What does it feel like to be Muslim?
February 16, 2010 3:54 AM Subscribe
What does it feel like to be Muslim?
What are the essential personal experiences you associate with being Muslim? If you're Muslim, tell me about if, how, and/or what that means to you.
Let me be clear: this is NOT a lolreligion question. I'm asking this honestly and respectfully, and I do not want this to turn into a God-off. I'm not interested in comparing who's got the better God or practice, I'm not interested in converting, and I'm totally uninterested in lists of reasons to be Muslim if you aren't already--or, it should go without saying, reasons not to be Muslim if you are. This is also not an "understanding Islam so we know how the terrorists think" question either. Clash-o'-civilization wankers, you're not wanted here.
That's about as a far as I want to go in prejudicing answers. You're Muslim, you're on the green, and I'm interested your experience.
To me, essentially personal experiences of being Jewish include bar mitzvah traumatization, family meals on Friday nights, and a difficult relationship to Israel. What does being Muslim feel like to you?
What are the essential personal experiences you associate with being Muslim? If you're Muslim, tell me about if, how, and/or what that means to you.
Let me be clear: this is NOT a lolreligion question. I'm asking this honestly and respectfully, and I do not want this to turn into a God-off. I'm not interested in comparing who's got the better God or practice, I'm not interested in converting, and I'm totally uninterested in lists of reasons to be Muslim if you aren't already--or, it should go without saying, reasons not to be Muslim if you are. This is also not an "understanding Islam so we know how the terrorists think" question either. Clash-o'-civilization wankers, you're not wanted here.
That's about as a far as I want to go in prejudicing answers. You're Muslim, you're on the green, and I'm interested your experience.
To me, essentially personal experiences of being Jewish include bar mitzvah traumatization, family meals on Friday nights, and a difficult relationship to Israel. What does being Muslim feel like to you?
This post was deleted for the following reason: you probably need to phrase this in a better way so that it's clear what problem you're trying to solve and so it's not "hey let's talk about Giant World Religion" -- jessamyn
I don't understand what you are asking here? Are you implying, though you claim "I've studied Islam academically for my entire undergraduate and graduate career" that there is somehow a difference in the way a muslim feels as opposed to any other human being?
posted by Pollomacho at 5:03 AM on February 16, 2010
posted by Pollomacho at 5:03 AM on February 16, 2010
I suppose you mean to know which cultural practices derive from belonging to a muslim family/community which you believe have a formative an impact on who you are and on your emotional responses?
Too bad you don't want to know what it feels like to be portuguese because I could write a whole thesis on it.
Just trying to clarify. Seems like a very legitimate question to me.
posted by lucia__is__dada at 5:20 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Too bad you don't want to know what it feels like to be portuguese because I could write a whole thesis on it.
Just trying to clarify. Seems like a very legitimate question to me.
posted by lucia__is__dada at 5:20 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I memailed you my answer in case this gets taken down.
posted by Ziggy500 at 5:22 AM on February 16, 2010
posted by Ziggy500 at 5:22 AM on February 16, 2010
What kind of Muslim? Sunni? Shiite? American Black?
Living in what kind of dominant culture?
You may as well ask, "What does it feel like to be Christian," when the responses would vary from a Lebanese Catholic to a born again Texan to a 4th generation Mormon to a Boston Unitarian Universalist.
posted by availablelight at 5:29 AM on February 16, 2010 [6 favorites]
Living in what kind of dominant culture?
You may as well ask, "What does it feel like to be Christian," when the responses would vary from a Lebanese Catholic to a born again Texan to a 4th generation Mormon to a Boston Unitarian Universalist.
posted by availablelight at 5:29 AM on February 16, 2010 [6 favorites]
Religion--and God--are really fundamental parts of "Islamic culture." I'd say Islam focuses on submission to God in a way that few other religions--Christianity included--do. It's tough to separate the culture of the religion completely from the religion; devotion to God is a huge part of it.
I think this is sort of pointless chatfilter, because your question is asking people to gab with their personal stories. Your bar mitzvah traumatization and difficult relationship to Israel are not typically Jewish in any cultural way. Plenty of folks loved their bar mitzvahs and have an uncomplicated relationship with Israel. As such, I'd resist any attempt to stereotype Jewish cultural phenomena in the way you're stereotyping Muslim cultural phenomena.
