The Qur'an and Islam

This is information given at our family home evening last night. I had fun researching it.

      
The Qur’an

This is a quote from the back cover of Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s widely accepted 1934 translation: “The Qur’an is a complete and original compilation of the Final Revelation from God to mankind through the last Prophet, Muhammad. Peace be upon him. The Qur’an has essentially three qualities that make it universal. Firstly, it is a masterpiece of immense literary value. Secondly, though its message is a continuation of that contained in the earlier Revelations made to Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus, yet this message has a sense of fulfillment and originality that attracts toward it Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Finally, it has a wealth of information --both worldly wisdom and intellectual conceptions--which provides the code of life for mankind.”

The Qur’an is approximately the same length as the Bible New Testament.  It was given to Muhammad through revelation in Arabic by the angel Gabriel over the period 610 to 623 c.e.d. Muslims believe that it was the greatest miracle for an untutored and illiterate prophet to bring forth a divine book of incomparable beauty, truth, power, and majesty.
The text seems to have no beginning, middle, or end, its non-linear structure being akin to a web or net.

The Qur’an is an oral tradition, not a written one. It is primarily the sound of the oral recitation (in Arabic) which is the distinguishing characteristic of Islam, the religion of the Muslims. It is considered a great honor to memorize the entire Qur’an and recite it correctly by heart. Many Muslim students work for years to attain this goal.

A devout Muslim will not open a volume of the Qur’an without first performing the ritual of cleansing and saying the words, “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.”
                              
Islam

Islam has over one billion members in the year 2010. The ten countries with the largest Muslim populations are in order: Pakistan (96%), India (14%), Bangladesh (89%), Indonesia (56%), Turkey (97%), Iran (98%), Egypt (85%), Nigeria (42%), Algeria (96%), and Morocco (98%). The next ten countries are Afghanistan (99%), Iraq (97%), Ethiopia (34%), Sudan (71%), Saudi Arabia (93%), Yemen (99%), Uzbekistan (76%),  China (1.5%), Syria (92%), and Russia (10%). The majority of Muslims (75%) are not  Arabs. There are approximately the same number of Muslims in North America as Mormons (6 million). There are over 30 million Muslims in Europe, mainly emigrants from Africa during the 20th century.

Islam discourages or, in many cases, prohibits proselyting by non-Muslim groups and there are severe strictures against Muslims converting to other faiths.

The three holy cities of Islam are Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. These are associated with Muhammad’s birth, burial, and ascension. The 2 major groups are Sunni (85%) and Shiite (15%). Iran is the center for the Shiites.

The five pillars of Islam are the following duties: witness of faith, ritual prayer 5 times a day, almsgiving (2.5% of personal wealth),  fasting during the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The witness of faith is the declaration, “I witness that there is no God but Allah, and I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”  The phrase, “In the name of Allah, Most  Merciful, Most Compassionate” is the opening phrase in every surah (chapter) of the Qur’an except the ninth. This brief invocation is ubiquitous in Muslim culture. It is recited during ritual prayers 5 times each day, uttered before eating food, printed at the top of government forms, and inscribed above gateways and portals of schools houses and office buildings. Incidentally, polygamy is allowed but not recommended by the Qur’an, four wives being the maximum. Alcohol consumption is prohibited.

Contemporary Islamic tradition clearly identifies Ishmael, not Isaac, as the son of Abraham who was to be sacrificed. The Grand Mosque and the Ka’aba in Mecca is the most sacred site in Islam. The visit to Mecca is the highest form of devotion for Muslims. Only Muslims are permitted to enter the area around the holy cites of Mecca and Medina. Part of the ritual activities is to circle the Ka’aba seven times. The black-draped cubicle contains the black stone and was, according to legend, first built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
                                                      
The Islamic Movement

The push by Muslims to reform their societies according to Islamic principles of equity and justice is often referred to as the “Islamic Movement.” The slogan “Islam is the solution” has become ubiquitous in the Islamic world. The ultimate goal of all Islamists is the establishment of an Islamic state that applies Islamic laws and principles in every phase of public and private life including economics, politics, education, and family.

