Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Islam is the only religion I know of that requires the practitioners to fall to their knees and bow in prayer to God (Allah) five times daily, seven days a week. This is a mandate set forth by Muhammad and is a *must do* to show their allegiance to Islam and their Prophet which each of the (5) times begins with "“Allahu akbar” (“God is most great"), with each and every prayer said in Arabic. There is no choice for an Islamic to do this or not if they are to be faithful.

Among all the world's religions, can any of us non-Muslims imagine saying the prayers of our religions in any particular language? Bowing/prostrating (5) times daily, every day of the week, every month of the year..? Does not this practice become a form of self-hypnosis for a practitioner that becomes so ingrained within the person that to do anything else in their lives *has* to become so limited as to extinguish one's own authenticity (Being)? Oddly enough that would be akin to denying what Being is as nothing more than a non-entity that has fully and completely surrendered to the words of Muhammad and in actuality *not (a) God".

If Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity or any other world religion (other than Islam) demanded this practice I'm sure their would be little to no followers as most people value their freedom and independence to be what they themselves choose to believe and not to be a virtual non-entity that values *only* one faith over any other belief, (example: National Constitution). Do the values of a Nation in any way disagree with the tenets of Islam? Apparently they *can* get in the way of that religion's pathway and when they do, this self-hypnotic trance they have willingly put themselves in comes first over economic choices, political choices, philosophical choices, social theories, and, yes, religious choice.

Thank God I am not bound and unable to think for myself using the gifts of Life that I have been given by The Creator (as our own Native American's so wisely put it).

Cecil B. Lee
Nov 17th, 2015 7:00 a.m.

Hi Cecil, well you got me thinking and I tend to not do too much of that on Sunday. I'm torn between - it's not up to us to put any kind of value on what one believes and how they express that belief - and amen...I'll scratch my bald little head a bit more.

Re: "it's not up to us to put any kind of value on what one believes and how they express that belief"... unless it interferes with the "us" you put the others in (myself included). I do feel that level of what can easily become a mass "self-hypnosis" may possibly be at fault for the relatively small percentage of Muslims that are or have become "radical" in their belief system, keeping in mind that even 10% of Muslims, which is the 2nd largest after Christians, of 2.76 billion would be 28 million.

Nice seeing you, artguy! How's the painting coming along? I've been reconnecting to the brush and canvas myself, with (2) new pieces this year. I've been invited to a show this February which is a big change for me... and I look forward to.

Wow, good for you. Post pics when it comes up. I've been painting a series of works based on my cat. As a cat I'm sure he thinks he is immortalized already. I've posted a few here recently.

An interesting way of looking at it. I've long wondered why there is a much higher percentage of radicals in Islam compared to other religions. Your explanation makes more sense than any other I've heard.

Many thanks, Pete! I appreciate your reply.

Any religion that becomes so top-heavy and/or politically-obsessed that it begins to think of itself as the end point instead of the path is beside the point. Not that there's much of a "point" to begin with. Any religion.

I work with a person of the Muslim faith. If he's falling on his knees and bowing in prayer to God (Allah) five times daily, then it must be some place where I can't see him do it, or he's fitting it all into his non-work hours. But your point is well-taken. I basically agree.

Does not this practice become a form of self-hypnosis for a practitioner that becomes so ingrained within the person that to do anything else in their lives *has* to become so limited as to extinguish one's own authenticity (Being)? Oddly enough that would be akin to denying what Being is as nothing more than a non-entity that has fully and completely surrendered to the words of Muhammad and in actuality *not (a) God".

Nothing I want to fool around with.

But you got me thinking about Malcolm X. I would like to see his face on Mount Rushmore. A great American hero of mine.

mnaz wrote:Any religion that becomes so top-heavy and/or politically-obsessed that it begins to think of itself as the end point instead of the path is beside the point. Not that there's much of a "point" to begin with. Any religion.

Indeed. Well said.

I work with a person of the Muslim faith. If he's falling on his knees and bowing in prayer to God (Allah) five times daily, then it must be some place where I can't see him do it, or he's fitting it all into his non-work hours. But your point is well-taken. I basically agree.

Outside of Muslim countries it's probably permissible for a Muslim to pass on the 5X dailies within a non-Muslim majority... a practice dictated by Mohammad. Peer pressure is a powerful intoxicant to bring people together... neither good nor bad depends upon the subject.

ALL religions are man made. Thus ALL fallible and open to manmade distortions of all kinds.
Judging one alone in isolation is crass.
They ALL equally deserve respect; along with being viewed with an equally jaundiced and acerbic eye.

spirituality however; is another personal matter.

jus sayin.
over & out.