Field Trip: Islamic Education Center

I visited the Islamic Education Center in Walnut on Monday afternoon. It was a very cool experience. I spoke with a man (whose name I have forgotten) about some aspects of the Islamic religion. He was a very nice and tranquil person. When I walked in, I started to walk up the stairs, not even knowing that I was supposed to take off my shoes. Before I continued though, he kindly asked me to remove my shoes. My first question to him was about the daily prayers that a Muslims does. He told me that the first prayer happens right before the sun comes out in the morning. He also mentioned the fact that Muslims pray five times a day. He said that when he is asked, “Why do pray five times a day?” he replies, “I don’t know.” When asked, “Why do you travel to Mecca?” he replies again, “I don’t know.” He said that asking these kinds of questions is pointless because their answers can only be found in the faith by which they are practiced. Faith is the ultimate trust beyond our human limitations in understanding. Either you believe or don’t believe. He was very sincere and sure about this. He began to tell me a story about a man who was eaten by a whale because he sinned and while he was in the whale’s stomach, he asked Allah for forgiveness so that he may survive this plight. The man I spoke with began to say that he doesn’t know for sure whether this man was actually swallowed by a whale and survived, but he still takes the story as truth. He said that our minds are very limited; therefore it is hard to accept stories that seem illogical and illusory. But that doesn’t make the story less true according to him.

I also asked him about how he feels that his religion is a part of his daily life. He said, “If your religion doesn’t have an impact on you, it will show in your daily actions.” Every decision one makes is a reflection of one’s beliefs and morals. A religion will give one the guide by which to live one’s life. Also if you make a decision and something good comes out of it, you should accept it wholeheartedly. But if you make a decision and something bad happens, likewise, you should also accept it wholeheartedly. He illustrated this by talking about someone who passes through a red light. If there are no cops around and no one is watching, one may decide to just pass through the light to continue on. In one scenario, one may get away with it and just continue on with one’s life. But in a second scenario, one may be spotted by a cop and asked to pull over. Now the cop has to give you a ticket. In either case, one should accept the consequences of one’s actions wholeheartedly without blaming the cop. A very simple lesson in accountability.

Overall, I learned much from my experience with this gentleman. He was very eager to enlighten me to the simplistic nature of his religion. He seemed very accepting of me and very down-to-earth. He was aware of a lot of the misconceptions of the Islamic religion was eager to dispel them. I felt that his devotion to his religion had a real impact on me. It is very refreshing to speak with someone who is devoted in his or her religion. It seems that that is what is missing from the Catholic church, which I am a part of, these days. Devotion requires respect and time, both of which do not seem evident in a Catholic mass.