What It Means - Day 135

"Have the disbelievers been requited for that which they used to do?"
Quran 83:36

The 83rd surah, al-Mutaffifin, often rendered as "Those Who Defraud," ends with this question above. OK, so what's the answer?

In the related commentary in the Study Quran Nasr answers the question, sort of: "The answer to the question posed by this verse is yes and no." Now, be honest, you weren't really looking for a simpler answer, were you?

Nasr continues, "On the one hand, the disbelievers have been requited with punishment for the evil deeds they committed. On the other hand, they have not be requited for what only appear to be good deeds, since they are those whose deeds have come to naught in this world in the Hereafter (3:22; see also 7:147; 18:104; 47:8-9). From a Quranic perspective, only those deeds that are accompanied by belief in God, His prophets, His revelations, and His angels can truly be called good or righteous. Thus the phrase perform righteous deeds, which occurs over fifty times in the Quran, is always accompanied by some mention of belief in God." As we've discussed, the pairing of belief and righteous deeds is paired over fifty times in the Quran, which I chronicled in an earlier blog post. Although Martin Luther, in a similar situation, separated them in the Christian context, they're never separated in Islam. In a simpler, more practical sense, it also speaks to the need to live a life of thoughtful, intentionality, where every act must be carried out and considered in regards to why we're doing it and how it benefits others.

Divurumpola

I continue to try and get caught up long-delayed blogging, which also allows me to clean up my long-suffering phone. Here are a number of pictures from Dirumumpola in Sri Lanka. It's mainly a Buddhist site (complete with stupa, which I somehow don't have a picture of) but also plays a key role in the Ramayana story. While those no great proof that there's any historical basis to the Ramayana, this is the location associated with the place where Sita proved her virtue to Rama by jumping in a fire with Agni. Historical foundation or not there is a definite Ramayana tourist path, which the Sri Lankans have done much more in constructing than the Indians themselves. I'm hoping to run this trip again in a year or two, so I'm definitely looking forward to another visit.

Buddhism is a very iconographic religion, which makes it just about the opposite of Islam in that fashion.

More images of the Buddha.

As I've discussed in previous posts, every subtle movement and placement of the Buddha's hands have tremendous symbolic significance.

The notion of hell, although mainly in the metaphoric sense, plays a big role in some Buddhist art, which always seems strange if you're on the outside of the faith looking in.

More images of hell, which would seem to fit in perfectly with a medieval church painting.

The reclining Buddha is a staple of Buddhist art. Here the Buddha accepts impending death and waits for it peacefully.

More images from the Buddhist side of the temple, as you walk around towards the back. A more gifted photographer (meaning, everyone) could have done great things with this image.

And when you get around to the back of the temple you come across a series of murals associated with the Ramayana itself, forming a little metaphor for how Hinduism and Buddhism have lived side by side in India for centuries. Here are Rama, Sita and Lakemana during their exile. The golden dear, which Ravana used to distract Rama and kidnap Sita, is seen in the backgroun.

Here Hanuman has bounded across the Indian Ocean from India to Lanka and discovered the kidnapped Sita. She refuses to go back with him, leaving the honor of saving her to Rama.

Hanuman is captured, and in the process of escaping manages to burn down much of Lanka.

The monkeys building the stone bridge that will carry Rama's army to Lanka for the truly epic final batte.

The shot is out of order, as it actually occurred very early in the Ramayana. Here Lakamana cuts off the nose and ears of Ravana's sister at Rama's command. This plays an even bigger version of the Sri Lankan understanding of the Rama story because it justifies Ravana's actions in kidnapping Sita; that is, he kidnapped her not out of lust, but rather to avenge his sister and to teach Rama a lesson.

A statue of Hanuman in the back of the temple.

A close-up, showing Hanuman ripping open his chest to show that Rama and Sita are always in his heart, making him a natural symbol for all of India.

Sita jumping into the flames to prove her virtue to Rama after her rescue. The first of two times when Rama cruelly doubts her love and fidelity. For this reason outsiders are often cold to Rama, which Indians have trouble understanding. They view Rama as a heroic but also a tragic figure, who did what he had to do because of duty.

Another view of the same statue, this time showing the people's horror, including that of Rama, at Sita jumping into the fire.

Beacon

Just a picture from last weekend, which featured a drive to the SO's hometown for a family wedding. I'm always told that she grew up in the crappiest town in America, but it doesn't look to bad from there.

