World religions final project assignment

The community center is not only used as a prayer hall but as a center for local Muslims to gather for events and to attend Qur’an school (MAV: Muslim Association of Virginia, 2010). A Mosque is a place of worship in Islam that varies in architecture depending on their location in the world. Despite the location, there are common features that serve a practical purpose and represent tradition (Parts of a Mosque, 2010). A Minaret is a slim tower normally rising up from the mosque that was originally used as the highest point to call followers to prayer.

Not as common today but they remain a traditional decoration on most mosques (Parts of a Mosque, 2010). The gold dome on the rooftop is another common feature to the architecture of a mosque and signifies the vaults of heaven and the sky (Mosque, 2010). The domes interior is normally decorated with floral, geometric shapes and other patterns (Parts of a Mosque, 2010). The Prayer hall also known as the Musalla is bare and absent of furniture allowing followers room to pray (Mosque, 2010). The pray hall may have verses from the Qur’an on the wall to assist worshippers to focus on Islam and the Qur’an (Mosque, 2010).

It is only a challenge if one does not have good faith in your religion and you let the western world’s devices derail you (Mr. H. , Personal Communication, June 22, 2010). I have witness Mr. H. fasting and have seen his discipline at work during his month of fasting, it is not an easy task and I respect his discipline. I have worked with Mr. H. , for 10 years during that time I have never seen him pray or take time away from his work to do so. I have seen him in his tradition garments and he does attend service on Fridays. I asked Mr. H. , how often he prays and to tell me a little more about the five daily prayers.

Due to his work schedule he choices to pray all five prayers at home during private. He stated that this is not the correct way to do it but he has no choice (Mr. H. , Personal Communication, June 22, 2010). The five prays per Mr. H. , are Duhr, Azahar, Asar, Magarib, and Isha’a and are prayed five times a day at 5: 30 a. m. , 2: 30 p. m. , 4: 00 p. m. , 6: 30 p. m. , 8: 30 p. m. I noticed a gap in the morning pray time in comparison to the rest of the daily prayers so, I asked him to explain the gap in the times, and why they are not spread out throughout the day?

Another noticeable difference is Christians believe in original sin, where mankind is held responsible for the sins of Adam and Eve and only the sacrament of baptism can take your sins away. Muslims on the other hand, believe that all mankind is born pure and that he/she is responsible for his or her own sins and not someone else’s (Islam & Christianity, 2010). With their differences they still share a common bond, their faith in one God. Conclusion To conclude, I leave you with a description of a diagram that Mr. H. , drew during our interview. The diagram had a tree with one trunk and three branches that branched off the tree.

The trunk is God and each branch of tree represented Christianity, Islam and Judaism: the three Abrahamic religions. Mr. H. ‘ s reasoning for drawing this diagram was to illustrate that humans divide (the branches) organized religion; it is not religion that creates the segregation (the branches). As long as you pray you will arrive at the trunk: God (Mr. H. , Personal Communication, June 22, 2010). Despite our differences or even their similarities, religions and their followers all want to arrive at the same place. We all stem from the same tree we just branched off in our own direction.