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LIFE CYCLE EVENTS

Private ceremonies in a Moslem's life cycle include celebrations at birth, circumcisions, weddings, and funerals. An event Moslems take great pride in is a child's memorization of the entire Qur'an. After a child has memorized the Qur'an, the family holds a party to honor the student and the teacher, both of whom receive gifts.

Weddings

In Islam, the purpose of marriage is for a man and woman to build a home; live together in love, kindness, mutual sympathy, support, and companionship; meet one another's sexual needs; and rear children together. An Islamic marriage is a working partnership, with both partners assuming responsibility for their common life together.

To provide a home and maintenance for every woman in society and partly to make provision for other special situations, Islam permits Moslem men to marry more than one woman. You should realize, however, that it is very rare for most ordinary Moslems to have more than one wife. Permission to contract marriage

with more than one woman is contingent upon the observance of scrupulous fairness among the wives and the ability of the husband to support more than one wife. Although divorce is permitted, the Holy Prophet proclaimed it to be "the most hateful of all permitted things in the sight of God."

Marriages are often arranged by relatives. Th e individual does, however, have the right to refuse. In its simplest form, the actual marriage ceremony consists of readings from the Qur'an by the Imam, a sermon by the Imam on the institution of marriage and the couple's obligations, and the pledges or contract by which the couple seals their relationship. This ceremony is performed before two witnesses. An exchange of rings is optional. Dress for a wedding is by choice although customarily the couple will dress in their national traditional style.

Funerals

A Moslem burial and funeral service occurs as soon after death as possible. A deceased Moslem servicemember should not be an exception. Unless the family or the dying person has requested the presence of an Imam, it is not imperative for you to call one.

Islamic religious law allows for no change in the body after death. Burial takes place before decomposition begins. Under ordinary circumstances, embalming is not permitted. Cremation is never allowed. In combat or situations where the body cannot be buried immediately or must be transported for burial, embalming may be permitted. An autopsy is not allowed unless required by civil law.

RESOURCE PUBLICATIONS AND CENTERS

To understand Islamic life, law, culture, and the rites of worship, you can consult several available resources. The first resource you should consult is Islam Facilitation Guide, compiled by the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. Other valuable resources are books, such as Essentials of Muslim Prayer Fasting Guide, by Dr. Hosny M. Gaber; Glimpses of Islam, by Mohammad Tawfik Owaida; Understanding Islam, by Harvey Cox; and What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims, by Suzanne Haneef.

You can obtain other valuable sources of information by contacting The Islamic Center, Washington, DC; Islamic Center of New York; Library of Islam, Des Plaines, Illinois; Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California; and other publications by the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps.

JUDAISM

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. From Judaism grew two of the world's great religions, Christianity and Islam.

Judaism is breed on the following beliefs:

l There is one God.

l God created the universe.

l God revealed His divine pattern for life for all mankind through the Torah.

l God gave the Torah to Moses for the Jewish people.

l God hears prayers directly; the pure in heart may commune with God directly without any intercessor.

l Man is good and is not tainted with original sin.

l The immortality of the soul is the inheritance of everyone, especially those who are remembered for good deeds. The beliefs of Judaism were forged in the history of the Jewish people.

HISTORY

The history of the Jews began about 4,000 years ago when Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, settled in the land of Canaan-now Israel. During a period of 40 years when the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness of the Sinai, the Ten Commandments were given to the people by God, through their leader, Moses. These commandments, and other laws described in the Bible, formed the basis of Judaism.

Prophets

Not always faithful to their religion, the Jewish people were provided with great prophets who taught and preached. These prophets were not fortunetellers

but men inspired by visions of God's love for mankind. Among the prophets were Isaiah, Hosea, Malachi, Jeremiah, Micah, and Ezekiel. These ancient teachers

gave the world an understanding of God and his love for people through their addresses to the Jewish people. These testimonies are recorded in the Old Testament in the Prophetic Books of the Bible.

Legacy and Identity of Judaism

Traditionally, the teachings of Judaism have included the love of God; respect for parents and the aged; love of neighbors, including the stranger; just dealings; kindness to animals; and a love of peace. Judaism also taught the lesson of liberty. Taking as their

inspiration the thrilling story of the Israelite march from Egyptian slavery to the land of freedom, the ancient Jews emphasized the importance of democracy. In fact, the words of Moses, "Proclaim ye liberty throughout the

land to all the inhabitants thereof," were inscribed on the American Liberty Bell.

The Jewish people are remarkable because they have managed to retain their identity in many different countries and throughout many centuries when similar groups lost theirs by merging with other cultures. The most important tradition that kept the Jews together as a people was their religion.

LITERATURE.- Throughout the world for centuries, the Jewish people have looked to the literature of Judaism for guidance and inspiration. There are several important and widely studied Jewish literary works that Jews world-wide use in the practice of their religion. Included in the great works of Jewish literature are the Torah, Talmud, Midrash, Zohair, Shulchan Aruch, and Siddur. The Jews use these works to establish, delineate, and interpret their laws, customs, traditions, and rituals. You can find a detailed description of' these great Jewish literary works in figure 1-11.

CALENDAR.- The Jewish calendar, according to tradition, started with the creation of the earth approximately 3,760 years before the beginning of the Christian era. As shown in figure 1-12, the Jewish calendar is based on a lunar year of 12 months, 29 or 30 days per month, and approximately 354 days per year. To understand the Jewish holy days and traditions, you should become familiar with the Jewish calendar.

NOTE: As you study the text and figures in this section, be aware of variations in spelling in regard to the English translation of Hebrew words representing Jewish holy days, rituals, literary works, and so forth. The presentation of these different spellings is intentional to allow you to become aware of the various transliterations for these words.







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