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Traveling in Muslim countries will open your eyes to so much beauty and kindness. From the incredible mosques and melodious azans to the burning incense and endless cups of welcome tea, prepare to have all your senses tingled.
But first you should get to know the religion that will shape your experience every hour of every day.
When you travel to a Muslim or predominantly Muslim country, you might find yourself wondering “why must they wake me up at 4:30am with the call to prayer at wake-the-dead volume? Why do they pray so much? What do Muslims do when they pray? What’s the big deal with Mecca?”
You’ve come to the right place.
This post is a crash course in the basics of Islam to help you travel responsibly in Muslim countries. These are all the things I wish I knew before and while visiting ten Muslim countries over the course of five months.
In this post, I share some basic information on Islamic religion, beliefs, and practices to help you more fully appreciate the culture — and not make any embarrassing mistakes.
Please note that while there is the common thread of Islam, Muslim countries are not a monolith and there are nuances and outright differences between sects and countries and how they practice Islam. This post focuses on the most common or standardly accepted facets of Islam.
I must also note that I am in no way an expert on Islam, nor am I a religious person.
The information in this post is a summary of what I have learned along the way from my travels, observing, reading, and asking questions of our various guides. If I didn’t get answers while traveling, I have scoured the internet for answers, and reading information booklets picked up at various mosques. Where possible, I have prioritized sources that are Muslim.
I have tried to be respectful, always a challenge when discussing someone else’s religion and culture. Certainly let me know if I have gotten something wrong or said something in a way that doesn’t hit right.
There’s a lot of material here; I’ve tried to be comprehensive, but without making your eyes glaze over. In this post we will cover:
It’s a lot of information! Feel free to skip ahead to the parts that most interest you.
For additional practical guidance on how to navigate traveling in Muslim countries, check out these related posts:
- A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: Cultural Norms (coming soon)
- A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: What to Wear (coming soon)
- A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: Basic Arabic Phrases and Numbers
- A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: Food and Drink (coming soon)
- A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: Mosques and Mosque Architecture (coming soon)
Overview of Islam
There are 1.6 billion Muslims on planet Earth. Even if you don’t plan on traveling to Muslim countries, it’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of the beliefs and practices that guide one fifth of the world’s population.
At its core, Islam is a religion of peace, justice, tolerance, and law and order. There are many sections of the Qur’an calling for mercy, compassion, forgiveness and treating others as one would like to be treated (aka the golden rule). Violence and extremism, especially against innocents, are distortions of the faith and denounced by most Muslims.
This section highlights the bare minimum you should know before venturing to a Muslim country.
Much of the information in this overview was adapted from an information brochure “Islam and Muslims” provided by the Discover Islam Centre at the Al Fateh Grand Mosque in Manama, Bahrain.
Terminology
First a few key terms to get straight.
Islam is the religion. Muslims are the followers of Islam. These terms come directly from the Qu’ran.
The word Islam is derived from “salam”, the Arabic word for peace. It can be interpreted as many different kinds of peace, including inner peace, peace with the Creator, and peace with other humans and creatures.
Allah is Arabic for God.
PBUH (or pbuh) is an abbreviated term for “peace and blessings upon him”, or “peace be upon him”. Muslims use this term following the mention of the name of any prophet to express their respect and gratitude for the prophet. Out of respect, I will use the term whenever I reference the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in this post.
SAW is the same as PBUH, but is an abbreviation for the Arabic version Sall’Allahu alayhi wasalam, which translates as “The graces of Allah be upon him, and peace,” or “Allah bless him and grant him peace.”
SWT is used in the same way as PBUH or SWT, but follows the name of God (Allah). SWT is an abbreviation for the Arabic version Subhanahu wa ta’ala, which translates as “Glory to Him, the Exalted” or “the Glorified and Exalted”.
Core Beliefs
Being Muslim means total, loving, and willing submission to the one true God. It is a way of life where the thoughts and deeds of a person, even beyond the required rituals, are performed with divine guidance and intention.
Muslims have six core beliefs, or articles of faith:
- Monotheism: Muslims believe there is only one God, Allah, who created the universe and all beings.
