|
Encounter with Religions of Jerusalem
4th & 5th Sessions, 28th November & 19th December 2007:
Bi-weekly course jointly organized jointly by Interfaith Encounter
Association and Mevakshei Derech Community
The fourth session of the course took place on November 28th with Dr.
Muhammad Hourani who presented the Sunni Muslim community.
The fifth session took place on December 19th with Mr. Kern Wisman who
presented the Baha'i community.
Please find below the summaries of the two presentations, together with our
warm wishes for a wonderful 2008!!
PLEASE NOTE that the sixth session will take place the coming Wednesday,
January 2nd (at 19:30, 22 Shai Agnon, Jerusalem) with Rabbi Yosef Hadana,
Chief Rabbi of the Ethiopian Community, who will present the community.
-----------------------------------
Dr. Muhammad Hourani
November 28th
Sunni Islam
When Islam began, during the years 610-632, there was one prophet and one
holy book. He was both a prophet and a political leader who established a
state in the Arab peninsula.
After he died there were disagreement about the question who should succeed
him, Different groups demanded monopoly. Between 661-750 prevailed the
Umayyad state that had its capital in Damascus – not in Medina. It was a
"secular" regime – that that were alienated to the religion but they were
not very "orthodox". In 750 the Abassian state replaced it, after winning
the Umayyad, and ruled with its capital in Baghdad until 1258. All these
dynasties were Sunni. Iran, in its struggle with Sunni Turkey, adopted the
Shiite stream that had no political power at the time and since 1740 the
Shiite becomes a competing stream. The Arab world is predominantly Sunni.
Sunna means a way of life and includes references of Muhammad that are not
in the Koran. The 114 chapters of the Koran, received between the years
610-632, are considered the words of God, drawn from the same source that
the Torah and the Gospels are drawn. After the Bible the Koran is the most
translated book: in Israel there are four translations of the Koran. The
Muslims do not recognize them as it is forbidden to translate the Koran.
Muhammad claimed to revive the pure monotheism. Chapter 14 talks about
Abraham who is the father of all prophets, very close to Muhammad and
considered as the first Muslim. Muhammad said that Moses is his closest
friend whom he met in the Dome of the Rock. During the first 7 years the
direction of the prayer was to Jerusalem and the relations between Muhammad
and the Jews were good. Later they partied. The legend tells that the Jews
saw Muhammad eating camels and refused to accept it. Then Mecca replaced
Jerusalem as the center of prayer.
Another change was the deviation from the Hebrew calendar. According to the
Koran in each year there are 12 months, without a leap year. Consequently
the Muslim calendar moves 11 days back, in relation to the solar calendar,
and after 33 years it is a year behind it. Muhammad also said not to follow
the mathematical calculations of the Jews but to declare the new month
according to the seeing of the new moon.
Sunni Islam include four streams: the Hanefi – the biggest as it was adopted
by the Ottomans; the Shaf'i – established by a relative of Muhammad. The
Ottomans permitted to be Shaf'is; the Maliki – of those who were deported
from Spain to North Africa; and the Hanbali – the most extreme that has
spiritual influence on the modern radical fundamentalism.
There are five basic commandments in Sunni Islam:
Testifying that there is one and only God and one and last prophet;
Praying five times a day;
Fasting in the month of Ramadan, in which the Koran was revealed;
Going on pilgrimage to Mecca;
Giving charity: the Muslim state takes responsibility for every Muslim.
The Muslim state does not have many roles: protecting the Muslim state;
protecting the Sharia and protecting human rights.
The concept of commanded war exists but also the tendency to peace. When
Muhammad asked to enter Mecca for pilgrimage with 10,000 people, and the
pagan people of Mecca did not agree that he enters with weapons – he
negotiated an agreement with them. Muhammad said that for peace one needs to
make concessions. However, it is allowed to wage war aginst someone who
attacks you.
One of the issues in which Sunni and Shiite Islam differ is the additional
holy cities that the Shiites added in Iraq and Iran, like Najaf, Karbala and
Com.
--------------------------------------------
Mr. Kern Wisman
December 19, 2007
The Baha’i Faith
The Baha’i faith is monotheistic. The founder is of the lineage of Abraham
through the concubine Keturah. The faith is independent, having its own
scriptures, teachings and laws, which are not part of any other religion.
The source of Baha’i is revelation.
Prophets of the Faith
The Bab (the gate), 1819-1850, announced his mission in 1844 in Iran. He was
considered a heretic since he said that he was a messenger of God. His
followers, the Babis, were persecuted, tortured and killed. His book is the
Bayan (the explanation) The Bab was the herald of Baha’u’llah. After the Bab
was executed by the Persian government in 1850 the Babis hid his remains.
The Bab was later interred in Haifa.
Baha’u’llah (glory of God), 1817-1892. Baha’i means follower of Baha’u’llah.