And, no, my hair doesn't normally stick up that dramatically. It was the product of a gusting breeze, which considering the ungodly heat was much appreciated.

What It Means - Day 134

"Woe that Day to the deniers! "Eat and enjoy yourselves a little; truly you are guilty." Woe that Day to the deniers!"
Quran 77:45-47

Here's another section drawn from al-Mursalat, "Those Sent Forth," the 77th surah. As we discussed yesterday, it features the repeating of the line, "Woe that Day to the deniers!" which both works as emphasis but also gives us a sense of the poetic flow of the Quran.

That said, what interests me is this comment from Nasr:

"These words, which God addresses to the disbelievers, are ironic. They allude to the respite that God grants the disbelievers, though they think it good, as they are able to enjoy . . . a little; in fact, it lets them dig a deeper hole for themselves, as in 31:24: We grant them enjoyment a little, then We compel them toward a grave punishment." (Nasr, p. 1461)

We are reminded, as, truthfully, most followers of any religion are, that we can love this fleeting world too much, and that we need to devote more time to thinking about the more profound, eternal issues. So, that part of the verse is not particularly surprising. What is troubling, or, again, at least challenging, is that concept that God is being "ironic." Was God being ironic, or was Muhammad being ironic? That is, by the time the message passed from God through Gabriel and eventually through Muhammad had the  tenor, if not the message itself, been altered? Muhammad was an extraordinary man, but he was, in the end, also a man, and a man who we know was at times frustrated and annoyed and, at least to a degree, angry. Then it would be not be surprising that he was at times ironic (although, to be fair, he was also known as a very fair and not hateful person)? It's an interesting notion, and also more than a bit of a slippery slope, because there's a profound difference between changing the tone of the message and potentially changing the core meaning of the message, and if you open yourself up to the concept that the message might have been altered then, at the very least, arguments await.

The other point that Nasr makes (again, this is not a shot at Nasr, because he's just stating the obvious) that can be troubling is his point: "They allude to the respite that God grants the disbelievers, though they think it good, as they are able to enjoy . . . a little; in fact, it lets them dig a deeper hole for themselves." As always, there's that delicate balancing act in our perception of an omniscient God who allows humans to go make terrible mistakes. If we're not free, then how can we be free to make the right choices? Any parent understands the seeming illogical act of giving your teenager the freedom to go make the mistake that you know they're going to make; you have to do it, or they never become anything close to a functioning adult which would have the experience and ability to make the right decision, that they are so magnificently and clumsily avoiding right now. Of course, that's different than God letting us "dig a deeper hole" for ourselves. I mean, once we start to fuck up dramatically shouldn't God rein us in a bit because, going back to our example, a parent would? It's difficult to believe that God would be intentionally cruel (or at least not a God I would have any interest in following), so maybe it's just a case of a God who would be infinitely patient, with the fallback being that God would also be infinitely forgiving of human failure. Once again, the complexity of a monotheistic god.

What It Means - Day 133

"Woe that Day to the deniers!"
Quran 77:15

This brief verse is drawn from the 77th surah, al-Mursalat, often rendered as "Those Sent Forth." I chose it for a couple reasons, one of them being that it is the first of ten times that it is repeated in this surah. It's repeated for emphasis, certainly, but it also gives us a sense of the poetic flow of the Quran, which, as we've discussed, can be lost in a translation. The day referenced is, not surprisingly, the day of judgment. In the early days Muhammad talked about the end of the world and the day of judgment so consistently that his enemies shrugged him off as the Prophet of Doom. To be fair it is a consistent theme throughout the Quran. For this reason people often view Islam as an especially angry, judgmental faith, sort of like Southern Baptists on steroids. For some Muslims I think that's doubtless true. However, on a broader metaphoric scale, it also relates to the constant refrain that our actions have meaning, both in this world and the next, and that we shouldn't lead a careless, unexamined life.

What It Means - Day 132

"Has there come upon man a span of time in which has was a thing unremembered?"
Quran 76: 1

I don't know if I particularly have anything profound to say about this brief verse, mainly because I'm still mulling it over.  It is drawn from al-Insan, "The Man," the 76th surah. I mainly tagged it because it fell into my category of "Nasr, Are You Messing With Me?"

