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Understanding Islam And Muslim Traditions: An Introduction to the Religious Practices, Celebrations, Festivals, Observances, Beliefs, Folklore, ... History and Geography
Provides a basic overview of Islamic beliefs, traditions, and practices, including history, prayers, the body, food, and holidays.
- GenresNonfictionIslam
496 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2004
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January 5, 2026
A FINE REFERENCE WORK, MOSTLY DEALING WITH HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Author Tanya Gulevich wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “[This book] is dedicated to the task of broadening the reader’s acquaintance with Muslims and their religion. The book seeks neither to promote Islam nor to criticize it, but rather to present it in a balanced way, that also suggests the diversity of interpretation, practice, and custom that exists throughout the Muslim world… [This book] focuses primarily on the cultural aspects of the religion. Fully two-thirds of the book is devoted to holidays, festivals, ways of worship, devotional practices, social customs, manners, celebrations and ceremonies associated with the life cycle, folklore, foods, artistic traditions, and the Islamic calendar system. Since this information would be considerably less useful, and even less intelligible, to those without a general knowledge of Muslim history, geography, and religious beliefs, these subjects, too, are summarized. Thus [the book] devotes more attention to how ordinary people around the world express their Muslim identity in everyday life than it does to providing detailed accounts of Islamic theology derived from the writings of Muslim religious authorities and other experts in the field.” (Pg. 21-22)
She notes, “On Friday, the Muslim holy day, many people go to the local mosque for their noonday prayers. At this time the prayers are followed by a sermon. In predominantly Muslim countries, considerably more men than women perform salat [formal prayer] in mosques. Women have customarily prayed at home, but in recent years more have been attending mosque prayer services.” (Pg. 37)
She explains, “At the time of Muhammad’s birth Arabia was already brimming with religious ideas. Many Arabians were polytheists; that is, they believed in a variety of gods and goddesses… Besides these gods and goddesses, many Arabians believed in spirits called ‘Jinn.’ Their personalities ranged from kindly to malicious…. Arabians sought their favor though kind words and gestures, as the jinn could cause mishaps or blessings to rain down upon human beings. The English word ‘genie’ comes from the Arabic word ‘jinn.’” (Pg. 54-55)
She reports, “In the year 622 Muhammad and his followers left Mecca and journeyed to Yathrib. This event, called the ‘Hijrah’ (migration), marks the start of the Islamic calendar. The significance of this journey comes from the fact that it launched the establishment of the first Islamic polity, that is, a political unit run according to the teachings and rules of Islam. Traditionally, Islam has not recognized the separation of religion and government as a valid and positive goal.” (Pg. 61-62)
She points out, “Many North American Muslims are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Nevertheless, about one-third of the North American Muslim community is made up of converts. Of these converts, the vast majority are African American. Indeed, among North American Muslims, African Americans constitutes the largest single ethnic group, making up 42% of the total. Islam continues to attract new African-American converts, many of whom see it as a return to the religious path of their ancestors. Some experts estimate that 42% of North American Muslims are African-American.” (Pg. 115)
She clarifies, “Muslims use prayer rugs to insure that the surface they pray on is clean. These rugs… should be rolled up and stored when not in use and should be used for no other purpose than prayer.” (Pg. 145)
She states, “When Muslims mention the prophet Muhammad, whether in speech or writing, they follow his name with a blessing … It means, ‘God’s blessings and peace be upon him.’ This phrase is often shortened to ‘peace be upon him,’ and may be abbreviated in English in the letters ‘SAL.’ … Faithful Muslims also interject the blessing, ‘peace be upon him,’ after speaking or writing the names of Jesus, Moses, and … other important prophets… Publications printed in Muslim countries or by Islamic publishing companies will often insert the blessing after each mention of the Prophet’s name… In English it may be abbreviated by running together the first letter of each word in the phrase, ‘peace be upon him,’ and rendered thus ‘PBUH.’” (Pg. 175-176)
She points out, “There is disagreement among Muslims worldwide as to the exact nature of the requirements for female modesty [in dress]. Some believe that Western dress or local ethnic clothing styles, as long as they are not too revealing, are acceptable. Others believe that only a women’s hands and face should show when she is in public. Women who accept this belief often cover their head, neck, and hair with a large scarf which has come to be known as a ‘hijab.’ … In some Muslim countries women do not have the choice to interpret the requirements of modest female dress for themselves…” (Pg. 193)
She says, “When adults convert to Islam, they often choose, or are given, a Muslim name. This tradition is patterned after a custom of the Prophet. In his day, many Arabs had distinctly pagan names that made reference to tribal gods… If this was the case, Muhammad gave the convert a new name. If not, Muhammad sometimes… added a distinctly Muslim name to the one they already bore.” (Pg. 211)
