Religious Experience Lesson 1 - Different forms of Religious Experience.
Religious Tradition Depth Study 2 - Islam45
description
Transcript of Religious Tradition Depth Study 2 - Islam45
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6/3/2015 ReligiousTraditionDepthStudy2Islam
http://portal.waverley.nsw.edu.au/library/sor/09_islam_depth/practices01.html 1/3
arkanalislam WithinIslam,thepracticeofthefaithissupportedbyfivepillars.Thesepillars,knownasarkanalislam(thepillarsofIslam)areactivitiesandbeliefswhichareregardedasfoundationalforallwhofollowIslam.Eachofthepillarsrequiresbothaninternalorspiritualcommitmenttogetherwithanoutwardactionorsign.
pilgrimagetoMakkah
ThefifthpillarofIslamisthepilgrimageor"hajj".EverydevoutMuslimmalewilldesiretomakethepilgrimagetoMakkahatleastonceintheirlifetime.Forthosewholivenearbyitmaybepossibletomakethepilgrimageonanumberofoccasions.However,formostMuslimsitisaonceinalifetimeexperienceandsomeneedtosaveformostoftheirlivesinordertoperformthehajj.
purposeofHajj
Theword"hajj"meanstoembarkonajourneywithapurpose.ThepurposeisessentiallytovisittheKa'bahinMakkahandworshiponMountArafat.ThepilgrimagetakesplaceduringthetwelfthmonthoftheMuslimcalendar"DhulHijjah".
challengeoforganisation
TheorganisationofthehajjisanenormouschallengebothfortheindividualsundertakingthepilgrimageandforthoseinSaudiArabiaresponsiblefororganisingit.Theindividualnotonlyneedstoprovidefortheirownneedsonthepilgrimagebuttheyalsoneedtoprovidefortheneedsoftheirfamilywhiletheyareaway.
hajjguides
FortheorganisersinSaudiArabiathehajjisanenormousexerciseinlogistics.OveramillionpeoplegatherannuallyinSaudiArabiaforthehajj.Thoseundertakingthehajjareorganisedintogroupsundertheguidanceofanexperiencedhajjguidewhoisabletoensurethattheproperprotocolsarefollowed.
communityandgoodwill
Despitethedegreeoforganisationandtheexpertiseofthehajjleaders,thereisaninevitableelementofchaoswithsuchalargegathering.Yetdespitetheheat,thelogisticaldifficultiesandenormouscrowdthereisa
attitudeofpilgrims
ContentDescriptionOnesignificantpracticeinIslamHajj
Thefivepillars
Hajj
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6/3/2015 ReligiousTraditionDepthStudy2Islam
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greatsenseofcommunityandgoodwillamongthepilgrimswhichreadilyoutweighsthedifficultiesencountered.
ThehajjisaneventforMuslimsonly,touristsarenotallowedtoattend.Itisexpectedthatthepilgrimswhoattendwillbepeoplewiththematurityandsoundnessofmindtounderstandthesignificanceofwhattheyareundertaking.Acertaindegreeofphysicalfitnessisexpectedinordertomanagethephysicaldemandsofthepilgrimage.
intentionknownas"niyyah"
SomeMuslimsarenotabletoundertakethepilgrimagethemselvesduetopoorhealth,alackoffinancialmeansorunexpectedandunavoidablecircumstances.InthesecasesMuslimsbelievethattheintentionwillsuffice.Thisintention,knownas"niyyah"isanimportantelement.MuslimsbelievethatAllahjudgesthemontheirintentionsprovidingthattheireffortsaresincere.Thereforesomeonewhoisgenuinelyunabletoperformthehajjneednotfeelthattheyarefailingintheirreligiousduty.
symbolicpilgrimage
Insomeinstances,Muslimswhoarenotabletoperformthehajjseektojointhepilgrimsinasymbolicwaybypayingforsomeoneelsetoattendintheirplaceorgivingtocharitythemoneythattheyhavesavedforthehajj.Inthecaseofpayingforsomeoneelsetoattendintheirplacethereisarestrictionthatthispersonmustalreadyhaveperformedthehajjontheirownbehalf.
prescribedrituals
Therearevariousprescribedaspectsundertakenbypilgrimsperformingthehajj.ThepreparationphaseofthehajjtakesplaceoutsideofMakkah.Thispreparatorystageinvolvesplacingthemselvesinanappropriatedispositionorattitude.Thisinvolvesadeliberateandconsciousstrivingtowardsastateofpurity.Thisattitudeisknownas"ihram".Asasignoftheirpreparednessallnormalclothingisreplacedbyasimpleensembleoftwowhitecloths,onewornaroundthewaist,theotherdrapedovertheleftshoulder.Womenwearaplaingarmentcoveringallbuttheirhands,theirfeetandtheirface.
arrivalinMakkah
AsthepilgrimarrivesinMakkahtheybegintorepeatedlypraytheprayerknownas"talbiyah"whichisintheformofaresponsetothecalltoperformthehajj.ImmediatelyuponarrivinginMakkahpilgrimsgototheKa'bahandencircleitseventimes.Thisencirclingisknownas"tawaf".
procession
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6/3/2015 ReligiousTraditionDepthStudy2Islam
http://portal.waverley.nsw.edu.au/library/sor/09_islam_depth/practices01.html 3/3
Thenexteventtofollowistheprocessionknownasthe"sa'y".ThisprocessiontakesplacebetweenSafaandMarwahandiscompletedseventimes.ThisprocessionisbasedontheQu'ranictraditionofHajar'ssearchforwaterinthedesert.
journeytoMina
ThenextpartofthehajjinvolvesajourneytoMinawhichisundertakenonthe8thdayofthemonthofDhulHijjah.InMinapebblesarehurledapillarstosymbolisetherejectionofthedevilandallworksofevil.
MountArafat
AftercampinginMinathejourneycontinuestoMountArafat.OntheplainofArafatpeoplestandfrommiddayuntilsunsetinastateofmeditationThisisknownasthe"wuquf"orthestandingbeforeAllah.ThepilgrimsthenclimbMountArafatwhereasermonispreached.
Thepilgrimagecontinues,however,toMinaviaMuzdalifahwherenightprayerisheldtogetherwitharitualstoningofthedevil.Onthemorningof10DhulHijjahthepilgrimsstandbeforedawninabriefrepetitionofthe"wuquf"beforemovingontowardsMinaasthesunbeginstorise.
offeringofsacrifice
InMinathepilgrimscampforthreedayswhileofferingtherequiredsacrificeofananimalforIdulAdha.Afterthis,menhavetheirheadsshavedandwomenarerequiredtocuttheirhairbyatleast2.5cm.
ThehajjthenreturnstoMakkahforanotherencirclingoftheKa'bahasthefinaleventofthepilgrimage.HavingcompletedthehajjMuslimsareentitledtotakethenameHajjiorHajjah.