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Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America by Eileen Lin |
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On November 15th, 2002, I visited the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America in Fairfax, Virginia with a close friend of mine who is also not Muslim. The Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America (IIASA) is a nonprofit educational institution affiliated with the al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America provides Salat services to residents in the community and also a resource center for research, translation, and information. The research center includes a library and tools for scholars in the institute and to visitors. The institute also provides an Arabic Teaching Program for those who wish to learn Arabic. The institute is located off of Hilltop Rd in Fairfax and is very close to the Dunn Loring Metro Station. We arrived at the institute at 11:30 am and asked to be directed to the office to speak with someone regarding the Friday Prayer. I had called ahead of time and found out that at the first Jum'ah will be conducted in English at 12:30 and ends at 1:00 PM. The second Jum'ah is conducted in Arabic at 1:30 and ends at 2:00 PM. We were told that the Friday English Prayer starts off with an Adhan and continues on with two Rak'as consisting of the Sunnah and is preceded by a sermon called Khutba which is all delivered by the Imam. The gentleman explained that after the Adhan is called that the Imam will talk about 20 to 30 minutes to remind Muslims of the important aspects of Islam in areas of life and address any concerns in social or political issues. Recitation from the Qur'an will draw attention to relationship with Allah or virtues of a good Muslim. The Khutba is spoken in two parts: the Imam, after delivering the first part in a standing position will then sit for a moment then resumes in a standing position. The second part is said to Praising for Allah and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad for peace and love on earth. When the Imam finishes the Khutba, the Iqama is the final indication that the Prayer is about to commerce. We then should respond back by standing in our already formed rows behind the Imam awhile he leads us into the Prayer. We were also told that what we were wearing was appropriate since we wore clothing to cover our whole body except our face, hands and feet. We were told that we would have to remove our shoes and sit in the back of the room. We were told that we had to wash certain parts of our body to prepare our purity to stand in the presence of the Creator since the Creator was pure. He also noted that by doing this it washes away sins committed by the body. We washed our face and arms, wipe over our head, and wash our feet, which the whole procedure is called Wudu. We then enter into a small sized room that looked like a classroom but completing empty with the exception of carpets on the floor, a podium in the front of the room, and two chairs along the wall next to the podium. The address prayer started with a man standing at a podium dressed in a white rope with long sleeves and wearing a head covering. At this time everyone is facing forward towards the podium where he is standing. After the completion of the prayers, the Imam faces the audience and delivers his sermon called the Khutbah which is a big part of the service. The speaker praises Mohammed and his descendants with a solid tone of voice. He spoke of Muhammad as the leader of all prophets and gave description of Muhammad as a great man who has provide guidance in Islam in a story telling format. Throughout the prayer, he would say some words in Arabic to substitute some words and speak quotes in Arabic. My guess is that he was saying Mohammed's name in Arabic. He talks about the submission to Allah and proceeds on with the story of Muhammad receiving his message from Allah. The Khutbah sermon is separated into two parts each saying words to praise the God and prayers of blessings for the Prophet Muhammad. The first part quotes passages from the Qur'anic and is explained in story telling. At the end of the first part of the sermon, the Imam took a rest by sitting down in the chair next to him to rest, then stands back up and delivers the second part of the sermon. At the end, the Imam prayed for everyone in the room to be a good guide to those who believe in Islam. The sermon was presented in Arabic language in the beginning while the men were seated in rows on carpeted floor and the women were positioned in the back. While the Imam was talking nobody is suppose to talk but only pay attention while sitting down until the sermon has ended. The story ends with the death of Muhammad and his last moments in life. He asks us to have high ambition to be role models for believers to look up to. The regular act of Salt is a powerful way to remember the presence of God. The Muslim form of prayer involves the close bonding of body and spirit. There is no priest to conduct the ceremony because there is no need of a sacrament, in God's eyes, every believer is alone with God, even when worshipping shoulder to shoulder with others. The Friday congregational prayer is mandatory for every Muslim to come and observe the prayers and has no excuses not to participate. The congregational prayer is held on Friday of every week and is important because it is marked by God for the Muslims to express their devotion by making an appointment to view their spiritual experiences earlier in the week and to get ready for the upcoming week. It is also the time for Muslims to reassure themselves and create religious bonds through social interaction. I found this trip to the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America to be a very exciting learning experience by engaging in interesting conversations with people at the institute. I enjoyed listening to the Imam during the Friday Prayer because it was something totally new to me. The words in the Quran were full of spirit and love for others. I didn't feel any aggression from the members at the congregation and had a pleasant time listening to the Imam talk. My stepfather is from Jordan and is a Muslim but I do not participate in the Muslim religion. After visiting the institute, it has given me a better understanding about his religion and about him. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: December 2002
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