Got Religion?

No alcohol for Muslims, not even in perfume!

    We Americans take our religion seriously, some more than others, of course.  We have certain "litmus tests" that presidential candidates are judged by, often based on their religious views.  Our currency and our Pledge of Allegiance contain references to God, and so on.  Most towns and cities have Christian bookstores and there's a religious element in many of our holidays.


     Each country is different, of course, and it's hard to judge something as personal and intangible as religious conviction.  But from my outsider-but-insider point of view, Malaysia seems like a very religious country, indeed!  We're coming up on the fasting month of Ramadan, which will start on July 19th, this year.  It's both awesome and hard for me to watch so many people cheerfully put themselves through such rigorous religious self-deprivation.  The "hard for me" part comes every time I take a swig from my water bottle during the hottest part of the day and realize that many of those around me won't be able to do that until after sundown.

Compasses for determining which direction Mecca is

   The other day I was wandering through a big hypermarket complex and saw an Islamic book-and-supplies store.  The young male clerk there looked up from his Quran (Koran) study and approved my request to take photos, so I did.  I was simply amazed at the variety of religious goods in that shop.  There were compasses designed to show the direction of Mecca for the five-times-a-day prayers.


    There was this clock, with verses from the Quran inscribed all over it.    There was a really fancy Quran in a padded carrying case, and special book rests to keep the Quran open while you read from it.

Clock with Quranic verses 

Quran in brocade, zippered carrying case

     But the thing that amazed me the most was a software program for your computer.  It was in operation right there in the shop, with the display screen showing the verses in Arabic and a moving hand-shaped pointer to help the student follow along as the verses were pronounced out loud.  So you could see it, hear it and follow the arrow to help you keep your place and learn.  

Computer with Quran reading program operating

I should have expected that such a thing would exist, but nevertheless it still took me by surprise.  


   That made me curious, so I checked my iPhone for Quran apps and of course there were dozens, many of them free. 


    I suspect that if some Americans could see for themselves how fervent Malaysians (and other Muslims, too, of course) are about their religious practice, they would be surprised and impressed.


After all, the Quran Reading national holiday is just around the corner on August 6th!