On Being Muslim: By Danielle

If I were a Muslim, I probably would not be a good one in terms of following the lifestyle rules. (i.e. I'm having a glass of red wine with the dinner I just cooked for myself--YES, I COOKED MOM!) 

That said, I have never ceased to be amazed by Islam. It is a religion of unity, peace, coherence, logic, love, faith, and dedication. When I wake up to the reading of the Qu'ran, or hear it the other four times a day by the muezzin near my house, I am mystified. The proclamation, "GOD IS GREAT" almost calls me to my knees in prayer as well. Sometimes it does. 

So I was on a mission to further my education in Islam. Last year in Cairo I did the necessary washings and prayers every Friday afternoon (except during periods) with the el-Kadi family (think Sunday mass for Christians). This year, I wanted to continue the tradition. Problem: I work on Fridays. You don't get Friday-Saturday off in Turkey. Its Sat-Sun. So. I e-mailed my Muslim Life Coordinator at Yale to help me find some knowledgeable and trustworthy Muslims in Istanbul to help me learn more about the details of Islam in Istanbul. He put me in touch with some friends. So on Sunday afternoon, I learned more about Islam. (After cooking Crepes of course--without measuring cups and baking powder. Delicious)

Don't get all nervous now, family. I took trusted Edgar along as my "bodyguard." We met up at Starbucks with Sinan and his wife, sister-in-law, and two friends who just moved to Istanbul. All of the women wore hijab (or headscarf). They took me to old parts of Istanbul that I would not have seen otherwise. Going to a different part of Istanbul is like going to a different country....

Eyup Sultan: Half a Hajj

First we went to Eyup Sultan, the burial place of a standard bearer of Mohammad and a sacred place for Muslims. Going there is like doing "half a hajj" I am told (Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca all Muslims must do as part of their 5 pillars--just FYI). So we go. I wore a long dress and long sleeves. When I get there, I am not with other western tourists---only Muslim tourists, especially soon-to-be-married couples and people with their soon-to-be-circumcised sons. As soon as I enter the premises, I must cover my head--not only in the mosque. 

I want to interject a thought about the headscarf. Wearing it is exotic to me, transforming, a becoming (lots of participles...). To Edgar too, the transformation was eerie. One gets a new impression of that person, who they are, and questions of why they veil. What do you think? Comments? 

When I went into the mosque, I went up a winding stairwell to the second floor (because as you know, larger mosques separate women from men). Women do not have an obligation to pray in the mosques as men do, so there tend to be more men praying in public mosques. I sit and chat with them as Sinan's wife does her prayers that the other two women had done at home. As far as etiquette goes, we all walk far behind praying women--something I never did before in Egypt. Upon leaving the mosque, we walk up hill and I remove the scarf. 

Cemeteries and Pierre Lotti 

In Istanbul, they build their cemeteries on hills overlooking the water. Each tomb, dating back to the Ottoman era, has a tall marker. The ones with round markers or hats are for important politicians, Sinan tells me. As we walk up the hill, Sinan tells me about extensive Turkish history, as well as tenants of Islam. He recites Suras from the Qu'ran sometimes as he passes along a particularly important tomb. We talk about finding me some Tajwid lessons---i.e. how to "call out" the Qu'ran, which is a real art in and of itself. We talk about Islam in general. A special place dedicated to Pierre Loti--a French explorer and writer--is on top of the hill. He wrote some great works on Turkey back in the day. 

Mosques

After, more mosques. We go to one built by the great architect Sinan (the same who built the Hamam I went to)--but it is under renovation. So we go to another near Istanbul University. There, I do not pray because I have not done the necessary abolutions. While I am waiting for others to finish the 5 o'clock prayer, I listen to the Imam and get lost in his voice (I am later told he is the best in Istanbul). Something about hearing the Qu'ran gives me chills. I want to pray. I need to pray. The word of Allah is spectacular--while reading it, you are listening to it. While listening to it, somewhere in your soul, it is being read. The relationship I have with those words and poetry never ceases to amaze me. While I am waiting as well, Sinan's sister in law helps me wrap my scarf better around my head--I'm a novice clearly. 

Afterwards, we wander through a Bazaar where they buy a Qu'ran for me (with English translation--not considered the Qu'ran, but it helps!) We also take photos at Istanbul University as I explain my interest in the relationships between ritual, religion, theater, life, sociology, and economics. It really all comes together.... 

So ON BEING MUSLIM

This is a question too large for me to answer in many ways. Yet when it comes down to it, I am in love with Islam as a tolerant, accepting, wholesome way of life. It really does think of everything from inheritance to the importance of diet and meditation. While some think this is too strict, at least it offers the guidelines. Especially in Turkey, people take religion as something intensely personal--which I respect and admire. This is how I view it too. It is not as institutionalized as say, Egypt (where your religion is on your ID card), but much more about you and God. Islam is about you, God, and the community. Which I love. And at core, isn't that what religion in the Judeo-Christian sense is about anyways? 

So while I am not about to give up my wine with dinner, I will certainly continue my study and practice in prayer method--which thanks to them, I also learned more about. Yes, there is a "way" to pray. And let me tell you. It works.