Example Of Essay On Sacred Appearances In The Religious Worlds: A Case Of Islamic Wedding

Q.1
I had an honor to attend an Islamic wedding that had taken place in the prestigious hall in the major city. The place of the event did not hold any significance with regards to scarcity of the wedding. However, the hall and its pristine look demonstrated the financial wellness of the families. Especially, the bride’s family treated the occasion as an opportunity to show off their prosperity to others. The timing of “Nikkah” was decided based on the belief that identified brightest time of the day as the most blessed one. According to Islamic teachings, evening does not signify luck, satins have the tendency to free themselves from the claws of angels during that time, and therefore, theological bondage of marriage should occur during the daytime. The religious scholar was considered to be sacred the most, and therefore, everyone acted humbly in front of him.
Q.2
The flowers were placed all around the central stage of the hall, and they signified the sense of new beginning in the lives of groom and bride. The fresh smell of roses was treated as the weapon to drive off demons that can hurt the new couple. Secondly, the rings were exchanged between the male and female. The rings are there to provide token of affection from groom to bride and vice versa as well. People dressed in western styles, and formal dressing was prevalent because socially, individuals dress according to clothing norms of developed nations in order to appear more civilized. The music was fast and loud, and it supported that everybody is overly happy to see both the central persons to bond together for life. However, the music was killed on more than one occasion in order to respect the call for prayers that emerged out of Mosques five times daily. The music is not liked much because it is considered to be the sermon of the devil, but on weddings, presence of music is a communally acceptable practice because it conveyed the message of happiness.
Q.3
In Islamic societies, one can observe many sacred people. There are religious scholars who live in the past, and invite others to do the same as well. However, in Christianity, advisors and ministers have to take up the spiritual roles. Finally, Muslims believe in the presence of spirituality in those who are loaded with filth and dust, and they are usually considered as pious saints.
Q.4
I spent some time with Muslims, and they consider cemeteries, Mosques, and shrines as scared places. There are cultural norms that one has to follow during the visit to such locations. People have to remain silent or they have to talk in very low tone of voice. They have to enter the shrines barefooted out of respect, and they place money, sweets, and cloths on graves of saints who lived in the past in order to get their wishes fulfilled in the present.
Q.5
I as an American citizen do treat the anniversary of 9/11 attacks as a spiritual event because it brought us together as a nation, and we have retaliated powerfully against those who want to do us harm. I feel my national image renewed with participating in memorial services, and I promise myself to exert my energies in order to develop my country into a better society every year.

References

Soysal, Y. N. (1997). Changing parameters of citizenship and claims-making: Organized Islam in European public spheres. Theory and Society Vol 26 (4), 509-527.