Baha’u’llah was imprisoned in Teheran and later exiled. The authorities
exiled rather than executing him so as not to increase his following as
happened in the case of the Bab. Baha’u’llah announced his mission in 1863
in Baghdad, where he revealed that he was the heir to the Bab. He was later
incarcerated in Akko. In his old age he was allowed to move outside of the
city walls of Akko and then got permission to go to Haifa. His Kitab-i Aqdas
(Most Holy Book) is another of the scriptures of the Baha’i faith.
Abdu’l-Baha, eldest son of Baha’u’llah, who willed that his son succeed him.
He traveled around the world to explain his father’s teachings. He began the
early structure of the shrine of the Bab, which according to his father
should be built in Haifa, in 1909. He died in 1921.
Shoghi Effendi helped the Baha’i community to understand what Baha’u’llah
had said about organizing the faithful. He gave ideas for the design of the
buildings in Akko and Haifa and oversaw their construction.
There was no heir to Shoghi Effendi. Instead there is a Universal House of
Justice, which is the international leadership of the Baha’i. This is a
consultative body, which may not interpret text but is permitted to
legislate matters (e.g. in vitro fertilization) that are not in the texts.
There are no priests or other clergy in the Baha’i faith. Worship is a
personal responsibility.
Elected Administrative Bodies
The Local Spiritual Assembly in communities of more than 9 people is elected
every year.
The National Spiritual Assembly is elected every year. It consists of 9
people.
The Universal House of Justice, an international body, has 9 members from
each country. It is elected every 5 years at an international convention.
The Baha’i have observer (NGO or non-governmental organization) status in
such UN bodies as UNICEF and ECOSOC. They were also active in the Millennium
Summit of Religious Leaders.
The Baha’i are particularly concerned with women’s rights, ecology, human
rights and education. They foster social and economic development projects
and agricultural projects at the grass roots level, literacy classes, and
weaving. There are some formal schools.
The Baha’i make gifts of houses of worship around the world. Each building
has 1 dome (symbolizing one God) and 9 doors. The number 9 symbolizes unity.
All religions are welcome to pray in these houses of worship.
Basic Teachings of the Baha’i Faith
The unity of God
The unity of religion. All religions are basically similar.
The unity of mankind.
Nature of God: God is the unknowable creator of the Universe.
Purpose of Life: to continually strive to know and worship God.
Spiritual nature of man: Man is a spiritual being.
Life after death: The spirit continues after death.
Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell: the inherently good nature of all creation.
Evil is the absence of good.
Social Precepts
The goal is to elevate the level of humankind, to reach and firmly establish
unity.
Abolition of prejudice, equality of men and women, elimination of extremes
of wealth and poverty, universal education, harmony of science and religion,
consultation in the solution of problems, independent investigation of
truth, institutions of governance on a world level, a universal auxiliary
language.
Practices
Daily prayer and meditation (morning and night). There is no formal Baha’i
education. Believers must educate themselves through Baha’i scriptures.
Fasting: There is an annual 19 day sunrise to sunset fast.
Social laws: Baha’is may marry only with the written permission of their
parents. Divorce is permitted but discouraged. Alcohol and drugs,
extramarital sex, gambling, and participation in partisan politics are
prohibited. Baha’i must be obedient to the government. Where military
service is compulsory the Baha’i serve but try to serve in non-combatant
positions.
Baha’i Calendar
There are 19 months of 19 days each plus 4 or 5 intercalary (inserted in the
calendar to make the calendar year correspond to the solar year) days.
There are 9 holy days
There are community gatherings once a Baha’i month with spiritual,
administrative and feasting aspects.
There are 5 1/2 million Baha'is throughout the world. There is no Israeli
Baha’i community because of the policy not to seek or accept converts in
Israel. Members of the Universal House of Justice move to Haifa to the
Baha’i World Center, where there are about 700 Baha’is, including families.
All Baha’is in Israel are visitors. There are 17 Baha’i sites in Haifa and
Akko.
Answers to Frequently Asked and Other Questions
The Baha’i create gardens because beauty speaks directly to the spirit. The
garden is a beautiful entry to the shrine and preparation for prayer.
Baha’i projects are supported only by Baha’is. Contributions are not
accepted from non-Baha’is.
India has the largest number of Baha’is. Baha’is are persecuted in Iran.
There are Baha’i offices in New York and Geneva as well as in Haifa.
Children decide at age 15 if they want to be Baha’i. There is no formal
ceremony; the decision is more important than a ceremony.
The original languages of Baha’i were Farsi and Arabic. It is not necessary
to study the scriptures in these languages since they are not holy
languages. Baha’is may study Bible, Koran and other holy books as well as
their own scriptures.
The Baha’i are tolerant of other faiths.
The House of Justice is made up only of men because this was a decision of
the Prophet.
There is voluntary tithing.
(Back to Reports)
|
