voices of faith q & a

May 5, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. What’s the point of all the religious rituals?

Syed E. Hasan, Ph.D. Midland Islamic Council, Kansas City., Mo.:

A. Rituals are part of faith observance; many are personal; others are offered in groups.

Rituals are important in Islam because they lay the foundation for a moral, god-fearing and wholesome society.

Many of the Islamic acts of worship involve rituals.

For example, offering prayers five times a day, fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan, and once in a lifetime, making a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.

One may look at the rituals accompanying these acts of worship as mere physical acts, but there are deeper meanings to them.

It is a sustained process of self-training to gain control over basic human needs.

The morning prayer must be offered between morning’s first light and when the sun rises, which is an average of 75 minutes. It happens to be most valuable for sound sleep.

In addition, controlling one’s natural urge for food, drink and sex for one month during Ramadan allows the person to gain self-control and help him practice compassion by experiencing firsthand how it feels to be without food or drink for the whole day.

Hajj is a universal equalizer where presidents, kings and common folks stand shoulder to shoulder, dressed in the same white cloth and performing the same rituals without any distinction of color, social status or nationality.

It is a profound reminder that all human beings are equal and what matters is not our position in life, but the everlasting acts of goodness done for the benefit of fellow human beings.

2012 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)