Here is his related commentary:

"In both vv. 1 and 2, man (insan) refers to Adam, all of humanity, or both. As translated the verse should be taken as a rhetorical question, either indicating that there has never been a time when human beings were not known to God or emphasizing that there was indeed a time when man was a things unknown, meaning nonexistent." (Nasr, Study Quran, p. 1452)

Obviously, I'm not critiquing Nasr here, because, by now, you have realized what a man crush I have on him. Rather, it's a reflection of the complexity of the Quran, and, for that matter, all faith. I remember when we Skyped with Seyyed Nasr in the spring we would ask him a question, and then he would pause and give a thoughtful, detailed and profound ten minute answer to eve
ry question. In today's age of surface level regurgitation of corporate slogans or buzzwords (we already have bets placed on how many times the word "pivot" is used in the first general faculty meeting) it was refreshing to hear a scholar work his way through a complex answer that sometimes ended with, essentially, "I'm not certain, exactly."

To me, and getting back to the passage, it is interesting, less in relation to Adam, but more generally to the existence of humankind. We've talked before about the notion that question of why good things happen to bad people or vice-versa are, at least from the Islamic perspective, pointless unless you think of the long endless existence of humans, including the time before birth, during "life," and then after death; that if you calculate everything up over these seemingly endless arc of time then everything balances out. At times over the years when I've taught sections on Hinduism I've had students ask if new souls were ever actually being created (as compared to being reborn) or were they operating from an initial great storehouse of souls, innumerable ones who had not even been born into the lowest possible life form yet. I didn't have a great answer for that question, and I've also asked some of my Hindu friends that same question and they didn't have a very good answer either. I guess you could ask yourself the same question in regards to Islam. Was there essentially a great spiritual big bang when all the souls were queued up, waiting for their time when they would be born and enjoy a fleeting time on  earth, before passing back out of life?

What It Means - Day 131

"Move not thy tongue therewith to hasten it. Surely it is for Us to gather it and to recite it. So when We recite it, follow its recitation."
Quran 75:16-18

This passage seems particularly well suited to this year-long reflection on faith. It is drawn from the 75th surah, al-Qiyamah, usually rendered as "The Resurrection." Obviously it is an admonition to spend time with the Quran and the concepts in it, to immerse yourself in it. As Nasr tells us, "These verses can also be taken as an admonition to hose who wish to understand the Quran to first read and reflect upon all of its teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." I've made the point before that one of the things that I like about Ramadan is the structured time that you set aside to read and re-read passages, especially when you're incorporating commentary, and peel away the layers of the onion. In much the same way this year has allowed me to continue to study in a more deliberate fashion. I also loved Nasr's point about the need to "first read and reflect upon all of is teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." This is the argument I find myself having with my fellow Muslims about their fascination with rules, especially ones that I find awfully intolerant and harsh. How does one read the entire Quran and its emphasis on respect and toleration and love and forgiveness but then draw out an ancient dictate to focus upon, and, I would argue, as justification for your own prejudice. I always try and think of the Quran, and the faith, as a whole, and not simply cull out the passages that agree with my worldview (although, obviously, sometimes I quite guilty of that; you could make an argument that I'm doing it every day this year on this blog . . .).

What It Means - Day 130

"Truly thy Lord knows that thou dost stand vigil well-night two-thirds of the night, or a half of it, or a third of it, as do a group of those who are with thee; and God measures out the night and the day. He knows that you will not keep count of it and has relented unto you; so recite that which is easy for you of the Quran. He knows that some of you will be sick, while others travel upon the earth, seeking God's Bounty, and others fight in the way of God. So recite that which is easy of it, perform the prayer, give the alms, and lend unto God a goodly loan - whatever good you send forth for your souls, you will find it with God better and better in reward. And seek God's Forgiveness, Truly God is Forgiving, Merciful."
Quran 73:20

al_Muzzammil, "The Enwrapped One," is the 73rd surah. This particular passage is one of the single longest verses in the Quran. It relates to the concept of night vigils, which Nasr explains: "Before the five daily prayers were revealed, night vigil was the common practice of the Prophet, and his small group of followers, who would reportedly stand in prayer until their feet swelled. The practice was then eased in v.20 was made explicitly supererogatory in 17:79." Again, supererogatory means that an act is beneficial but is not required. We've referenced this before, but the classic example would be if you went to as mosque around prayer time you would see people praying by themselves both before and after the more formal part of the prayer (when people are lined up behind one person reciting); the more structured part would be the required act, and the individual prayers before and after would be the supererogatory acts. This is one of those times in the evolution of the faith where an attempt is made to make the faith, if not "easier," but more focused on what is important: "So recite that which is easy of it, perform the prayer, give the alms, and lend unto God a goodly loan . . ." Even in these early stage this notion of a self-regulating emphasis on moderation was present.

