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Have you ever wondered what was said and done when you were born? I have no idea and I’m a little afraid to ask my mom! For most of us, our births were cause for great happiness, relief and possibly thanks to a good God.
I was curious what customs surround the birth of Muslim babies. As you know, it’s a fool’s errand to say, “Muslims do this.” There’s just too much diversity. Some Muslims may follow all of these practices, others some or even none.
Five things Muslims customarily do when a baby is born.
- Someone whispers the Adhan and Iqamah, the call to prayer and notice that prayer is starting, into the baby’s right and left ear. This is done “to emphasize upon Muslims that the main object of human life is to worship God and from the time of birth a child should be made aware of this.” Wow.
- Some one chews up a date or other sweet thing and rubs the juice in the baby’s mouth. (Even before she nurses the first time!) This is called tahneek. Muhammad did this and Muslims trust God knows why. I cheekily suspect it’s so the dad can say years down the road, “Oh, yeah sure, your mom nursed you for two years, but I fed you first!”
- At seven days old, a baby’s head is shaved! The hair is weighed and gold or silver (or the currency equivalent) is given to charity. I think this is crazy, but cool!
- Baby boys are circumcised, sometimes on the seventh day, other times as late as puberty.
- Aqiqah is observed on the seventh day. An animal is sacrificed and the meat passed around to the neighborhood. Well, two animals if the baby is a boy and one if it is a girl!
Thank you, Father, for every baby born as I write this and my friends read it. May they grow up in the abundant life of Jesus and follow him wholeheartedly.
PS. Can I ask you to pray for our 15 year old daughter and her school mates? A fellow student killed himself last night. As last week’s Muslim Connect ended, “Death is brutal.”
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Does death feel nearby for you today? If you’re dealing with a recent or impending death, whether a plant, a puppy or a grandparent, I’m sorry. Death can be brutal. And if it’s your own: Ah, may God give you sense of his nearness.
When I’m not in the midst of it, I find it fascinating how we deal with death and the dead. We follow the blend of rules and customs, faith and culture we’ve generally agreed on. How does that compare to Muslims around us?
How Muslims deal with death and the dead
- The customs and rituals of death for Muslims tend to be handled more by family and community than by professionals, as they are for many of us.
- Ghusl Mayyit, the ritual cleaning and shrouding of a dead body, is usually carried out by family members who are the same sex as the person who has died. It involves washing. . . in a specific way while maintaining privacy and dignity.
- Ideally, the shrouded body is placed directly in the earth. While most U.S. states do not require a casket or vault, many cemeteries do, making the direct burial value a challenge to keep. Cremation is not endorsed.
- Given that bodies are not embalmed, burial is desired within 24 hours of death.
- While customs vary widely, excessive mourning is generally frowned upon. Because Islamic convictions hold that the end of life on Earth is not the end, wailing and crying can be seen as a lack of faith.
My friend is leading a memorial service tomorrow. He’ll lean heavily on Paul’s words in I Thess. 4, reminding the mourners that in Jesus, we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
As a Muslim looks at the grave, there is hope, but it is tenuous. In some schools of thought the grave grows pleasant and comfortable for those who’ve lived well, but increasingly painful and constricting for those who failed to do so.
Yeah, death is brutal.
For much of the top half of the planet, these present days mark the return to school. Kids from California to Kamchatka bid a fond adieu to fun, freedom and non-school food.
They trade the joys of summer for the challenges of school, including sometimes being and other times welcoming new kids.
Some of those new kids in some of those schools will be Muslim. And some of those will have all of the standard new kid vibes plus they’ll be wearing a hijab or bearing a very non-Jaden/Braden/Caden name.
If you’re reading this as it drops and your nearby school starts on Monday like it does for my tribe, you’ve got a couple of days to maybe make a difference. If kids owe you respect because you’re way older than them, attention because you’re their teacher or maybe money because you feed and house them, gather them around you. (An open bag of Sour Patch Kids is great bait for my munchkins.)
Tell them it’s possible there will be a new student or two at their school who is Muslim. You may mention Muslims follow a different faith, but we have some things in common. Share that some students will be weirded out by Muslim kids, but you’d like them to remember this:
Muslim kids are lit! (They’ll know “lit” is a good thing, even it it isn’t part of your everyday vocabulary.) Proceed to work the acronym:
L: Loved by God.
I: Insecure. Of course not all are, but since most kids are insecure the first few days of school, the likelihood is high! Plus the extra stuff.
T: Terrific. You don’t need to be afraid of them. In fact, they might become a really good friend for you and you for them.
If it’s in your authority to do so, tell them you’ll give them a whole bag of Sour Patch Kids if they set up a play date in the first week of school!
Feel free to pass this idea along. Cut and paste in your bulletin or post it on the church Facebook page.
It’s a tough time to be a Christian, love Jesus and love Muslims.
There’s pressure to support Israel without question, regardless of its actions. There’s pressure to commit to (almost?) any ends in opposition to abortion and immigration. And if you dip into social media, the algorithms will quickly turn the apparent fight up to 11!