She explains, “The Muslim calendar is similar to the calendar that was in use in Arabia during Muhammad’s day... [which] was rooted in the cycles of the moon… It takes the earth 365.2422 days to revolve around the sun… The moon completes its cycle of waxing, waning, disappearing and reappearing in 29.53059 days. In the course of one year, the moon completes 12 full cycles, and moves 11 days into a 13th cycle. Thus, in a calendar based solely on 12 moon cycles, the lunar months will slip backwards through the seasons by about 11 days a year.” (Pg. 254-255)
She notes, “Ramadan was considered a holy month in Arabia before the start of Islam. Arabs observed it as one of the truce months during which tribes pledged not to attack one another… Some say that [Muhammad’s] custom was to spend the entire month of Ramadan in this kind of solitary spiritual retreat. It was during the month of Ramadan in the year 610 CE, while Muhammad was fasting and praying in the cave, that the Quran was first revealed to him.” (Pg. 297-298)
She continues, “The close of the month of Ramadan ushers in a festival called ‘Eid al-Fitr.’ The word ‘Eid’… means ‘festivity’… Eid al-Fitr may be translated as ‘the feast of breaking fast.’ This holiday celebrates the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan… The holiday also goes by the nickname ‘Eid al-Saghir,’ or ‘the Minor Festival.’ This name identifies it as one of the two major holidays celebrated by all Muslims. The other is Eid al-Adha, which carries the nickname … ‘the Major Festival.’” (Pg. 313)
She points out, “Pilgrims must begin the Hajj with a clean slate, financially, ethically, and spiritually. For example the Hajj must not be performed with borrowed money or with money earned in illegal or unethical endeavors… In addition, would-be pilgrims often undertake special courses of study that help them learn and memorize all the rituals and prayers associated with the Hajj.” (Pg. 351)
She goes on, “The first ritual that the pilgrim must perform is called the ‘tawaf.’ It requires the pilgrims to enter the courtyard of the Great Mosque and circle seven times around the Kaba… Muhammad is said to have kissed the stone in order to show his love and gratitude to God. Some pilgrims believe that they must actually touch the black stone during the tawaf. A portion of these pilgrims fight the crowds in order to get close enough to brush against or kiss the black stone. These days, with thousands of pilgrims circling the Kaba at the same time… most pilgrims gesture towards the corner of the Kaba that contains the black stone when they pass by.” (Pg. 355)
She notes, “Like observant Jews and Christians, observant Muslims assemble for congregational worship once a week. Friday is the Muslim day of communal worship. In Arabic is it called ‘Yawm al-Juma,’ the Day of Congregation, or Day of Assembly. It was not traditionally thought of as a day of rest, that is, a Sabbath day on which all work should cease…. So Muslims do not insist on the need to cease all productive work on this day. Nevertheless, in some Muslim countries Friday has become one of the weekend days off from work.” (Pg. 371)
This a very helpful reference work, that will be of keen interest to those studying Islamic customs and traditions.
Author Tanya Gulevich wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “[This book] is dedicated to the task of broadening the reader’s acquaintance with Muslims and their religion. The book seeks neither to promote Islam nor to criticize it, but rather to present it in a balanced way, that also suggests the diversity of interpretation, practice, and custom that exists throughout the Muslim world… [This book] focuses primarily on the cultural aspects of the religion. Fully two-thirds of the book is devoted to holidays, festivals, ways of worship, devotional practices, social customs, manners, celebrations and ceremonies associated with the life cycle, folklore, foods, artistic traditions, and the Islamic calendar system. Since this information would be considerably less useful, and even less intelligible, to those without a general knowledge of Muslim history, geography, and religious beliefs, these subjects, too, are summarized. Thus [the book] devotes more attention to how ordinary people around the world express their Muslim identity in everyday life than it does to providing detailed accounts of Islamic theology derived from the writings of Muslim religious authorities and other experts in the field.” (Pg. 21-22)
She notes, “On Friday, the Muslim holy day, many people go to the local mosque for their noonday prayers. At this time the prayers are followed by a sermon. In predominantly Muslim countries, considerably more men than women perform salat [formal prayer] in mosques. Women have customarily prayed at home, but in recent years more have been attending mosque prayer services.” (Pg. 37)
She explains, “At the time of Muhammad’s birth Arabia was already brimming with religious ideas. Many Arabians were polytheists; that is, they believed in a variety of gods and goddesses… Besides these gods and goddesses, many Arabians believed in spirits called ‘Jinn.’ Their personalities ranged from kindly to malicious…. Arabians sought their favor though kind words and gestures, as the jinn could cause mishaps or blessings to rain down upon human beings. The English word ‘genie’ comes from the Arabic word ‘jinn.’” (Pg. 54-55)
She reports, “In the year 622 Muhammad and his followers left Mecca and journeyed to Yathrib. This event, called the ‘Hijrah’ (migration), marks the start of the Islamic calendar. The significance of this journey comes from the fact that it launched the establishment of the first Islamic polity, that is, a political unit run according to the teachings and rules of Islam. Traditionally, Islam has not recognized the separation of religion and government as a valid and positive goal.” (Pg. 61-62)
