If you’ve ever passed by Javatini’s Coffee Shop on Main Street in Seal Beach between 6–10 a.m. you might have noticed a group of retired people (mostly men) in heated discussions. Usually the conversations are far reaching and not as political as you might think. A recent conversation centered around Islam and how little we knew about the faith and its followers. One of the retirees (Skip Cook) suggested we visit a local mosque (a Muslim place of worship) and find out more.
We contacted Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of Orange County (www.isocmasjid.com) in Garden Grove. Skip Cook, Dave Peeters and I visited the attractive 6-acre facility that includes a large, beautiful mosque, elementary school, cafeteria, sports field, offices, religious store and mortuary (for ritual burials).
We met with Dr. Siddiqi for over an hour and then he gave us a tour of the mosque and grounds. He is a very gentle, intelligent, welcoming man who was very candid in his answers to our questions.
Prior to our meeting we provided the doctor with a list of the questions we were most curious to have answered. Following are some questions we asked the Imam (priest, minister) and a paraphrasing of his answers:
Question: What are the core beliefs to be a devout Muslim?
Answer: Muslims believe Muhammad (who lived between 570 CE and 632 CE) was a prophet and the central figure of Islam. They also believe in the teachings of the Qur’an (called the Hikmah or the teachings of wisdom), many of which are similar to the 10 Commandments of Christianity.
Question: What are the differences separating Sunni and Shia?
Answer: Sunni and Shia are branches of Islam that separated at the time of the death of Muhammad. One branch (Shia) decided to follow a son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad as their leader; the other branch (Sunni) decided to follow a council of Imams as their leader.
Sunnis are the largest branch, comprising about 85 percent, and predominate in most Muslim countries. Shia are predominate in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon. (For more detail: www.diffen.com.)
Question: What organizations (US and Worldwide) most credibly represent the Muslim worldview?
Answer: Fiqh Council of North America (www.fiqhcouncil.org) and American Muslim Jurists Association (www.amjaonline.org).
Question: Christianity has the Old Testament with many tenants/practices that modern people would find abhorrent, so they do not practice them; Is there a similar situation with the Qur’an? How does the “typical” Muslim balance Shari’ah law versus U.S. Civil/Criminal law?
Answer: In a non-Muslim country Muslims submit to the criminal and civil laws of the land. In social matters such as marriage, divorce, etc. the partners in a marriage voluntarily sign a prenuptial agreement that spells out how they will live.
In a fully Muslim country, Shari’ah law is practiced in criminal, civil and social matters.
Most principles of Shari’ah law are from the Qur’an and other religious documents in combination with other findings by groups of religious scholars. Besides merely defining rules and laws, Shari’ah includes beliefs, acts of worship and positive ethics and spirituality. The true teachings of Islam promote the sanctity of human life, dignity of all humans, and respect of human, civil and political rights.
Question: Does Islam have a set of dictates similar to the 10 Commandments? Love your neighbor as yourself?
Answer: The Qur’an includes teachings most of which are similar to the 10 Commandments of Christianity.
Question: What does the Qur’an say about non-Muslims and the relationship Muslims should have with them?
Answer: It is fully compatible with Islam for Muslims to integrate positively in the society of which they are equal citizens, without losing their identity as Muslims (just as Jews and Christians do not lose their religious identity in doing the same). Anti-Islam, anti-Semitism and other forms of religious and/or political-based discrimination are all forms of racism unfit for civilized people and are a betrayal of the true American as well as Islamic values.
Question: What does Jihad mean? When is it justified?
Answer: The word Jihad does not mean “Holy War.” It means “struggle” or “striving,” both on the personal as well as the social level. It is a struggle to do good and to remove injustice, oppression and evil from society. Islam urges that one should eliminate evil through peaceful means without the use of force as much as possible.
Question: How does the “typical” Muslim balance loyalty to his religion and his country?
Answer: There is no contradiction between being a faithful Muslim committed to God (Allah) and being loyal American citizens. Islamic teachings require respect of the laws of the land where Muslims live as minorities, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, so long as there is no conflict with Muslims’ obligation for obedience to God. The primacy of obedience to God is a commonly held position of many practicing Jews and Christians as well.
We left the meeting and tour with a new perspective on Islam and the contribution of the Islamic Society of Orange County and the good they are doing. We hope to have further interactions with Dr. Siddiqi in the future. P.S. If you are so inclined, drop by Javatini’s coffee shop and say hello. Everybody is welcome and you might find the conversation refreshing.
