Religion In 21st Century America

Religion in the 21st century America has many roles for many different people. For some it is a sense of strength and identity and for others it is a way of life. When it comes to the Islamic culture, it is indeed a way of life. Islam is a faith and comprehensive way of life that means “peace through submission to God.” The Islamic faith provides its followers with a clear understanding of a person’s relationship with God, purpose in life and an ultimate destiny. Today, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions and is practiced by more than 1.6 believers across the world. In relation to Islam and society, an individual’s character is an important aspect. Perfecting one’s character is something every individual must strive for. Therefore,

The belief in itself nurtures the very existence of the Islamic culture. In order for one to be considered a Muslim, they have to accept the five pillars. The first is Testimony of Faith (Shahadah), which is the belief that there is nothing worthy of worship except God, and the Messenger of God Muhammad. The second is prayer (Salah) this is the devotion of praying five times a day to maintain spiritual connection. The third is Charity (Zakat) which is charity given to the poor. The fourth is Fasting (Sawm) in this action taken place during Ramadan Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual interaction from dawn to sunset. The fifth is the pilgrimage (Hajj), which is the journey to Mecca that every Muslim should perform in their lifetime.

The five principles are the guidelines to worship but worship is not limited to those acts. The Islamic religion just like social work promotes a holistic approach. Worship in Islam can be demonstrated in many ways it can be demonstrated by being good to your family, smiling at someone, sharing food with a person, visiting the sick and so on. The essence of strong moral character, good relations with people as well as devoting one’s self to God is the key to attaining a true sense of piece because then and only then will

It taught me that when working with Muslims I should keep in mind their faith and what they believe is their true purpose in life and treat them with that purpose in mind. Another way this experience has influenced practice is that it has aided in my belief of never assuming. I assumed all these different things about the Islamic culture and I truly I had no idea of what it was like. Also the experience has shed an importance of language in my practice. When working with individuals of different cultures it is important to know their language and what they call themselves and other things in their religion. I look forward to exploring other cultures and religions and allow them to also guide my practice towards cultural