Since becoming secular at an early age I have always marvelled at people of faith. Some are young, naïve and gullible yet many are also driven, intelligent and mature adults. And many are respected friends of mine, although they are far outnumbered by folk who would describe themselves as agnostic, atheist and/or non-God-fearing.
Since I knew the 'drum' and basics about Christianity, including the ‘hold’ it gets on some of its followers, I determined to learn about what makes some Jews and Muslims follow the ‘book’(s), mores and cultural proclivities. The first thing I have learned is that, like Christians, most people of other backgrounds, while invariably proud of their background and heritage, do not attend worship on a regular basis. My quest was to find out more about those who did.
After chance invitations I have now spent several years attending one of the country’s largest and best endowed synagogues as well as Sydney's most centrally situated mosque. It is probably no coincidence that both are located in small back streets, one in Surry Hills, just a short walk from Hyde Park and the other in Bondi Junction near Edgecliff, New South Head and Victoria Roads. The locations in residential streets probably stems from early beginnings in private houses, these being minority religions.
In my attendance, I have been frank with anyone who asked that I was a respectful outsider / visitor who was intent on learning more about their religion, something which was absolutely true. If anybody quizzed me further, I would tell them that I was of a secular persuasion with no religious affiliation, originally from an Australian Anglican/Catholic family background (also true).
My observations have been written into a private weekly diary. I am a compulsive writer and most of it is chaff indeed … but there are some 'high points' which may well be of wider interest, such as observations on Ramadan, the Holy month for Muslims and Yom Kippur, Rosh HaShana and the High Holidays for Jews. The events, personalities, ceremonies, fasts and feasts all bear mention. Some may be surprised to hear that I have largely met delightful, well rounded and interesting people ... with only a minority of others. In fact the former outnumber the latter by hundreds to single figures.
I hope that some may be interested to follow my 'journey' which has been fascinating and enjoyable. Some may also like to know about the range of prominent people I have met from politics, business, the clergy and the professions (and even political prisoners). Or about cantorial music which can be glorious (and diabolical) and muezzin calls to prayer. Or the relative home comforts of a synagogue (furniture, air-con, whisky, music) from the austere accoutrements of a mosque by comparison (basic running water and extensive carpets). Yet also the amazing similarities between the two religions? Each of these could form a chapter in a small description.
At the outset I would like to thank the congregations, management and clergy of both Central Synagogue and Surry Hills Mosque for their continued red-carpet welcomes, hospitality and cordial relations for their unfettered welcome to this respectful secular guest.
More anon should anybody be interested.
Second posting following introduction of my attendance at synagogue and mosque over a number of years:
Dear Reader,
Having immersed myself in Judaism and Islam for about one hour per week for a number of years I record here some of my observations. Further down the track I may try to draw some conclusions from these descriptions.
Some may be surprised that I was accorded the welcome I was in both institutions. Despite telling clerics and congregants who I met that I was an outsider intent on learning about their religion, there were almost universally positive reactions. One of the negative ones was in jest, another pointedly but politely questioning whether I was going to convert, a perfectly reasonable request.
I have noted many close parallels between Islam and Judaism and yet in my inter-faith discussions, many of these similarities, when revealed, come as a total surprise, even to educated people from both faiths. Some even express doubts as to their veracity. For example, Muslims bless Abraham, Jesus and the Virgin Mary and also revere the Torah and Gospels - something many Jews and Christians do not know. Many Muslims find it hard to believe that Jews also fast on special days according to their (also) lunar calendar.
I will broach a few here, knowing this is a superficial impression from a non-expert outsider. The singular differences, which are equally noteworthy, I will try to deal with at a later date. Here is a list of the topics I found to compare between the two religions:
Monotheism
The Rabbi and the Imam
Fasting
Positions for prayer
Prayers
Chanting weekly prayers
Dietary laws
Circumcision
Holy writings
The Hebrew and Arabic alphabets
The lunar calendar
Prophets
Giving to charity
Pilgrimages
The name of the deity
Monotheism is strongly emphasised in both Semitic religions and the word for ‘one’ is used all the time. Even the very word in Hebrew and Arabic is almost the same - as is their universal greeting and its response (see below). Jews and Muslims are all taught to be wary of the Christian trinity as either dividing the deity or diluting it, something which is considered sinful by both. Yet strangely, in Islam, Mary, mother of Jesus, is given great respect and accorded her own chapter in the Qur’an (Sura Maryam).