Two Sides of the Same Cyndi Coin

OK, I know I've posted one of these pictures before, but I was cleaning out my over-burdened and long-suffering phone the other day and thought I should post these two together. It's amazing/unexplainable that I still have pictures from a spring 2017 trip on my phone, because, well, that's two years ago, but I've also changed phones since then. Occasionally I'll get phone self-diagnostic messages that I need to clear pictures off of my memory, and I always intend to do so, but it ends up being carried out pretty fitfully. Sometimes I think it's the enormity of turning all of these pictures into blog posts, which saves them forever (maybe) but also means that I need to do something with them. Mainly I think I'm just afraid of losing them, although if I don't do something they seem to magically disappear into the cloud for a while before leaving completely. Anyway, someday I will get completely caught up, which is what may get me to 3000 posts down the road.

Here are two pictures I snapped on our last day in Sri Lanka after we had left the crazy posh hotel where we were checking out elephants and were on our way back to Colombo for the flight. Along the way we, in one of those classic unscripted moments I talk about so much, stopped to have pictures taken with a very big snake (which I've posted about before). I love these two pictures of my wonderful friend Cyndi because I think they are the worst and best pictures I've ever taken of her, back to back.

Cyndi being introduced to the snake, which I'm sure is the worst picture I ever took of her. 

And Cyndi a moment later, which may be the best picture I've ever taken of her. It definitely speaks to her power to roll with the punches, which is one of the many reasons why I love to travel with her. She can instantaneously adapt to anything no matter how unpleasant, which may explain our friendship.

What It Means - Day 129

"So obey not any vile oath-monger - slanderer spreading calumny, hinderer of good, a transgressing sinner, churlish, surly, and ignoble withal - simply because he possesses wealth and children."
Quran 68:10-14

I'm guessing this is why Trump is always trying to kick Muslims out of the country . . .

The passage is drawn from al-Qalam, usually rendered as "The Pen," which is the 68th surah. This is another one of the many passages in the Quran warning people from paying too much attention to the things of this world, including the ones that are seemingly important but in the end aren't. Similar ones would include: 3:10, 14, 116; 8:28; 9:24, 44, 69, 85; 18:39-40, 46; 23:55-56; 34:35-37; 60:3; 63:9; 64:14-15; 71:21 (Nasr, p. 1402) It's also admonition that runs up against cultural norms in many parts of the Muslim world, both in regards to an almost unquestioning slavish devotion to powerful elites but also the pressure to have many children. The Prophet himself was mocked because none of his sons had lived to adulthood.

What It Means - Day 128

"Deeds are only in accord with their intentions. And every person has only what he intended."
Muhammad, Hadith (quoted, Nasr, Study Quran, p. 1394)

The passage above is one of the most famous of the ahadith, the sayings of the Prophet. Part of this would be the far less inelegant, you own what you do. Personal accountability in this life and the next is a huge part of Islam. Even beyond the notion that you, and you alone, are responsible for your actions, there is the related notion that you don't get credit for acts that somehow turned out much better than you intended; so no incident spiritual bounce for a less than sincerely motivated act.

For some reason when I was mulling over this hadith earlier today I found myself thinking about Christianity, or at least the in someways inexplicable Christianity (what I often refer to as alt-Christianity when I'm ranting on Twitter) that some folks practice today. Again, this is not an attack on Christianity, because, as I freely admit, all religions, including my own, are stupid in their own way, but rather a reflection on how some people practice it. Anyway, I was thinking that the same thing that, arguably, made Christianity the most popular religion in the world - the concept of Jesus dying for the sins of countless billions - is also the thing that had the potential to allow some folks to dissociate themselves from their actions? If you combine that concept with the notion of an independent, malevolent Satan (not present at all in Judaism, and, truthfully, little more than bed-time story superstition in Islam) you can, if you are by nature lazy in your faith anyway, make the quick jump to a belief that your personal actions can't count that much against you.

