The Islamic faith has particular rules regarding personal hygiene when going to the toilet. If one was to read them, they might seem quite odd…and they are. There are rules as to which foot enters the toilet area, as well as which hand to use when defecating. There are rules about speaking, rules about how, where, and when to relieve oneself. Millions of toilets have been built. The trouble is that technology and science can’t make someone use a toilet who doesn’t want to. Stones also come into play in performing tahara (ritual cleansing).
Qadaahul Haajah, or Relieving Oneself, codifies Islamic regulation controlling how to use the toilet so as not to defile oneself before prayer.
Before getting into the details, first ask yourself if the trip is really necessary. The code says that a person must relieve themselves as infrequently as possible, as the natural functions of the body are sinful and unclean. Reading that, is it any wonder that Muslims have a rather backward view of hygiene? That backward view extends to the use of mirrors as well. Sometimes it is possible to examine a patient by using a mirror. What ruling does not paying attention to this have? Answer: It is not permissible to touch or look at the (patient’s) body when one can be cured without touching or looking.
What does an imam do? The imam leads Islamic prayer and services but may also take on a larger role in providing community support and spiritual advice. One might question the comparison between an Imam and a priest or a rabbi…because there is none. You might think that there would be, and should be, but because one of them is motivated by the writings of a Seventh Century warlord and pedophile whose “ethics” are condemned by civilized countries. The Judeo-Christian values of fair play, love your neighbor and helping have no place in Islam. Imams, in my not-so-humble opinion, are the first-line of indoctrination for the children. The word “imam” itself means “to stand in front of” in Arabic. The word “imam” can also be used in a broader sense, referring to any person who leads prayer.
Muslims wash their feet five times a day. The call to prayer goes out five times a day. There are the five pillars of Islam. The number five seems to be an integral part of Islam. As to the washing of the feet, it is not uncommon for Muslims to request time off from work to wash their feet, or to pray, both of which require their employers to “work around” their needs, or to deny them outright. In the case of the latter, or for any perceived “offense” a lawsuit will be following shortly thereafter.
The adhan, which is the call to prayer and is done five times a day, is usually broadcast from the top of the mosque tower and, using modern speaker systems, will be heard for miles. In many communities they have petitioned the local governments to have the adhanmuted…mostly to no avail. Mosques appear to have some “mystic power” over local governments because they’ve been built in places where the zoning had to be changed, the people were dead-set against its being built, and the buildings exceeded height requirements.
If you read about the various attacks committed by Muslims, and they HAVE been done here in America, there is one common “thread”. The phrase “allahu akbar” is heard just before or during the attack, and it means that “God is great”, sometimes reported as “Allah is the greatest” …just one more example of the single-mindedness of the true believers. The Qu’ran has made it clear that “infidels” (everyone that is not a Muslim) shall either convert, be taxed almost to death, or be killed outright. There is no leaving the cult because that is an automatic death sentence. Many Muslims have said that they remain ONLY because of the sentence of death if they leave.
Islam refers to itself as “the religion of peace” and there’s two things wrong with that right off the bat. First, Islam is a cult, not a religion, but that’s my own thinking. Second, according to Islam, peace can ONLY be achieved when all the world is under Islam’s rule. The seeds of today’s conflict were sown very long before the First Crusade. The word Islam means submission, and Muslims are those that have succumbed. Dar al Islam is the term given to areas where Islam is dominant, if not the ONLY faith present. The rest of the world, where Islam is not dominant is called Dar al harb, a territory of war, or unconquered land. By the time you’ve read down this far, you might be getting the idea that Islam and “the West” are never going to co-exist, and that is the truth…in my mind.
Parting shot: According to Islam, the Qu’ran is the absolute word, it cannot be changed. Mohammed, the Messenger, is the perfect conduit for that word, and nothing he’s said can be changed. In that case, whatever was said, whatever was done, back in the Seventh Century, none of that can be changed. Certainly, no new ideas could be allowed, which is why the Arab part of the world languished while the Dark Ages disappeared and the Renaissance brought Europe out of them. Any questions?
Image: CCO Creative Commons; Excerpted from: https://pixabay.com/en/scenery-outside-toilets-outdoors-1129832/
