Part III, Islam

Part III

Jannah, Jahannam, Jinns, Qur’an
The concepts of Jannah and Jahannam are the Muslim ideas of where one goes in the afterlife depending on their actions in this life. One must also avoid the jinns, or other pagan gods that explain certain mysteries. These jinns are a challenge for Muslims and can distract a believer from being faithful to the religion, and living in Mohammad’s ways. Muslims must keep their focus on following the 5 pillars, and choosing the correct choices everyday as their jihad. If a Muslim lives faithful to the Qur’an and Mohammad’s teachings they will be judged by Allah before they die and either go to Jannah or Jahannam, heaven or hell. Jahannam is described vividly in the Koran to scare a believer into making the correct choices, to avoid being sentenced to suffering in the afterlife. This is an incentive for a believer to make the correct choices and be rewarded by being sent to Jannah, or heaven instead.

Imam, Medina, Mohammad
God’s chosen prophet, Mohammad, began God’s teachings of Islam in Medina, a city where the people asked him to come be their leader when he began preaching Islam. Mohammad’s teachings began to grow and grow and after he passed away, Imam’s took his place as leaders or prayer in mosques. They are responsible for leading the prayer in Mosques and preaching the Koran and Mohammad’s teachings. However, they are not necessary for a Muslim to follow, since they have a disclaimer saying they do not guarantee to pass on Mohammad’s teachings exactly as they are, since Mohammad would not want divisions within Islam.

Ka’bah, muezzin, mihrab
A muezzin is the person who calls people to the daily prayer 5 times a day. This is done at the Ka’bah, or holy Islam site that pre-dates the religion. The building is cube shaped and many people can pray at the site. However, prayer is not restricted to only this ancient site. Muslims can pray anywhere: at their homes, at school at work, etc. A prayer mat generally accompanies a Muslim during their day as it has markings to help orient the user in praying in the direction of Mecca. Many Mosques also have mihrabs, or niches that point in the direction of Mecca. It is important to pray in the direction of Mecca because this unites all Muslims in the same direction, and emphasizes the importance of the sacred land.