Jews, Christians and Muslims are thus “peoples of the book”— religious cousins. Two-thirds of the Qur’anic chapters allude to the Bible and mention Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus, referring to them by their Arabic names Aadam, Ibrahim, Moosa, Daood, Sulaiman and Issa, respectively. The Qur’an refers to Ibrahim as the leader of mankind (2:124) and tells Muslims that the faith of your father Ibrahim is your faith (22:78). Moses, the most mentioned prophet in the Qur’an, is given an exalted status: O Moosa, I have chosen thee above all mankind (7:144). An entire chapter, entitled Mariam (Mary), deals with her and Issa (Jesus). The Qur’an confirms the virgin birth. Muhammad said that all “prophets are half-brothers, whose deen (faith) is the same but whose shari’a (laws) are different.”

To Christians, Jesus was the son of God and part of God. To Muslims, Prophet Muhammad was a human being. He was not divine. He is adored and emulated, but it is only Allah that Muslims worship. Islam is not Muhammadenism, and should never be referred to as such. Islam means submission (to Allah), and Muhammad is merely its and His messenger. When upon his death on June 8, 632, some distraught believers refused to accept that reality, Abu Bakr, one of his closest companions, reminded them, “O people! Whoso has been wont to worship Muhammad, he is dead; whoso has been wont to worship Allah, He is living and dies not.”1

DAILY PRAYERS

Salah or Salat (supplication)

Muslims pray five times a day — before dawn (Fajr), past noon (Zuhr), late in the afternoon (Asr), at dusk (Maghrib) and about an hour and a half after sunset (Isha).

The Qur’an mentions salah about 700 times. Be steadfast in prayer (29:45). Fortify yourself with patience and prayer; this may indeed be an exacting discipline but not to the devout (2:45). The salah is made obligatory for the believers, to be offered at fixed times (4:103). And so on.

Prophet Muhammad said, “Salah is the key to Paradise.” And he laid down the details of the rituals: “Pray as you have seen me pray.”

Prayers are designed to raise God-consciousness five times a day, throughout one’s life. Prayers also provide regular exercise — like yoga or Tai Chi or Qigong built into the day — and serve as a calming retreat from the daily demands of life. Muslims thus learn to balance deeni wa dunyavi (the spiritual and the worldly). They can’t abandon one for the other; that’s the essence of their faith.