She points out, “Many North American Muslims are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Nevertheless, about one-third of the North American Muslim community is made up of converts. Of these converts, the vast majority are African American. Indeed, among North American Muslims, African Americans constitutes the largest single ethnic group, making up 42% of the total. Islam continues to attract new African-American converts, many of whom see it as a return to the religious path of their ancestors. Some experts estimate that 42% of North American Muslims are African-American.” (Pg. 115)
She clarifies, “Muslims use prayer rugs to insure that the surface they pray on is clean. These rugs… should be rolled up and stored when not in use and should be used for no other purpose than prayer.” (Pg. 145)
She states, “When Muslims mention the prophet Muhammad, whether in speech or writing, they follow his name with a blessing … It means, ‘God’s blessings and peace be upon him.’ This phrase is often shortened to ‘peace be upon him,’ and may be abbreviated in English in the letters ‘SAL.’ … Faithful Muslims also interject the blessing, ‘peace be upon him,’ after speaking or writing the names of Jesus, Moses, and … other important prophets… Publications printed in Muslim countries or by Islamic publishing companies will often insert the blessing after each mention of the Prophet’s name… In English it may be abbreviated by running together the first letter of each word in the phrase, ‘peace be upon him,’ and rendered thus ‘PBUH.’” (Pg. 175-176)
She points out, “There is disagreement among Muslims worldwide as to the exact nature of the requirements for female modesty [in dress]. Some believe that Western dress or local ethnic clothing styles, as long as they are not too revealing, are acceptable. Others believe that only a women’s hands and face should show when she is in public. Women who accept this belief often cover their head, neck, and hair with a large scarf which has come to be known as a ‘hijab.’ … In some Muslim countries women do not have the choice to interpret the requirements of modest female dress for themselves…” (Pg. 193)
She says, “When adults convert to Islam, they often choose, or are given, a Muslim name. This tradition is patterned after a custom of the Prophet. In his day, many Arabs had distinctly pagan names that made reference to tribal gods… If this was the case, Muhammad gave the convert a new name. If not, Muhammad sometimes… added a distinctly Muslim name to the one they already bore.” (Pg. 211)
She explains, “The Muslim calendar is similar to the calendar that was in use in Arabia during Muhammad’s day... [which] was rooted in the cycles of the moon… It takes the earth 365.2422 days to revolve around the sun… The moon completes its cycle of waxing, waning, disappearing and reappearing in 29.53059 days. In the course of one year, the moon completes 12 full cycles, and moves 11 days into a 13th cycle. Thus, in a calendar based solely on 12 moon cycles, the lunar months will slip backwards through the seasons by about 11 days a year.” (Pg. 254-255)
She notes, “Ramadan was considered a holy month in Arabia before the start of Islam. Arabs observed it as one of the truce months during which tribes pledged not to attack one another… Some say that [Muhammad’s] custom was to spend the entire month of Ramadan in this kind of solitary spiritual retreat. It was during the month of Ramadan in the year 610 CE, while Muhammad was fasting and praying in the cave, that the Quran was first revealed to him.” (Pg. 297-298)
She continues, “The close of the month of Ramadan ushers in a festival called ‘Eid al-Fitr.’ The word ‘Eid’… means ‘festivity’… Eid al-Fitr may be translated as ‘the feast of breaking fast.’ This holiday celebrates the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan… The holiday also goes by the nickname ‘Eid al-Saghir,’ or ‘the Minor Festival.’ This name identifies it as one of the two major holidays celebrated by all Muslims. The other is Eid al-Adha, which carries the nickname … ‘the Major Festival.’” (Pg. 313)
She points out, “Pilgrims must begin the Hajj with a clean slate, financially, ethically, and spiritually. For example the Hajj must not be performed with borrowed money or with money earned in illegal or unethical endeavors… In addition, would-be pilgrims often undertake special courses of study that help them learn and memorize all the rituals and prayers associated with the Hajj.” (Pg. 351)
She goes on, “The first ritual that the pilgrim must perform is called the ‘tawaf.’ It requires the pilgrims to enter the courtyard of the Great Mosque and circle seven times around the Kaba… Muhammad is said to have kissed the stone in order to show his love and gratitude to God. Some pilgrims believe that they must actually touch the black stone during the tawaf. A portion of these pilgrims fight the crowds in order to get close enough to brush against or kiss the black stone. These days, with thousands of pilgrims circling the Kaba at the same time… most pilgrims gesture towards the corner of the Kaba that contains the black stone when they pass by.” (Pg. 355)
She notes, “Like observant Jews and Christians, observant Muslims assemble for congregational worship once a week. Friday is the Muslim day of communal worship. In Arabic is it called ‘Yawm al-Juma,’ the Day of Congregation, or Day of Assembly. It was not traditionally thought of as a day of rest, that is, a Sabbath day on which all work should cease…. So Muslims do not insist on the need to cease all productive work on this day. Nevertheless, in some Muslim countries Friday has become one of the weekend days off from work.” (Pg. 371)
This a very helpful reference work, that will be of keen interest to those studying Islamic customs and traditions.
July 8, 2024
Great book for introductions! I could read about folklore forever
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews