Thank you.

As the semester comes to an end, I wanted to take the time to say thank you for reading all of my blog posts! I can't believe that our class is almost over! I gained a whole new perspective on religions that I didn't really know about (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam) and I started to question the ideas of Jesus and Christianity.  My eyes were opened to aspects of my religion that I had never noticed before. With the Jesus unit, I was particularly fascinated with the idea that Jesus did not necessarily know that he was starting a new religion; he was just a normal man whose his main teaching was to show quality and respect for people. In this way, I think Jesus and the prophet Muhammad are connected with their similar mentalities. Besides this, I was very intrigued by the point that the Bible’s stories are meant to be just that- stories. They should not be taken too seriously.  The Historical Jesus adds more to the Jesus that I thought I knew and makes him all the more intriguing and interesting.  

The reason I chose this class was because I wanted to become more enriched with the culture of the world; I wanted to stray away from my focus on my life in America. I think that as a college student, I am trapped in a bubble in which I don't really know what is going on in the world around me unless I experience it firsthand. I don't want that to be my mentality. I think learning about other religions and other cultures provides such an enriching experience to a person’s mind. Studying abroad last semester was my inspiration to take this class in the first place. I will never forget my amazing journey to the Middle East when I met new people, experienced new religion, and heard new languages. The glorious adventures and captivating sunsets will be vivid in my mind forever. 

Response to "Where have all the prophets gone?"

In response to Adam Tobin's post, "Where have all the prophets gone?" I think there seems to be a lot of struggle in people's lives today with finding a balance between knowing when to speak out and when to stay silent. Adam mentioned a quote about jihiliyaa: "Jihiliyaa spirit is the poisonous venom spewing from our leaders mouths and their tribe is the white male, their vehicle the dollar bill. Where is the 2012 prophet when you need one?" Like Professor Silliman said, we need people who are "not afraid to try something radical, someone who is willing to take risks." Sometimes I think some people may go a little too far with their ideas, while others hold back. I think people may attempt to be prophets but fail. I found an internet article entitled How to Identify False Prophets:


"So, what does this mean in detecting "false prophets"? This means that you and I need no Pope. We need no men as Priests. We need no Ministers. We need no Evangelists. We need no Faith Healers that you or I must seek out for healings or other blessings. We need no Prophets nor do we need any person whatever! But almost all the False Prophets are in the business of saying something like: "You have to come to me for blessings." Or, some may say: "You have to go to that man or to that woman for anything from God."  


I think this goes against the point Professor Silliman and Adam are trying to prove. Do we really need a prophet? Or should we fend for ourselves?




http://www.askelm.com/prophecy/p970401.htm

Bedouin Culture

Alex did a wonderful job on her presentation on Muslim women last Thursday. (Thanks Alex!) I enjoyed the wrapping of the hijab and gained a newfound awareness of women ninjas!

It didn't occur to me that after all our talk about women wearing headscarves,  men still wear them too! I did some research on Bedouin Culture and found out that in Arabic, Bed'u means "one who lives out in the open, in the desert."

Many Bedouin communities still exist, including in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and North Africa, like Alex mentioned. The Bedouin community are excellent animal farmers and know the "secrets of the desert," which include finding water and surviving in the hot terrain. 

For headwear, the men wear a smagg (red white draped head cover) or aymemma (white head cover). For an outfit, the men wear the tunic, which is called a djellabaya. 

Bedouins are known as "ideal Arabs" because of their herding lifestyle and tradition of oral poetry.  Surprisingly, 5% of Bedouins still live like the older Bedouin generation, and continue the activities of raiding, hunting, and living in camel and goat-haired tents. 

Some Bedouins do graduate from high school and college. Of course, the rates are extremely low, but I'm still surprised at this fact because I thought achieving an education was not part of their lifestyle. 

The lifestyle has become unpopular, which I certainly understand. Personally, I wouldn't want to be a nomad traveling around the Sahara Desert, for the lifestyle can be very dangerous and comes with a strong emphasis on survival skills. However, I do admire the Bedouin's for their interest in their surroundings and their their open mindset. I didn't realize that Bedouins still exist today; I only thought of them as present during Muhammad's time. 

