Friday, June 03, 2005
Handled with Kidgloves, Read with Love
There is a great deal going on in the news about how the Qu'ran is being handled by the soldiers at Guantanamo Bay Prison. I have overheard discussions and read others' blogs about how unimportant this issue is for them, but I am sure that more thought needs to placed on this situation. Let's turn the tables for a moment. Let's just say it was a group of people defacing the Bible, or perhaps, more appropriately for today's a-religious society, we should remember the Book burnings, ("The Catcher in the Rye", "Madam Bovary", to name a couple). There really is a lack of understanding about how the Qu'ran is viewed by Muslims the world over. It isn't just a lovely little piece of Historic literature. It is the Word of God. I have never seen a Muslim mistreat the Qu'ran in any way, and I think a little explanation of how it is treated by those who know better how it should be handled is appropriate...not that anyone who needs to know will read this post. Still, I have to say it...because that is what I do best...talk.
The Qu'ran in the homes of most Muslims is lifted up on a pedestal, sitting in a place of honor, usually in a centralized part of the home. The belief is that an open Qu'ran attracts the Angels of God who protect the home.
The Qu'ran is not to touch the floor, nor is anything--ANYTHING--supposed to be set on the top of it.
A woman on her period is considered unclean(because blood is unclean), therefore, should she wish to read her Qu'ran, she must not touch it with her hands. This can be accomplished by the wearing of gloves. Many a woman I know also turns the pages with a pencil eraser in an effort NOT TO TOUCH the pages even with her covered hand.
Upon reading Qu'ran, it is wise to begin with the words, "Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem", which means, "In the name of God". At the conclusion of a reading one recites, "Saddaqah Allah al-Azeem", meaning, "Everything God says is true."
The Qu'ran is never placed in the garbage. This would be considered "Haram" (forbidden). It is read until it is worn down to a frazzle, then it is given to a less fortunate person who does not have one. They in turn read it until it is no longer readable. A Qu'ran will literally fall to dust before it is "trashed".
The Qu'ran is never taken into the bathroom, which is considered to be the domain of the Shaitan (Satan) because it is a most unclean place. In my ignorance, I once took it to the tub to read as I have often done with my Bible, and when my husband saw this, he came in, yanked it out of my hand and put it back to its place on the table before coming back in to explain to me, in a largely unapologetic way that the Qu'ran is NOT TO BE TAKEN into the bathroom.
The words of particular surrahs, or chapters, in the Qu'ran are artistically made into pictures that are hung on the walls of most Muslim houses.
Many Muslims will not read the Qu'ran in a state of impurity (after sex, after toilet, etc.) and will perform Ghusl or Wudu (ritual cleansing) before touching it.
These are a few simple examples of how Muslims treat the Qu'ran, but I am sure you get the point. I know that I have often, as an American, read the Bible in the bathroom, tossed it under my bed, hidden it in a box gathering dust, and placed it on the bottom of a stack of books on the floor. I am not alone. This is how many people treat the Bible, and they read it only when they are in times of trouble. But, the Bible is ALSO the Word of God, and in my opinion should be treated the same as Muslims treat the Qu'ran. After all they are the Words of God. Let me repeat that...WORDS OF GOD. When we treat Qu'ran and Bible as if they are the latest smutty romance and toss them, letting them fall wherever they land, aren't we saying that the Words of God have the same low value as "Sluts in Arms?"
YES, we should be angry at how the Qu'ran is being treated. But, we should also be angry at how the treatment stems from the ignorance of people who have never been informed of it's importance. Do you realize that most Americans think that Islam is a pagan religion where Galibeya-clad men and women bow to some golden calf and dance around a May Pole? Islam is the same religion as that of the Jews and Christians. It is the same God. How many of those who have mistreated the Qu'ran at Guantanamo Bay know that the complete stories of prophets such as Moses and Abraham are within those pages they are so brazenly desecrating? Do they know that they are relieving themselves on the story of Jesus? Would they do that if they knew? Ignorance is bliss, they say. But, I think, in this case, we will make an exception.
The Qu'ran in the homes of most Muslims is lifted up on a pedestal, sitting in a place of honor, usually in a centralized part of the home. The belief is that an open Qu'ran attracts the Angels of God who protect the home.
The Qu'ran is not to touch the floor, nor is anything--ANYTHING--supposed to be set on the top of it.
A woman on her period is considered unclean(because blood is unclean), therefore, should she wish to read her Qu'ran, she must not touch it with her hands. This can be accomplished by the wearing of gloves. Many a woman I know also turns the pages with a pencil eraser in an effort NOT TO TOUCH the pages even with her covered hand.
Upon reading Qu'ran, it is wise to begin with the words, "Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem", which means, "In the name of God". At the conclusion of a reading one recites, "Saddaqah Allah al-Azeem", meaning, "Everything God says is true."
The Qu'ran is never placed in the garbage. This would be considered "Haram" (forbidden). It is read until it is worn down to a frazzle, then it is given to a less fortunate person who does not have one. They in turn read it until it is no longer readable. A Qu'ran will literally fall to dust before it is "trashed".
The Qu'ran is never taken into the bathroom, which is considered to be the domain of the Shaitan (Satan) because it is a most unclean place. In my ignorance, I once took it to the tub to read as I have often done with my Bible, and when my husband saw this, he came in, yanked it out of my hand and put it back to its place on the table before coming back in to explain to me, in a largely unapologetic way that the Qu'ran is NOT TO BE TAKEN into the bathroom.
The words of particular surrahs, or chapters, in the Qu'ran are artistically made into pictures that are hung on the walls of most Muslim houses.
Many Muslims will not read the Qu'ran in a state of impurity (after sex, after toilet, etc.) and will perform Ghusl or Wudu (ritual cleansing) before touching it.
These are a few simple examples of how Muslims treat the Qu'ran, but I am sure you get the point. I know that I have often, as an American, read the Bible in the bathroom, tossed it under my bed, hidden it in a box gathering dust, and placed it on the bottom of a stack of books on the floor. I am not alone. This is how many people treat the Bible, and they read it only when they are in times of trouble. But, the Bible is ALSO the Word of God, and in my opinion should be treated the same as Muslims treat the Qu'ran. After all they are the Words of God. Let me repeat that...WORDS OF GOD. When we treat Qu'ran and Bible as if they are the latest smutty romance and toss them, letting them fall wherever they land, aren't we saying that the Words of God have the same low value as "Sluts in Arms?"
YES, we should be angry at how the Qu'ran is being treated. But, we should also be angry at how the treatment stems from the ignorance of people who have never been informed of it's importance. Do you realize that most Americans think that Islam is a pagan religion where Galibeya-clad men and women bow to some golden calf and dance around a May Pole? Islam is the same religion as that of the Jews and Christians. It is the same God. How many of those who have mistreated the Qu'ran at Guantanamo Bay know that the complete stories of prophets such as Moses and Abraham are within those pages they are so brazenly desecrating? Do they know that they are relieving themselves on the story of Jesus? Would they do that if they knew? Ignorance is bliss, they say. But, I think, in this case, we will make an exception.
