تَنْزِیْلَ الْعَزِیْزِ الرَّحِیْمِ

[This is] revelation from the Most-Exalted, the Most-Merciful.

The Holy Quran, Sarah Yasin (5)

When touring the city of Fes in Morocco, I learned a lot about Islamic belief and practice. I wanted to share a few of the facts that I learned to help you become more familiar with Islam, especially in the way it’s practiced in Morocco.

In Morocco, the old walled center of a city is called the Medina. For example, Marrakech is a huge city, but the Medina is small, because the old city wall only surrounds a certain portion of the city. Essentially every major Moroccan city has its Media, which is the case in Fes as well. It surprised me to learn that in this little area of Fes, there are 647 mosques. I am continually amazed by the devotion and submission of Muslims from across the world; from their placement of their mosques, I saw their true love for Allah before all else.

Our tour guide, a Fes native, as well as the source of all of these fun facts, emphasized the importance of family connection in Islam. He explained to us that an observant Muslim must always care for and respect their parents. In fact, he went as far as to say that the quality of someone’s life is largely determined by their relationship with their parents. I believe that to be true for the most part. Obviously, not everyone’s situation in life is perfect. But, if you’re willing to give so much to the people that raised you, I think that’s a mark of a giving and thoughtful person.

Relationships are huge in Islamic culture. There’s a phrase commonly used in Islamic communities which is “Inshallah,” meaning “God willing.” People will say it when saying what they hope for or what they’re trying to accomplish. Like some of the people in my group, someone might say, “I’m going to put away my drying laundry in the morning, Inshallah.” I was delighted to know that this humble submission continues even into dating, friendships and other relationships. To the point that some Muslims around the world use a dating app called InshAllah!

Once you’re married to someone, staying faithful is a must. In Islam, cheating on a spouse is considered the worst sin possible. Additionally, if you cheat on your spouse in Morocco, you can be sent to jail for three years. I was interested to hear this, because it’s so different than American thought. It’s pretty common in media to see portrayals of cheating, and maybe you or someone you know has experienced it. But in Morocco, cheating on your spouse is nearly unheard of. It made me think about what spiritual harm is done when you are unfaithful to the person you love.

To finish off my little fact post, I wanted to talk about the riad. Many buildings in Morocco are built as riads, which means that the whole building is centered on an interior courtyard. There are no balconies or windows overlooking the public street; instead, every room looks out on the peaceful setting of your private outdoor area. In Arabic, the word riad means something like “a house and a heaven.” I love the way a Moroccan riad is filled with peace, even when it’s located on an incredibly busy street.

This type of post is pretty unconventional for me, but I wanted to share it this way because I’ve loved learning these things about Islam. I’m not sure about you, but I for one know very little about Islam in general, so finding this connection and understanding has been important because I’ve been able to more fully grasp this belief system. When I learn stuff like this about other faiths, it helps me love them more.

What helps you understand and empathize with other faiths?

Mosque/Masjid

“The Mosque is considered to be the community center for Muslims. Better known in Arabic as a Masjid, the mosque represents the nucleus of the Muslim family and community. Daily prayers are offered five times throughout segments of the day. After prayers are offered, Muslims gather for brief discussion and interaction with one another. This interaction maintains a level of unity in the community by fostering social, spiritual, and economic bonds. On Friday afternoons, Muslims hold their weekly congregational prayer known in the Arabic language as Jummah, which means congregation. This weekly ritual provides the Muslim community the opportunity to be reminded and encouraged to live a virtuous life, and to have a positive impact to improve the society and environment in which they live. The message is delivered by the Imam of the Mosque.”

“What is a Masjid.” Islamic Society of Central Florida. (https://iscf.org/masjid/what-is-a-masjid/)