- Prophets: God has sent numerous prophets over time, starting with Adam, followed by Noah, Moses, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus, and the final prophet, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Twenty-five of these prophets are explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an.
- Holy Scriptures: God has revealed his guidance through prophets over time through holy scriptures, including revealing the Torah to Moses, revealing the Gospel to Jesus, and revealing the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Note that unlike Christians, Muslims see Jesus as a prophet and not as the son of God.
- Angels: Angels exist, even if we cannot see them, and carry out God’s orders throughout the universe.
- Divine Decree / Fate: They believe God is all-powerful, and that whatever happens to people is preordained (which explains some of the crazy driving), but God has also given humans free will to take good or bad actions—knowing they will ultimately be judged on those deeds.
- Day of Judgment / Afterlife: There will be a Day of Judgment when everyone will be questioned about how they lived their life and God will determine whether a person goes to heaven or hell based on their actions during their lives.
5 Pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam are basic tenets of faith and obligatory acts of worship that are the foundation of the practice of Islam. The pillars remind followers every day of the teachings of Allah and incorporate them into their daily routine.
- Declaration of Faith (Shahada): Declare your faith in one God (Allah) and His messenger (peace be upon him).
- Prayer (Salah): Pray five times a day.
- Almsgiving (Zakat): Give a portion of your wealth to those in need.
- Fasting (Sawm): Fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
- Pilgrimage (Hajj): Complete a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime (if physically or financially able).
You will see subtle references to the five pillars throughout Islamic architecture (e.g. five minarets on a mosque) and symbols (e.g. five-pointed stars on flags). I’d say any time you see five in a pattern or symbol, it is probably referencing the five pillars of Islam.
Sharia
Sharia is a legal framework for the regulations and codes of conduct that govern people’s everyday activities and practices. It defines how people should relate with God, the state/community, each other, and material things. It also defines how to resolve conflicts.
The primary source of Sharia is the Qur’an, complemented by the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) sayings (hadith), and interpreted by scholars and leaders. While the fundamentals in the Qur’an have not changed, interpretation has sometimes evolved over time and place, always trying to get as close as possible to what they think the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have decided.
Sharia should not be used as an equivalent term to Islamic law. Sharia describes the immutable values defined by God and Islamic law is based on interpretations of Sharia—which explains why laws differ so much across countries.
In my research, there does not seem to be consensus on the number or content of principles of Sharia, but they typically include topics such as worship, morals and manners, transactions and contracts, beliefs, and punishments.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a messenger of God, the last and final in a series of prophets, including Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jesus. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a direct descendent of Abraham through his first son Ishmael.
First a few biographical tidbits.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born an only child in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, around 570 CE. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was around 6 years old. He was sent to live with his grandfather and then his uncle, where he worked as a shepherd and then as a merchant. When he was 24 years old Muhammad (pbuh) married Khadija, a woman 15 years older than him—after working together for two years, she proposed to him! Together for 25 years until she died, they had a loving and successful marriage with four daughters and two sons (both of whom died before age 5). He went on to marry six more women, several of them widows.
He led an ordinary and ethical life, respected for his fidelity, integrity and trustworthiness. He always believed the universe was created by one God and used to go to a cave a few kilometers east of Mecca, known as Hira Cave, to meditate and worship God.
One fine day in the month of Ramadan 610 CE, when he was 40 years old, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was meditating in Hira Cave when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him the first revelation from God. The Angel asked him to “read in the name of your Lord”. This stressed him out, as he could not read or write. He was terrified by the whole experience as he wasn’t sure if it was an angel or demon speaking to him. He stopped going to the cave.
Eventually the Angel Gabriel came back to Muhammad (pbuh) and told him he would be a messenger of God to convey the divine message to all people.
These visits from the Angel Gabriel continued over 23 years, and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) dutifully conveyed the message of God to the people, asking then to declare faith in and submit to one God and to follow the guidance given to him by God through the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would memorize the words and appoint scribes to write the words of what would become the Qur’an as the words were revealed to him. The Prophet’s (pbuh) companions also memorized the words, helping to preserve the integrity of the original words of God.