If it’s tough for you, but you’re trying today, thank you. Hang in there. Here are three things that help me:
- Throw a ball for a dog.
- Marinate in Psalms that admit things are a mess, but God’s got it. Psalm 16, 18 and the ever-popular 46 are good starters.
- Ask good and thoughtful questions; of yourself, God and others.
I don’t know how “good and thoughtful” a question this is, but I’m wondering if Muslims in the U.S. will rally to Kamala Harris.
Arab-Americans provided instrumental support to President Biden in his push to the White House. His policies on the war in Gaza have now alienated many, calling into question the impact their voices will have on the upcoming election.
Now they’re waiting to see what stance Harris will take. Will she continue the current party line relative to Israel or will she make an effort to differentiate from her boss’s approach?
This might be a good question to sensitively pose to a Muslim friend. Let’s keep aware though that many Muslims will have a more deeply emotional connection to the conflict than many Christians. For us, it’s more likely a theological question. For them, it could literally be a family issue.
As we watch this unfold, let’s join together in asking God that the war in Gaza, which daily threatens to expand, would come to a quick and just conclusion.
Ps. 46.10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations;
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Please see the final week giving note at the end of today’s email.
My sweet wife is currently reading a book called God and Money. (Fair warning, you might not want to read it. I get little nervous every time she says, “So I read this thing in that book on money. . . .”)
The book tells the story of how “John and Greg met as Harvard MBA candidates in a men’s Bible study and stopped asking ‘How much should I give?’ and started asking ‘How much do I need to keep?’”
That’s a great question. For the sake of honesty, though, I should admit our family has yet to fully engage it. But it’s got us thinking about how Muslims think about money. (It’s almost always easier to wonder about someone else, than deal with it yourself, innit?)
The Zakat Foundation, a non-profit helping distribute Muslims’ charity briefly shares:
“Five Essential Islamic Teachings on Wealth”
(If you think, “Whoa, these sound familiar, you’re not wrong!)
1. Wealth can be enjoyed, but do not let it distract you.
Wealth can give us pleasure in life, but it can also be a distraction from what is truly important. A Muslim should not save and hoard great sums of money, but should distribute it to those who are in need of it.
2. It is never acceptable to earn a living by doing wrong.Muslims must earn their wealth in a lawful, or halal, way. “O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent.” Quran 4:29
3. Practice charity toward the poor, orphans and those in need.
The faith of Muslims is built on the five pillars of Islam. One of those pillars is giving wealth to charity, or zakat.
4. Do not fear poverty. God will provide.
Some believers say that fearing poverty is the same as not trusting in God.
5. Giving of your wealth is the source of true prosperity.
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of God is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains.” [Quran 2:261]
May God help Muslims honor him with their wealth. And you and me, too.
Today is the final week for this semi-annual Muslim Connect funding drive. (And it’s oddly aligned with an unplanned edition on zakat!) If you’ve been considering a gift, now would be a good time. I’m raising money to get all the 390+ editions of Muslim Connect archived at shanebennett.com. I’m also beginning to dream about putting a collection of them together in a book! If you’d like to give, please click here, navigate to the “Staff” drop down, select me and proceed. Thank you very much.
Please see the special note at the end of today’s email.
In case your Islamic calendar has gone missing, the current month is Muharram, the first of the Muslim year. On the 10th day of Muharram, Muslims celebrate a holiday known as Ashura. Ashura fell this year on July 16th and 17th.
While all Muslims celebrate Ashura, both the ways and reasons vary between Sunnis and Shias.
For Sunnis, Ashura mainly commemorates Moses parting the Red Sea. Some add remembering Noah getting off the ark and Joseph getting released from prison. Like Shias, Sunnis celebrate with fasting, extra prayers and giving money to charity and family.
Ashura is a much bigger deal for Shias. For them it commemorates the 10th day of Muharram in the seventh century when Husayn, Muhammad’s grandson was killed by the Umayyad army in the Battle of Karbala. Shias believe he was the rightful successor to Muhammad and remember his martyrdom still today.
Shias fast, add prayers to the schedule and give money like Sunnis, but they also engage in elaborate and heartfelt mourning ceremonies.
Muhammad is reported in a Hadith to have said when asked about fasting on Ashura, that doing so expiates the minor sins of the past year.
As is too often the case, violence marred this year’s celebration of Ashura: Islamic State terrorists fired on a gathering of Shias in Muscat, Oman, killing six and wounding 30. Four of the dead were Pakistani citizens.
Jesus said the enemy came to steal, kill and destroy, but he came to bring abundant life. May that life be increasingly known among us and throughout the Muslim world.
Twice a year I invite you to consider a gift to help fund Muslim Connect. The email is free and always will be, but this summer I’m asking God to bring in the necessary resources to archive all of the Muslim Connect emails at shanebennett.com. If you’ve learned something today or found value in Muslim Connect generally, please click here, navigate to the “Staff” drop down, select me and proceed. Thank you very much.
