the only example of utterances that represent the Islamic theological concept that
destiny unfolds according to God’s will. Farah points out that“The sayings of the
Prophet are replete with his insistence on God’s role as pre-ordainer and determiner
of all that takes place.”^140 For example, the Koran (3:145) admonishes,“No soul can
ever die except by Allah’s leave and at a time appointed....”Another prominent les-
son from the Koran (22:70):“Did you not know that God knows (all) that is in the
heavens and the earth? It is (all) in a record. Surely that is easy for God.”To the
devoted Muslim, these expressions mean that God’s will directs everything.Judgment
Like Christians, Muslims accept as true the proposition that their present life is only
preparation and trial for their next realm of existence.“Muslims believe in a Judgment
Day on which each person will be sent by God to either paradise or to hell.”^141 Hence,
for Muslims, life is a kind of“impending judgment.”The Koran states this crucial core
concept in many different places and in a variety of ways. Here is but a small sampling:- “Andthose who believe and do good deeds, they are the dwellers of Paradise, they
dwell therein forever.”(Koran 2:82) - “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him
and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.”(Koran 3:85) - “Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not
be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom. They have a painful
punishment, and they will have no helpers.”(Koran 3:91)
The message in all the above is clear: Have one’s good deeds outweighed the bad
deeds? As we will see later in the chapter, paradise awaits those who have followed
God’s wishes, while hell is the place where all others must spend eternity. The
Koran makes it very clear that merely professing Islam is not enough. In fact, some
of the cruelest of all punishments in the afterlife fall on those who were hypocrites
during their lives.
Five Pillars of Islam
An important core assumption for Muslims deals with theFive Pillars of Islam. These
five pillars disclose significant beliefs, values, and perceptions of how Muslims see
both this world and the next. The pillars are thought of as a blueprint for worship.
They are also a detailed set of instructions for social conduct and a way to include
God in every aspect of daily life.
Because the pillars are translated into action, it is important for students of intercul-
tural communication to be aware of the content of these precepts. The Five Pillars of
Islam are (1) statement of belief, (2) prayer, (3) alms, (4) fasting, and (5) pilgrimage:
1.Statement of Belief (Shahadah).Repetition of the creed (Shahadah), often called
theProfession of Faith, means uttering the following statement:“There is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.”This short sentence is a declaration
that affirms the notion that the person accepts the idea of one God and that Muham-
mad was that God’s messenger to humanity. These words, in Arabic, are heard every-
where Muslims practice their faith. They are also the first words a child hears at birth
and are repeated throughout life.^142 The next four pillars are conceived of as the
“action”dimension ofShahadah, as they demand a series of specific behaviors.132 CHAPTER 4•Worldview: Cultural Explanations of Life and Death
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).