That said, many Muslims fast in some way on Ramadan, even if they're no longer completely observant, because it feels right.
posted by j1950 at 5:36 AM on February 16, 2010
I think this is sort of pointless chatfilter, because your question is asking people to gab with their personal stories. Your bar mitzvah traumatization and difficult relationship to Israel are not typically Jewish in any cultural way. Plenty of folks loved their bar mitzvahs and have an uncomplicated relationship with Israel. As such, I'd resist any attempt to stereotype Jewish cultural phenomena in the way you're stereotyping Muslim cultural phenomena.
That said, many Muslims fast in some way on Ramadan, even if they're no longer completely observant, because it feels right.
posted by j1950 at 5:36 AM on February 16, 2010
Krista Tippett has done several interviews that might be of interest to you on her public radio show, Speaking of Faith (in particular, these interviews, and especially this one). Her interviews tend to focus on personal experiences and individual lives rather than "Sunni vs. Shia: who got it right?" So with this show, you tend to get very intelligent, diverse, and enthusiastically engaged interview subjects talking about the type of thing you're asking for.
posted by Meg_Murry at 5:58 AM on February 16, 2010
posted by Meg_Murry at 5:58 AM on February 16, 2010
Response by poster: Apologies for the poor phrasing. To the extent that I'm asking people to respond to their personal experience, then yes, I guess I'm asking people to gab. I cited my own experiences as the kind of intangible that's difficult to prompt in a more direct question--which in my own academic experience, tend to prompt academic, third-person answers.
I don't want to know what "many Muslims" do; I was asking what "you" as a muslim do, and I was asking on Ask.Mefi because this is a respectful and sensitive community.
The truth is, I haven't seen this kind of question asked or answered anywhere, and I'm interested in having a conversation about religion that's based on the subjective experience of practice, rather than on thought.
Again, my apologies if this turns out to be chatfilter, and I appreciate the private responses I've been MeMailed.
posted by awenner at 6:02 AM on February 16, 2010
I don't want to know what "many Muslims" do; I was asking what "you" as a muslim do, and I was asking on Ask.Mefi because this is a respectful and sensitive community.
The truth is, I haven't seen this kind of question asked or answered anywhere, and I'm interested in having a conversation about religion that's based on the subjective experience of practice, rather than on thought.
Again, my apologies if this turns out to be chatfilter, and I appreciate the private responses I've been MeMailed.
posted by awenner at 6:02 AM on February 16, 2010
Response by poster:
You may as well ask, "What does it feel like to be Christian," when the responses would vary from a Lebanese Catholic to a born again Texan to a 4th generation Mormon to a Boston Unitarian Universalist.
Exactly. Islam isn't monolithic, and answers will certainly vary. If anything, I'm hoping this can clarify the diversity of Islam in a more evocative way than a simple statement of fact, valid though it may be.
posted by awenner at 6:05 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
You may as well ask, "What does it feel like to be Christian," when the responses would vary from a Lebanese Catholic to a born again Texan to a 4th generation Mormon to a Boston Unitarian Universalist.
Exactly. Islam isn't monolithic, and answers will certainly vary. If anything, I'm hoping this can clarify the diversity of Islam in a more evocative way than a simple statement of fact, valid though it may be.
posted by awenner at 6:05 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
It looks like there is some good material for you here:
posted by alms at 6:11 AM on February 16, 2010
The experience of being Muslim.and here:
What does it feel like to be Muslim?[This isn't intended to be snark. I think this is an interesting question, and my links -- albeit through Google -- really do look like they have what the poster is looking for.]
posted by alms at 6:11 AM on February 16, 2010
Best answer: I'm quite lapsed, but grew up in a socially liberal family in a Muslim country. Is this the sort of thing you mean?
Fasting in Ramazan, or at least not eating in front of others or in public during that month. And out of the tradition of fasting, for me, this said something about being Muslim: waking up before the break of dawn knowing that millions of other people are doing the same, shuffling to the kitchen for a snack or simply a glass of water, and seeing lights in your neighbours' windows, hearing the entire city moving around at this odd time, still talking in hushed tones because it's dark and they're half-asleep.
The rite of wuzu, or the ritual ablution one performs before prayer (rinsing thrice in prescribed order hands/ feet/ face/ arms). Even now, nothing makes me feel as clean and fresh, inside and outside, as that rite.
The traumatic rite of passage of watching a goat being slaughtered on Eid (not religious, but every child watched at least once).
