Rabbi Burt Visotzky, the Nathan and Janet Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, spoke to Al-Iman students about Jewish history and Torah Law as well as Jewish and Muslim faith influence in the Middle East. Students found his take on utilizing historical co-existence between Muslims and Jews as a tool for unity in today's society very interesting and informative.

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a professor at NYU and former AV board member, spoke to the Heschel students about her experiences as a convert to Islam seeking fellowship amidst the diversity of Muslims in the United States and abroad. She discussed challenges she faced in Germany and Michigan as well as her involvement with the Progressive Islam community in New York. (Heschel student Robyn Spector stands on the right.)

The reflection of Islamic laws or the Shari’a creates the foundations of faith for the Muslim community. The fundamentalism of Islam revolves around the total acceptance of the Absolute and Perfect Creator. In Islam, religion and culture are separate. Islam abides by its rules as in other religions. As a matter of fact, the foundation of faith in other religions such as Judaism explicates diversity and/or flexibility within different religions. This causes great acceptance towards the goal of the nation to its priority.

According to Islam, by the Command of Allah, the Imam of our time will reappear to all when he will establish true justice on earth and will rule mankind compassionately with utmost perfection as is the Will of the Almighty Allah. He will abolish the evil establishments on earth and mankind will live under true guidance as intended. This is what the Muslims believe as to be the perfection of their religion. An Imam will come to save the world from all the injustice and oppression and revive the world by resolving all the conflicts which have occurred. If we were to compare with other religions for example Judaism, they are still waiting for a Messiah to come to save their Holy Land which is Jerusalem.

However, he will only reappear when the Imam of our time will come. Now the issue comes back to the differences and/or conflicts between Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims. Shiites have always been idealists in Islam staying away from any types of politics. On the other hand, Sunnis have always been involved with politics which often lead to several revolutions. These revolutions have been advancement towards the goals of the Sunni beliefs. Our religion Islam gives much guidance on the subject of diversity, unity, harmony, tolerance and peace.

Islam teaches us that diversity is a fact of nature and it is what makes nature beautiful. God has created this whole universe with diversity. The diversities of races, families and tribes all have a healthy and constructive purpose, that “you may know each other”. In the words of the Qur’an: “O people, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into races and tribes so that you may know each other. Surely the most honored of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous of you” (49:13). There is no reason why these diversities should create barriers, or cause animosities among human beings.

-Fatima Waziry

As in every other religion, Islam has words that define what religion is. From the Islamic point of view religion is believing in a supreme power, Islamic culture, Shari’a (laws ), Prophets, a sacred text (the Holy Qu’ran) etc. Some of these factors are actually the foundation or base of most religions in the world. A religion must have basic laws for its people to follow; a supreme power is also needed in a religion for its followers to look up to as their guide. The foundations of Islam as mentioned before make its structure and keep it followers from steering away.

Islam is one of the most flexible religions in the world. It allows people of any race gender or color to be a part of it, which is why Islam is spread around every continent. Keeping the fact in mind that Islam is flexible and anyone of any kind can convert to it, there are mostly positive but one major negative effect. The positive effect is that due to its flexibility Islam is the second largest religion in the world even though it is not as old as other religions existing. Islam is a religion that gives both men and women equal rights under any circumstance but gives women more respect for what roles they play as a mother sister and daughter. Due to this fact many European women are converting to Islam. Islam has no preference of people of a specific race or color and is the fastest growing religion. As Islam is spread in many countries of the world, its followers tend to bring in their own culture, mix it up with the Islamic culture and end up following culture or society instead of the Shari’a (Islamic laws).

A perfect example of Islamic culture mixed in with trends of a society can be seen as Muslims divide themselves as Arabs and Asians even though being racist is haraam in Islam. In Islam a Muslim may marry any other Muslim regardless of race or color but many Asian and Arabs parents teach their children from day one to stay away from people from other countries. The second example is the existence of various religious sects in Islam. All Muslims should keep in mind that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) brought one religion and told its followers not to divide each other into groups and sects. Islam is a religion, which tells its followers to be united. Muslims are leading behind because its followers are too busy dividing themselves and proving who is right and who is wrong.

Therefore, I would like to state that there is no such thing that should be reshaped or reevaluated in Islam. However, there are few things its followers should change. Muslims should stop mixing their societal and cultural trend with Islam, they should not waste their time dividing themselves; this defeats the purpose of the Shari’a and what true Muslims should believe in. Due to these changes within the faith, people outside of Islam see it in another way. Last but not least those followers of Islam who are born Muslims should not take it for granted; they should not think that they know their religion completely. It is wiser to study in-depth Islam and recognize how beautiful it is. This is one of the main reasons why converts to Islam are more religious because they study Islam and know what it actually means and keep and follow the true message.

-Ramla Hussain

A belief system is essential for any religion. The religious ideology provides the framework and the foundations for practice, theology, and tradition. In Islam, there are five pillars in which every Muslim is required to believe in and practice. These five pillars provide Muslims with a system of practices that express devotion and faith to God. These pillars are considered to be manadatory and seen by Muslims as a commandement from God. They are Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. To be a true Muslim, one is required to believe in and do all of these five practices.

Shahada is the declaration of one’s faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad. It is the cornerstone of Islam, because it sets the framework for Muslim theology and practices. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God, is the oath one must declare to be considered a Muslim. This belief affirms the existence of Allah as the one and only God. This maxim is vital for Islam, because the whole religion is built upon this one principle.

Salat or prayer is the second pillar of Islam. Every Muslim is commanded by God to pray five times a day. Through this exercise a Muslim expresses his devotion to God and is reminded of God’s absolute existence. During every prayer, one declares his faith in Allah and asks him to show the straight path. The prayers are taken directly out of the Quran, which makes the prayer that more meaningful. The fact that a Muslim must pray five times a day shows the emphasis Islam places on this practice. By performing Salat, Muslims reaffirm their belief in one God.

Hajj is the fifth and last pillar of Islam. It is a pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca, where one reconnects with the Islamic heritage and reaffirms his belief in Islam. Mecca is believed to be a city where Abraham and his family resided. When Muslims go on Hajj they revisit the sacred places that Abraham and his family built and their trails through the mountains. On this journey, Muslims spiritually reconnect with their patriarch and prophet Abraham and reaffirm their belief in Allah. It is believed that God told Abraham to build Kaba, a holy site in Mecca, where he was supposed to bring all of mankind. This belief provides the foundation for Hajj and reasons for Muslims to perform this ritual. This practice, which is obligatory on all Muslims, makes a meaningful contribution to the Islamic faith because going on this journey and participating along side millions of Muslims creates a new experience, which many Muslims consider transformational.

The Five Pillars encompass the essential five practices that reaffirm Islam as a monotheistic religion. The belief in one God and Muhammad as the last prophet provides Muslims with the doctrine which reverberates in every aspect of the Islamic faith. The Islamic theology and practices are built around this credo, which the Five Pillars reinforce. The Pillars provide the groundwork for faith to commence.

-Arthur Meyster