During this time, however, he was also met with skepticism and outright hostility in Mecca, so he eventually moved north to a town Yathrib, where he was accepted as prophet and leader. He renamed the town Al-Madinah (known to us now as Medina), meaning “the City” where everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs, had equal rights.
More battles ensued with the Meccans, but eventually they came around and embraced Islam by the early 630s. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) returned to the Mecca to purify the Ka’bah of more than 300 pagan idols. The Ka’bah, meaning cube in Arabic, was originally built by Abraham and Ismail and is considered to be the house of the God and the most sacred site in Islam.
After performing his final pilgrimage and presenting his final sermon (while sitting atop a camel no less!) to over 100,000 worshippers, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) returned to Medina where he died at 63 years old in 632 CE, leaving few possessions and little material wealth.
None of his wives remarried, instead dedicating themselves to Islam.
The primary source of this information is a pocket guide titled “The Prophet of Islam Muhammad”, published by Islam Presentation Bookshop in 2015 and provided for free by the Discover Islam Centre at the Al Fateh Grand Mosque in Manama, Bahrain.
The Qur’an
The Qur’an (Koran, Quran, or Qu’ran) is the holy book of Islam. The term Qur’an means “recitation” or “reading”.
The Qur’an is considered a book of guidance for humankind, with its main topics centering around belief in one God, the afterlife, moral guidance (faith, prayers, charity, family life), historical narrative and the pursuit of science and knowledge.
Muslims believe that the Qur’an contains the literal words of God, revealed through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) over the course of 23 years. Whenever the Angel Jibril revealed a chapter, the Prophet (pbuh) dictated the words to his scribes, instructing them where to fit them in relation to the other chapters, and they wrote down the words on any available surface, including palm leaves, stones, and parchment. These fragments were later compiled into a codex by Abu Bakr, the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) close companion and successor, following the Prophet’s death.
The Qur’an is the sole scripture in the world which still exists today in its original form and language (Arabic), preserved by a long and uninterrupted tradition of writing, recitation, and memorization. The Qur’an was preserved in written form within 20 years of Muhammad’s (pbuh) death, though some say it might have been committed to writing during his lifetime (he himself could not read or write). The definitive text of the Qur’an is considered by scholars to be the original version based on the verses compiled into a codex by Abu Bakr.
The Qur’an is written in both poetry and prose, or rhymed prose, with the words and flow designed to resonate as they are recited aloud rather than just read.
It might come as a surprise to some that the Qur’an includes references to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, recognizing them as prophets, and accepting many of the teachings of the Torah and the Bible. It is important to note that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is viewed as the last and final prophet, and the Qur’an is the final message, superseding all previous messages.
Chapters (surah)
The Qur’an is organized into 114 chapters (surah) of varying length, from longest to shortest (except for the opening surah, “the Opening”, which has only 25 words), rather than chronologically or around a theme.
Every chapter of the Qur’an (except the ninth chapter, the at-Tauba) begins with the bismillah, Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Rahim, which means “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”
Some scholars have analyzed the structure within chapters—which at first seem to lack a clear theme—as being structured using the ring composition, where the chapter builds towards a central point, then circles back to reinforce the earlier themes. If you are curious, The Remarkable Structure of the Qur’an describes this ring composition in more detail and concludes that the ring composition is further evidence that the Qur’an could only have been crafted by the almighty.
Verses (ayat)
There are a total of 6,236 verses (ayat, or “sign”) in the Qur’an. The length of verses ranges from a few letters to a few lines, and the number of verses varies greatly across chapters.
Recitation formats
There are other ways of dividing the Qur’an into approximately equal sections to make it manageable to recite in either one week or one month:
- Manzil: organized into 7 parts to be recited over the course of one week
- Juz: organized into 30 parts to be recited across the 30-ish days of Ramadan
Translations
Translations of the Qur’an exist but are somewhat frowned upon. Worshippers are expected to learn the Qur’an in Arabic, the exact words spoken by God, so as not to lose any subtleties or nuances to translation.