It's ok and normal to have a big beard, even one dyed flaming orange with henna. It's ok and normal to loosely cover one's head (though I never did), though the extreme hijab styles is worthy of mockery and worn only by ninjas. The sign says: 'this is not a matter of the heart, it is a matter of the faith'. A protest against Valentine's Day.
Never have your feet on the same level as food: it's disrespectful to the food God gave you. If you drop some food or have to throw it away, murmur a brief apology under your breath. (These may be more cultural than religious)
Finding figurative religious depictions just a little weird, even now, after years of studying them.
The minimal rituals around death: dominated by quiet murmured recitations from the Quran, and the clicking of almond shells which are used to keep track of how many times a prayer has been murmured. The speed of funerals: the common Western way of embalming/ caskets/ keeping bodies around is still somewhat repellent to me: in my upbringing, the burial was, ideally, before the next sunset after death, in a simple winding cloth. (A difference between men and women here. Men say an additional group funeral prayer.)
Growing up in a Muslim country and then moving to the west: the sudden shock of realising that yes, people do celebrate Christmas because it means something to them, not because it's a dominant world holiday and an excuse for presents.
Again, growing up in a Muslim country, the day follows the rhythms of the five prayers. I have never been one for prayer, but the sound of azaan divides the day. When I was a student in the US and walking to the campus I heard the azaan (for Islam Awareness Week) I nearly cried, it was so familiar and I hadn't realised it was missing from my day.
Again, in a Muslim country: when I was little the weekend was Friday/ Saturday. It changed when I was in my teens, and instead everyone got an extra long lunch break for the Friday prayer. So Friday still feels special and not really part of the week at all.
And um yeah, difficult relationship with Israel.
posted by tavegyl at 6:31 AM on February 16, 2010 [8 favorites]
Fasting in Ramazan, or at least not eating in front of others or in public during that month. And out of the tradition of fasting, for me, this said something about being Muslim: waking up before the break of dawn knowing that millions of other people are doing the same, shuffling to the kitchen for a snack or simply a glass of water, and seeing lights in your neighbours' windows, hearing the entire city moving around at this odd time, still talking in hushed tones because it's dark and they're half-asleep.
The rite of wuzu, or the ritual ablution one performs before prayer (rinsing thrice in prescribed order hands/ feet/ face/ arms). Even now, nothing makes me feel as clean and fresh, inside and outside, as that rite.
The traumatic rite of passage of watching a goat being slaughtered on Eid (not religious, but every child watched at least once).
It's ok and normal to have a big beard, even one dyed flaming orange with henna. It's ok and normal to loosely cover one's head (though I never did), though the extreme hijab styles is worthy of mockery and worn only by ninjas. The sign says: 'this is not a matter of the heart, it is a matter of the faith'. A protest against Valentine's Day.
Never have your feet on the same level as food: it's disrespectful to the food God gave you. If you drop some food or have to throw it away, murmur a brief apology under your breath. (These may be more cultural than religious)
Finding figurative religious depictions just a little weird, even now, after years of studying them.
The minimal rituals around death: dominated by quiet murmured recitations from the Quran, and the clicking of almond shells which are used to keep track of how many times a prayer has been murmured. The speed of funerals: the common Western way of embalming/ caskets/ keeping bodies around is still somewhat repellent to me: in my upbringing, the burial was, ideally, before the next sunset after death, in a simple winding cloth. (A difference between men and women here. Men say an additional group funeral prayer.)
Growing up in a Muslim country and then moving to the west: the sudden shock of realising that yes, people do celebrate Christmas because it means something to them, not because it's a dominant world holiday and an excuse for presents.
Again, growing up in a Muslim country, the day follows the rhythms of the five prayers. I have never been one for prayer, but the sound of azaan divides the day. When I was a student in the US and walking to the campus I heard the azaan (for Islam Awareness Week) I nearly cried, it was so familiar and I hadn't realised it was missing from my day.
Again, in a Muslim country: when I was little the weekend was Friday/ Saturday. It changed when I was in my teens, and instead everyone got an extra long lunch break for the Friday prayer. So Friday still feels special and not really part of the week at all.
And um yeah, difficult relationship with Israel.
posted by tavegyl at 6:31 AM on February 16, 2010 [8 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'm asking the question because I've studied Islam academically for my entire undergraduate and graduate career, and I've never gotten a handle on the human aspects of the religion. I can tell you a lot about Islamic jurisprudence, but not on the personal aspect.
This may end up as chatfilter, but it's an honest question, honestly asked.
posted by awenner at 4:28 AM on February 16, 2010