Am I any better? No, of course not.  That's not the point of the observation. I'm as shamefully lazy with my faith as anyone else, doubtless more so. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that I pick and choose what I think is important about the faith: so, while in my mind it is undeniably more important that I focus on treating everyone I meet with kindness and compassion as part of returning the worse with the better than learning Arabic or going on the hajj, it also means that I've made a very human, idiosyncratic and, let's be honest, arrogant decision that I really know what's best.

Seetha Amman Temple

I continue to mine pictures from my criminally over-burdened phone, this time, inexplicably, from the student trip to India and Sri Lanka in March 2017. As my students will attest, it always comes back to the Ramayana. I've been thinking a lot about the Ramayana lately because, well it is the Ramayana, but also because if I don't get serious about finishing this damn book the idea will outlive me. Plus, our Core curriculum at Champlain as we know it is disappearing, and it also means that amazing courses like Heroines & Heroes will fade away. Not only is it a fascinating course to teach, but it was also a wonderful fit for travel courses. Our Spring 2017 Ramayana-themed Heroines & Heroes trip to India and Sri Lanka, while exhausting and fraught with some travel-related near-disasters, was the most tightly-constructed and success trip I've ever run. If Heroines & Heroes disappears I really should run this specific course and trip again, which would form a very noble send-off.  Here are some pictures from Sri Lanka of the Seetha Amman Temple. It's officially a Sita temple, but, quite naturally, also celebrates the story of Rama in its entirety. It was also the spot where our Sri Lankan guide and friend Sudarshana Parera finally told the students the "other" story of the Rama, the one where Ravanna was the hero. It was the about the most brilliantly teachable moment of my entire career. My student Max turned to me in amazement and asked, "Did you know this?" And, of course, the answer was yes, but I thought it would be more powerful coming from a Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka than from me in a classroom in Burlington, Vermont.

The extraordinary iconography at the temple. It was another blisteringly hot and humid day in Sri Lanka, and we happily reached the temple in the morning.

Hanuman. It's never simply a monkey when he is carrying a massive mace.

Rama: the unquestioned hero to all Indians. The Sri Lankans view the story differently.

And Rama's wife Sita. This was officially a temple dedicated to her, and it featured many of the events of her capture and rescue from Lanka.

Rama, Sita and Laksmana.

And while Ganesha played no role in the Ramayana, he made an appearance.

Strips as cloth as offerings and appeals for good fortune.

The very large footprints left by Hanuman as he, in his giant form, jumped from India to Lanka.

It was Hanuman who found the kidnapped Sita. He offered to carry her back, but she refused because it would have been an affront to Rama's honor, and so she waited for her beloved to arrive.

What It Means - Day 127

"And God sets forth as an example for those who believe the wife of Pharaoh when she said, 'My Lord, build for me a house near unto Thee in the Garden, deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and deliver me from the wrongdoing people,' and Mary, the daughter of Imran, who preserved her own chastity."
Quran 66:11-12

These passages are drawn al-Tahrim, the 66th surah, sometimes rendered as "Forbidden." As you know the only woman in the entire Quran mentioned by name is Mary, who has a couple different surahs, Maryam (#19) and al-Imran (#3), that tell her story. There are certainly other women in the Quran, but they're referred to as the "Queen of" or "the daughter or" or "the wife of."

In a famous hadith the Prophet said, "The best among the women of the Garden are Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran, and Asiyah bint Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh." (Nasr, p. 1391) The inclusion of the first three women would probably not surprise you. Khadijah was the Prophet's first wife, and while she was alive his only wife, and his daughter Fatimah; both names are still very popular in the Muslim world today. Maryam is, of course, the Virgin Mary, in this case identified as "bint Imran" or the daughter of Imran. Her father is not named in the Gospels, but in extra-Biblical literature he's referred to as Joachim. In the Muslim tradition he's known as Imran, which is why the 3rd surah is called al-Iman, or sometimes "The House of Imran." Considering how central Jesus is to Islam, as we've discussed and doubtless will again, it's not particularly surprising that Mary is mentioned here. It's probably a lot more surprising that the Pharaoh's wife, not identified by name in the Quran, but referred to extra-Quranic literature as Asiyah, is included. In the Islamic tradition she's held in very high esteem and was considered a very devout woman who "was tortured by Pharaoh for believing in Moses."Obviously, this is very different from the Jewish tradition where it was Pharaoh's daughter who saved Moses's life, and there's no real connection to the actual wife of the Egyptian ruler, and certainly nothing about her devotion to the monotheistic faith.