Trek Support

TREK SUPPORT not to be confused with TECH SUPPORT.  Ken and I helped out at the Corvallis Stake Trek July 21-24,  2010.  We transported kids, moved port-a-potties, and shuttled 24 vehicles.  Ken could become a great valet the way he packed in the vans, pickups, trailers, and sedans in nice rows. He also trailed the handcarts in order to give rides to the next camp for those trekkers who had pulled to their physical (or was it mental) limit. He also changed a tire and got two sick vehicles going again. 

The weather was perfect--clear and cool nights. Ken took lots of great photos including a midnight shot of the big dipper.  (See his blog when it gets posted.) The Trek route was from Sisters, Oregon up the Santiam Pass to 4700' elevation at Big Lake at the top.  It was extremely well planned and executed.  The kids had fun and were inspired with pioneer zeal. The trail was dusty as this picture shows. A boy I home teach, Keith Tarkwon is pushing the handcart.

It amazed me how much work goes into supporting this type of event.  The adults accompanying each "family" made it uplifting.  The youth helped make the handcarts, the girls were really authentic in their bonnets, dresses, and pantaloons.

Each day the cooking crew had to break camp and move to the next campsite.

The medical staff marched along with the trekkers. Two girls got heat exhaustion and one was sent home with the flu.

With 220 people in the two companies, we moved 8 portable toilets ahead of the group so they had facilities waiting. The water transport was another herculean task; a truck was making constant round trips to the Sisters' fire department to refill the 300 gallon tank. David Williams chronicled the events on video and photos along with interviews. We'll get copies after a fireside is held.

Wood Doll House

Would you say I have too much time on my hands when I spend my evenings making doll houses and furniture?  These were too cute to resist when I spotted the kits at the craft store.  I haven't found any dolls that fit yet.  I did make a John Deere tractor to park in front  to make it a turn of the last century Indiana corn farm.  Notice the bathroom is on the third floor!  I've got a couple more kits for the grandkids to put together.  Sydney is earning one with her piano playing rewards.

Hooding Steve Pilkerton

What a thrill to see my good friend and associate Steve Pilkerton awarded his Phd. He asked me to substitute for his major professor who was out of town. As part of the awarding of the doctorate he has a colored hood placed over his robe. I had to stand on tip toes to get it over his head. Since I also graduated with a Phd from OSU I  was already wearing my regalia.

The provost, Sabah Randawa, recognized me as we marched in front of the dignitaries and shouted out a "Hello Eldon!"

Pioneer Handcart Reenactment

My outfit consists of Ken's Wellington boots, Carl's wool Pendleton coat, Jim Hay's wool pants, my old Eddie Bauer wool hat, a canvas belt from Goodwill, and an extra large flannel shirt. The stomach and jowls are real. I forgot to take my glasses off, but no one seemd to notice as I stumbled up the stairs to the stage.  (Photo by Ken)

Harry Reich assembled the handcart from a kit.  Janeil and I are on the committee organizing a 3-day, 25-mile trek over Santiam pass this summer. Sheryl, Brenda, Neil, and their families have been involved in similar treks in past years.

Only 10 of the 250 pioneer companies were the very poor British Isles and Danish converts who used handcarts. Only 2 of these 10 hardcart companies got stranded on the Wyoming open country in early winter snows where about 200 of the 1000 people perished. The remaining 60,000 pioneers mainly came by oxen-powered covered wagons, including the Olsens and the Fugals.

The handcart company our stake is mimicking had no fatalities! 

Gerald Lund has written a historical fiction novel called "Fire of the Covenant" detailing the daily struggles of a couple of the families in the Martin and Willie companies. The daily ration of flour was supposed to be 16 ounces for men, 12 for women, and 8 for children. Before the rescue wagons coming from Salt Lake were able to find them, the rations were down to a few ounces per person.

We had a great pioneer heritage.