Memorization
Muslims are expected to memorize the entire text of the Qur’an as an act of devotion to gain blessings in this life and the afterlife. Those who have memorized the Qur’an are able to teach it to others, which will multiply the rewards from Allah.
Those who memorize the whole Qur’an are called huffaz (singular: hafiz or hafiza), literally “memorizer”, and are highly esteemed members and leaders of the community. As long as they follow all the dos and don’ts in the Qur’an, huffaz are pretty much guaranteed a spot in heaven. Furthermore, upon entering heaven on the Day of Judgment, a Muslim should recite the Qur’an as far as they can, so those who can recite the full text will get the highest spot in heaven.
Memorization of a text of this magnitude is also viewed as an important activity to sharpen your brain and memory sharp. Of course, once they have memorized the Qur’an, huffaz must also keep practicing to ensure they do not forget it.
Committing the Qur’an to memory usually takes a couple of years. The best time to start is around age five, up to the early twenties. Memorization is achieved through constant repetition, reciting out loud to oneself and/or others, and memorizing a few pages at a time—never moving on to the next section until you have mastered the current one.
Finally, memorization preserves the integrity of the words of the Qur’an over time. It would be impossible to even try to alter the words of the Qur’an as so many people have it memorized and would be able to call out any changes.
If you want to see an impressive collection of Qur’ans over time and their progression over time, Bahrain has a great little Qur’an museum, Beit Al Quran. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside the museum, so you will have to go yourself or take my word for it!
99 Names of Allah
Islam recognizes 99 names of Allah. These names are the most repeated subject in the Qur’an, where Allah is given many names representing a variety of character traits, such as strength, compassion, mercy, or intelligence.
Each name represents a virtue that is valued in Islam; adherents should know the 99 names and try to represent them in their own lives.
Unlike other religions, images of Allah are forbidden, so in a way, these names are an important way of describing and representing Allah without imagery. The 99 names are sometimes incorporated graphically as part of the decoration in mosques—although it’s usually quite subtle and you might not notice it without a guide to point it out!
Prayer (salat)
The prayer is a direct connection between the worshipper and God. Because there is no intermediary, prayers can be performed anywhere. That said, many Muslims (mostly men) pray at mosques, side by side with fellow worshippers. The only requirement is that wherever they are, Muslims pray facing Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).
Prayer Times
According to the five pillars of Islam, Muslims must perform prayers five times a day. The times are dictated by the position of the sun in the sky and therefore change every day:
- Fajr (dawn)
- Dhuhr (midday)
- Asr (afternoon)
- Maghrib (sunset)
- Isha (night)
Many mosques will have a panel with the prayer times listed; don’t be confused if you see six times listed – those are the five prayers and sunrise, which is usually indicated in a different color. Yes, that means the first prayer of the day, Fajr, happens BEFORE sunrise (for example, I checked the prayer times today and the Fajr time was a full 1 hour and 20 minutes before sunrise). Expect to be woken up super early in summer by those enthusiastic 4:30am calls to prayer!
There are many apps that will list the prayer times and notify you when it is time to pray—and even show you which direction is Mecca!
If you miss a prayer time, you should make it up as soon as possible, or at the very least recite the prayer as part of your next prayer time.
Friday Sermon (khutba)
On Fridays men must gather at the mosque for the sermon and noon prayer, which replaces the midday dhuhr prayer performed on the other six days of the week. Women can, but are not required to, go to the mosque.
The Friday sermon (khutba) is delivered in two parts, always before the noon prayer (which is shortened on Fridays), and usually by the imam from the minbar (pulpit) at the front of the mosque. There are specific prayers to say at the beginning and end of both parts of the sermon, always starting by praising Allah. The sermon should provide relevant lessons for the congregation and provide advice and guidance based on verses in the Qur’an. The second part of the sermon should be used to review the takeaways of the first part of the sermon and discuss how learnings can be implemented. The sermons should not be too long!