Camel Ride in the Wadi Rum

I've already talked a lot about the epic camel ride we took through the desert on the March 2018 trip so I don't think I have much to add; mainly I just wanted to post some pictures. All I'll add is the reminder that the some of the students were a little hesitant about it when we talked about it in class, and in fact asked if maybe we couldn't replace it with a jeep trip (which is an option). In the end it was almost uniformly there favorite moment in Jordan, and some of them to this day still describe it in almost mystical terms.

After a quick breakfast we began to prep for the trip. The Bedu wandered in from their camps.

Liza and Ines. Our three camels were tied together, which gave me the chance to gab with them for hours on end.

We're about ready to take off. 

And here we go.

This is the first stop, a chasm (which I've featured on other blog posts). It's also featured on the jeep tour option.

There is a stream, which Ashley didn't quite ford successfully. She didn't mind, and it gave her the opportunity to ride her camel bare footed.

A goodly number of the crew.
Standing: Rebecca, Emma, Liza, Cat, Issa, Maria, Ashley, Nik.
Kneeling: Ines, Hannah

Our first break. I enjoy riding camels, although getting on and off them is a challenge.

I know I've posted this picture before, but, come on, it's epic, and the reason why the word metaphor was invented: my truly excellent friend Cyndi and her camel.

It looks like outtakes from Lawrence of  Arabia. Genevieve also took the opportunity, not surprisingly, to ride barefooted.

Our second stop, also featured on the jeep version, and the very popular bridge. Liza, inexplicably running.

That moment when Genevieve realized that she had to climb back down from the stone bridge.

Michael, who also went with me on trips to India and Zanzibar, will tell you with conviction that Jordan was his favorite one. Of course, he's got a major Lawrence of Arabia fascination. Allegedly he and I are going to take the four day camels ride from the Wadi Rum to Petra, which includes camping out in the desert under the stars. I always criticize my students when they say they can't wait (when they actually mean that they're looking forward to something) but I can't for our camel journey adventure.

Stopping for lunch.

The crew happily sitting down to eat.

Looking out from the chasm where we took our lunch break at the ever patient camels.

Our last stop, which featured a huge sand dune. I loved that Liza ran down the hill like a lunatic, fell magnificently, got up favoring her arm, us figuring out that she may have had a bit of a shoulder separation, before she climbed up to the top to run down again. Buffalo chicks are tough.

One of my all-time favorite pictures I've ever taken of a student: Rebecca climbing up for a bit of peace and quiet, and transcendence.

You know, camels really aren't that bad. Of course, I never share with them the fact that I've eaten camel before, repeatedly. I think it would cause misunderstandings.

What It Means - Day 126

Occasionally I just post pictures of mosques where I have prayed, and here's another one.  It's the King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, Jordan. It's funny to think that this was almost undoubtedly the first mosque I ever visited, remarkably fifteen years ago on my first visit to Jordan through the auspices of the State Department grant. At the time I certainly had no sense that I was ever going to convert to Islam, or any religion for that matter. I'm pretty certain that it's also the first overseas mosque that I ever prayed in, which happened on the previous Jordan trip. I "forgot" something inside and found some peace and quiet and time to myself. We'll be visiting the mosque once again this November on the upcoming Champlain College trip.

Most Muslim countries have one mosque set aside for non-Muslims to visit during non-prayer time and the King Abdullah Mosque is the one with that designation in Jordan. It also have an interesting series of displays, as well as a gift shop that takes credit cards if you're combining activities. It's right across the street from an equally large Christian church, will tells you everything you need to know about Jordan.

What It Means - Day 125

"O you who believe! When you are called to the congregational prayer, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off trade. That is better for you, if you but knew. And when the prayer is completed, disperse throughout the land the seek the Bounty of God, and remember God much, that haply you may prosper."
Quran 62:9-10

