Eight Days A Week: Class Profile: Islamic Culture

Another great class I'm taking while studying abroad here at the University of Granada is Islamic Culture, a class all about the Islamic religion and what it means to be a Muslim. It's one of my favorites here at the Centro de Lenguas Modernas because it's something that isn't commonly taught or required in the United States. Of course there are programs for Islamic Studies and Arabic, but I've learned so much already in this class and realized just how ignorant many Americans are about this ancient culture.

Taught by Juan Antonio, a mild, curly-haired guy probably about in his late 20's, this class is in our CLM A building, closer than the other building. It takes me about 10 minutes to get there through the center of the city.

We started out learning about some differences between the Arab world and the Islamic world. Although they are connected in terms of geography and where the religion began and where its strongest roots lie, there are Muslims all over the world. It's a question of identity and language, and although religion and politics are extremely intertwined in many Arab countries, right down to the language itself, not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabic.

We moved on to the history of pre-Islamic Arabia, where nomadic and sedimentary tribes structured the desert lands. Caravans and trade were the only peace between the tribes, especially when they made their pilgrimages to Mecca to worship the polytheistic gods and goddesses of the time. This way of life is the earliest recorded in and around the Arabian peninsula, dating from the time of the Greeks into the late Roman periods. It is so interesting to see the connections between the old religions and the new, in any form of new religion that comes into history.

The real history of Islam begins with Muhammad, an orphan raised by his merchant uncle. Growing up traveling and seeing many peoples and ways of life, Muhammad became a reflective and honest merchant. He worked for and later married an older widow and had several daughters. When he was in his 30's or 40's, Muhammad started going to caves near the city of Mecca where he had settled to reflect on various issues, especially social injustices and human rights. It was in these caves in 610 A.D. that he had his first revelation from Allah, who told him throughout the next few years what would later become the Koran, or Qur'an. His followers grew quickly and were persecuted by the Meccans; he escaped in 622 A.D. to what is now Medina with them to start the Islamic nation. This date marks the start of the Islamic calendar. They fought several battles with the Meccans before triumphing; however, the Islamic faith is not about forcing people to convert, but rather is about tolerance and acceptance.

The figure of Muhammad, however, is strictly historical. Muslims do not believe in any sons of God, only that he sent 4 messengers to Earth and over 70 prophets. The 4 messengers were Moses, who brought the Torah; Solomon with his Pslams, Jesus, who had the Gospel; and Muhammad, who had what Muslims believe was the true message of God to his followers, the Qur'an. The 5 pillars of the Islamic religion are as follows: testimony (like the profession of faith), prayer (5x daily), fasting (especially in Ramadan, the holy month), charity (Muslims pay at least 2.5% of all they make and have to alms), and the pilgrimage to Mecca, which includes its own rituals and practices.

photos from the Islamic influence exhibit at the Parque de Ciencias

Now, after our mid-term, the class is moving into the Islamic Empire that grew after Muhammad's death in 632 A.D. I am hoping we will focus on some modern themes as well as history; but this structure is perfect because so many groups and various traditions that we hear about today started with people in the past.

It's so interesting to learn about this area of the world, especially given the involvement of the U.S. in the Middle East in recent times. It's also incredible to hear some of the stereotypes or hyped-up stories we hear through the media about Muslims and Arabic peoples, and it's also good to learn the peaceful origins of this religion, compared to the strife we see today. Thank you for reading!