Side note: according to our Fez medina guide, Friday sermons in Morocco are issued by the government so that the same message will be delivered in all mosques—and they have moles in the mosque to make sure the imams are not going rogue!).
Prayer Protocol
The Islamic prayer is a highly scripted practice, and usually only takes 5-10 minutes to complete (although you are welcome to do more repetitions and extra prayers if you wish).
First it is important to ensure cleanliness of the worshipper and the prayer area. The worshipper should perform ablution (wudu—see below for more information) prior to prayer. A prayer rug is often used as a clean surface on which to pray.
As part of maintaining cleanliness, worshippers also remove their shoes before entering a mosque and praying.
Wherever they are in the world, Muslims always pray facing Mecca, the holiest city and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). More specifically they face the qibla, which is a handy word to describe the direction towards the big black square building, called the Ka’bah, at the heart of the grand mosque in Mecca (the biggest mosque in the world). If you are praying in a mosque, the direction will be a) obvious and b) towards the wall with the mihrab, a niche in the wall whose purpose is to indicate the direction of Mecca.
For the weary traveler, some hotel rooms also provide handy guidance on which way to pray—though these signs are often tucked subtly into a corner of the ceiling.
Worshippers must also be covered modestly. For men this means everything between the navel and knees must be covered. Women must cover everything but their face and hands. All fabrics must be opaque and everything must be tucked in properly so that it doesn’t fall off and reveal anything it shouldn’t during the course of the prayer.
Then worshippers perform a few cycles of standing, kneeling, sitting, bowing and prostrating (touching your head to the ground)—all while reciting prescribed prayers from the Qur’an.
These cycles are called rak’ahs and constitute a single unit of prayer. Different numbers of rak’ahs are obligatory during each of the five prayer times throughout the day, although worshippers are encouraged to perform optional prayers as well.
- Fajr (dawn): 2 rak’ahs
- Dhuhr (midday): 4 rak’ahs
- Asr (afternoon): 4 rak’ahs
- Maghrib (sunset): 3 rak’ahs
- Isha (night): 4 rak’ahs
All prayers should be recited only in Arabic, the language the Allah used to reveal the words of the Qur’an.
Check out The Basics of the Muslim’s Prayer if you want a more in depth description of the full prayer protocol.
As a non-Muslim visitor, it is rare that you will be allowed into a mosque (other than the big fancy marquis mosques), and even more rare to be allowed into a mosque during prayer time.
When entering a mosque, you too will need to remove your shoes and make sure you are covered up appropriately. For women, it’s a good idea to always have at least a scarf handy to cover your head. Some of the fancier mosques that are open to tourists (think Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or Istanbul’s Blue Mosque) will have robes available to borrow or rent—for both men and women, as needed.
Call to Prayer (Azan / Adhan)
The azan (or adhan), meaning “to announce” or “to inform”, will be the soundtrack of your visit to a Muslim country. I particularly enjoy the ordered cacophony of competing azans in dense urban environments, where minarets pop up like spring shoots.
So, what is the azan all about?
The azan is the call to prayer, sung by the muezzin (or mueddin) across the rooftops from the minarets of every mosque a few minutes before prayer. The call to prayer is always live and always in Arabic. It is supposed to be the same anywhere in the world so that any Muslim anywhere will understand it and know when it is time to pray.
The call to prayer is pretty standard, but each muezzin has his own style; some are quite beautiful. Muezzins are typically selected for their melodious voice, their pronunciation, and their ability to keep an eye on the clock. Back in the day, they would also have had to be fit enough to run up and down the minaret five times a day—and some minarets are quite tall!— but now the azan is mostly done through loudspeaker.
As we traveled from country to country, city to city, we had an informal “Azan Idol” (I know, idols are blasphemous) contest going in our heads. The calls to prayer we experienced ranged from bell-clear mesmerizing and melodic, to a young boy apprentice, to throat-clearing gasping-for-breath azans. But that’s how you know it’s live!
During the call to prayer, the muezzin recites prescribed repeated lines, affirming the supremacy of Allah, professing faith, confirming that Muhammad (pbuh) is the messenger of God, calling everyone to prayer and success, and reaffirming the supremacy of Allah. For the first prayer of the day (the pre-dawn fajr) there is an extra line declaring that prayer is better than sleep!