The Rabbi and the Imam are both respected senior educated men (traditionally always men but some women have been accepted as rabbis in non-orthodox congregations). However, they are not considered 'priests' as in Christian sense. Nor are such people needed to intercede between humans and the deity. The rabbi and imam are teachers, advisors and celebrants for births, deaths and marriages ('hatch, match and dispatch'). Indeed, all who pray in a mosque or a synagogue are considered equal.
Fasting is considered fundamental in both religions. While daytime fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan is well known, less well known are the Jewish fast days of which there are half a dozen each year. Muslims I have spoken to are often surprised and amazed that Jews fast for 24 hours (plus), a substantial feat, performed by most observant Jews on the Day of Atonement (as with Ramadan, pregnant women, children and sick/elderly people may be exempt). There are about six other Jewish fast days, one also full-day, others daytime only.
Positions for prayer. Jews and Muslims sometimes point out that despite a strong emphasis on prayer, they never kneel as Christians do. Yet the well known Muslim habit of bowing forward devoutly onto all fours for prayer comes from the Jews who do it only once (or maybe twice) per year, at the most Holy times of the High Holidays. And the crouching position appears to be very similar to that of the Muslims at ‘saleh’. With a common insistence on cleanliness for prayer, after the end of the yearly supplication, hands on the floor (or paper covering if made of stone), the Jews go to wash their hands before going on with the service. The carpet of a mosque is considered ‘clean’ since shoes are not worn inside - and furthermore, all congregants are expected to perform ‘woodoo’ or formal washing prior to the service. These efforts are different from Jewish ceremonial bathing which occurs in a mikvah pool.
Prayers in the Semitic cultures are generally made whilst facing one of the Holy places such as Jerusalem or Mecca. The house of worship also needs to face the correct direction. Thus geography, topography and also astronomy are important in setting locations and crucially for timing prayers, services and fasting. When in Jerusalem, Jews generally face east and when in Mecca Muslims may face the Kaaba (Abraham’s monument) or sometimes, Medina.
Chanting weekly prayers. During the weekly community prayer service about half of the prayers are either chanted or sung with strict rules for the chief cantor or prayer leader who is obliged in both religions to wear a special shawl and cap. The individual words of the prayers are crucial to both Muslims and Jews with attention to accuracy and traditional languages used, Classical Arabic, Aramaic or Hebrew.
Dietary laws have many similarities, most obviously banning products of porcine origin. The purity of ingredients and traditional manner of slaughter are also crucial to both cultures. Strict Jews have rather more regulations making many western meals unacceptable (including spaghetti Bolognese, and for several possible infringements). Yet fruit, vegetables, eggs, white fish and chicken are generaly ‘kosher’ (as long as the chicken was killed kosherly). Mature cheeses, much seafood and gluteal-end red meat (eg. rump or fillet beef or lamb) are unacceptable to ‘frum’ Jews for a variety of complex Biblical reasons.
Circumcision. Both Jews and Muslims consider male circumcision as a Holy Covenant and apart from boys with haemophilia or other medical reasons the rate is close to 100%. Jewish boys are traditionally circumcised at a 'brit mela' ceremony on the 8th day of life which is performed by a 'mohel' who may be a Rabbi or a surgeon (or rarely both). Muslim boys also usually have the operation (khitan) as babies but this varies between sects and countries although the destructive procedure is not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.
Holy writings are revered and sacrosanct in both religions to the extent that copies of the Qur’an and Torah are treated as one would another person. Every letter of every word is considered to be inspired by the deity and mistakes in manual copying are avoided by rigorous double checking down the centuries until modern printing (which is still not accepted for the most formal readings). Old copies cannot just be thrown away but need formal retirement and storage and/or burial. Needless to say, the language and date of the delivery of the words from the deity is also considered crucial, in the case of Hebrew of about three millennia ago (therefore in scroll form) and Arabic of about 1400 years ago (by which time the book or codex had been invented). Both of these languages are still in existence today largely due to the Holy writings, just as modern English dates from the time of the King James version of the Christian bible and the works of William Shakespeare.
