With the spread in the followers of Islam, it crossed the regional boundaries and at this point of time, Islam is present in almost every continent. Quran teachers or religious scholars are the major means of its spread. The lines below will discuss the major problems Muslim of United State face pertaining to the practicing of Islam, however, before going to that, the need is to understand the 5pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam:
To be a Muslim, a person has to have faith on these pillars and practice them when obligatory or whenever possible. The five pillars include:
Shahadah- Every Muslim has to give the statement and believe in it from the core of the heart. The statement is: I testify that there is no God but Allah, Who is without any partner, and Muhammad (PBUH) is His worshiper and His Messenger.
Salah- These are the prayers which are obligatory upon Muslim five times a day. A Muslim has to say prayers five times during the prescribed hours.
Sawm- Sawm is fasting, which Muslims usually observe during the month of Ramadan.
Zakat- It is the sharing of wealth with others. Muslims give off a certain amount on their savings every year.
Hajj- Hajj is the pilgrimage Muslims pay to Mecca during the month of Zil-Hujjah.
Problems Faced By Muslims in US:
There are several problems which the Muslims in US face when it comes to practicing Islam and fulfilling its obligations. Some of the major problems faced by Muslims in US are discussed below:
1. Offering Prayers:
Muslims who live in Muslim countries can easily manage offering prayers during their work timings, as the offices usually allow prayer breaks. However, in west and in US, Muslims find it difficult to find time to say prayers, as the offices are not understanding of the fact that there is some prayers time and it is obligatory for Muslims to say prayers. Thus due to the lack of understanding of Islamic practices, the offices in west make it hard for Muslims to say prayers regularly.
Muslims strive hard to practice their values, an evident example of which is the availing of online Quran tutoring service to get Quran education for their kids, so that at least they know the basics of their religion.
2. Predominating Christian Culture:
Islam is the third largest religion in US after Christianity and Judaism. Therefore, there is a strong hold of Christianity on the cultural holidays of the country. In Muslim world, the religion is separate from the culture, although religion has an influence over it, but culture is something different.
On the other hand, in US, which claims to be a secular country, but ironically a vast majority of vacations prevalent in the country are Christian holidays, such as Christmas and thanksgiving. Therefore, due to religious nature of these holidays, a Muslim is unable to relate with these and finds it difficult to be a part of US culture. And if he or she does try to mingle with the predominant Christian culture it comes at the cost of suppressing the Islamic beliefs and system.
3. In-tolerance of People And Media:
The image and life of Muslim changed in US, right after the 9/11 incident. Since then the Muslim nationals of US have never been able to feel or live the same. The main problem Muslims face in US, is the blame of being terrorists.
The western media is playing a biased role in all the proceedings, and portray all Muslims as terrorists, because of which it has become difficult for Muslims to live their life with freedom in US. Moreover, the argument put forward by Muslims in this regard is that all Muslims cannot be blamed for the actions of one group. It would be the same as calling all Germans as Nazis, or all blondes as dumb and stupid people.
Conclusion:
In short, Muslims have spread to other nations and cultures of the world. However, the life out there is not the same as in Muslim countries. The Muslims in US have to face different issues and have to work very hard to keep their Muslim hood intact, or else they may also lose their identity in the secular culture and environment of US.