I remember one muezzin in Tangier performed a particularly enthusiastic 20-minute call to prayer—which would have been more lovely had it not been at 5:30 am. I’m not sure how he stretched those lines from the usual 4 minutes into 20 minutes, but he was probably focused on that “prayer is better than sleep” line.
If you want to read more about the history and subtleties of the azan, check out this enlightening article in Middle East Eye or Reciting the Adhan | Guide to the Islamic call to prayer [History, Meaning and Soundscapes].
Ablution (Wudu)
The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said that “cleanliness is half of faith”.
Before praying, Muslims are therefore required to perform a prescribed ritual of washing their face, hands arms, feet, legs and wipe their head with water—this is called ablution, or wudu. The purpose of the washing is to be clear of mind and of body in preparation for prayer.
Most mosques provide some sort of water source or fountain for ablution, some are quite fancy!
If water is not available (so many of these countries are in desert lands!), then there is a method for dry purification using clean soil or rock.
Prayer Beads
If you are paying attention, you will often see Muslims holding prayer beads, moving their fingers across the beads one by one. You will also often see the beads worn on the wrist or hanging from a car’s rearview mirror, at the ready for an idle moment. Prayer beads are not unique to Muslims; Catholics, Buddhists, and Hindus also have prayer beads and use them in a similar manner, though the number and style of beads may differ across religions.
Islamic prayer beads are called misbaha, tasbih, or subha—prayer beads or worry beads, and are commonly used as a way for Muslims to concentrate during prayers, get into a spiritual state of mind, or relax.
A string of prayer beads typically has a tassel and 99 regular beads, representing the 99 names of Allah, separated into three sets of 33 beads by two smaller beads or discs. Some strings of prayer beads only have 33 beads.
Practically speaking, they help worshippers keep count when they are reciting the 99 names of Allah, or performing dhikr (prayer in remembrance of Allah), where 3 specific phrases are uttered 33 times each: “Subhan Allah” (Glory to God), “Al-hamdu lilah” (Praise be to God), “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
These beads are often given as gifts. They can be made of any material (commonly amber, wood, bone, metal, gemstones, etc.) and can be simple or fancy, cheap or crazy expensive depending on the material and craftsmanship.
The beads are considered an innovation and have only been used for the last 600 years or so. Some Muslim sects do not approve of their use as they were not used by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); instead they count knuckles to keep track of their prayers.
Holidays
Muslim rituals are based on the Islamic lunar calendar (or Hijri calendar), in which dates are calculated based on phases of the moon. The Islamic calendar year is shorter than the solar calendar because months are only 28 days instead of the 28-31 on the Gregorian calendar. This means that the dates of the holidays shift about 10 days earlier from one solar year to the next.
Fridays are the weekly holy day, and there are four main holidays celebrated by Muslims:
- Ramadan: one month of fasting
- Eid al-Fitr: feast to break the fast
- Eid al Adha: feast to celebrate the Hajj
- Ashura: commemoration of the death of Hussein, and the parting of the Red Sea
Friday
Friday (Jumah, or day of congregation) is the holiest day of the week for Muslims, when men are required to gather at the mosque for midday prayers and a sermon. Basically, their Fridays are the equivalent of our Sundays in predominantly Christian countries. Also note that in the Islamic calendar, the day begins at sunset, so Jumah actually begins on Thursday night. That means that Thursday night is often the big party night of the week! Expect more crowds and longer lines at restaurants, and more lively markets.
In some countries, that means the weekend is Thursday and Friday, or Friday and Saturday. In other countries, notably former European colonies, government offices follow the Saturday-Sunday weekend, but some private businesses choose to close on Fridays.
One thing you’ll find is that when it’s time for prayers, especially on Fridays, shopkeepers will just lightly cover their wares, or put a broom across their shop entrance, to indicate that they are temporarily closed and off they go to the mosque. It’s so refreshing to see such trust and faith in humanity on full display.