Check out some Bedouin Links:

http://www.bedawi.com/Bedouin_Culture_EN.html

http://www.thefellowship.info/Missions/Global-Missions/People-Groups/Bedouin

Prayer Bump

           While researching about the "72 Virgins concept," I came across another raisin idea:  a prayer bump. A prayer bump is a mark that appears on a Muslim's forehead. The bump or scar, also known as zabiba, zebiba, or zebibah ("raisin" in Arabic) can appear because Muslims pray five times a day and kneel/ touch the ground and prayer mat repeatedly during their prayer sessions. (I experienced this ritual when I went to a mosque recently.) Muslims believe the bump to be a sign of religious dedication, and some also believe that a white light will appear on their forehead when Judgement Day comes.

          This little piece of prayer trivia is very interesting and intriguing! This comes to show just how much more there is to all the religions and cultures that I knew nothing about. When you stop and think about it, our world truly is a fascinating place filled with so much more than the day to day doings of our college life in North Adams.

Speaking of my time in the mosque, I found an article about the prayer bump and the controversy that follows it in Egypt:

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21700/a-prayer-bump-causes-division-amongst-muslims-in-egypt


While abroad, I did not notice any prayer bumps, but I will now be on the lookout. The fact that a Muslim's forehead touches the ground at least 34 times a day for prayer boggles me. I wonder if the bump really is an act of God or just coincidence? 

A "Raisined" Idea

Trying to solve the Raisin vs Virgin Debacle, I found some information on the subject that could help us decide the correct answer! 

http://wikiislam.net/wiki/72_Virgins#Virgins_or_Raisins.3F

"The false myth of "white raisins" originated from Christoph Luxenberg, a modern author writing under a pseudonym. His anti-Islamic claim, which has been accused of having a "Christian apologetic agenda", is that the Qur'an was drawn and that the Aramaic word 'hur' (white raisin) had been mistranslated by later Arab commentators into the Arabic word 'houri' (virgin)."

"Raisins, which are dried grapes, cannot have large eyes, big breasts, cannot restrain their glances, cannot be described as chaste, or have any of the characteristics listed above. The Qur'an further states that men will be wed to these houri. Men cannot be married to raisins or white grapes. Additionally, for someone to accept this "72 raisins" theory, they would also have to accept that the Qur'an was not written by Allah or revealed to Muhammad in Arabic during the 7^th century, but was in fact written by Christian evangelists in Syro-Aramaic during the 8^th century."


So according to Wikipedia, the raisins theory is a myth. What do you think? 


'Hur' vs 'Houri'- They both look and sound similar!

Protected Love

      Our discussion in class about women and their protectors in Ancient Arabia intrigued me. Why does it always seem to be that women appear vulnerable and lost without a man? I recently watched a movie called Sabha: A Love Story, which is about an unhappy Muslim woman, Sabha, who still lives with her family. Her brother is the head of the house, and he basically controls her life. The family is always telling her that she needs to find a husband. Sabha feels suffocated and trapped under the "power" of her brother and her family's ways. In Muhammad's time, marriage was a tool used for power and protection. Why can't marriage just be about love? Is that too much to ask?

      With this in mind, I now realize that Sabha's brother could be seen as her protector. Like discussed in class, Arabian woman needed male protectors to prevent them from being targets of slavery and other possible dangers. In the modern day love story, Sabha's brother didn't need to protect her from slavery. However, his strict ways that appeared too harsh in Sabha's eyes were really just an act of love. He wanted what was best for his sister, even if she didn't see it as that way. In this case, and in the cases of the Arabian women in Muhammad's time, do you think it was better to have "protected love" or allow women to live without protectors?

Need a Study Break?

Need a study break from our crazy college lives and our book analysis project? Bask in the glorified sounds of these beautiful Hinduism songs:




Jaya Shiva Shankara: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw8iSESXI1I






Shiv Shambho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N3ve090p2o


I came across these two songs while browsing youtube and instantly fell in love. The songs are so peaceful and calming. Even though they are Hindu songs, they reminded me of Muhammad because Muhammad was a peaceful man who wanted to upkeep peace in the world.  If Muhammad had a music playlist, I wonder if he'd have listened to songs like this!       


The artist Shivali has a whole collection of songs in her repertoire entitled The Bhajan Project. In Shiv Shambho, the meaning of the phrase Jaya Jaya Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho means "Hail to the supreme Lord, the auspicious one who brings happiness and joy, who dwells in the hearts of all!" In Jaya Shiva Shankara Shiva, Jaya means victory, Shiva means "who promises you bliss" and Shankara is the Dispeller of Doubts. In Hinduism, Shiva also means the Destroyer of Evil.