Daisies need to complete 2+ sections.
Brownies need to complete 3+ sections.
Juniors need to complete 4+ sections.
Cadettes and older need to complete 5+ sections.
Prayer
In Islam, there are 5 prayers a day: Fajr (the first prayer of the day before sunrise), Dhuhr ( the second prayer of the day around 1:00), Asr ( the third prayer of the day in the late afternoon), Maghrib (fourth prayer of the day in the evening), and Isha (last and fifth prayer of the day in the night). During prayer, people face Mecca, the house of Allah. There’s a call to prayer. This call is the Adhan. One person says this call, and it signals to the others praying that the prayer is starting. Ablution, or wadu, happens before prayer. This involves washing one’s face, hands, feet, ears, mouth, and nose. This is how one cleans themselves before praying to take away all of one’s bad deeds. Prayer is done on a prayer rug or a clean space. Now that you are done reading about prayer, watch the video to see someone praying, and Zayna showing you how to do Wadu!
Ramadan
In Islam, there are two main holidays, Eid-Al-Fitr and Eid-Al-Adha. Eid-Al-Fitr is the largest Islamic holiday and celebrates the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting) and means “Festival of Breaking the Fast”. Eid-Al-Fitr is on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. It is celebrated by special prayers at the mosque and then celebrating with families and friends by sharing food. Lots and lots of food! Kids also receive either money (eidi) or gifts from their families.
Another important holiday is Eid-Al-Adha, commonly translated as “Feast of Sacrifice”. Eid-Al-Adha is the last day of Hajj and is on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar. Eid-Al-Adha requires, for those that are financially able, to sacrifice either a sheep or goat and distribute the meat to people in need. Muslims attend morning prayers at the mosque and then celebrate with family and friends.
Click on the image below to see the presentation!
Clothing
Both men and women are required to dress modestly. That means covering up and not showing a lot of skin. You have probably heard of a hijab, but not other coverings worn by women. A hijab is a head covering that women wear to show modesty. In some countries women are required to wear a hijab, in others they can not wear one. In other countries, it is your choice if you want to wear a hijab or not. Women are not allowed to show their bodies, and their hair is included. Hijabs are not required if you are around blood relatives or your husband.
Other coverings include:
- Niqab
- Hair covered, face covered, eyes not covered.
- Hijab
- Hair covered, face uncovered, eyes not covered.
- Burka
- Hair covered, face covered, mesh across eyes.
- Chador
- Hair covered, face uncovered, eyes not covered, worn mainly in Iran.
- Dupatta
- Hair covered, face uncovered, eyes not covered, worn mainly in South Asia.
Food Restrictions
There are certain dietary restrictions that Muslims must follow to ensure good health and prevent impairment of your ability to make good decisions. Some of those dietary restrictions are:
- Not consuming alcohol or drugs
- Not consuming pork or pork products
- Not eating animals that have died of natural causes
- Not eating animals that have been sacrificed to another deity besides God
- Not eating animals that have been shot
- Not eating an excessive amount of shrimp and other bottom dwelling sea creatures.
Death Rituals
When Muslims pass away there are specific traditions that are followed. Muslims have the funeral as soon as possible (2-3 days after a person dies). When someone passes we say a prayer, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”. The translation to English is “Verily we belong to Allah, and truly to Him we shall return”. Muslims prepare the body for burial by wrapping it in un-sewn plain, white cloth. They then join for a special prayer before going to the cemetery.
Culture and Community
Islamic culture is closely tied to religion. Since Muslims are from all over the world, they bring their own ethnic and/or background cultural traditions. Some things that are common in the majority of Muslims around the world are architecture and dressing modestly. In Islamic architecture, there are a lot of arches, minarets, mosaics, and geometric patterns. Blues and greens are common colors in art and architecture. Something else that is commonly seen is Arabic calligraphy. Family, immediate and extended, and community are also very important in Islamic culture.
Imams
Imams are religious leaders. They lead prayers, teach about the Quran and the life of the Prophet, officiate at weddings, and watch youth at youth programs. In co-ed mosques, that means there are both men and women, imams are men. If the mosque is all women, a woman may serve as an imam.