In most countries you can expect things to be closed or very limited during Friday prayers, typically noon to 3 or 4pm. This goes for shopping, museums, and other attractions.
Basically, as you plan activities anytime between Friday and Sunday, it’s a good practice to check opening hours ahead of time.
On the flip side, if you are nervous about driving in some of the big cities in these countries, Friday mornings are nice and quiet. People had warned us about the perils of driving in Amman, but we rolled out on almost empty streets one Friday morning in the fall.
Ramadan
Ramadan happens once a year in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, starting with the sighting of the crescent moon, when all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown for a month (29-30 days).
It was during the time of Ramadan in the year 610 CE that Allah revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) through the Angel Jibril that he would be the messenger of God and that the teachings of the holy Qur’an would serve to provide guidance for the people. This night became known as the “Night of Power”, the holiest night in the Islamic calendar, and falls within the final ten days of the month of Ramadan. It remains an important night during Ramadan, as it is a time to reflect on your actions for the year, repent for your sins, and pray for forgiveness—for it is also the night on which your fate is decided for the following year. Devout Muslims sometimes choose to forgo sleep in favor of prayer on the Night of Power, as any good deeds and prayers offered on this night will be rewarded greatly.
During Ramadan Muslims abstain from food, drink (not even water), tobacco, and sexual relations. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obligatory for all adult Muslims, except for those who are acutely ill, elderly, pregnant, nursing, or traveling. Fasting is viewed as a spiritual discipline that brings you closer to God, and feeling the hunger helps you empathize with those who are less fortunate.
It is also a time for communal prayer, reflection, and study of the Qur’an. There are special prayers in addition to the five daily prayers already required.
During Ramadan there are two meals: suhoor, a pre-dawn meal (usually eggs, grains, fruits and plenty of water), and iftar, the nightly feast to break the fast (usually beginning with dates and sweet milk, followed by a hearty meal of traditional foods).
When planning a trip to a Muslim country, you should check to see if your trip will fall during Ramadan. If it does, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go; in fact, it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in an important cultural experience.
That said, if traveling to a Muslim country during Ramadan, you will need to be respectful and try not to eat or drink in front of people that are hungry and thirsty, a probably a little woozy towards the end of the day (when Ramadan falls in summer, this means especially long periods of fasting and dehydration). You might also have trouble finding places to eat that are open during the day, so pack some snacks if you think that might be an issue for you. Opening hours for museums and other attractions are typically more limited during Ramadan, so be prepared to be flexible.
Eid al-Fitr
Eid means “feast” or “festival” in Arabic. Eid al-Fitr means the “feast of breaking the fast” and is a three-day festival, starting on the first day of the tenth month in the Islamic calendar, commemorating the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is also known as the Smaller Eid.
Practices vary from country to country, but typically Eid al-Fitr is a national holiday celebrated with the warm greeting Eid Mubarak (blessed feast), the sharing of sweets and special foods with friends and family, gifts for children, wearing new clothes, visiting graves, and the offering of forgiveness. It is also a time for charity and an opportunity to distribute one’s wealth to the poor.
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha means “feast of the sacrifice” and is a four-day festival, starting on the 10th day of the final month in the Islamic calendar, celebrating the end of the Hajj (the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca). Eid al-Adha is also known as the Greater Eid.
Like Eid al-Fitr, it is a time for friends and family to gather, share gifts, and feast together. During this festival, Muslims sacrifice an animal as a reminder of Ibrahim’s test of faith to sacrifice his son Ismail (the same story as in the Christian Old Testament and Jewish Torah), and as a reminder that they too must submit to the will of God.
Ashura
Ashura occurs annually on the 10th day of the first month (Muharram) of the Islamic lunar calendar and commemorates the death of Husain Ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) grandson, who was beheaded by Umayyad troops the during the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. That battle played an important part in cementing the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Ashura is celebrated differently by Sunni and Shia Muslims, and because of that has actually become somewhat controversial in some places.
