The Islamic Jaguar: A Deeper Look

The founder of Islam is the prophet Muhammad. He was born in the city of Mecca around the year 570, but was soon orphaned. Around 610 Muhammad underwent a religious experience that changed the course of his own life and the future of the Muslim world. Muhammad proclaimed that he had heard a voice telling him that Allah was the one and only god. This was difficult to accept among the polytheist Arabs. But a small circle of Qurasih tribesmen believed this to be true and left Mecca to go to the town of Yathrib where this monotheistic faith was accepted. The emigration to Yathrib later

Prayer is a very important in the Islamic religion. However, there are certain ritualistic rules when it comes to Muslim prayer. First, Muslims pray five times a day at specific times. These prayers are scheduled at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night (Mohammed 22). Stoller tells us that “… Like all practicing Muslims, Issa tried to pray five times a day (Stoller 3). A second “ritual” for prayer involves cleanliness and preparation. Believers must “… prepare themselves for each prayer with an outward cleansing of their body that symbolizes a more important spiritual purification” (Bogle 28). However, the absence of running water does not prevent any Muslim from praying. Issa practices this rule by washing himself with water from a fire hydrant before he prays by his booth. In the words of Issa, “there’s always a way” (Stoller 3). Finally, it is ideal for Muslims to pray in their place of worship, a mosque, it is expected to pray elsewhere at the appointed times. As previously stated Issa prays outside, by his booth in the middle of Harlem, New York. Stoller’s description of Issa’s prayers provides a clearer picture of the importance of prayer within Islam.

“Forbidden to you (as food) are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine and the animals on which has been invoked any name other then that of Allah and which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow or killed by a fall or that which has been (partly) eaten by wild animal unless you are able to slaughter it in due form, that which is sacrificed on shrines” (Hannan 86).

As a Muslim man, polygamy does not give you the opportunity to marry hundreds of women without any limitations. There are specific rules in which to follow should one choose to practice polygamy. One is that a man must always provide each of his wives with an equal share of clothing, food, and material comforts (Jawad 46). Stoller exemplifies this rule within the novel through the character Younoussa and his wives. Younoussa provides for his American wife while he continues to send money back to his other wife in Africa, Ramatu. However, Stoller tells the reader that this is unacceptable for the American wife when he says, “… She doesn’t accept Ramatu. She doesn’t want me to send money to my family in Bamako” (Stoller 16). Even though the American wife does not like this traditional polygamous law, he remains faithful to his religion and its practices by contributing equally to the care of both his wives.

Finally, the Muslim religion contains specific laws concerning what kind of food, particularly meat, a proper Muslim should eat. Perhaps the perfect example of the practice of this Muslim rul

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