ali Abbas (abbas_qureshi@hotmail.com)

Greetings and peace to you.

This morning while commuting to work, I had your e mail in mind. While your question (s) takes a look at the life of muslim, in it's most personal, yet most cherished form.

The day begins with the forsaking of warm beds, prior to sunrise. Not out of a routine, but more out from the realization, that we rise from a moment of sleep, a moment when we have entrusted our souls to the Lord, Almighty. A moment of thanks and gratefulness arouses us to be thankful to the Lord, and this prompts us to leave our beds and humble ourselves in prayers, offer our thanks for allowing us to live another day, as we fulfill what the Lord, asks of us: a day to be spent in His rememberance and a care for our fellow beings.

While Islam, is a religion, we muslims, do not seperate religion from our day to day affairs. Their is no dichotomy between the sacred and the profane, since every act outside the realm of spiritual affairs, also becomes spiritual, if done so, with absolute cognizance, that it is to please the Lord. Thus, many muslims say, that Islam "is a way of life", and only those who have and are practicing it, realize the import of this statement.

Having done the prayers, a preparation for the day ahead, we set out to earn the daily bread. The Koran, our book and "the" book that is the fountainhead and source of our life, asks us to pay specific attention and care to moments between our daily prayers. Though the prescription of the prayer is to be held five times a day, one in the morning, second before afternoon, followed by another in the mid afternoon. The two evening prayers are recited after sunset and before midnight. Muslims are asked to "guard" their middle prayers, these are moments that are between two prayer times. While a prayer sets out to humble ourselves before the Lord, seekment our needs, it is also a moment that casts its impression from times when we are not offering prayers. It is almost a moment of resurrection, so to speak.

As we set out to our homes in the evening, many muslims seek to draw to the mosques (known as masjid, implies a place where we offer prostration) for the last prayer of the day. It is a moment when believers gather, with their wives and children and offer the prayers in congregation. It is a moment that brings us together, and at the same time it marks the end of the day. We entrust our souls to the Lord, before we sleep, hoping that the Lord was pleased with us, with our striving, as our thoughts resonate between fear and hope: a fear that stems from our shortcoming of not fulfilling what was expected from us, and hope that the next day will allevate us, brings us closer to the Lord.

As you might have noticed, I have spent a great amount of time on prayer. It is just one aspect and one principle of Islam, that I cherish, since it is my only direct contact with the Lord. As some one had remarked, we are "alone" with the "Alone". A moment of reflection, indeed.

This is just a sample of what a nominal muslim offers in his/her day to day affairs.

I would urge that you write to soc.religion.islam to get a taste of how muslims perceive their day to day activities in relation to their faith.

I encourage you to ask more questions, and more so, please look up a book titled 'American Jihad: Steve Barboza', an account of the striving (jihad) that muslims offer in their day to day lives.

Bidding you a peaceful week.