Sunni Muslims celebrate Ashura with a day of fasting, a practice established by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the early days of Islam, inspired by the acts of the Prophet Musa (aka Moses). According to the Qur’an, after escaping from the Egyptians through the parting of the Red Sea, Moses started fasting on the day of Ashura to show thanks to God for saving his people (Yom Kippur in the Jewish tradition).
Shia Muslims focus on Husayn’s martyrdom and view Ashura as a day of intense grief and mourning. They often dress in black and conduct group processions, battle re-enactments (or passion plays), pilgrimages to shrines (especially Husayn’s shrine in Karbala), lamentations, and sometimes self-flagellation (which is frowned upon by some clerics).
Sects of Islam
Muslims in all sects are united in their belief that there is one God, Allah, and believe in the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
That said, there are several sects and subsects within Islam, with the two primary ones being Sunni and Shia. By some accounts, around 85 percent of the world’s Muslims are Sunni.
While Sunnis and Shias have in many ways lived peacefully together for centuries, in some parts of the world tensions between Sunnis and Shias have caused—or could cause—deadly and long-lasting conflicts. (As in any part of the world, and with any religion, it’s usually the extremists who are stirring up trouble while everyone else would rather just live in peace.)
So what’s the difference between Sunnis and Shias?
I will highlight here the key differences in the simplest way possible, acknowledging that doing so sacrifices a great deal of nuance and detail.
The rift began a long, long time ago, starting immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in 632 AD. The sects developed based on differing beliefs in the line succession for leadership (caliphs or imams).
In short, the Sunnis thought that the new leader should be selected based on qualifications and the Shias thought that a new leader must be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The majority that became known as the Sunnis appointed Abu Bakr, a close companion of the Prophet, as the next caliph. A minority group that became known as the Shias believed that the Prophet’s son-in-law, Ali, should become the caliph.
Murder, intrigue, massacres, and persecution ensued over the centuries, with the balance of power shifting between the two sects. The Sunnis dominated until the 1500s, when the Safavids dynasty established Persia and made Shia Islam the state religion. For the next two hundred years the Persian Shias squabbled with the neighboring Ottoman Sunni caliphate until both empires eventually faded, leaving us with roughly the geographic distribution of sects that we see today:
- Sunnis comprise a majority of Muslims in the world and in more than forty countries across Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
- Shias comprise a majority of Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
There are a few observable differences during prayers that might give you a clue as to whether someone is Sunni or Shia:
- Sunnis fold their arms right over left and hold them between the navel and the chest; Shia keep their arms straight by their sides.
- Shias usually raise their hands for each Allahu Akbar during prayer.
- There are also other differences in what they say during different parts of the prayer ritual, but not anything you or I would likely be able to discern.
Sunni
The name Sunni means followers of the sunna, or “way” in Arabic.
Sunnis believe that successors should be chosen by consensus, based on their qualifications. They believe that Abu Bakr was the rightful choice as the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) successor. Sunni leaders gain influence through the study of theology and law.
There are four schools of law (madhhabs) under Sunnis: Hanafi, Maliki, Sha’afi, and Hanbali. They differ mainly in their interpretations of Islamic law, based on the texts of their namesakes. The Wahabi-Salafi movement is a subsect of the Hanbalis and is the most fundamentalist sect that has spawned the likes of Al Qaeda.
Shia
The name Shia originates from “shi’atu Ali”, Arabic for “partisans of Ali,” as they believe in the doctrine of the Imamate—that Ali ibn Abi Talib (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) and his descendants are the legitimate religious and political leaders based on their bloodline.
Within the Shia community, over time further rifts developed over the line of succession, resulting in even more subsects. The primary ones are the mainstream Shia, Ismailis, and Zaydis.
Final Reflections
Understanding a bit more about Islam as a religion will give you deeper insights into what you are seeing and experiencing and perhaps let you experience a country and its people more meaningfully.
These countries have amazing histories, cultures, people, and architecture, all inextricably tied to their Islamic roots. If that’s not enough, you can’t help but come away with respect for the dedication and devotion of Islam’s followers – it’s a very demanding religion!
Let me know if you have any questions or feedback in the comments section below!