The Hebrew and Arabic alphabets, while they look very different superficially, have many things in common. They are both read from right to left and thus books open the opposite way to European volumes. There are few vowels in the traditional written languages so these must be gleaned at by the context of the rest of the word and sentence. Modern Hebrew and Arabic both have a system of annotations which supplement the existing letters, clarifying the meaning and pronunciation.
The lunar calendar is used in both religions and thus observing the heavens is essential where the start of each month corresponds with the first sighting of the new moon. Some ancient Jewish festivals occur on the first of the month whereas more recent ones often on the 15th, the latter corresponding with the full moon. The Jewish calendar is brought into line with the solar year by the addition of an extra month five times every nineteen years. This brings them to being within seconds of the true secular, solar year. The Islamic year loses about eleven days each year against the seasons and so Ramadan will occur in summer for a decade, then recede to spring, winter and so forth. This is sometimes cited as bringing equality to Muslims who live in the northern and southern hemispheres. Passover and Shavuot, by contrast, are always in the northern spring or the southern autumn.
Prophets are quoted, blessed and revered in both religions. Yet it may surprise some to know that the Muslims place Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus into positions of importance. They also revere the Torah (or Tawrat) and its contents, despite believing that some of it has been corrupted since first delivery from the deity. Likewise the New Testament of the Christians which is largely accepted, the teachings and ministry of with Jesus and his disciples, but with the exception of the resurrection.
Giving to charity is essential in both religions and they even related semitic words, ‘tzedakah’ and ‘zakat’. There are strict rules in both religions, each with the same intent. The funds usually should go to poor people of that religion unless there are no poor people of that religion in a particular area in which case it can be given to others. Such funds cannot go to family members who are expected to be looked after separately. Nor can community taxes replace this duty. In both cases the money should be given directly to the poor person who should be thanked for accepting the alms and allowing the giver to ‘purify’ their remaining wealth. In both religions it is preferable to give directly to the poor person but I note that there is sometimes an intermediary at least to do the ‘match-making’.
Pilgrimages - old and new. Both religions frequently refer to ancient pilgrimages to and from cities of great importance. Modern believers are encouraged to visit these places and even relive these journeys. Meccah to Medina, Hebron to Egypt, Egypt to Jerusalem, Meccah to Jerusalem (Al Aksa). These routes are referred to frequently in the scriptures and histories of the Jews and Muslims. For modern day adherants, the Hajj for Muslims and Aliya for Jews are essential trips for the faithful wherever they may live today as long as they can afford it.
The name of the deity. In both religions the actual name of the deity is crucial and must never be taken lightly. In fact in Judaism the actual name, while written in the prayer book, is normally not mentioned out loud. Even in English it is considered respectful for Jews to write “G-d”. In place of the full name the alternatives Adonai or Eloyhim are spoken (or sung). In common parlance out of prayer the term HaShem (‘the name’) is used.
In Islam and in fact in Eastern Christianity the correct name is “Allah” but for the Muslims it is always followed by a respectful 'joiner', commonly “Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala” or ‘most glorified’, usually shortened in writing to “Allah (swt)” in the same way as in English their Prophet has 'PBUH' added (Peace Be Unto Him). “The Creator” is also a common term in sermons I have heard.
I hope that the above observations are of interest to readers ... and my apologies in advance for any simplifications or errors (which I will endeavour to correct if pointed out by readers).
Footnotes: [the word for 'one': wahid (Arabic), echod (Hebrew); greeting: 'salam alaykum' (Arabic), 'shalom alechem' (Hebrew); in both languages the polite (and usual) response is the same with the two words in reverse order.]
"Plumbing in churches, mosques and synagogues" A practical note.
Most church services last an hour or less so toilets are not required by the great majority and in emergencies the priest's facilities would suffice. Although their formal services only last from 20 to 40 minutes, Muslims need to do specific washing and ablutions before prayer ("wudu" in English). Hence the mosque or mussalah needs to have appropriate facilities for washing feet and faces as well as toilets. A natural inclination to pass wind while crouching at prayer should be averted by correct wudu. During Ramadan many of the faithful remain in the mosque for extended periods, even overnight in the last ten days (especially odd numbered days). The Jews' Saturday service can last around three hours, including long readings from Torah and Tanakh (haftorah), hence toilet facilities are essential, especially for the elderly. On certain High Holidays Jews get onto the ground for particular prayers and will need to wash again before continuing with the service. Another need for running water in or adjacent to the synagogue.
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