These two verses are drawn from the 62nd surah, al-Junu'ah, often rendered as "The Congregational Prayer."  As you know, prayer is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and that includes the Friday congregational prayer as well as the five daily prayers. We've discussed the fact that less than fifty percent of American Muslims make it to the mosque every week for Friday prayer, which is not really an indication of a lack of faith but rather the difficulties of being a religious minority. Friday is not an off-day in the US, so attending the Friday prayer is often a challenge as it means leaving work, rushing to the mosque, and returning (which means that the service often features late arrivals). Actually, Friday is not an off-day even if you lived in a majority-Muslim country, at least in the same way that Saturday can be for Jews and Sunday can be for Christians; essentially, as we've discussed, Muslims do not have a sabbath in the same way that Jews and Christians do. There's usually nothing going on before the congregational prayer, but then things pick up and the rest of the day wouldn't look that much different to an outside observer. There would definitely be more families out and about on a Friday evening in the Muslim world. I have Muslim friends who don't feel that attending Friday prayer is actually an obligation (and who am I to judge anyone after my blog post admitting that I occasionally have a beer), but the vast majority of Muslim want to attend Friday prayer but it's not always a logistical possibility. Many more men than women attend Friday service, which I think is actually a cultural remnant that often gets justified as a religious exception. Truthfully, I would argue that the preponderance of men over women at the mosque for Friday prayer reflects negatively on us; not that women should be forced to go, but we should work more diligently to insure that they should have the same opportunity to go as the men.

The admonition to "leave off trade" seems to fly in the face of my comments above, but it has to be understood in its appropriate context. Muslims will definitely leave the mosque and return to the world. Islam does not have the tradition of monasticism, the assumption is that you're going to be out in the world. In that way the short daily prayers are fitting symbolically. Take time away from this world to attend to the next, and now get out and work and do what needs to be done. In this case the "leave off trade" injunction mainly relates to putting yourself in the appropriate place spiritually to hear the sermon and to pray. According to a famous hadith the Prophet said, "When you come to prayer do not come while you are endeavoring [for this world], but come to it while you are at peace." (Nasr, Study Quran, p. 1372)

What It Means - Day 124

"If two parties among the believers fall to fighting, make peace between them. If one of them aggresses against the other, fight those who aggress until they return to God's Command. And if they return, make peace between them with justice and act equitably. Truly God loves the just."
Quran 49:9

Here is another passage drawn from surah 49, al-Hujurat, often rendered as "The Private Apartments." From Nasr, "Here the basic principles for dealing with disputes between Muslims are explained. The Prophet enjoined his followers, 'Help your brother whether he oppresses or is oppressed.' When asked what it means to help the oppressor, he replied, 'You help him by preventing him from oppressing.'" (p. 1260) As we've discussed previously, the concept of justice is at the heart of Islam. We are told to fight for justice, and that we're not supposed to sit out a fight. It's not that we're encouraged to fight, far from it, but injustice cannot be allowed to stand; there are a whole series of stipulations on what constitutes a just or unjust war. The hadith quoted above is one of the most famous sayings of the Prophet. Anyone who has lived any life at all also knows that it is one of the most difficult rules to follow. As difficult as it is to stand up for the oppressed, I think I would argue that it is more challenging to keep your brother/sister/friend from oppressing. However, isn't that the very nature of justice?

Dudhwa Guesthouse

One of the few advantages of recuperating from surgery is that you have lots of time of your hands, and a somewhat legitimate justification, faff around on your website (essentially, this is what I'm doing instead of going to the gym). I'm using the forced convalescence to continue to get caught up on the mountain of pictures/stories from too many trips (I feel like I'm Neil Young working my way through the Archives), in this case last spring's trip to India. On our unsuccessful trip to Dudhwa, at least on the tiger front (we were a smashing success on the introducing students to cricket front), we stayed at the Dudhwa Guesthouse. Since we couldn't ride elephants, and we never found tigers, I figured that the students would have whined, but instead they had a great time. They goofed and enjoyed the serenity (a nice break after the relative madness of New Delhi; only a couple of them had been to Mumbai, so New Delhi seemed chaotic without the Mumbai comparison - especially if you go to university in Vermont), and played so many bizarre card games which apparently only exist within the confines of Champlain College. I actually have very happy memories of our time in Dudhwa, tigers or no tigers.

The view of the high walls that surrounded the guesthouse. My initial thought was that maybe, for some reason, it wasn't a safe village, but then we found out that sometimes the tigers go for a walkabout, and you can see them inside the compound.

Our first meal, after a very long bus ride. Actually, the food was fantastic, whipped up repeatedly throughout the day by the small staff.

Yes, the future of America: Ines and Alex on the swing-set. There was a massive slide as well and I have some great video of Sally and Hattie pulling off spectacular butt-plants, but I've never figured out how to download video on the site (so the videos happily exist on Facebook).

The scene of many odd card games, most meals, and late night gab sessions.