Being Muslim in America

Being Muslim in America:

Life in the United States is wonderful, but when it comes to practicing another religion it is not wonderful as it sound and not easy like being Buddhism, Judaism, or Muslim is hard because when you move to another country you need to keep your culture and religion. Practicing the Muslim religion is not easy as it sound especially when you are somewhere where the majority of people are not Muslim. One of the problems is praying and reading the Qur’an which needs at least at least three hours everyday. Second is Ramadan which you have to fast for forgiveness and other things. Third will be the celebration after fasting.

Praying and reading the Qur’an is part of the Muslim religion the most important part where we have to read the Qur’an all our life until we finish it, but sometimes even if we were done, we can still read it as many times we want. Prayer means, addressing, making a request, asking for help. In the Qur'an, prayer is also described as turning to Allah with all one's soul or the acknowledgement of one's weaknesses and limited power before Allah's infinite might, and asking for help from Him. In the Islamic religion, we have to pray five times a day. But in the United States you can’t do all that because most of the people don’t read the Qur’an, and it’s hard to find a time to seat and read it. Praying you can do it but you do it while you at home because you don’t really see a lot of Mosques here and you can’t really pray five times a day when you are in the United States because you have other things to do. When you come home you have to pay what you didn’t pray because that what is recommended by the Qur’an.

Ramadan is a part of the Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calender, in which participant Muslims do not eat or drink anything from Dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. During Ramadan Muslims ask forgiveness for past, pray for guidance into the future. Its is so hard to practice Ramadan in the U.S.A because everywhere you go people eat and when you fast you not suppose to see food or even think about it and imagine in the train or a public place you can’t tell people to stop eating just because you fasting. It is also hard because when the sun set and it’s time to eat, some people are working at that time and can’t come home to eat with their families because it’s in the Qur’an that at that time we need to share our food with friends and family.

Events of Ramadan are the must fun part of being Muslim, one of them is the Islamic holiday the one that marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month. It happens after twenty-nine to thirty days of fasting. It is the Festival of Breaking the Fast, a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor, everyone puts on their best, preferably new clothes, it is actually the best day because you can get three to four new outfits, and people prays in the morning, followed by visiting relatives and friends, give and receive money from others. It’s a day you can get free money without doing anything; it’s like Halloween to Americans but with money not candy. In America, we don’t celebrate the Islamic holiday anymore because you have to go to school, and it’s not a big holiday because the majority of people are not Muslims; however in Guinea it’s a holiday people don’t go to work and school; as a result we don’t have anymore free money and more new outfits and can’t visit friends and family.

Muslim individuals and families live around the world in many different countries and practice their faith in similar ways. Cultural variations such as type of dress may vary, but fundamentally Muslims are governed by the same principles found in the Qur'an. In America it’s hard to practice it but everywhere you go; you have to find a way to respect and keep practicing your religion but not only your religion but also your culture. So that is even if America is not a perfect place to practice the Muslim religion we still have to keep practicing it and don’t lose our ancestors cultures.