Please see the special note at the end of today’s email.
The governor of Louisiana recently signed a law requiring the Ten Commandments (10C) be posted in every public school classroom, from elementary through university.
“No later than January 1, 2025, each public school. . .shall display the Ten Commandments in each classroom. . . .The. . .Ten Commandments shall be displayed on a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches. The text of the Ten Commandments shall be the central focus of the poster. . .and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.”
I’m guessing if you’re reading Muslim Connect you’re fairly pro-Ten Commandments. You think they’re a good idea and you endeavor to shape your life in alignment to them.
But should governments, local, state or federal, mandate their display in public school classrooms? And you may wonder, like I do, what does this mean for Muslim school kids? Of course there are myriad other considerations as well.
Two questions come to my mind:
- What do Muslims think of the Ten Commandments? Turns out you can find parallels to each of the commands in the Quran, save remembering the Sabbath. They’re not in a list like Exodus 20, but the sentiments are reflected. So Muslims agree generally with the governor of Louisiana that the 10C reflect God-ordained and sensible, moral rails for life with God and society.
But does this make a Muslim fifth grader feel more or less at home in her classroom? And frankly in what ways and how much does that really matter? To me, you, the governor of Louisiana?
- Do you think this law is a good idea or not? I’d love for you to take 30 seconds and weigh in on this one question survey.
However you see this, may God give us all grace to live by the 10C and even more so by Jesus’s sum up of them to love the Lord God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself!
Twice a year I invite you to consider a gift to help fund Muslim Connect. The email is free and always will be, but a contribution now will help it keep going and growing. Particularly this summer I’m asking God to bring in the necessary resources to archive all of the Muslim Connect emails at shanebennett.com. If you’ve found value in Muslim Connect and would like to help, please click here, navigate to the “Select Designation” drop down, select me and proceed. Thank you very much.
Please see the special note at the end of today’s email.
Yesterday the U.S. celebrated its 248th birthday. If you joined in the festivities, I hope you had a fun time. Our family did.
Although the fireworks have slowed down here, they continue unabated in Heaven for three amazing situations (among many) which are still unfolding. Be encouraged:
“Man in White” Dream
Recently in an unengaged area of an east African country a man dreamed of a guy in white accompanied by a pair of men he didn’t recognize. When two missionaries strode into his village, he said, “Hey I know what you’re talking about, I saw you in my dream!” He quickly gave his life to Jesus. This has helped catalyze over 80 others following Jesus and eight house churches forming.
Strength in Trial
God is giving resilience and courage to Iranian believers whose incarceration for their faith includes added humiliations and pain. God continues to give hope as Persians in Iran and beyond find life in Jesus.
Hope Realized in Chad
Three months ago there were 92 unengaged people groups in Chad. Now four of them have been engaged! Is there still a long way to go? Definitely, but the trend is right and momentum is growing. Chadian believers, new and old, are obeying Jesus, spreading the good news of the Kingdom.
Twice a year I invite you to consider a gift to help fund Muslim Connect. The email is free and always will be, but a contribution now will help it keep going and growing. Particularly this summer I’m asking God to bring in the necessary resources to archive all of the Muslim Connect emails at shanebennett.com. If you’ve found value in Muslim Connect and would like to help, please click here, navigate to the “Select Designation” drop down, select me and proceed. Thank you very much.
A fictional account of the brevity of Hajj blessings.
Not even two days. How can it be? Less than 48 hours from finishing my first Hajj, the pinnacle of my faith, and I’ve lost the sense of forgiveness I’d gained. Three reckless words and it’s gone.
It was good while it lasted; that feeling of pleasing Allah, being cleaned of my sins. Blessed forgiveness. We chatted, the other Hajjis and me, about the goodness of Allah, the wisdom of our prophet, the fellowship of the ummah. Together we mourned the blessed dead who’d perished during the pilgrimage, 1100 souls now in paradise.
We left the holy city to our respective places, eyes on Allah, hearts filled with peace and hope.
I pulled into the driveway and my family poured out the front door of our home. We hugged and cried. They could tell I was different. We had no idea how brief the difference would last.
In the living room, I opened my bag to pass out the gifts I’d brought: Hand of Fatima necklaces for the teenaged girls, a football jersey for the 10 year old boy. As I pulled the shirt out, a bottle sparkled in the suitcase and he snatched it, the perfume I’d bought for my wife, the expensive one she only gets when someone passes through a duty free shop in Dubai.
You suspect what happened, no? The bottle sprang from his hand, arced through the air and glanced against the granite end table as if fell, breaking into dozens of pieces, the precious perfume soaking into the carpet.
“Damn you, Jamal!” The words sprang from my mouth as cleanness fled my soul.
It would be nice to blame it on jet lag, but sin is sin. I’m reminded my white soul is black every time I walk through the fragrant living room. And what am I to do? I apologized to Jamal, of course, and began today to save money to return on the Hajj again someday.
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