Chapter Eight: Islam

The Dome of the Rock Mosque

Muhammad and the Birth of Islam  Muhammad born in Mecca (570 CE)  A prophet in the tradition of Moses and Jesus  Received revelations from God through angel Gabriel  Cast out of Mecca - Hegira (622 CE)  Preached in the Qa’aba temple  Islam means “submission to God”

The Qa’aba in Mecca

John Donne ( ) Holy Sonnets: Batter my heart, three-person'd God  Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you  As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;  That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend  Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.  I, like an usurp'd town to'another due,  Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;  Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,  But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.  Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,  But am betroth'd unto your enemy;  Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,  Take me to you, imprison me, for I,  Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,  Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Five Pillars of Islam  Recitation: One must recite the Muslim act of faith: “there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger”  Prayer: One must pray five times a day facing Mecca  Charity: one must donate a portion of one’s wealth  Fasting: One must fast during the holy month of Ramadan  Pilgrimage: one must make a trip (Haj) to Mecca at least once in a lifetime to worship at the Qa’aba

The Qur’an  Central text of Islam –Collation of Muhammad’s oral revelations  114 chapters (sûras); about as long as the New Testament  Written in Arabic –Cannot be translated  Source of unifications for all Muslims  Memorization and recitation

Calligraphy: “beautiful writing”

Functions of Islamic Mosques  A mosque is “a place for ritual prostration”—ie, Islamic prayer  Decorated geometrically in tiles, non-narrative art  No furniture, but rugs often on floor for prayer  Niche in the wall called the michrab indicates direction of Mecca in which to pray  Contains fountains so the devout may ritually cleanse hands, feet, and mouth before prayer  Towers next to mosque for announcing call to prayer

[Image 8.8] Maqsura screen of the Córdoba Mosque

[Image 8.10] Taj Mahal

Sufi Writers  Rumi –Over 300 Persian poems (in rhyming couplets) –Also wrote discourses on mystical experiences –Combined recitation and movement (dervishes)

“Be Lost in the Call” by Rumi  Lord, said David, since you do not need us, why did you create these two worlds?  Reality replied: O prisoner of time, I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity, and I wished this treasure to be known, so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart; its darkened back, the world; The back would please you if you've never seen t he face.  Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw? Yet clean away the mud and straw, and a mirror might be revealed.  Until the juice ferments a while in the cask, it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright, you must do a little work.  My King addressed the soul of my flesh: You return just as you left. Where are the traces of my gifts? We know that alchemy transforms copper into gold. This Sun doesn't want a crown or robe from God's grace. He is a hat to a hundred bald men, a covering for ten who were naked. Jesus sat humbly on the back of an ass, my child! How could a zephyr ride an ass? Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream. Reason, tread the path of selflessness into eternity. Remember God so much that you are forgotten. Let the caller and the called disappear; be lost in the Call. - "Love is a Stranger", Kabir Helminski Threshold Books, 1993 "Love is a Stranger"